fender dissapointment

[karlfer]

Hmm, those 2 cheap basses you mentioned at the end.
I briefly had a "tribute" made by one of them. Neck kept moving at the heel. Took neck off and the end of the fretboard looked like it had been finished by chewing, not any kind of saw. Appalling.
That was actually the 2nd one I had and the 1st also suffered from neck movement. Thankfully I returned the 1st one with no further investigation.

So, as we all know, QC is not just a Fender issue.

[bassjim]

In reply to this from my learned friend.....(sorry could get the multiquote thing top work!!!)
*****
Two thoughts occur here, firstly that if you are very used to playing one bass and one bass only, many if not all other instruments might feel, play or sound less well than does that bass that you are used to. I have never been entirely happy with a bass that I have just bought - and that includes some very high spec instruments - it's always required a combination of changes to those structural factors I need to be different (such as strings, action, PUP height, nut height etc), and of getting used to those factors that I can't change. A perfect bass is often perfect simply because you are used to it. Second if you have struggled to find a bass you like in all of the shops you've been to, what makes you think that you will like a custom built instrument that you by definition cannot play before you buy? The list of folks who've spent shedloads of cash on a custom bass only to find that it doesn't work for them is not short.
The list of folks who've spent shedloads of cash on a custom bass only to find that it doesn't work for them is not short.

*********

yes and im one of them.

in the past ive not really been able to explain to the builder exactly what it is I want. i think i have thought that because of what that bass has been and who uses it it will be great and thats that. i think a lot of unhappy customers are more about not saying exactly what they want, if they really know what that it is, and end up with not quite what they were expecting in terms of playability .

like going to a hairdresses because brad pitt goes there and saying "i want the same hair cut" and expecting to turn into a fanny magnet just like that.

for me personally its taken years of active this and that plus for some bizzare idea that it has to be a neck through. i have since learnt that for me less is more plus these days I have a better understanding of how to use eq. It could even be that if some of the basses built in the passed came back I might set them up and use the eq differently using what i know now.

i digress...... so what i was sharing with you fellow low enders is my personal dissapointment with what has so far been on offer from fender that I as a mere mortal with no access to large amounts of lolly or access to any special fender care ala adam clayton, marcus ect can readily get my hands on. ie in a shop that has a fender deal.

in terms of set up......i like my action low and when i have read and commented myself here on basschat on this very subject, i think its fair to say at the very least half of you like a low action. so why then do the shops insist on setting every thing on high? maybe if they set at least half of them up low so the punter can make a better informed decision? perhaps they are worried the necks might snap and then they are stuck with them? either way story is ...basssist goes into a shop to try out some fenders and leaves uninspired and dissapointed even though there was a couple of grand burning a hole in his pocket. Turns to custom builder who understands problem as its apparently not a rare complaint and moves said cash to bank account.

[paul h]

[quote name='karlfer' timestamp='1467812387' post='3086449']
So, as we all know, QC is not just a Fender issue.
[/quote]

Absolutely! I think it's the same with all mass produced instruments...some just come out better than others! I'm more likely to take a punt for £200 though

I am currently gassing for a custom shop, heavy relic telecaster guitar...so I do like Fender...I just haven't found the "one"

[paul h]

@bassjim hopefully your next bass will be the right one for you! Good luck!

[bassjim]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1467808922' post='3086407']
Lauren Taneil is actually in the UK right now, she could chop in those toy town Ray 5s while she is here for a UK custom built bass to save her struggling for the rest of the Beyonce world tour! Lol.
[/quote]
i had one of these (5string) once and stupidly got rid because of a weak G string that I had no idea could have been fixed. this was also a fine example of brilliance. The MM I tried both 4,5 stingray and sterling made me feel like they were taking the piss by comparison. for example the sterlings pick up was all E and A string. ok so you can adjust that but the D and G was so noticbly weak that you would be taking a chance on it. how on earth does any one supply the likes of me (just a regular bass player,nothing special) this kind of drivel and actually expect me to go "wow!!! this is amazing.here is my money!". if its not the products fault because of lack of proper set up then whos' at fault here?

