greyparrot Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 After 30 years playing and going through some of the 'best' basses out there i still don't believe you can beat the fender p or jazz bass. Iv had basses costing 4k and some costing £40 its not the bass its in us to make the music. Iv played basses that have pre amps as sensitive as my **** and some dead as door-nails... I (personally) think you cant beat a fender. Right now im playing a fender usa p bass deluxe v and a line 6 variaxe (great) ... I think the fender is the best bass i have played in all ways, and while i know its a very personal thing... they really are the work horse of the bass world, at least for a jobbing bass player as i am.... yeah its nice to see exotic wood but paying 2k because of it and lets face it many end up for sale i simply cant see it anymore... i think id prefer a nice table top rather than a bass to look at for exotic wood... yeah it changes the sound...but at the end of the day Fender got it right...After playing pro for many years and using and selling many basses. You can get most tones in the fingers, where and how we play, anything else can come from the tone and amp controls, you can 'will the sound' out of most basses, rather than trying endless pre amp options.... This is just my view of course and i can say i have played everything from top end spectors to old p bass copies... personally i always come back to the work horse of the bass world... Fender.. and lets face it a nice one is by no mean cheap ! but i personally think they got it right. It could well be because 30 years ago the first bass i ever had was a kay p bass copy, so i guess i grew up with the shape and fender basses were the (and still are) the main axe for most players back then. Quote
Geek99 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 I got the bass doc to build me a better "old" fender using similar spec components to the time (1973) and its awesome. Simple and they work. Even non players think they look good Quote
Conan Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 If you like Fender, and want Fender - then nothing else will do. But not everyone likes and wants the same thing, or it would be a dull world indeed! Quote
Dave Vader Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Oooh, I like these thread, go go go go....... Quote
stingrayPete1977 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1372238708' post='2123134'] Calling BigRedX... [/quote] Quote
Telebass Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Yup, I'm for this, too. Always end up playing a Precision... Quote
cloudburst Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 "You can't beat Fender" That depends on your criteria. I love my Jazz. In 1974, aged 9, it was my first bass. However, when I compare to my current basses: - For tone (given the style of music I currently play) it comes last - For weight/transportability it comes last I still love it. But you shouldn't take your opinion and advertise it as a general fact. CB Quote
Adrenochrome Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 I don't agree but vive la difference, and if you need a bass to feed the family then I'm sure you'll find out what you can and can't rely on. If I ever had a "your life depends on it" gig, then I would choose a very simple, passive reliable bass. Quote
spongebob Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 I agree a good Fender is hard to beat. I love Rics, but when it comes to reliability and a good plug 'n' go, they are hard to beat. Millions of records can't be wrong! [size=4] [/size] Quote
Hobbayne Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Hooray for Fender! I have always played a P bass for 30 years. I have tried Stingrays and even Fenders own Jazz bass but they are not for me. I will stick to my Precisions. Quote
Happy Jack Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 The best-playing Fender I've ever owned says "Mike Lull" on the headstock. The second-best Fender I've ever owned says "Alleva Coppolo" on the headstock. The two most expensive basses I've ever owned say "Fender" on the headstock. Sweeping generalisations are always tricky ... Quote
Musicman20 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1372243459' post='2123206'] The best-playing Fender I've ever owned says "Mike Lull" on the headstock. The second-best Fender I've ever owned says "Alleva Coppolo" on the headstock. [/quote] Nothing will detract from how good those Fender-esque basses are, especially in terms or weight and quality, but the headstocks? Quote
Conan Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 [quote name='Musicman20' timestamp='1372244395' post='2123223'] Nothing will detract from how good those Fender-esque basses are, especially in terms or weight and quality, but the headstocks? [/quote] +1 Quote
Musicman20 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Yeah, Leo got it right. The P is great, the J is great. Then the Stingray came along and made it even better. Quote
EliasMooseblaster Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1372243459' post='2123206'] The best-playing Fender I've ever owned says "Mike Lull" on the headstock. The second-best Fender I've ever owned says "Alleva Coppolo" on the headstock. The two most expensive basses I've ever owned say "Fender" on the headstock. Sweeping generalisations are always tricky ... [/quote] Yeah, the best-playing Fender I've ever owned says "Schecter" on the headstock...but that might just be because I can't afford to buy that gorgeous US Fender I tried in the shop a few months ago! Quote
Lozz196 Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 I`ve had many different brands of bass. I`ve also had many Fenders. For me, the Fender Precision is [u]the[/u] bass. Yes I`m sure a more pleasing sound to the ear can be obtained from other basses (love Jazzes, Stingrays & Thunderbirds), as well as better playability, and better workmanship/construction, but when it comes to making a racket with my band, only a Fender Precision feels right in my hands and sounds right to my ears. Plus, the added bonus of, if playing a gig and for whatever reason you need to borrow/hire a bass, most likely you`ll be able to resource a Precision pretty easily. The Volvo/labrador of the bass world - they do the job, do it well, and without any fuss. And have been used for some of the best bass work recorded. Quote
ead Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Trailblazer? For sure. Can't beat a Fender? Very subjective... Quote
fretmeister Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Best P I've played was a Yamaha Best J was a Celinder Must better build than Fender and very light weight. I have a Jap Fender P, and it is very good - but it is the bass I keep purely for playing in shithole venues where it might get nicked. I have zero emotional attachment to it. Quote
ambient Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 (edited) As the owner of 3 Fender basses, plus a Stingray 5 I do kind of agree with this. I think most so called super jazzes or whatever are just essentially a jazz with a fancy facing wood, and boutique pickups and a preamp. The aged ash body on my US Marcus Miller looks stunning, and I can get any sound I want from it. How many threads do you see asking "I've got a (insert name) and don't like the preamp, or I don't like the pickups, can anyone recommend a new (very expensive) replacement. Look on Bass direct's website and you'll see loads of ridiculously expensive basses, and even more ridiculously priced pre's and pickups, all boasting about how they'll improve your sound. Then look on the internet and see how many 'name' players, and working pro's are playing these basses. I think the thing people miss, is that you'll pretty much sound like you regardless. Edited June 26, 2013 by ambient Quote
spongebob Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Maybe some do prefer 'other' basses (I prefer my x Jazz or x P)- but as many have mentioned so far, they are simply copies (impreoved or otherwise) of Fender's original! So arguably, from the fact that they are still the basses to copy - Fender [i]did[/i] get it right! Quote
wateroftyne Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1372243459' post='2123206'] The best-playing Fender I've ever owned says "Mike Lull" on the headstock. The second-best Fender I've ever owned says "Alleva Coppolo" on the headstock. The two most expensive basses I've ever owned say "Fender" on the headstock. Sweeping generalisations are always tricky ... [/quote] You owned a Fender that was more expensive than an Alleva Coppolo? Was it made of gold...? Quote
51m0n Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Nah, its a perfectly good instrument, I'm sure, but it aint the one for me. A J can sound awesome in the right context, a P can sound awesome in the right context, my Roscoe sounds awesome to me in the contexts I play in, it is also far easier to play than any Fender bass I've ever tried, certainly than any 5 string I've ever tried, and I've never picked up a Fender that was even close to as light. Quote
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted June 26, 2013 Posted June 26, 2013 Must admit, after learning on a hondoll I was traumatised. It was a copy of a precision, but in reality it was firewood on a stick. Weighed more than my sister in law. Years later, I got a telecaster bass and it feels completely the opposite . Looks alright too. Having said all that, a decent headless bass keeps in tune more than any other bass , and the necks are free from warping etc. So it's horses for courses. It comes down to the person playing it IMHO ) Quote
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