Ou7shined Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Skin up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK Jale Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Damn. My biccie's fallen in my brew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 Right you lot, off the settee and get practising, I wont tell you again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1234900' date='May 17 2011, 09:15 PM']Who's touching my knee? [/quote] Sorry... I thought it was mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 There's nothing wrong with Fenders in my book. I was looking for a nice Jazz 5 a while ago and my first thought was for Fender. I ended up with a Sandberg and haven't looked back, but Fenders do what they say on the tin. To echo others, I think it's conforming to a standard. Most people aren't interested enough in what they play to spend their time on an internet forum and geek out in shops. If they're looking at basses, their first thought is a Fender. It works that if you buy a budget bass that you really get on with, then have money to spend on another bass, chances are that you'll go for a higher model of the same bass. Squier have good value basses, the logical progression is to end up with a Fender. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slipperydick Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='dc2009' post='1234978' date='May 17 2011, 09:49 PM']True, my Dean which was my main bass before my warwick has the thinnest of necks I've ever played, you can glide up and down it as if it isn't there! [color="#0000FF"][i]And as for the MIJ/MIM/MIA differences? Any thoughts from anyone?[/i][/quote][/color] I keep seeing this... At the rsk of seeming thick, can somebody explain these abreviations for me ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK Jale Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 MIJ - Made In Japan MIM - Made In Mexico MIA - Made In America CIJ - Crafted In Japan (different era to MIJ) FIUK - Faked In UK just kiddin'... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 [quote name='Slipperydick' post='1235104' date='May 18 2011, 12:43 AM'][/color] I keep seeing this... At the rsk of seeming thick, can somebody explain these abreviations for me ?[/quote] MI means "made in"... I'm sure you can work out the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I knew/know what they stand for, just want to know what the general concensus is as to the differences between each? Do some production lines have higher reliability, better necks, better sound etc etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='Ou7shined' post='1235107' date='May 18 2011, 12:59 AM']MI means "made in"... I'm sure you can work out the rest. [/quote] MIP = Made In Plywood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomBassmonkey Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 From cheapest to most expensive: Squier, MIM, MIJ, MIA. Squier, MIM and MIA used to be dubious QC, they've improved a lot though recently. MIJ has always been fairly consistent. Lots of people prefer MIJs due to them being consistent value wheras with the MIAs in the past you could be paying more and getting a dog. Apparently most of the QC issues are sorted now and MIMs and MIAs are more consistent, I'd still try before buying though. CIJs are MIJs that were made in a specific factory for a couple of years in the mid 90s IIRC (that could be totally wrong though). All of that's off the top of my head and since I've only ever very briefly had interest in Fenders it could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dc2009 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1235134' date='May 18 2011, 02:34 AM']From cheapest to most expensive: Squier, MIM, MIJ, MIA. Squier, MIM and MIA used to be dubious QC, they've improved a lot though recently. MIJ has always been fairly consistent. Lots of people prefer MIJs due to them being consistent value wheras with the MIAs in the past you could be paying more and getting a dog. Apparently most of the QC issues are sorted now and MIMs and MIAs are more consistent, I'd still try before buying though. CIJs are MIJs that were made in a specific factory for a couple of years in the mid 90s IIRC (that could be totally wrong though). All of that's off the top of my head and since I've only ever very briefly had interest in Fenders it could be wrong. [/quote] Great help, that's good to know. Sounds like the jap versions are nice and reliable then, but if you happen to get a killer MIM you're doing fantastically for your money? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) [quote name='ThomBassmonkey' post='1235079' date='May 17 2011, 11:48 PM']To echo others, I think it's conforming to a standard. Most people aren't interested enough in what they play to spend their time on an internet forum and geek out in shops. If they're looking at basses, their first thought is a Fender. It works that if you buy a budget bass that you really get on with, then have money to spend on another bass, chances are that you'll go for a higher model of the same bass. Squier have good value basses, the logical progression is to end up with a Fender.[/quote] More sensible stuff. I think that the instrument that you start with will have a lot to do with shaping how you play and what you are likely to move on to. The shops are flooded with Fenders and their clones so there's a good chance that you will start off with one of these and because you are used to the shape and the feel you'll move on to something that is essentially a better playing sounding and constructed version of that. My first bass owed pretty much zero in terms of looks sound or construction to a P or J style bass, so when I came to buy something better, because of what I was used to, I found there was little that I could like about Fender Basses. That doesn't mean that there was anything wrong with Fenders it's just that they simply don't suit the way I play. Edit: Also I never noticed the supposed ubiquity of Fender Basses. When I was getting into music in the early to mid 70s for every bassist on TotP or tOGWT with a Fender Jazz or Precision there was another with a Thunderbird or an EB3 or a Rickenbacker. So for me Fender weren't [i][b]the[/b][/i] bass manufacturer, but simply another one of several (in my eyes) equal bass manufacturers. In fact most of the bassists in bands that I liked tended to play something other than a P or a J. Edited May 18, 2011 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) can't beat a solid fender precision in my mind- but that's just me the way i see it (apologies if a similar food related reference has been made before) it's like baked beans fenders ( i mainly mean Pbasses here but i guess this applies to jazz basses too) are like the heinz baked beans, consistent, reliable widely available good middle of the range beans. there will always be gourmet waitrose beans that