Fenders are rubbish......But

[discreet]

[quote name='SimonEdward' timestamp='1442760230' post='2869260']
...I've heard them on records and always thought.. meh and?.. so what?? 'Everybody' has them, and everyone sounds similar. Solid but 'safe' and not very inspiring.[/quote]

What records would those be? Since a lot of iconic, influential and inspiring hit records from the late fifties right up to recent times have a Fender bass on them, I'd say your above statement is a little spurious. The bass is still a relatively young instrument - its entire history spans a single lifetime and there are people still alive who can remember when electric bass didn't exist as it does today.

In any case, it's not necessarily the sound of the bass on those recordings that is important - it's the way in which the bass was played, the sheer ingenuity and creativity and innovation of some of the early bass pioneers is absolutely breathtaking. If you don't think they are very inspiring perhaps you should have another listen.

Edited September 20, 2015 by discreet

[SimonEdward]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1442760658' post='2869264']
I don't know what the fuss is about. All basses sound the same anyway.
[/quote]

Nope. Don't like the sound of my Alembic, but love my JD's sound (which it 'emulates'?? B** S***). My MM Sterling sounds different to both of these.

[Cato]

[quote name='SimonEdward' timestamp='1442760230' post='2869260']
I've [u]never[/u] been tempted to own one, but I've heard them on records and always thought.. meh and?.. so what?? 'Everybody' has them, and everyone sounds similar. Solid but 'safe' and not very inspiring.
[/quote]

On my best day I might be able to tell an active bass from a passive on a record, or whether its being played on the bridge or the neck pick up, but as to telling the actual brand of bass being used - no chance.

[Number6]

One of my favourite bassists plays a tricked out J&D JB both live and for recording. Sort of puts things into perspective 😊

[SimonEdward]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1442761213' post='2869267']
.. In any case, it's not necessarily the sound of the bass on those recordings that is important - it's the way in which the bass was played, the sheer ingenuity and creativity and innovation of some of the early bass pioneers is absolutely breathtaking.
[/quote]

I'll see you right there. It is how we play something, and what we create and if someone else think it's innovative and stands out - perhaps.

OK. The title of this thread is a nonsense and 'F' Basses are not 'rubbish', but.. when I'm parting with my £££, the sound of a Bass IS important to me.

It's so [b]important[/b] to me, I bought an Alembic - what was I thinking!?!?

[BassTractor]

[quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1442751354' post='2869188']
If you want a Porsche buy something other than a Fender.
[/quote]

More specifically: if you want a Porsche, buy a Bongo.



Personally, and I'm not giving an opinion here but just an observation, I know myself to not be able to enter a studio with a Fender without feelings of shame.
The sheer "you-have-to-have-a-Fender" tendency in this world is sooo mindnumbingly unintelligent and uninformed that if I ever buy a Fender, it will be after a long stern look at myself and in the secure knowledge that I bought it despite - not because of - what idiots say.

FWIW, I own two '51 Ps and a 60s J, all three of them with a proud "Squier" on the headstock.

[Rich]

[quote name='bigjohn' timestamp='1442753088' post='2869202']
So [s]much nonsense[/s][b] many opinions[/b] in this thread.
[/quote]
Fixed

[JTUK]

But............. so many people have opinions on what a bass should sound like and they include Gtrs and sound engrs.
They will have experience of what doesn't cut it and what does...and altho you can tweak anything, nobody is going to do that for the bass
The gtr wants 4 days of solos, and the Singer wants vox overdubs so the bass has to go down quickly.
Of course, a Fender is pefectly capable of sounding poor, but people wont blame that on a Fender. but they might on an Ibanez...

I'm trying to think of local bands were the bass really doesn't work... and altho there are degrees of all this... the ones that
struggle, ..tend to be humbucker types basses. And because a Fender sound is so basic, it is harder to screw up...

As an observartion of bass sounds that I've heard that worked for the band of late..??
4001, P and Jazzes..
Notable misses are Ibanez and MM... and these aren't isolated to just a single sample.

Wild card was a Warwick..everyone loved that one.

Anything in that..?? who knows but it has gotten to the point that if you see a MM lined up, you begin to worry.

