[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1361395372' post='1985432']
Rule number one, take the advice you will see/receive on internet forums with the most gigantic spoonful of salt. At the end of the day people on sites like this (including myself) might ramble on about what I perceive to be the shortcomings of brand 'X', its shoddy fit and finish, bad electronics and all of that but it's best to use your own judgement to distinguish between a bass you want to buy and a bass you don't want to buy.
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Good advice that I wish I had followed some years ago - my personal experience rather spoilt fenders basses for me.
Individuals on forums can realistically only ever have played a tiny percentage of the output of mass producers. Even adding up the collective experience of Fender playing on here, it will span instruments made over a number of years and is unlikely to be statistically significant.
So make you own decisions on what you play, and if possible get hold of as many as you can - should be easier with Fenders than other brands I suspect.