some people can really appreciate the difference of, and there will always be cheap and cheerful no frills beans that rarely taste quite as good, and then there will always be some weird spin off like branston beans which for the life of me i dont understand why people put in their mouths... but they all lack the secret ingredient that makes one brand of beans stand out. and like beans- it's all just a matter of taste little more beanchat than basschat but there you go... Edited May 18, 2011 by lucky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly deluxe Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 The only thing wrong with that is,you forgot about the fake baked beans being knocked up in someones shed and sold as Heinz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Rich Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='lucky' post='1235218' date='May 18 2011, 08:57 AM']can't beat a solid fender precision in my mind- but that's just me the way i see it (apologies if a similar food related reference has been made before) it's like baked beans fenders ( i mainly mean Pbasses here but i guess this applies to jazz basses too) are like the heinz baked beans, consistent, reliable widely available good middle of the range beans. there will always be gourmet waitrose beans that some people can really appreciate the difference of, and there will always be cheap and cheerful no frills beans that rarely taste quite as good, and then there will always be some weird spin off like branston beans which for the life of me i dont understand why people put in their mouths... but they all lack the secret ingredient that makes one brand of beans stand out. and like beans- it's all just a matter of taste little more beanchat than basschat but there you go... [/quote] Plus they both can give you GAS. Heinz beans are affordable though, how can Fender justify charging £2K plus for a couple of planks of wood screwed together, some bent tin and a few bits of plastic? It's not like their R&D costs are high because their designs are 50+ years old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Whnfgh? Hrrnnhhh? Sorry just woke up, where did you lot come from? And why are there crisps in my hair? Anyone got angry about fakes yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='hillbilly deluxe' post='1235238' date='May 18 2011, 09:20 AM']The only thing wrong with that is,you forgot about the fake baked beans being knocked up in someones shed and sold as Heinz. [/quote] There's a bloke on Ebay knocking up fake Heinz labels to stick on your Tesco own-make tins to impress the neighbours with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerley Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='Fat Rich' post='1235240' date='May 18 2011, 09:21 AM']how can Fender justify charging £2K plus for a couple of planks of wood screwed together, some bent tin and a few bits of plastic? It's not like their R&D costs are high because their designs are 50+ years old.[/quote] They need to pay US wages for Fender employees, US wages for non Fender employees for all non Fender made parts (wood source etc,.). Marketing, interntational delivery, profit margin and so on. If you use an estimated overhead cost of $100 per hour and then assume a bass takes many hours from start to finish to make then you can see a lot of the cost would be labour rather than materials. Why people pay a premium to have a bass made in USA is the question. Are USA builders/workers any better than Korean? No they are not, however they may be allocated more time to ensure the product has better finished/QC but that could also be done in Korea. But as Fender is a USA product for USA people who are some of the most nationalistic going it won't change soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='Dave Vader' post='1235263' date='May 18 2011, 09:42 AM']Whnfgh? Hrrnnhhh? Sorry just woke up, where did you lot come from? And why are there crisps in my hair? Anyone got angry about fakes yet?[/quote] Yes. They were much better when the ends of the packet were twisted instead of sealed in a yellow condom. Oh.... ... fakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 As has been said by a previous poster, for me, it was about the sound I grew up with, and the basses used on the music I heard. There were no Wals overwaters Status Yamaha Aria Gibson(I think) basses on all those massive motown tunes. Just Fender. Same again for Cochrane and Elvis If the doors had employed a bassist I bet he would have used a Jazz! Sid Vicious used a Fender P, very iconic. he would have looked a right pansy with a Warwick. Ditto The Clash. An exception is Joy Division who used a Shergold (I think) because Hooky couldn`t afford a bloody Fender! Lets hurry on past The Jam who were obviously bribed to use Ricketsbashers Admit it, Fender...they`re bloody good basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucky Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='Fat Rich' post='1235240' date='May 18 2011, 09:21 AM']Plus they both can give you GAS.[/quote] hahaha. true i forgot to mention also- that there's some kind of difference between say lower priced mexican beans, imported japanese beans and big fat american beans, but i'll leave that for someone with a more eclectic palette... i'd agree that fenders are a very common go-to brand of basses- but surely that largely comes from years of people choosing their instruments on actual merit rather than lack of alternatives or ignorance. and sure, they're common as muck, but as was just said above- they are bloody good and fake heinz beans?! (the actual beans not fenders)- surely it's better just to buy a few cans of the real thing to wall in your regularly consumed tesco beans. that's one appetising hiding place, come to think of it they could be used to wall in just about any little kitchen related secret. they'd never know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 [quote name='Monckyman' post='1235323' date='May 18 2011, 10:19 AM']Lets hurry on past The Jam who were obviously bribed to use Ricketsbashers Admit it, Fender...they`re bloody good basses. [/quote] And even then, Bruce Foxton used a Precision for much of The Jams stuff, and still uses them to date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) [quote name='Dave Vader' post='1235263' date='May 18 2011, 09:42 AM']Whnfgh? Hrrnnhhh? Sorry just woke up, where did you lot come from? And why are there crisps in my hair? ....[/quote] I'd have a look in the mirror before going outside if I were you. Don't worry it should come off with some white spirits..... ... oh and the other eyebrow will grow back soon enough. Edited May 18, 2011 by Ou7shined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ou7shined Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Road Worn series? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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