[Norris]

[quote name='Norris' timestamp='1442685739' post='2868792']
I sold my US Jazz and to be honest I don't really miss it. I have a Mexican fretless Jazz which is fantastic (not that I play it often). I occasionally gig my Squier P-bass Special (PJ), but none of my other basses resembles a Fender. My main gigging bass is my 4003.

Like others have said, Fender is the standard. They have a certain kudos. I've personally just kinda drifted away from them and like other basses of a more "raw" persuasion
[/quote]

Ok, I take that back. My Squier sounded immense this afternoon. SD QPs through my Rumble 500 combo were sweet. They went from thick and warm to biting clank with a nudge on the tone control. Great

[Dad3353]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1442769849' post='2869335']
But............. so many people have opinions on what a bass should sound like and they include Gtrs and sound engrs.
They will have experience of what doesn't cut it and what does...and altho you can tweak anything, nobody is going to do that for the bass
The gtr wants 4 days of solos, and the Singer wants vox overdubs so the bass has to go down quickly.
Of course, a Fender is pefectly capable of sounding poor, but people wont blame that on a Fender. but they might on an Ibanez...

I'm trying to think of local bands were the bass really doesn't work... and altho there are degrees of all this... the ones that
struggle, ..tend to be humbucker types basses. And because a Fender sound is so basic, it is harder to screw up...

As an observartion of bass sounds that I've heard that worked for the band of late..??
4001, P and Jazzes..
Notable misses are Ibanez and MM... and these aren't isolated to just a single sample.

Wild card was a Warwick..everyone loved that one.

Anything in that..?? who knows but it has gotten to the point that if you see a MM lined up, you begin to worry.
[/quote]

We've not seen the same bands.

[Paul S]

It is all entirely subjective. Like everyone else, I guess, I have a sound in my head of what I want my bass to be like. And that sound happens to be the sound of a Precision. I've tried so many other basses - I have 5 pages of feedback - some of which I find more aesthetically pleasing than a Precison - only to find myself disappointed that they don't sound like Precisions. So rather than change other basses so that they sound like Precisions I now think why not just stick with Precisions. This very simple epifany came to me only quite recently but I actually find it quite liberating!

[JTUK]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1442773731' post='2869377']
We've not seen the same bands.
[/quote]

I'm sure..... but if I had to think of notable good bass sounds from bands I've seen recently, off the top of my head I'd know who they were as I take notice of such things if I'm listening....but to make it easier, I'll just recall the worst, and they would be an SG. 3 Musicmans and 2 Ibanezes.
There might be a couple of P-Basses in there that don't sound that good, but they don't stand out as poor..

Of course, this is at the hands of the player, but this is the spread I can recall.

And another 'observation'... when I would ask them about their choice of bass, or they'd tell me, as these are musical aquaintances, they'll say they use the bass because their fave bass player uses one...and then they complain about their sound in general too.

Not a lot of joined up thinking there at all..IMO.

[discreet]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1442778209' post='2869441']...rather than change other basses so that they sound like Precisions I now think why not just stick with Precisions. This very simple epifany came to me only quite recently but I actually find it quite liberating! [/quote]

Yes. If you're playing a P and something doesn't sound right, you can be fairly sure it's your fault.

Edited September 20, 2015 by discreet

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1442778209' post='2869441']
It is all entirely subjective. Like everyone else, I guess, I have a sound in my head of what I want my bass to be like. And that sound happens to be the sound of a Precision. I've tried so many other basses - I have 5 pages of feedback - some of which I find more aesthetically pleasing than a Precison - only to find myself disappointed that they don't sound like Precisions. So rather than change other basses so that they sound like Precisions I now think why not just stick with Precisions. This very simple epifany came to me only quite recently but I actually find it quite liberating!
[/quote]

Was kind of the same for me Paul - I spent years buying basses and trying to get a certain sound from them, getting quite near but not near enough. Whenever I tried a Precision in a music shop I felt it was a bit "meh" so put off buying one for ages. But then I used one in a band scenario and it all made sense. And realism struck as well, all my fave bassists were playing Precisions (and most using Rotosound steel rounds too) so makes sense to use the bass they do, after all I like their sound as well as their playing.

