• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why So Many People Playing Fender Basses?

#105
dmt said:
That’s a pretty funky-seeming chart. For one, the ‘Fender" portion shown in the pie chart takes up >90 degrees of the circle (so, greater than 25% of the total), but Fender market share is listed at about 11%. Meanwhile, a quick adding up in my head brings the total market share percentages for all brands, including "All other brands", to about 75%...

Unless the "Vintage Bass Market Share" included 25% non-branded basses in 2016, something doesn’t add up.

Or maybe the percentages shown don’t refer to market share as explained in some accompanying article?
Click to expand...

Yes , the chart is hilarious. Got off of reverb.com
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmt
#106
If so many people are playing Fenders, what does that tell you? They make solid instruments that play and sound great. I love my '62 Reissue Jazz bass. Of course there are other brands that are great but Fender has market share and brand recognition going for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassist30
#107
People play Fenders because Leo hit apon a couple of designs that have not significantly been improved upon since the 60s. You can add preamps etc. but the character of a P or J remains the same since the orignial designs; they sound great. The other part is that no other designers have come up with anything the majority of players want to play or can afford. (exept MusicMan and G & L, all Fenders really). I am would love to see another design that changes the game for electric bass.... not so easy to do apparently. Thank you Leo!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bassist30, dBChad and BBassBassington
#109
Dbassmon said:
People play Fenders because Leo hit apon a couple of designs that have not significantly been improved upon since the 60s. You can add preamps etc. but the character of a P or J remains the same since the orignial designs; they sound great.
Click to expand...

Completely agree. The P and Jazz are both miracles of design that have been expanded upon, but never truly bettered IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BBassBassington, TN WOODMAN, SpazzTheBassist and 1 other person
#112
I can't answer for other people or for other bass players, but I play my Precision because I really like it. it's as simple as that. It feels great, looks great, and sounds great. It's an iconic instrument.

That being said, I love my L-2500. ;) :D

And, that being said, I REALLY love my Stingray. ;) :D ;) :D ;) :D

And, all that being said, all three of them are Leo Fender designs (or are extensions of one of his original designs) so, yeah, I guess Leo Fender made some great basses.

:bassist:
 
  • Like
Reactions: dBChad, BBassBassington and Lefty McGee
#118
Why so many people playing Fender Basses?

You'll have to use your own "upspeak" to answer this question......................"Because they sound good?"

upspeak.png
 
Last edited:
#120
Some play them because they like them, some play them for brand recognition, some play them because they need a specific look on stage, some play them because sound engineers are familiar with them.

There are a number of reasons. I just sold two Fender basses that were really, really fine instruments. I'm going the custom built route and I can't want to get a bass designed and built to my exact specifications. There will be none like it in the world.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BBassBassington and jd56hawk

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back