skej21 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 [quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1401446820' post='2463673'] And could potentially attract people too. U2 aren't one of the world's biggest bands for nothing. For each of the weirdos who won't buy Fender because two of U2 are on the board there'll be another weirdo who is attracted to Fender because two of U2 are on the board. Most people will be normal about it and will judge the instruments on their own merits, not who the board of directors are. [/quote] Precisely... It's unlikely that people will start hunting down the Pre-BONO Fenders because they don't want to buy from him. I'll still be judging Fender on the instruments, not the board. I'll reserve that kind of judgement until they start hunting down existing owners and secondhand sales for destruction!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neepheid Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 (edited) What do you Fenderheads want (apart from a resurrected Leo Fender, [i]naturellement[/i])? You've got nothing to worry about - Gibson's been owned/run by nutters for decades and despite various attempts to torpedo the entire venture (it being run into the ground by absent beancounters and being months away from going under before the current owners took it over - then they buy dodgy hardwood and have the US Government swarming all over the factory, impounding this 'n' that while they systematically fail to get on top of QC issues - anecdotal evidence is cumulative, FYI Gibson - well done guys), they're still here - somehow. You lot are moaning about Bono/The Edge making some financial investment into the company? It's hardly a takeover, is it? Get some perspective And another thing - I also never got the fervently expressed U2 dislike - they've made some decent songs and have done nothing to disadvantage me directly so I really don't care what they do. If they decide to kidnap my wife, skin my cat or annex my back garden then I might change my tune. Edited May 30, 2014 by neepheid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1401418711' post='2463458'] One wonders what Bono, the Edge and a techno-babbler will be bringing to the business of chopping out retro musical hardware by the barge-load. Factor in also that Fender's current CEO is an 'Interim' and doubts creep in. [/quote] The Edge's quote shows a lack of understanding about the role of board director. Bono's quote is (again) vacuous posturing. Both are screaming a lack of experience generally which suggests this is just a side show and can't be taken seriously. However the Fender branding monolith is so robust and well-established now that even if this PR stunt was met with deafening apathy, the brand is unlikely to suffer. The idea is ripe for April Fools though. Imagine worst possible mismatches between pop musicians and brands...Mark King on the board of Gibson...? Edited May 30, 2014 by Kiwi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1401448769' post='2463712'] Imagine the worst possible mismatches between pop musicians and brands... [/quote] GG Allin and Andrex. Edited May 30, 2014 by discreet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 (edited) [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1401448769' post='2463712'] The idea is ripe for April Fools though. Imagine worst possible mismatches between pop musicians and brands... [/quote] Peter Andre advertising bananas? Edit: and/or Brian Harvey endorsing a driving school Edited May 30, 2014 by EliasMooseblaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Stuart Hall and Snuggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 [quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1401448769' post='2463712'] Imagine the worst possible mismatches between pop musicians and brands... [/quote] Kurt Cobain and Remington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Oddly enough I think Ozzy advertising Dove soap might just work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JellyKnees Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 [quote name='skej21' timestamp='1401449934' post='2463735'] Stuart Hall and Snuggie [/quote] Garry Glitter and Haribo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 At least its not coldplay. Its probably a gimmick done for BS reasons like when Alicia Keys was blackberry's global creative director. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 One has to ask oneself which audience Fender are addressing with this initiative. Is it the consumer? Because there is little associational mileage to be gained from Messrs Hewson and Evans' participation in 'behind-closed-doors' board meetings. An 'Edge Tele' and an 'Edge Strat' would be far more effective in aligning the brand with U2. Thereafter, things become a bit more problematic. The Bono sig Gretsch is already out there. Edge is more associated with Vox amps than with Fender, despite a few old Tweeds lurking at the periphery of his stage rig. A bells and whistles Edge delay seems unlikely given that Fender's recent re-entry into the effects market is very much a toe in the water at the low end. Perhaps the marriage is intended to appeal to 40-something hedge fund bigwigs who might lob some cash into a revived FMIC IPO. Otherwise - as WoT so aptly encapsulated in post #1 - WTF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Apparently according to a statement their role will be to help Fender with 'fan engagement'. I assume they mean fans of Fender, afterall I would say U2 are very popular with the non-instrument buying public, I've yet to get the feeling that they have inspired hoards of musicians (I've never met anyone who has said that and the pages here aren't filled with people saying 'I started playing bass when I heard Adam Clayton). They fan engagement angle seems to be back firing already. The announcement itself is going down badly if comments on Fender's social media pages are to go by. Someone wrote on the web somewhere that Fender is a heritage brand...these appointments don't seem to fit with that. Branding is everything, and there will be people who don't want to buy a product that's associated with a certain band quite so closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 Actually I did start playing bass after hearing Adam clayton. I just liked bass and played "under a blood red sky" a lot when I was a teen. He was very up in the mix and whilst not the most technical ever, played things that worked in the context and that I could imagine that I could do myself one day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 I brought a Black on Black Strat 1firstly because I liked it, secondly it was the iconic guitar edge used on the live at Red Rock gig so I guess they do have a decent tie to Fender, but quite why either need to make shrewd financial investments is slightly beyond me, between then don't they own pretty much everything anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1401480512' post='2464148'] ...quite why either need to make shrewd financial investments is slightly beyond me, between then don't they own pretty much everything anyway? [/quote] Too much time on one's hands and an endless supply of coke make for some pretty weird ideas. Look at 'Lost' for example... