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Why does everyone use Fenders?

#703
Frenchy-Lefty said:
Does this thread make any sense in a world where countless bass makers sell Fender Jazz or Precision clones such as Lakland, Lull, Sadowsky, Carvin, G&L, Schecter?...so if you are playing one of those clones you are also, in a way, playing a Fender, right? It just does not say Fender on the headstock.
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Well, if you're playing a G&L, you *are* playing a Fender. Not a clone. It just does not say Fender on the headstock.

(And wouldn't a little brand variety in the bass world be a good thing,)
 
#704
esa372 said:
...and many try every other bass they can - sometimes over decades - and still decide that Fender is best for them.
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That's kinda what happened to me. I was using various basses from both ends of the price spectrum for manufactured basses.........Hohner, Cort, Epiphone, Tobias, Rickenbacker, Steinberger. Finally settled on Ibanez for a few years, first an SR800 then added an EDC700, and played both of those exclusively for years, but still wasn't quite happy. Walked into a music store one day with the intention of trying a few different basses, and most likely walking out with one. Was messing with a Warwick that I liked but didn't quite love. Then I saw a Fender Jazz bass........1996 MiA, Ash body with white blonde finish (which is pretty rare for a production Jazz), maple fretboard, and all the other trimmings that came with the MiA basses at the time. I picked it up and fell in love with the tone, loved the feel of the neck, and it wasn't much heavier then my Ibanez basses. I walked out with that bass, and that was it. I'm perfectly happy playing Fender Jazz basses, and contemplating picking up a Precision in the near future.
 
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#706
RedHotFuzz said:
Well, if you're playing a G&L, you *are* playing a Fender. Not a clone. It just does not say Fender on the headstock.

(And wouldn't a little brand variety in the bass world be a good thing,)
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True, same if you are playing a Musicman. Actually, almost everyone is playing a Fender...In a way or another whether it is a clone or a bass conceived by Leo
 
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#707
It's a generalization to say everyone plays a Fender because they don't. However, Fender did set the standard for basses, has stood the test of time, is widely available, and is adored by many because their products sound and feel right. As members of a unique group of people (a.k.a. bassists) we know that choosing an instrument is contingent upon what sounds good to our ears, what feels right in our hands, and what fits our needs. Those contingencies are what make each choice different for the individual. I don't own a Fender but I have nothing against them.
 
#708
I don't use my Fender unless I have to. I have 2. I prefer my MIM 4 string Special to my MIA Deluxe 5. But mostly they sit in the case. I did change my 4 banger to flat wound strings when we played Chess Records in Chicago. I felt it was more of a tribute to all the incredible bassists that have done so much work there.
 
#712
Why does everyone play Fenders? Well, obviously they don't! Like every bass, they have their place and their niche. Leo Fender invented and patented the electric bass and for a long time they were the industry standard. The Precision and Jazz sounds are some of the most used sounds in the industry and they are often requested for sessions, but even they can be replicated and bettered by other brands.

I've had a few Fenders myself, from both Precision and Jazz MIM standards to Geddy Lee and Marcus Miller signatures, American S1, American Standard (J &P), Japanese 75 reissue, Roadworn, American Vintage and Jazz 50th Anniversary. They never seemed in the past to stick around for long, because there was always something better (usually a Status) on offer to trade for.

Now I'm a lot older and wiser, I tend to go for the sound I actually need. I've got all the bases (no pun intended) covered as a professional bass player, especially with the single coil sound on my Sabre, which is a P-bass killer tone, and the rest come from my Status basses which are always going to be my main players, due to their unmatched playability, sound and stability.

The only sound I am missing is a true Jazz bass sound - I've played a lot of Jazzes recently and I'm looking for the one - I don't care if it turns out to be a Fender or something else. Just as long as it has that Jazz-Burp and the feel/sound I'm looking for, I'll be happy.
 
#715
Jeff Scott said:
I thought we dispelled this OWT a while ago. Leo may have created the first commercially viable electric bass but he did not invent it.
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Wiki's history of the bass guitar says Paul Tutmarc of Audiovox was the first to sell one, the Model 736 Bass Fiddle, in 1935...

ImageUploadedByTalkBass1408643857.191466.jpg


Fender was the first to sell one on a mass scale and get noted players of the day to start using it.

Otto
 
#720
sound guys love them, band leaders love them whether out of ignorance or personal exp. people just like them, as a player I will always keep a fender in my collection just because they are in high/popular demand. plus they sit well in the mix and are pretty BASSic and are easy to mix and produce with
 

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