Fenix Help

[KHEpT]

Greetings, I have no experience with bass guitars but was thankfully gifted a used Fenix by Young Chang.
[url="http://i.imgur.com/SxjnhGg.jpg"]http://i.imgur.com/SxjnhGg.jpg[/url]

I have searched the web to find information but it was a struggle, I have multiple questions which i would like answering if possible;

Is there a specific name which distinguishes this bass guitar from others?
What is the rarity/worth of a new Fenix bass like the one i received?
also what is the worth of the guitar in its current condition?

(see images below) In the current condition of the guitar would it be worth; repairing to (somewhat) the original and keeping it as a showpiece, customising the guitar to my own liking (probably de-facing the Fenix style) or customising the guitar to keep the Fenix style but change things like hardware. (last two options will mean i use the guitar as a practice piece)

Cutaway crack or scratch - http://imgur.com/PVShbyy
Poor condition tuners - http://imgur.com/mELCcjY - http://imgur.com/BHlaL9H
Replaced volume control - http://imgur.com/ct1YSm8
Multiple body dents & chips - http://imgur.com/osDSIBW
Cracked Nut & neck chip - http://imgur.com/kgUzKrZ
Scratched pickups - http://imgur.com/8eG0lmF

Thank you for any help i receive!

Edited August 16, 2017 by KHEpT

[bazzbass]

thank him for the gift, then throw it in the bin

it's rubbish and will greatly hinder your playing.

Go buy an SX or Squier for less than $200 Euros

DO NOT THROW MONEY AT THAT POS

Edited August 17, 2017 by bazztard

[backwater]

Fenix guitars and basses were made by the one of the companies that made the Korean Squier instruments in the early 1990s. Broadly, the quality of the fenix instruments was equivalent to the Squiers at the time and seem to have shared some of the parts.

I've played a Fenix Telecaster since 1993 and the only weak point I've found is that the switches and pots were poor. I would be inclined to put some new tuners on it, a new nut, give it a good clean and play it.

Andy

[BrunoBass]

I've no experience of Fenix basses but I had a Fenix Thinline Telecaster copy in the early 90s which was perfectly adequate.

[Bigwan]

Funny I was just looking on ebay for a Fenix Jazz bass yesterday!

A lot of what is wrong with that bass is just cosmetic. The nut is the only real issue (possibly the tuners but if they still function then they're fine). New nut, fresh set of strings and you're off to the races. Granted if you can't carry out any work required yourself you may be cheaper buying a Harley Benton off Thomann. But this will sell, and will contribute to the price of a new one if that's the way you want to go. Part it out. Body and neck, even in their current state, will be worth something to somebody.

[Rumple]

Buy a nut and strings from Ebay then keep an eye out for some cheap but functional tuners in the BC Marketplace, next step is to get practising.

[Rich]

My mate had a Fenix PJ bass, it was a cracking instrument and when he sold it for a song I kicked myself afterwards for not taking it off his hands.
As has been said, a lot of the stuff with your bass is cosmetic; if you can get some decent tuners fitted (PM me, I might have something suitable) and more importantly [b]get a good setup[/b], decent action & intonation etc, there's no reason at all why it should 'hinder your playing'.

[Donnyboy]

I've got a Fenix by Young Chang Jazz bass dating from the late 1980's. In my opinion it is anything but a POS. I bought mine a number of years back and the guy I got it from said that it'd been used on the recording of a Tears for Fears album. He's no reason to make this up.. why would you?

I'm not sure about value as they don't come up very often.. maybe somewhere £200-300?

Like any bass you could improve/change tuners,pickups etc. My understanding is that Fenix made Squiers but also made their own branded stuff that was higher quality. A headstock change was required due to very strong similarities with Fender. I also understand that some Fenix models were considered to be premium quality

It'd be worth checking out the Fenix Guitars Facebook site, where worldwide enthusiasts will likely be able to provide more info

[ead]

I owned a Fenix P/J for a while. Nothing wromng with it at all, perfectly nice bass.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1502943376' post='3354517']
thank him for the gift, then throw it in the bin

it's rubbish and will greatly hinder your playing.

Go buy an SX or Squier for less than $200 Euros

DO NOT THROW MONEY AT THAT POS
[/quote]

Ignore Mr Bazztard - he seems to like to dismiss/insult instruments he knows little or nothing about.

Young-Chang is an interesting manufacturer and the history of Fenix instruments is similarly interesting. In the late 80s, Fender moved production of Squier guitars & basses to Korea - Young-Chang was one of the factories contracted to build them.

