tegs07

african postman - burning spear 

i don’t owe you anything - the smiths 

innocent when you dream - tom waits

9 hours ago, crazycloud said:

Then you're lucky. I have (more than one) and was glad to get rid of them.

Maybe it’s an era thing?

I had some shockers in my youth (clones as couldn’t afford a Fender) but in the last few decades CNC technology is so accurate it’s pretty much impossible to make a really horrendous instrument. QC can be the downfall but I have picked up some second hand bargains that took less than an hour to turn into really nice playing instruments. Not just from Fender.

Indonesia, Korea and Mexico are knocking out huge numbers of instruments a year. Most are really good. Some slip through the QC net and can make for great bargains. After all it’s just two bits of wood bolted together with some very basic electrics. As long as the CNC machine has been given the right info beforehand there isn’t the level of creativity or skill involved that a boutique luthier would offer.

As far as I am aware the much appreciated G&L tribute series and the Squier instruments that can get some criticism are (or were) both produced by Cort in Indonesia. I don’t know the full story of Cort or how they make instruments but to guarantee consistency and keep costs low I suspect that the same machines are used for both brands and their is a “menu” like range of options for things like woods used for the body/neck, hardware, paint etc that is agreed with G&L / Fender etc based on the price point of the range of instrument.

Its highly likely that the same guys working in teams will be producing the instruments for a variety of brands from Ibanez to ESP as well as Corts own brands.

you look like rain - morphine 

can’t afford no shoes - frank zappa

16 hours ago, TheLowDown said:

I don't understand why people always tout resale value as a reason to buy a Fender. I would have thought it applies much more to collectors or people who prefer buying gear than playing it, because many of us are buying a bass to get plenty of use out of it. If I bought a bass with any view of selling it in the near future, then I probably didn't give the purchase much thought. Value for money is much more important than resale value to me, and that's why Fender never appear anywhere on my purchasing radar.

Probably for the same reason so many people buy a VW Golf. It tends to do what it is advertised to do. There are better/worse/cheaper/more expensive vehicles out there but generally you can’t go that far wrong with a Golf and if you want to upgrade/change your mind in a couple of years time then there will be plenty of buyers and the resale value will be pretty good.

I’ve had several Fenders over the years. Some have stuck with me, some I have passed on. Never had a terrible one, nor one I consider to be vastly overpriced.

dog faced boy - eels

1 hour ago, Tokalo said:

I had a Player jazz for a few months in the summer. It had the best neck profile ever (“modern c”), and sounded really resonant unplugged.

What I learned, though, was that buying an entry-level Fender will mean extra layout to upgrade it to the standard of a cheaper bass (eg G&L Tribute or Sire).

The tuners in particular were completely unreliable - you wouldn’t have risked gigging with them - while the fretwork and neck finish was as rough as a Squier jag I used to own.

 

And it’s really hard to find a p-bass with a jazz-size neck. Like it’s a rule at Fender that players with smaller hands MUST stick to a jazz. 

If you want a recognised brand, or if you want to tinker and upgrade, get a Fender. But then why not save a few bob and get a Squier as the base for your project?

 

If you want vastly superior quality for the same price or less, get a Sire, G&L Tribute or Sandberg. Any tonal differences will be minimal compared to the pleasure of playing an instrument that was made with the customer in mind.

I have a Sandberg and a MusicMan classic Stingray. Both excellent in their own way. The attention to detail and build quality on the Sandberg in particular is superb. That said my Status neck Fender bitsa and Nate Mendel P get picked up for more often. I don’t really have a brand preference. Some instruments just feel and sound right, but what is right for one person may not be right for another.

meat is murder - another miserable old git with fantastic backing band carrying him throughout 

the cutter - echo and the bunnymen 

Moondance - Some grumpy old git

Fender are a bit all over the place with their business model IMO.

The Japanese made models are generally really good and not particularly overpriced, particularly second hand. With less than an hour set up the Squier CV are good value at around £400 new. Good value first bass or backup that would lose little money should you want to sell it on.

The supposedly cheaper Mexican models now feature gems like the JMJ, Nate Mendel, Flea and Vintera range. Again very little money lost if you want to sell them on as they retain their value fairly well.

The USA models are fairly expensive, but most products bought from the USA in Europe are expensive. I guess if the instrument feels right in your hands then the cost is worth it.

PM sent …

henry lee - nick cave and pj harvey 

stupid questions - NMA

dead leaves and the dirty ground - the white stripes 

Mahalo do a good range of cheap and playable ukes.

https://mahaloukuleles.com/

the chain - fleetwood mac

623

Billy’s Bones - the pogues 

9 hours ago, Maude said:

From where I'm sat on the sofa I can see thirteen, and this is the room that supposed to be kept relatively bass tidy, ie not littered with them. 

There's lots more in other rooms but, as I can't see them at the moment, they don't count. 

Thirteen is unlucky for some. I think you should buy another just to be on the safe side.

fascination street - the cure 

The problem with this stuff is it’s all subjective. My daughter is going to see Pixies live. I wouldn’t bother seeing them live anymore as I saw them several times during the Surfer Rosa and Doolittle years and for me that is what they look and sound like.

 Another generation just get to enjoy the current line up warts n all and don’t have the same expectations.

bed and breakfast man - madness