Who's never owned a Fender bass?

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

When I started playing in 1982 and highly influenced by punk and new wave, the last thing I wanted to own was a Fender bass. These boring hippy/rockstar instruments. Started with a 100,- nobrand used bass. Followed by an Ibanez Rick-copy (Peter Hook!), then the first real serious bass: a Yamaha BB1100 I bought new (Peter Hook!).
Years later I stopped playing bass for 2 years, sold the Yamaha. Then I started again, bought a BB1100 again. Then I started flirting with Fender - Jamerson obsession was the reason - and bought a G&L L2000 instead.
My first Fender was a used Squier JV Precision I bought instead of a used '74 US Fender, although it was more expensive.
Long story short: Today, with the exception of a MusicMan Classic (rarely use it) and a Warwick Star Bass (never use it) I own 10 Fender basses and I am completely satisfied with them.

Conclusion: if you play long enough and have REAL knowledge and experience, there is no need for something else....
Never got those coffeetable basses... or active basses. If I want a preamp, I buy a preamp, if I want a bass, I buy a bass. Love the simple electronics of passive Fender basses, esp. what you can do with the VVT of the Jazz Bass, if you really know, what you're doing.

I couldn't be more in agreement ...

 

[Erik Asma]

No. Learned to play on one I had for a while. 74 P.
But funds were an issue.

And nowadays? I like P basses, but my first choice is ussually a modern one, 24 frets is almost a must, I play high-up a lot.
Only exception is my Ray. Leo's bad boy.

Might end up getting one. Perhaps I steal that P of our guitarist. Still has it.

 

[MrWolf14]

I answered yes to the poll:
- fact, I own a jazz (Geddy Lee CIJ)
- very unlikely I'll buy another Fender

But this is nothing against fender: I play 95% of the time a 6-strings and their offering in this area is very slim.
But when the 4 strings bug gets me once in a while, I literally love my jazz bass.

I think I never played a p-bass though... which for someone been playing bass for ~30 year is quite remarkable.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Fender is the flagbearer of traditional 50's and 60's styling.
Some of us don't like that.

Hard to believe .. that's the base and, hence, good for everything .. don't care about aesthetics, think about tone!

 

[Watchootognbout]

Hard to believe .. that's the base and, hence, good for everything .. don't care about aesthetics, think about tone!

The bassists and music that I listen to use a wide assortment of basses.
And tones.
Including Fender.

I don't need to play exactly what bass they play.
I don't"chase their tone"so much.
But I do "chase their technique "

 

[Tom Bomb]

All have the stamp but none the logo — gets me further down the road, to where I wanna be. Leo's a deadset legend

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

The bassists and music that I listen to use a wide assortment of basses.
And tones.
Including Fender.

I don't need to play exactly what bass they play.
I don't"chase their tone"so much.
But I do "chase their technique "

Fair enough, but the technique(s) they use or they have developed would also work on a Fender bass .. I'm personally a fan of the Paul Jackson of the beginning of the '70s.
He's got a specific set of licks, which I learnt how to fairly well imitate, but the tone of his P-bass is closing the circle .. it's perfect for that musical genre

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

To put it plainly, I have never been drawn to a Fender. I have had many many basses over the years. Some inexpensive to some very expensive. I have an early 1981 G&L L2000. Made when Leo was running the show.

But I have had all sorts of basses, Tobies, Gibbys,Ibbys, Rics, Warwicks, and several Spectors to name a few. I have some fretless things too, and a couple of Steinberger headless boat paddles. I also have a couple of uprights. I think I have fun with them.

And so far never worried about not owning a Fender. I have nothing against Fenders, and have played on dozens in my over 5 decades of playing.

But I will never down grade some one's opinion of what they like, and what they want to play. I'm just happy they like playing the bass. Viva la Difference.....

 

[Watchootognbout]

Fair enough, but the technique(s) they use or they have developed would also work on a Fender bass .. I'm personally a fan of the Paul Jackson of the beginning of the '70s.
He's got a specific set of licks, which I learnt how to fairly well imitate, but the tone of his P-bass is closing the circle .. it's perfect for that musical genre

Yes.
They likely developed their techniques on Fender products.
But moved beyond for various reasons.
They no longer fulfilled some aspect.

Examples:
Stanley Clarke.
Anthony Jackson.
Mark Egan.
Michael Manring.
"Flim" Johnson.
John Patitucci.
Percy Jones.
Louis Johnson.
Jonas Hellborg.
Jeff Berlin.

 

[Rocker949]

This thread is so bitter I need to have a sweet drink.

That may be true. Unfortunately, there are other bitter threads, too. As long as humans interact with each other at all some inevitable disagreements are going to be there. Another thing to consider is that a sweet drink might be a good idea regardless.

 

[Doublesixes]

does a J still do it for you?

I have 4 of those and to be honest, they are the ones I almost exclusively use and occasionally a 6 string, 2 octave Douglas. I have a 73 Precision which is perhaps my most valuable bass but I hardly take it out of its case. Lovely instrument but not as versatile as a Jazz Bass, imo.

