why does everyone use fender?

[NickyBass]

Maybe not a gig but I have seen several bassist wanted ads that had all kinds of gear dictations. Fender bass, tube amp, Ampeg or whatever. :scowl:

Jim

Yeah, I've seen stuff like that, too. But, Ive also seen an ad that said "Bassist wanted. Must be willing to alter appearance to look like Gene Simmons." (All the Jersey guys may have seen that. It ran in the Trading Times for a few years.) Doesn't make it right.

 

[wwittman]

Oh people hate so much. It's sad really. These are the top reasons for choosing a fender:

-Good tone that fits in the mix well in almost any playing situation
-Looks cool and retro (and I understand not everybody likes that, but most people do)
-They're easy to be found at almost any price range
-Most players like the way they feel
-Sound guys and recording engineers work with them easily (when you're a working musician you can't really afford to spend alot of time arguing with these guys)
-Many of their favorite players/bands used them, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be like the people that influenced you to play bass in the first place. I'm pretty sure everyone does that on some level.

I've been avoiding it , but I have to respond to this.

I have some Fenders and I like them but they're not my "main" bass guitars.
(just for perspective)

But I do think that there are SOME amazing Fenders and MANY not so amazing ones, and actually many awful ones out there.

but:
>>-Good tone that fits in the mix well in almost any playing situation

well SOME have good tone, and MOST have average to poor tone that is actually quite thin and bland in a mix.

>>-Looks cool and retro (and I understand not everybody likes that, but most people do)

as you said, you do... I don't care what a bass looks like unless it's ugly as sin. I care more about how comfortable it is to hold and play.

>>-They're easy to be found at almost any price range

except the ones worth HAVING are usually expensive, and the low priced ones are horrible.
But people buy them because they SAY "Fender" or "Precision" on them.

>>-Most players like the way they feel.

You don't KNOW that and I don't believe that.
As I said, most people buy them almost by default.

Some feel great, most don't.


>>-Sound guys and recording engineers work with them easily (when you're a working musician you can't really afford to spend alot of time arguing with these guys)

well, as a 30 yr pro producer/engineer let me STRONGLY disagree with that.
I more often than not cringe when I see another generic Fender come in the door.
And I wouldn't go to a session without bringing a really GOOD bass just in case.
But also, most engineers sadly just don't CARE much about bass or know much about getting actually GOOD bass sounds (as opposed to just SOME sort of bass on tape/disc). They don't have a preference (or an informed one) one way or the other. They just want it EASY.
A good sounding bass, or more important, a player who knows how to get his sound easily and quickly, is all that matters to them.

>>-Many of their favorite players/bands used them, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be like the people that influenced you to play bass in the first place. I'm pretty sure everyone does that on some level.

THIS is the crux.
People buy them because "everyone else" uses them.

 

[SteveC]

I agree with a number of others in this thread....they just feel right!

I say the same thing about my Yamaha. It just feels right.

I have nothing against Fender basses at all. I've owned at least 7 of them over the years. I guess I'd play one if they made a 5 string I liked. And yes, my gigs do "require" I have a 5 string. If I could get buy with a 4 string, I'd probably have a MIA Jazz.

 

[mark beem]

Yeah, I've seen stuff like that, too. But, Ive also seen an ad that said "Bassist wanted. Must be willing to alter appearance to look like Gene Simmons." (All the Jersey guys may have seen that. It ran in the Trading Times for a few years.) Doesn't make it right.

Well, if it was a Kiss tribute band I can see where that would be kind of important..

 

[GhostLobby]

I prefer the 'plumber' analogy myself.

 

[Eric Perry]

I've been avoiding it , but I have to respond to this.

I have some Fenders and I like them but they're not my "main" bass guitars.
(just for perspective)

But I do think that there are SOME amazing Fenders and MANY not so amazing ones, and actually many awful ones out there.

but:
>>-Good tone that fits in the mix well in almost any playing situation

well SOME have good tone, and MOST have average to poor tone that is actually quite thin and bland in a mix.

>>-Looks cool and retro (and I understand not everybody likes that, but most people do)

as you said, you do... I don't care what a bass looks like unless it's ugly as sin. I care more about how comfortable it is to hold and play.

>>-They're easy to be found at almost any price range

except the ones worth HAVING are usually expensive, and the low priced ones are horrible.
But people buy them because they SAY "Fender" or "Precision" on them.

>>-Most players like the way they feel.

You don't KNOW that and I don't believe that.
As I said, most people buy them almost by default.

Some feel great, most don't.


>>-Sound guys and recording engineers work with them easily (when you're a working musician you can't really afford to spend alot of time arguing with these guys)

well, as a 30 yr pro producer/engineer let me STRONGLY disagree with that.
I more often than not cringe when I see another generic Fender come in the door.
And I wouldn't go to a session without bringing a really GOOD bass just in case.
But also, most engineers sadly just don't CARE much about bass or know much about getting actually GOOD bass sounds (as opposed to just SOME sort of bass on tape/disc). They don't have a preference (or an informed one) one way or the other. They just want it EASY.
A good sounding bass, or more important, a player who knows how to get his sound easily and quickly, is all that matters to them.