perhaps its my fault because i have spent 35 years struggling every day to improve and have become really "picky" as a result. plenty more first timers around where the shops can pull the wool over their eyes. I guess if its just me complaining then good luck to em'. pays their bills so carry on

[bassjim]

[quote name='paul h' timestamp='1467812761' post='3086457']
@bassjim hopefully your next bass will be the right one for you! Good luck!
[/quote]
thanks very much.

i will share the experience once done. obvs Im starting to get all worked up about it now and Ive only myself to blame for that!

better have a lie down.....seriously though folks I appreciate every word every one has to say on this and any bass related subject. if only this shared information was available to me as a kid. could have saved a bloody fortune on bad choices and spent twice as much on GAS related stuff instead!

[stingrayPete1977]

I'm not really sure what people want, in all honesty I could use my cheapest bass for the rest of my life (2007 SR5) it's a great bass if a little shabby in places but there are plenty of players using them that I'll never be able to play as well as. Don't get me wrong I'm not too shabby a player really and I need a solid dependable bass but I struggle to see what anything over about an £800 new bass does that would make it more playable really, I say this as a classic 5 Stingray owner with a new cost over £2k plus a John east circuit I fitted and a 2010 Stingray 5 and a 2013 Fender us jazz five with an aguilar preamp I fitted, they are all nice basses but I don't own them because I feel that I need them or it would hinder me to play a lesser model.

[paul h]

People like stuff

[project_c]

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1467810997' post='3086431']
yes i must be more specific about what was not good. 1. the necks. all of em felt, by comparison to mine, really thick. I tried a pre CBS 60s bass prior to this down at Bernie Goodfellows place. Lovley guy there called Jim has a collection of pre CBS basses and let me check out all of em.

The 60s jazz was fantasic. Played well, had a lowish action but the neck.....so playable. absolute ease. so musical sounding. inspiring. but........... thousands of pounds. well past the 10 grand mark so obviously im not going there. He has a few from the same stable and they all feel as nice to play.

Now Fender claim they have made several "reissue" basses based on this model. well so far, based on what i have recently tried in the shops,either the model they have based the reissue on is a donkey or they are using the wrong bass to copy.

2. weight. again by comparison not really close. a lot heavier than the original to the point I can see a shoulder/back problem on its way with a friday night function followed by a saturday night function followed by a sunday afternoon pub gig. this is most weekends for me by the way so I'm going to pick up on this factor quickly.

3. sound. who would use these pickups on their basses as a prefrence? (shop ones) . No punch. kinda dead? remember thats three different shops through three different amps and nothing inspirational at all. remember this is compared to what I have at home. I paid £1250.00 for it btw so this is not a you pay for what you get thing.

to be fair there may have been one bass but the guy didnt want to remove the bell plates so i couldnt really play it like that. but even so the neck was still chunky.

bit like when you pick up any beginners instrument and the neck is chunky and deep. ok if you have hands like a gorilla but your average hand not so enjoyable
[/quote]

Neck width is a matter of personal preference, and how a bass sounds in a shop though an amp has more to do with the amp and room acoustics than anything else. Not great reasons for calling them a load of crap. Fair enough re. the weight though, I can see that being an issue, but you'd have to be deeply unlucky to come across that many unplayably heavy basses.

[bassbiscuits]

I've played a lot of Fenders (not Custom Shop, just regular MIJ and MIA ones) and by and large they've been good.

My two main gigging basses are two modern-ish, secondhand USA basses which are very good, along with a USA strat and 1990s MIJ strat (also both secondhand)

But I'd agree that there are also some which are pretty uninspiring to play. Not bad, just a bit nondescript.

There are definitely lots of good ones out there tho I reckon.