[heminder]

[quote name='BassTractor' timestamp='1442767251' post='2869317']
The sheer "you-have-to-have-a-Fender" tendency in this world is sooo mindnumbingly unintelligent and uninformed that if I ever buy a Fender, it will be after a long stern look at myself and in the secure knowledge that I bought it despite - not because of - what idiots say.
[/quote]

+1

[ubit]

I can't believe all the people who say Fenders are popular just because they are reassuringly expensive. As I have said, I own many different brands of basses, but I always choose the Fenders when we play. They just feel and sound right. I couldn't give two hoots how much they cost me, as I have other guitars that are more expensive !

[SICbass]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1442678585' post='2868735']
I've tried lots of different basses over the last couple of years, some fantastic, some not so fantastic. I'm back to my USA Fender P Bass now, because it's very simple, it sounds great, it plays really well and it's just about the only bass that doesn't get in the way of my playing, or even my thinking about my playing - it doesn't make me wonder if there's something better out there I should be playing and it's good for ANY kind of music or genre. And for me that's the best bass there is.
[/quote]

And a Marathon? 😜

[discreet]

[quote name='SICbass' timestamp='1442821759' post='2869620']
And a Marathon? ��
[/quote]

Anything you can say about a P Bass you can say about a Marathon. They are fantastic basses. I needed to sell mine and am regretting it, as I knew I would. But my 75 Hayman 4040 pretty much handles my Hayman/Shergold GAS, so it's not the end of the world.

Edited September 21, 2015 by discreet

[Japhet]

Best Precision I ever played was a Lakland.

[Marc S]

I was very much "off" fenders for years,
but then I tried a RW Jazz which another BC'er was selling
.... .and I had to have it - I was instantly smitten!
For me, it's the best bass I've ever played

But of course, this is just my opinion, based on my requirements,
and what I find comfortable to play, and like the sound and feel of

Back to the OP's "hankering" for a Fender, perhaps this is just because they were the first bass guitars
and so many players have used them over the years - maybe they're just etched into our psyche?

They are certainly a standard, a benchmark in fact
If I had a pound for every advert for a bass for sale, which says "better than any Fender"

I'd be able to afford......... well, another Fender

[CamdenRob]

I like fender basses... I spent most of my youth despising them as I was playing modern basses and could not see how the fender tone could work for the music I was doing at the time, I also thought the designs looked old fashioned.

I've had a couple of Js and Ps in recent years and I've grown fond of the simplicity. I think my favourite was a Jap P bass I had from the mid eighties, it had such a lovely soft tone with flats and the tone rolled off.

Although there is a huge choice of instruments available these days and I don't play fender basses myself, I still think they are the yardstick by which all others are judged by... still the industry standard after all these years.

Edited September 21, 2015 by CamdenRob

[KevB]

[quote name='Naetharu' timestamp='1442696586' post='2868889']
On the other hand, that same name on the head stock will mean they retain value well so its not as clear cut as it seems at first.
[/quote]

Will be interesting to see if the early Sandbergs, Lakland's etc are commanding the sort of money as collectors items that early Fenders do now when they are 40+ year old instruments.

[Number6]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1442823768' post='2869633']


Anything you can say about a P Bass you can say about a Marathon. They are fantastic basses. I needed to sell mine and am regretting it, as I knew I would. But my 75 Hayman 4040 pretty much handles my Hayman/Shergold GAS, so it's not the end of the world.
[/quote]

Until an Ovation Magnum comes along lol 😉

[Low End Bee]

They just work. Probably because electrified music has evolved around the Fender bass sound as a component part. A good Precision is like a comfy pair of jeans for me. Other basses are probably better for fiddly stuff.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='KevB' timestamp='1442830385' post='2869713']
Will be interesting to see if the early Sandbergs, Lakland's etc are commanding the sort of money as collectors items that early Fenders do now when they are 40+ year old instruments.
[/quote]

I don't know if modern basses following the fender shapes will become collectable... todays vintage Fenders will still be around and by then will be even older and pricier... despite which instruments are actually better.