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Why does everyone use Fenders?
- Thread starter batmilk
- Start date
I'm on board with the following reasons:
1. Easy to purchase
2. Millions of parts to modify the Fender bass.
3. You can easily personalize them to your liking
4. MIA and MIM seem to hold their value well.
I call them the Small Block Chevy of the bass guitar world.
I didn't notice anyone say that many producers push the Fender or higher end Fender style basses (Lakeland, Sadowsky etc) for recording purposes. It's all about the way they sit in the mix.
There are also the preconceived ideas about a J-bass or P-Style bass from other musicians. Whenever I'm invited to play with some new people I always bring my 4-String Fender Jazz. I never show up my ATK 305. Now in reality 95% of people don't care what you bring as long as it's a bass, especially when you are playing with people who not professionals. But there is always that one band leader or worship pastor that says "What kind of bass is that"? or "What does that thing sound like"? That has never happened to me persdonally but I have seen it happen to a guy that I played with at chruch who used a headless Steinberger Spirit. He was playing it a rehersal that we were doing with another church and everbody was weirded out by it becasue we were preparing to record some of the sessions. I took note of that.
I was also involved in a recording session a few years ago (I was on drums because our drummer was out of the state) and my friend Pat was going to play bass on the recording. He brought his 5-String Ocean brand bass. The engineer asked about the bass and was looking at it kinda funny. He asked if the electronics were noisy and was concerened about the bass sounding right. He recorded a couple tracks and told him he didn't like the bass. He asked if we had different bass to use. Preferably a P-Bass. None of us owned a P-Bass (personally I think he should have had one in the studio for reasons like this) but I offered up my jazz basses. The engineer was happy with that. Pat ended up re-tracking the two songs using the Fender Jazz 24 that I used to have and he used my passive Fender Jazz on the other songs. All was right in the recording engineers world after that.
1. Easy to purchase
2. Millions of parts to modify the Fender bass.
3. You can easily personalize them to your liking
4. MIA and MIM seem to hold their value well.
I call them the Small Block Chevy of the bass guitar world.
I didn't notice anyone say that many producers push the Fender or higher end Fender style basses (Lakeland, Sadowsky etc) for recording purposes. It's all about the way they sit in the mix.
There are also the preconceived ideas about a J-bass or P-Style bass from other musicians. Whenever I'm invited to play with some new people I always bring my 4-String Fender Jazz. I never show up my ATK 305. Now in reality 95% of people don't care what you bring as long as it's a bass, especially when you are playing with people who not professionals. But there is always that one band leader or worship pastor that says "What kind of bass is that"? or "What does that thing sound like"? That has never happened to me persdonally but I have seen it happen to a guy that I played with at chruch who used a headless Steinberger Spirit. He was playing it a rehersal that we were doing with another church and everbody was weirded out by it becasue we were preparing to record some of the sessions. I took note of that.
I was also involved in a recording session a few years ago (I was on drums because our drummer was out of the state) and my friend Pat was going to play bass on the recording. He brought his 5-String Ocean brand bass. The engineer asked about the bass and was looking at it kinda funny. He asked if the electronics were noisy and was concerened about the bass sounding right. He recorded a couple tracks and told him he didn't like the bass. He asked if we had different bass to use. Preferably a P-Bass. None of us owned a P-Bass (personally I think he should have had one in the studio for reasons like this) but I offered up my jazz basses. The engineer was happy with that. Pat ended up re-tracking the two songs using the Fender Jazz 24 that I used to have and he used my passive Fender Jazz on the other songs. All was right in the recording engineers world after that.
They look cool, most basses are made with Fender in mind so they feel good as well, quality of construction is fairly good (perhaps not the best ever, but really really good), they sound good cuz it's the sound you spect from a bass, also very easily modified (the sound, I mean, the bass too anyways).
That's why I use them, I don't know other people. I really like my P bass and J Basses are awesome too. Of course, I have another bass and I'd like to have many more (non-Fender), but no money atm.
That's why I use them, I don't know other people. I really like my P bass and J Basses are awesome too. Of course, I have another bass and I'd like to have many more (non-Fender), but no money atm.
i like the fender sound. jazz and precision. even though i "only" own a squier im already sold on these instruments.
im excited to see what new AVRI line will be put out
im excited to see what new AVRI line will be put out
I have had "many" basses in 43+ years I don't really like the way they look But I keep commig back ! For me You just can't beat that sound !!
Doner Designs
Steve Doner
- Jun 2, 2012
- 5,784
- 6,819
- Disclosures
- Doner Designs is an alias for Steve Doner
The classic Fender shape (regardless of brand) is the only one that feels "right" in my arms.
Swap the pickup and/or electronics and you can make it sound however you want.
Swap the pickup and/or electronics and you can make it sound however you want.
FWIW, I currently play in a shoegaze/dream pop band and use a Am. Std. Precision and play with my fingers.
Leo's Precision body shape is nearly as standard as the 3/4 size upright. But, why? I still don't know. It's just one of those things.
Common as dirt, yes. Vanilla, no. I can find no more strongly flavored voice in the bass world than the split P, overpoweringly so in austere settings where the more reticent blended J fits so much more civilly, but more than welcome in dense mixes, particularly when mixing it up with a Hammond or Rhodes, a rompin', stompin' Mark VI bari, or a paint peeling tenor with a Brilhart when he stomps downstairs to the basement.
i have 5 different basses with 5 unique tones to each. But i still go to my fender copy as a main bass or in live situations. Unless it really can't pull it off. But to me, fender and knock offs (not all), are reliable, affordable, and built to last. I've heard a myth of a bass player or just some random dude back in the day, who took a fender precision bass, all the way to the 12th floor, and let the bass drop. When he went to pick it up, it was intact. And he could still play it. Like i said, it's probably a myth but this sounds like a true testament of how much fender can withstand such beatings
Can you afford one?
haha no.
i cant. if i could id buy the current AVRI. but i cant. however when they are going to be released i will definitely be closer than ever.
Sppose u could say the same bout the all the classic instruments really, wind, strings, slap bass etc.
Instruments like the p and j I think fall into that category. They are popular because they are simply dead right for the job, nothing more and nothing less. I mean, can you imagine the traditional wood violin going out of favour...hard to imagine really
...and I can sit looking at my S/B 71 P up on the wall all day long....beautiful.
Instruments like the p and j I think fall into that category. They are popular because they are simply dead right for the job, nothing more and nothing less. I mean, can you imagine the traditional wood violin going out of favour...hard to imagine really
...and I can sit looking at my S/B 71 P up on the wall all day long....beautiful.
All my favourite music was recorded on Fender basses, so that's my sound, and 99% of the guys who influenced me played Fenders so that just about clinched it for me.
I still have my Fender P bass that I bought when I was 19, but I've found that I prefer other makers 5 string basses. I'm playing Lull and Lakland, so I didn't get far!
I still have my Fender P bass that I bought when I was 19, but I've found that I prefer other makers 5 string basses. I'm playing Lull and Lakland, so I didn't get far!