EDIT: Of course, i'm speaking as someone who wants just a decent, solid, passive bass that plays nicely, sounds good and which I can cart around pub gigs and functions etc. If you want a bass beyond that, then of course there are other basses that do more and better things for more money.

Horses for courses etc.

Edited July 6, 2016 by bassbiscuits

[thebassist]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1467815266' post='3086486']
...a 2013 Fender us jazz five with an aguilar preamp I fitted...
[/quote]

Ooooooohhhhhh - how did the fitting go? Photos handy?

[bassjim]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1467815266' post='3086486']
. Don't get me wrong I'm not too shabby a player really and I need a solid dependable bass but I struggle to see what anything over about an £800 new bass does that would make it more playable really,
[/quote]

i think there is goal in mind with a typical 60s fender jazz that isnt there on other basses. all things contribute to the end result and they are in the most basic breakdown: weight, neck width and depth, pick ups and how much can you manipulate the bass set up wise to your liking. to achive this you need to pay more for the time and effort involved to produce such a thing and the price tag should reflect that. in other words bass costing x amount should = x quality. sad fact is that in this case it simply didnt......... IMO!

i really would like to point out I'm not having a dig at any one who owns any instrument of any kind as for some its like "how dare you insult my child..." for suggesting there is something wrong with their choice of axe. If you own an instrument that works its cool. I own and love my Fender but at the same time feel let down by them.

And talking of setting it up in the shop with a lower action : one of the shops (not going to name them.they will know!) came across as "not really into that man" and the other was obviously getting pissed off with "nope not that one, not that one,not that one,maybe if i tried that one? nope that one ect.." so he made me feel like I was really putting him out of his way to the point he made me feel Iike I the customer with the cash to spend was getting anoying.

mind you,,it was a music shop so what did i really expect?!?

[bassjim]

[quote name='project_c' timestamp='1467816417' post='3086499']
Neck width is a matter of personal preference, and how a bass sounds in a shop though an amp has more to do with the amp and room acoustics than anything else. Not great reasons for calling them a load of crap. Fair enough re. the weight though, I can see that being an issue, but you'd have to be deeply unlucky to come across that many unplayably heavy basses.
[/quote]
(swings handbag around head and stamps) i own a great fender jazz. i know what it sounds like and what it does via a multitude of different amps and rooms. i know the difference between a quality instrument (mine) and an instrument that is not as . considering I'm comparing a fender jazz with a fender jazz i feel my conclusions to be reasonable under the circumstances. could I therfore say BY COMPARISON to my Fender jazz to the fender jazzes in the shops that I tried last week mine is by far superior and make the others all seem like crap even the CS jobs!!!

Edited July 6, 2016 by bassjim

[Twincam]

I've had a couple of mim basses one mij and a mia bass personally.
I've also worked on a few more of each of those and also plenty of squires.
I've also had a good look at the more expensive line from 1500 to 2500 when in shops.

I can honestly say the best fenders after a setup were probably the mim ones for all rounders and price. Followed by the mia ones. Then it becomes a bit more of a lotter.
And the best setup any fender taken ive had my hands on was a squire mustang!. The worst was a mia which was the oldest and had a ski jump in the neck that the owner was not bothered about as it still was setup great for him, of course if I had delt with it then it would have been ok.

Mij fenders seem to have the worst electrics I can safely say that.
But once you get above squire cv territory the waters are very muddy and what you get seems to be absolutely random in build quality and I mean I'm looking mainly at the aspects that effect setup. So the nut, fret wire quality and how level or sharp the frets are, how level the board is which is still a huge variation on fenders! And it does matter even after frets leveling, neck angle and is there any ski jump etc, bridge placement.

I like fenders overall.

[Muppet]

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1467817611' post='3086511']
(swings handbag around head and stamps) i own a great fender jazz. i know what it sounds like and what it does via a multitude of different amps and rooms. i know the difference between a quality instrument (mine) and an instrument that is not as.
[/quote]

I'm genuinely interested - what makes yours a quality instrument and the ones you've tried not so? What is it about yours that you're looking for and not finding in the others?