>>-Many of their favorite players/bands used them, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to be like the people that influenced you to play bass in the first place. I'm pretty sure everyone does that on some level.

THIS is the crux.
People buy them because "everyone else" uses them.

I agree with everything in this post... Especially the end.

 

[dougjwray]

Years ago, when I was living in Boston, I had some friends who ran a studio. I used to rent my Precision out to them regularly-- very often a young band would come in and the bass player would have a brand-X bass that would give the engineer a headache. So they'd call me and I'd bring in the Precision.
Similarly, I've recorded in several studios who kept a Fender leaning up against the wall in the corner (no case necessary), ready to be pressed into action.
More than once, I've walked in with a Fender Jazz bass and the engineer has glanced at it, exhaled, grinned, and said, "Now that's what I like to see!"
As I said in an earlier post, it's not right that it should be this way, and yes, Stanley, Victor, Patitucci, et al. have the sufficient stature to get the proper attention given to their non-Fender sounds. Engineers SHOULD be more ambitious about mastering the art of EQ-ing non-Fender basses.
But the reality (at least, in my experience) is that if you, a working bassist, want to: 1) hear yourself in the final mix; and 2) make friends, you'll have a Fender ready.

Also, some of you guys might consider that some things are simple and just work. A pencil comes to mind. Yeah, that's it: Fenders are like pencils!

 

[bazzanderson]

Years ago, when I was living in Boston, I had some friends who ran a studio. I used to rent my Precision out to them regularly-- very often a young band would come in and the bass player would have a brand-X bass that would give the engineer a headache. So they'd call me and I'd bring in the Precision.
Similarly, I've recorded in several studios who kept a Fender leaning up against the wall in the corner (no case necessary), ready to be pressed into action.
More than once, I've walked in with a Fender Jazz bass and the engineer has glanced at it, exhaled, grinned, and said, "Now that's what I like to see!"
As I said in an earlier post, it's not right that it should be this way, and yes, Stanley, Victor, Patitucci, et al. have the sufficient stature to get the proper attention given to their non-Fender sounds. Engineers SHOULD be more ambitious about mastering the art of EQ-ing non-Fender basses.
But the reality (at least, in my experience) is that if you, a working bassist, want to: 1) hear yourself in the final mix; and 2) make friends, you'll have a Fender ready.

Also, some of you guys might consider that some things are simple and just work. A pencil comes to mind. Yeah, that's it: Fenders are like pencils!

+1000

 

[thewickedcool]

wwittman, I wasn't really trying to make it sound like as if all Fenders are really good, I was just listing the reasons as to why most people might buy them.

Alot of tone is subjective, and a 19 yr old can't really argue with a someone who's been producing and engineering for 30 years, I guess I know what I like is all I can say.

You said that how it looks doesn't matter to you, which is good for you but for alot of people this is a big factor.

As for the prices, I understand that getting a really good fender will set you back bunches of money, but then most of the time this is true of getting any really good bass. The lower priced ones are worse I'm sure, but I don't think that they are really that much worse than any other bass in their respective price ranges.

You're right, I shouldn't have said that "most" players like the feel. I SHOULD have written that "many" like it. Of course this is subjective too. It is understandable that you don't like the feel of most of them.

No argument with the engineers. What you said is true.

And yes people buy them because so many others have before. I chose mine because I wanted a sound similar to the music that I listen to, because that's what I also want to play. I listen to indie, punk, and blues, and I also wanted a more vintage tone. I researched it and tried several different manufacturers and models of basses before I ended up with a Fender. I didn't mean to put Fender up on a pedestal (because they shouldn't be). I was only stating why most people buy them and at the end why I personally own one myself. No hard feelings.

 

[elmohoof]

When I was 11 years old I started guitar lessons. My first guitar was a Sears silvertone bought at a pawn shop. When I firgured out that guitar was not my instrument, I traded it for a "Telestar" bass which was a copy of a P bass. My first real good bass was a Hagstrom II bass, all I could afford. Being influenced by pros, when seeing an ad with Noel Redding playing a Hagstrom 8 string I bought one! Bad idea! Seeing Jack Bruce with a Gibson EB-3, I bought one! Really liked this bass! Then I started to play jazz, and I borrowed my friends Fender Jazz bass. That was it! I started to play much better, that bass was the best bass so far. Since then I've owned a MM Sting Ray, great bass loved the neck, loved the PU. TOO HEAVY! I found a Fender Telecaster bass, hated the PU, after having that active PU in the MM I had a hard time going back! Then I found my Fender Jazz Bass Plus! great neck, great PUs, active EQ, the new plastic case sucked, as did the MF case I got. I use a gig bag now, they are great! I have been looking for a "neck through the body" bass, but I don't know if I'll ever find one as comfortable as my Fender I'm 52 years young now

 

[Bass4LifeRS]

well, as a 30 yr pro producer/engineer let me STRONGLY disagree with that.
I more often than not cringe when I see another generic Fender come in the door.
And I wouldn't go to a session without bringing a really GOOD bass just in case.
But also, most engineers sadly just don't CARE much about bass or know much about getting actually GOOD bass sounds (as opposed to just SOME sort of bass on tape/disc). They don't have a preference (or an informed one) one way or the other. They just want it EASY.
A good sounding bass, or more important, a player who knows how to get his sound easily and quickly, is all that matters to them.