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 [quote name='hiram.k.hackenbacker' timestamp='1401450397' post='2463743'] Whatever you may think about Bono, there are a lot more people with far more dangerous ideas and intentions in far more powerful positions to do something about it than him. They're the ones we should be worried about. [/quote] You'll be saying we should be nice to Gary Barlow next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jah Wibble Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 "We need to re-connect with the youth" "Yeah but who?" " What about Bill Hailey??" "That's a great idea?!? Get him on the phone" " Hang on, hold it......I've got it............U2...." ".......dude........You're the new director of Fender..." Seriously. What the duck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 (edited) [url="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/in-search-of-star-power-fender-enlists-members-of-u2/"]Interesting piece[/url] in the NY Times that digs up some detail. But why drag in the U2-sters? Well, the guy from Fender majority owner finance company TPG Growth knows someone who knows Bono and so the association was launched. TPG Growth grand fromage William E. McGlashan Jr. said: '[i]Bono brings a gut understanding of whether a brand is working, while the Edge can guide the company in innovating both its instruments and in helping to educate consumers.[/i]' As for Bono, the crinkly shades-sporter waxed lyrical: "Wherever you go in the world, Fender is a standard bearer, not just for excellence in technology and craft, but for the influence of American culture. This made-in-USA company has at its heart innovation" said Mr Bono, wafting an onion beneath his nose and trousering some more cash He did not go on to add: "Of course, all the workers in the outsourced Chinese and Indonesian facilities will have their wages raised to USA levels and we'll be opening a factory in Africa with full union involvement in all management decisions. "Meanwhile, Fender forums worldwide will ban and hunt down any poster who asks if MIM's are as good as US models. That is racist. The Goal Is Soul!' . 'Edge' Evans peered from behind Mr Bono's shoulder to add: 'I wish I hadn't done that fillum with Jack White and Pagey. I wasn't feeling well that day and I think my playing suffered.' U2 fans have been waiting five years for a new album. Seems they may have to wait a little longer. [color=#ffffff].[/color] Edited May 31, 2014 by skankdelvar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 [quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1401468428' post='2463977'] One has to ask oneself which audience Fender are addressing with this initiative. Is it the consumer? Because there is little associational mileage to be gained from Messrs Hewson and Evans' participation in 'behind-closed-doors' board meetings. An 'Edge Tele' and an 'Edge Strat' would be far more effective in aligning the brand with U2. Thereafter, things become a bit more problematic. The Bono sig Gretsch is already out there. Edge is more associated with Vox amps than with Fender, despite a few old Tweeds lurking at the periphery of his stage rig. A bells and whistles Edge delay seems unlikely given that Fender's recent re-entry into the effects market is very much a toe in the water at the low end. Perhaps the marriage is intended to appeal to 40-something hedge fund bigwigs who might lob some cash into a revived FMIC IPO. Otherwise - as WoT so aptly encapsulated in post #1 - WTF? [/quote] Am I alone in thinking it's not the weirdest thing. So FMIC is probably run by bean counters and investors - who probably don't hang out on basschat/talkbass and the guitar equivalents - they are also too big a company to seemingly innovate quickly and come up with new ideas, and I doubt have much way in place to innovate. In the rarified stratosphere of company directors I imagine meeting a couple of guys who actually know something about guitars etc would be useful - and up there the U2 boys are about the only ones knocking about (and Dre) So you try and get them on board. Say one of us had an absolutely astounding idea for something bass related - and say we didn't try and develop it ourselves but wanted to give it to another maker to use... now I'm quite sure with a lot of manufacturers we talk about on here we could contact the head of the company directly - even with bigger companies like warwick the head guy replies to emails sent to them. What about fender? The industry is changing - we've gone from very big bass amps to little lightweight ones, when was the last time Fender had a bass amp that had widespread popular appeal? Anyone know anyone who's bought one of Fender's own mini amps? When was the last time a fender effects pedal/multieffects was rated? Even those nice little Mustang guitar amps with the modelling don't seem to fly off the shelf in the larger sizes (may be utterly wrong here) ... there's a whole thread in the effects post about replacing preamp and effects with your iPad - where are Fender in that field? The Edge helping oversee a R&D in that field would make sense to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Also in that article: 'Bono adds, "When a festival-goer wears a Fender t-shirt, they are saying a lot about themselves. They love music, they're independent-spirited...' A group of independently-spirited festival-goers rushing for their Fender T-shirts yesterday: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 The Edge doesn't look like a man who uses iPad effects to be honest :/ Regards lightweight gear, most guitarists seem to be stubbornly sticking with 'tradition' and if Fender wanted pointers on lightweight gear then they had Genz Benz to turn to...which they got rid off. Genz Benz, imo, had the potential to become a real front runner in bass amplification...but again it doesn't seem Fender knew what to do with it. In the end we've got a few nice bits chucked in the new Rumble amps (I'll add I quite like them), but there was so much more potential. As for the cabs, meh! A 410 and a 115, hardly groundbreaking. I don't see a 'guitarist' who is mainly noted for using sizeable rack units driving forward an innovation for us bass players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skej21 Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 To be fair, the U2 boys can't do any worse than the 'innovative' new iPad friendly strats and the strats with the little digital 'personality' cards! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1401542305' post='2464580'] Also in that article: 'Bono adds, "When a festival-goer wears a Fender t-shirt, they are saying a lot about themselves. They love music, they're independent-spirited...' [/quote] Or vacuous posturing...the musician equivalent of 'I'm worth it'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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