[oldbass]

sfunny..been a complete fender snob for yrs until I found my squire VM PJ....fantastic lightweight little bass for silly money... and so playable.

[Light Grenade]

I had a Fender Standard Jazz, it cost £700 and it was okay. I was happy for awhile until I switched to Lakland.

From my experiences and personal tastes, there was no competition at the £700/£800 price point. The Lakland took the crown.

I will never sell my Skyline.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Light Grenade

[Chaos Daveo]

I think you are just so happy with yours and how it feels that nothing can compare, just and opinion.I always stuggle to find what im after and never truley settle on an instrument brand.

I try everything to hell and see what feels right,if it doesn't leave it for another day when something shiney becomes available..

[LayDownThaFunk]

I would never buy a Fender brand new. Actually anyone even considering that is crazy.

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1467816867' post='3086506']


Ooooooohhhhhh - how did the fitting go? Photos handy?
[/quote]
I will get some soon as I need to open it up as it has a leak draining the battery somewhere, its VERY tight in the standard cavity and I've hidden the battery in a hole I've created behind the pickguard so that has to come off for battery changes which should be once a year hopefully once the drain is sorted, would look stock if I put the standard circuit back in basically but I think I'll always want a Jazz with 5 strings thats active so purchase price and resale are non starters for me. It's got volume (+passive active push/pull),pickup pan and treble/bass stacked with genuine Fender knobs I imported.

Edit-its a Bartolini not Aguilar, I forget that I changed my mind at the last moment, sounds epic!

Edited July 6, 2016 by stingrayPete1977

[FinnDave]

[quote name='LayDownThaFunk' timestamp='1467829673' post='3086609']
I would never buy a Fender brand new. Actually anyone even considering that is crazy.
[/quote]

Hi, nice to meet you. I'm crazy.

[Pinball]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1467803208' post='3086340']
Just goes to show that you need to get out there and try basses for yourself. I know buying online is the only option for some people, but it is very much a lottery. I've had a one or two mediocre Fenders but my current Precision is the best I've had in 40-odd years and it's a Mexican.
[/quote]

This sums it up..try before you buy. I've tried a few and found some excellent Fender basses but they do vary

[Thunderpaws]

What exactly is it that is so poor about them? I tried a few fender P basses when I bought mine and none of them came across as second rate. Sure, I had preferences, but we all do. Yeah, so what is it that was so crap?

[quote name='bassjim' timestamp='1467802881' post='3086337']
sadly none that I tried (probably about 20 between the three shops) were any where near bloody good. It may just be that by complete fluke I got a good one and made an asumption this was a typical fender.

once one has tasted champange one doesnt want cheap wine......

and yes a bold statement but no smoke without fire and all that....

Think what I'm trying to say here is Fender doesnt = crap. I know this because I love mine a whole lot. It really is the dogs. Its just the recent trip out to find a back up has proved very dissapointing. Oh and I tried a few music man basses.....toy town stuff to be frank....god, what have i started??
[/quote]

[KevB]

I've had 3 US Fenders and they've all been good, 2 of them are my current main gigging basses but I'm just a dirty rock n roller. I got the impression from various threads on here over the last few years that the QC consistency at Fender had actually improved quite a bit, especially the Mexican ones. They can be overpriced brand new but I'd say that is probably true of just about any 'big name' mass produced instrument.

Edited July 7, 2016 by KevB

[ambient]

I had a USA Marcus Miller 5. It wasn't exactly brilliant, considering it's rather large price tag. It's finish was rather average.

The neck pocket was too big, and cut at a funny angle. You could fit a coin into the gap around the neck. It had string through body option, and had little cups on the rear that the strings passed through. These weren't fixed in, and fell out if you didn't string through them.