One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

[uOpt]

In the guitar world I'm really not that hot about Fender.

My basses, with the exception of my Stingray all my Fender style ones that I like are actually made by Fender.

With guitars the Fenders get beat by Ibanez Blazers and some Roadstars and a whole bunch of other MIJ gear. And the Fenders always have something wrong with them, either stupid hardware, or bulletproof paint or weird neck profiles or all of the above. Didn't have a newer AVRI, though.

In basses the Fenders beat the crap out of the Ibanez, Fernandez and the like. Some pickups are garbage but that's easy to fix.

The main competition for Fenders for me are Warwicks. In the guitar world I couldn't touch small thin bodies but these basses just rock, and the different hardware they have is better. Love toploader bridges and small, light, sealed tuners.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Even your stingray is technically fender. It was created by Leo when he made music man before he sold it to ernie ball. Dude knew how to make electric basses. G&L makes amazing stuff too.

 

[threechordcharlie]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Even your stingray is technically fender. It was created by Leo when he made music man before he sold it to ernie ball. Dude knew how to make electric basses. G&L makes amazing stuff too.

Agreed! G&L basses are awesome!

 

[uOpt]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Shuddup people. The last thing I need is more GAS. And the really Jazz bass looking G&Ls are stupid popular and hence expensive used.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Haven't seen as much of the relic style with bass guitars overall on stager but still, I noticed the Geddy Lee and Dusty Hill signature basses from Fender are all scratched up. :2: Actually most of the more expensive Fender bass guitars are relic'd. Dusty's portrait on the Fender page has him playing what looks to be a very clean (almost new) bass guitar.

Are relic'd bass guitars at the higher end (at least price wise) popular for the same reason it appears electric guitars are selling with the relic features out of the Custom Shop? If anyone has played (or owns) either the Geddy or Dusty signature models please share your feedback. Thanks!

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Depends which Geddy model. Theres the MIJ clean one and theres the relic'd custom shop replica. Dusty only has the custom shop replica.

 

[uOpt]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

I'm clumsy. Auto-relic. They sound better with every ding they pick up.

 

[threechordcharlie]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

It still boggles my mind that someone would pay extra money for a new guitar that looks old. WTF?!

 

[ErikH]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

I'm not a bass player originally, but I have sat in with a few bands on bass and played bass in a band I was in while in college. My favorite out of all of them is a good solid Precision. The Ibanez SR's are a close second.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

The sound of some bass guitars just seems to sit well in a mix. The Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass that I posted in a NBD thread earlier this year is one such example. Single coil pickups and a small neck. Still manages to sound huge.

 

[dg27]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

It still boggles my mind that someone would pay extra money for a new guitar that looks old. WTF?!

I couldn't agree more: This has always seemed to be insane. But then again, people are willing to pay a premium for beat up blue jeans. Go figure...

All of my basses have war wounds of one kind or another, but I like the fact that that they are all my scars...

 

[Adieu]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Ibanez (fujigen only!) = better necks
EBMM = better sound

...mb fender = decent compromise?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Agreed! G&L basses are awesome!

That Tom Hamilton bass that they have looks fantastic.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

When it comes to basses, you can't beat a Fender Precision. I don't care what fancy bull **** you have that you claim is better. It just isn't.

 

[ginormous]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

When it comes to basses, you can't beat a Fender Precision. I don't care what fancy bull **** you have that you claim is better. It just isn't.

To which I would add the Jazz. I don't see it as "fancy BS", but rather a re-statement of the concept. A comfortable neck; a light, contoured (and might I add rather sexy) Strat-inspired body, and a distinctive sound that works well in a wide range of genres.

IMO, Precision:Jazz =
Marilyn Monroe: Ursula Andress.

Both undeniably hot, both talented, but each in their own way.

Leo Fender, along with Seth Lover, Les Paul, Paul Bigsby, Semie Moseley (Mosrite) and many others, always looked to take another swing at the ball. They wanted to continue an evolution in style and function, not just make one object that would sit still in history. The fact that they generated several products that defined their respective categories speaks to their vision, diligence and creativity.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Sometimes, a Fender Precision Bass was used on a recording because there was no alternative. At other times, even if you think of it as a cliché, it is just IS the right sound.

If you held a gun to my head and ordered me to choose just one passive electric bass guitar to play for the rest of my life, it is always going to be the Fender Jazz Bass.

 

[Adieu]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Good to know me and you wont be fighting over any basses if communism ever arrives, the one bass mandate is enforced, and we all gotta queue up for weeks in bad weather to receive our rightful one n onlies

 

[BloodRose]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

It still boggles my mind that someone would pay extra money for a new guitar that looks old. WTF?!

Right! I try too hard to keep my gear looking new. I guess the attraction is to buy a replica of what your heros use. (or too look like the guitar has been gigged for years.) However, if I was to buy a Dusty Hill bass, I want a white Dean covered in fur.. haha

Ive never been a big fan of Fender basses, mostly because of the bland looks, but one model Id love to have is the one like Duff played in GNR. The back of the neck was black on that one. I found one like it in a hock shop once, but they wanted a ridiculous sum for it. cant recall the model

 

[Adieu]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

Right! I try too hard to keep my gear looking new. I guess the attraction is to buy a replica of what your heros use. (or too look like the guitar has been gigged for years.) However, if I was to buy a Dusty Hill bass, I want a white Dean covered in fur.. haha

Ive never been a big fan of Fender basses, mostly because of the bland looks, but one model Id love to have is the one like Duff played in GNR. The back of the neck was black on that one. I found one like it in a hock shop once, but they wanted a ridiculous sum for it. cant recall the model

Afaik, some Fender Japan aerodyne models came with blacked out necks. And you can still get em for reasonable moneys, seems like ppl have no idea what aerodyne means (what DOES it mean?!) and steer clear, keeping prices down....maybe cuz ibanez called their polymer (plastic? carbon?) bodies "ergodyne"??

 

[dg27]

Re: One thing I noticed about basses and Fender

one model Id love to have is the one like Duff played in GNR. The back of the neck was black on that one. I found one like it in a hock shop once, but they wanted a ridiculous sum for it. cant recall the model

If it's the same one, I bought one of those new in 1984 in Manny's on 48th St (NYC): Fender Jazz Bass Special. It was a completely spontaneous buy.

One thing I always disliked was that it had no pickguard. The stock pickups were also kind of crappy and I generally don't like switches (prefer knobs).

I lived with it that way for a very long time.

After 20 years I decided to overhaul. Before and after pics are shown. Pickguard by Tony Dudzik (www.pickguardian).

I reconfigured with volume/tone/blend pots. I also bagged the black hardware in favor of Schaller machines and a Gotoh 201 bridge. Replaced the pups with SD Hot for P & Hot Stack for J.