Fender fanatics have been owned

 

[de la mocha]

Precision Bass>>>>>Jazz Bass

 

[JBass1]

everyone keeps talking about this engineering stuff but i dont think everyone in the bass community has even been in a studio before...theres much more to the original question of why many people use fenders that just "because engeneers like them better and are easier to mix in"

that said..i believe that most people buy fenders becasue they are the coca-cola of basses...since many people start with them, they trust them and know that they can get what they want out of them, and some people just like them for what they are..for others, like myself...we might like something different for our own tastes...whoever said before that if you dont own a fender you're not pro is just being flat-out ignorant...i have never picked up a fender that i liked...my friends have them and i try them out at guitar stores all the time..they're nothing special to me...other people try warwicks and hate them and are nothing special to them...i could care less..they happen to be my thing....once it again it comes down to the idea of "to each their own"

for the record, i just auditioned for a gig with my SSII and got it over some guy who was using a fender and the drummer said he liked my sound much better

/end rant

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

They seem to "work" in most situations (for many people).

I myself am not a fender fan. They don't feel really "bad" to me, but they don't really feel "right" either. No offense to fender or people that like them. They just aren't my cup of tea.

 

[EricF]

If everyone liked the same bass, there wouldn't be so many options...and opinions. Thankfully, we all have lots to choose from. For me, Fenders just sound and feel - and look -"right".

 

[dougjwray]

Just a reminder:
This thread wasn't about "Why doesn't everyone like Fenders?" or "Why are there some losers who don't like Fenders?" or "How can anyone like Fenders?"
It was about "Why do so many people like Fenders?"

The people like me who bring up studios and so on are just trying to answer the question objectively, based on experience.
I would never look down on someone because they play something else. That would be silly.

 

[JayAmel]

Some folks here know how many different basses I went through during, say, the last 3 years. Each time I felt disappointed by a bass after some weeks/months of use, or each time I felt like turning around with no way out, I went back to Fender and felt at ease again.

Pleasure of having a boutique (or uncommon, or custom made) bass is one thing. Need of having a tool when you're in music business is more important to me. People I work with don't care at all which tool I use for my job. All they want is my bass to sit on the right seat in the mix, either live or in studio. And after 30 years of intensive bass playing in most French studios and on many French stages, I can attest Fenders are the only ones who never let me down on that, along with maybe Musicman basses.

Back in 1980, I remember my band was recording an album. I was a Rickenbacker addict at this time. But we got the best out of the bass when I took my '72 Telecaster Bass for recording. Though, I never liked that Tele Bass that much, its humbucker sounded muddy to me, somewhat à la Gibson Eb-xx.

 

[Headroom]

I prefer Jazz-style basses for their versatility, but there'll always be an attraction towards the unique feel and sound of a Rickenbacker 4000 series bass.

 

[bikeplate]

HI

Basicallly an industry standard. Sorta like Ford or Chevy.

Rob

 

[lonote]

When I was 11 years old I started guitar lessons. My first guitar was a Sears silvertone bought at a pawn shop. When I firgured out that guitar was not my instrument, I traded it for a "Telestar" bass which was a copy of a P bass. My first real good bass was a Hagstrom II bass, all I could afford. Being influenced by pros, when seeing an ad with Noel Redding playing a Hagstrom 8 string I bought one! Bad idea! Seeing Jack Bruce with a Gibson EB-3, I bought one! Really liked this bass! Then I started to play jazz, and I borrowed my friends Fender Jazz bass. That was it! I started to play much better, that bass was the best bass so far. Since then I've owned a MM Sting Ray, great bass loved the neck, loved the PU. TOO HEAVY! I found a Fender Telecaster bass, hated the PU, after having that active PU in the MM I had a hard time going back! Then I found my Fender Jazz Bass Plus! great neck, great PUs, active EQ, the new plastic case sucked, as did the MF case I got. I use a gig bag now, they are great! I have been looking for a "neck through the body" bass, but I don't know if I'll ever find one as comfortable as my Fender I'm 52 years young now

I've got 5 years on you and our experiences are eerily similar. My first guitar was a Silvertone and I also had a Hagstrom Bass II as my first "good bass" and also had a Hagstrom 8-string. I think Fender delivers what most people (not all, but most) want and need at a price they can afford.