 

[KaraQ]

SeeView attachment 3926830 View attachment 3926831 View attachment 3926832

That is so beautiful! Love that color!

 

[KaraQ]

A friend's Fender P-bass is what made me want to start playing bass.
When my dad & I went to the music store (I'm not sayin' how long ago that was...), I tried several, including Fender - but ended up taking an Ibanez SR800 home. Played Ibanez until I got my first Thunderbird, now the others spend more time collecting dust than getting played.
The only Fender-style bass that interests me atm, is Lakland's Geezer signature model P-bass. I'd have to win the lottery or something before I'd by a bass that expensive...

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

Yes.
They likely developed their techniques on Fender products.
But moved beyond for various reasons.
They no longer fulfilled some aspect.

Examples:
Stanley Clarke.
Anthony Jackson.
Mark Egan.
Michael Manring.
"Flim" Johnson.
John Patitucci.
Percy Jones.
Louis Johnson.
Jonas Hellborg.
Jeff Berlin.

Well Berlin plays a very basic bass all in all, Patitucci wanted a six-strings bass which wasn't made by Fender although he now frequently plays Yamaha four stringers which may be defined as FSO (Fender Shaped Objects); same story for Anthony Jackson on the six-strings side of things, although he doesn't seem to me that he needed such a bass as much as Patitucci needed it and I'm of the opinion that, music-wise, he may go back to his J-bass with which he worked during his early years; he would surely get more bite in his tone.
Micheal Manring is a world apart; I've got some problems in thinking of him as a bass player.
You play like him? Chapeau! You can however take a standard bass and run its tone through multiple effects to expand it.
You won't play like him, likely, but the tone may get to be similar to a fairly good extent.
Mark Egan started with a Fender J and transitioned after towards Pedulla PJ .. good basses the Pedulla and still affordable although Alphonso Johnson or Jeff Andrews didn't follow the same route ..
Stanley Clarke plays Alembics inter-alia .. bah .. great exhibition of exotic woods and special electronics but, in my case, the tone is arguable and the price is .. OMG; BTW, I much prefer Clarke as a double-bass player!
Percy Jones could do everything he did very finely on a J bass, no issues.
I don't know much of Jonas Hellborg as he belongs to the generation of slappers of the '90s which I considered boring at the time and never ventured in listening deeply to their music.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

Well Berlin plays a very basic bass all in all, Patitucci wanted a six-strings bass which wasn't made by Fender although he now frequently plays Yamaha four stringers which may be defined as FSO (Fender Shaped Objects); same story for Anthony Jackson on the six-strings side of things, although he doesn't seem to me that he needed such a bass as much as Patitucci needed it and I'm of the opinion that, music-wise, he may go back to his J-bass with which he worked during his early years; he would surely get more bite in his tone.
Micheal Manring is a world apart; I've got some problems in thinking of him as a bass player.
You play like him? Chapeau! You can however take a standard bass and run its tone through multiple effects to expand it.
You won't play like him, likely, but the tone may get to be similar to a fairly good extent.
Mark Egan started with a Fender J and transitioned after towards Pedulla PJ .. good basses the Pedulla and still affordable although Alphonso Johnson or Jeff Andrews didn't follow the same route ..
Stanley Clarke plays Alembics inter-alia .. bah .. great exhibition of exotic woods and special electronics but, in my case, the tone is arguable and the price is .. OMG; BTW, I much prefer Clarke as a double-bass player!
Percy Jones could do everything he did very finely on a J bass, no issues.
I don't know much of Jonas Hellborg as he belongs to the generation of slappers of the '90s which I considered boring at the time and never ventured in listening deeply to their music.

Jonas in 2001 live in Paris with Shawn Lane

 

[gigetto]

Why a lot of musicians prefers fenderoids (similar to replica's) (also expensive) than an original Fender?

 

[eldoryder]

Geez, everybody......apologies in advance, but I love the ALL the Fenders, Peaveys, Squiers, Hondos, Epiphones, Gibsons, G&Ls, OLPs, Sterlings and Rogues that I have ever bought. Why would I have bought them, if I didn't want to own them? I am constantly amazed at the sometime partisan bent (bass brands, not politics) of people on these pages. Buy what you like, like what you buy, is what works for me. IMHO, of course!

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I've owned and played a lot of different brands. I didn't plan it this way but I realized that Fender style instruments are what work does me. They fit my hands, are comfortable to play and give me the sounds and the look I am after.

 

[Rocker949]

Geez, everybody......apologies in advance, but I love the ALL the Fenders, Peaveys, Squiers, Hondos, Epiphones, Gibsons, G&Ls, OLPs, Sterlings and Rogues that I have ever bought. Why would I have bought them, if I didn't want to own them? I am constantly amazed at the sometime partisan bent (bass brands, not politics) of people on these pages. Buy what you like, like what you buy, is what works for me. IMHO, of course!

I did buy a Rogue long ago that maybe wasn't the best choice I ever made in basses, but your point is well taken.

 

[gigetto]

Why most of the bass player didn't have bought never a Yamaha that is far from all the best choice?