Young-Chang Squiers were nice quality instruments (I once had a very nice Y-C Bullet), but simultaneously Young-Chang began retailing many of the same instruments (with a few cosmetic & hardware changes/upgrades) branded as Fenix, for lower RRPs. They were quite flagrant in doing this - even referencing Squier in their marketing materials - and eventually lost the Squier business and were later subject to legal action from Fender over the use of the Fenix, brand, which was considered to be intended to be similar to Fender.

These days these instruments are becoming quite rare and borderline collectable, likely due to the "lawsuit" cachet. Not worth a huge amount (up to a couple of hundred quid or so for a vgc example) but interesting & good quality.

For more info about this bass, an ID for it, and advice over what to do with it, have a chat with these nice people:

[url="https://www.facebook.com/groups/128212226340/"]FB Fenix Owners Group[/url]

Fwiw I have a Fenix ST-20 Strat copy - it's a lovely, well-made & incredibly playable guitar. I also have an 80s MIJ E-serial Squier Strat. The Fenix is better.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='Bassassin' timestamp='1502981040' post='3354846']
Ignore Mr Bazztard - he seems to like to dismiss/insult instruments he knows little or nothing about.
[/quote]

I wasn't insulting the brand, moreso the number of things wrong with that particlular one, like the tuners and all the dings and the nut.

but yeah throw generalisations about. "you people" always do

[Dad3353]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1502983048' post='3354863']...the number of things wrong with that particlular one, like the tuners and all the dings and the nut...
[/quote]

All easy and inexpensive fixes, to be fair, no..?

[Donnyboy]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1502983048' post='3354863']
I wasn't insulting the brand, moreso the number of things wrong with that particlular one, like the tuners and all the dings and the nut.

[/quote]

Isn't that a" heavy relic" & very desirable?

[T-Bay]

Or live with as a bit 'roadworn' and just sort the couple of issues that could affect playability. The tuners just look tarnished, if they work there is no reason to mess with them. The nut is an easy and cheap enough thing to fix.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1502983048' post='3354863']
I wasn't insulting the brand, moreso the number of things wrong with that particlular one, like the tuners and all the dings and the nut.
[/quote]

With all necessary respect, this is what you said:

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1502943376' post='3354517']
it's rubbish and will greatly hinder your playing.

Go buy an SX or Squier for less than $200 Euros

DO NOT THROW MONEY AT THAT POS
[/quote]

That is not a critique of the condition of the instrument.

There's currently a l/h Fenix Jazz on Ebay for £259, and another on one of the FB gear groups (can't remember which) for £250, so I may have underestimated a tad.

[bazzbass]

"it's rubbish" IS a critique of it's condition, what else could it be, sheesh now you tell me what I mean?

the dude asked for opinions, I gave mine. You gave yours. Why attack me?

[Bigwan]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1503031637' post='3355144']
"it's rubbish" IS a critique of it's condition, what else could it be, sheesh now you tell me what I mean?

the dude asked for opinions, I gave mine. You gave yours. Why attack me?
[/quote]

At best your comment was incomplete... at worst, well this is a family show...

[Bassassin]

[quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1503031637' post='3355144']
"it's rubbish" IS a critique of it's condition, what else could it be, sheesh now you tell me what I mean?

the dude asked for opinions, I gave mine. You gave yours. Why attack me?
[/quote]

I'm not "attacking you", am I? You expressed an opinion about the bass 100% bleedin' obviously based on the assumption that it was a cheap, badly-made and unplayable piece of rubbish.

Me & six other people who replied have owned or had experience of these instruments and actually know otherwise. I'm also enough of a sad geek that I know a bit of stuff about the manufacturer and the instrument range.

Even if you were in some incoherently cryptic way attempting to discuss the condition of the bass (which you clearly weren't), your comments would make no sense - the bass itself is a bit beat-up but appears to be fine, apart from needing a new nut, a set of strings and (maybe) a £10 set of tuners.

[CoolCol]

Have been playing on Fenix p bass for a fare few years (also own Ibanez RB924 & ibanez aeb8e).

The Fenix is the go to guitar every time, it's setup with low action & Rotosound flat strings. It is amazing, plays like butter.

Compared it to friends genuine Fender p bass, the Fenix had slightly smoother action. Have been asked if I wanted to sell it by several bassist's.

Yeah it's worth a bit of tlc, but make sure it's setup correctly & that will help your playing.

You could have a famous named guitar worth thousands but if it's not setup correctly it will feel & play like s--t.

Don't become a guitar snob, enjoy making music.

Guitar's are like women, they all need to be handled differently.