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Why does everyone use Fenders?
- Thread starter batmilk
- Start date
The guy literally said "If you don't have a Fender P Bass no one will ever hire you. The guy isn't just a fan of fenders, he's a rotten liar.
At what point in the video did he say that? I think he said that there's often a strong bias for the P in the session scene in LA and he'd advise younger players to have one if they want to work regularly.
Plus, I didn't say his thoughts are the gospel in any event. I believe a good engineer should be able to record any brand of bass. But, given the subject of this thread, I think the video is relevant.
I must admit, if I wanted to make a fashion statement there are many other basses out there that look way better than my P. I've played many basses over the years and always come back to a P Bass because they sit in the mix like no other. I don't disagree that sales are driven by fashion and mystique of the Fender name but history and heritage also have a great impact on sales.
It certainly is. And let's assume that he is a rotten liar, even though he isn't. Of course there have been folks who have had nice careers without ever owning a Precision or Jazz. They aren't doing regular studio work for hire, though. People love to point to Anthony Jackson when I bring this up, but there are three things you must know about him:
1. Anthony Jackson's most well known stuff was cut on a Jazz.
2. Anthony Jackson probably loses as much work as he gets by being insistent on using his Fodera. He also does a fair amount of road work.
3. You ain't Anthony Jackson
And you can get as upset as you want about the Fender bias, but righteous indignation will not get you the gig.
I have literally never had a problem recording for someone where the answered ended up being "Oh the P Bass did the trick." I've never had an audition where I've been passed up for some guy with a Fender. I know this because the ten years I've been playing, I've never auditioned for a job that I didn't subsequently get. I've never been asked to buy a P bass for a job. That's why I'm calling ********.
I've literally never encountered "You need a Fender P Bass to do this gig" except on this forum. Not from employers, not from other musicians I talk to that I meet, including other bass players.
Heck, even your example to prove the guy's point is faulty because Sean specifically said that you NEED a P bass to get a job and by your own admission Anthony Jackson is most known for working on a Jazz bass.
Is this an LA thing?
Sort of, but I've also seen it in other parts of the world. I've lived in Florida all my life and I lost a couple gigs for not having a Precision at the audition, and I've been requested to play Fenders for recordings a couple times as well. But it's definitely most prevalent in LA.
Like I said, there are people who don't play Fenders and never have a problem getting gigs. If you're in only one band or if you're the bandleader, that's a whole different story. But if you're trying to do studio work for a lot of different acts or trying to be a sideman to the stars as Sean Hurley is, I consider it pretty much career suicide to steadfastly refuse to play Fenders.
I would add that I don't think anyone has ever lost a gig or session because they were playing a Fender precision..
their sound. fenders have a great tone. not that other basses don't but some basses just have a better tone for a certain genre.
I don´t wanna disturb you folks, but my question is:
"If it were possible to do/make a blind test with all those "audition´s boss", how many of them could realice/notice if you were playing a Fender bass or not, no seeing your headstock? "
Agree, but the thing is, the audition normally includes walking into the place with your gear. Of course once youre a recognized entity, you could conceivably do all your work via the internet where nobody sees what you are playing...but you need to establish your cred first, I think. And for whatever reason (various reasons have been given), the cred is easier to establish with a Fender...more specifically a P.
Irrelevant question. Nobody goes into an audition or recording session behind a curtain. But I'll humor you...I think a lot of them could reliably tell. One thing is for sure...they know when you've brought a bass in that's not going to work 5 seconds after you start playing.
*
I assume he has a lot more session and studio experience than most of us here on TB
As such, those of us who do not have his level of experience in that environment are hardly justified in calling him a liar....maybe you do but I don't
Does it have to be a pre CBS Fender Precision to get the job in LA, or can you get by with a Mexican? Just curious - and should it be a sunburst with shell plate? And btw I thought Joe Osborne was a famed LA session player - who made his name on a Fender Jazz? I know Carol Kaye played/plays a Precision but are we essentially talking studio MOR music here?
You know it's amazing how grotesquely conservative a lot of musicians have become over the years - back in the 60s and 70s pop music was breaking boundaries and players in the UK were seen with a whole range of bass guitars. I guess even then the studio pulp being pumped out with generic bass sounds may have been on Fenders.
I always lusted after one because my favourite players like Larry Taylor and Leo Lyons used them. I then lusted after Alembics and Musicman (especially because of Bernard Edwards and Louis Johnson) - never gone back - even though I've spent hours in shops trying to bond with P basses from every decade since they were invented but never been persuaded to part with the money!!
You know it's amazing how grotesquely conservative a lot of musicians have become over the years - back in the 60s and 70s pop music was breaking boundaries and players in the UK were seen with a whole range of bass guitars. I guess even then the studio pulp being pumped out with generic bass sounds may have been on Fenders.
I always lusted after one because my favourite players like Larry Taylor and Leo Lyons used them. I then lusted after Alembics and Musicman (especially because of Bernard Edwards and Louis Johnson) - never gone back - even though I've spent hours in shops trying to bond with P basses from every decade since they were invented but never been persuaded to part with the money!!
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I play Fender.......Because when I plug in this 1969 Frankenstein Jazz Bass....it just gives me the tone of the Gods!!
Maybe it's because studio time is expensive - you play what the recording guy and the producing guy is familiar with, to get the job done quickly. (?)
