Since I’ve been playing a lot of gear to review on my website, I’ve noticed the significant feel and tone differences in many basses of the same brand and model. The most striking example this week was a Fender Standard Jazz Bass (Mexican) that blew away all the other Mexican made Jazz basses and several of the USA Fenders I tried for comparison. Not being a luthier, or even casually familiar with the process of winding pickups, it’s difficult for me to grasp how pickups of the same design can sound so different. If you can tell me, drop me an e-mail. 🙂 In any case, this “cheap” J bass had high output, no noise and killer funk tone. I almost bought it on the spot. Then, I reminded myself I was moving across the country in 3 weeks, and that sweet as this bass was, the timing was wrong.
I’ve always had a pretty open mind about brand names of instruments. I am amazed and disturbed at the number of bassists with an elitist mentality about brands of gear. Maybe it’s just their annoying nature that makes it seem like there are a lot of them. Guitarists and other musicians do this too, but I guess I hold up bassists to a higher standard.
In all honesty, everyone is guilty of brand loyalty from time to time. Manufacturers depend on that. Your love for the overall quality of a name brand (or the image of quality its name represents) allows you to gloss over the instances when that quality has been uneven. Fender has changed ownership many times, and the quality has suffered at times, but Americans are still in love with Fender.
What gets me though, is bassists that think that anything that costs less than ‘x’ number of dollars must be crap. Or that basses made in the country of ‘x’ are junk. I won’t argue that high end basses are amazing. But does that mean that inexpensive ones suck?
Wrap your brain around this analogy… I drive a Toyota Corolla LE. Maybe you drive a BMW 5 series. Both are fun to drive, get from A to B, have plush seats, cruise control and A/C, and can drive at the maximum speed limit without a problem. However, your BMW has a few more refinements, accelerates faster and has a higher maximum speed. But if we’re both using our cars for city driving, what’s the difference? Well for one, you paid 2-3 times as much for your car as I did. Now, if you were a stock car driver, maybe that extra performance would be a necessity, not a luxury. But if you’re the average Joe, you’re not a pro racer.
Consider basses. If you’re a studio musician who absolutely needs premium quality for digital recording… get the best. I wouldn’t dare to argue. This $500 or $1000 bass will never do. But what about the rest of you? Why not try doing what I did today—playing a dozen basses and finding a $400 gem that crushed several more expensive models.
Reality check: Unless your bass is a handmade custom, you can be reasonably sure that the your “USA made” mass produced deluxe model was actually made from parts made by other manufacturers, shipped from other countries and assembled in the US. Sure, the tuners and pickups are upgraded on the US product, but the bulk of the instrument may be almost equivalent to that cheap “Standard” bass you like to turn your nose up at.
If you’re just a hobbyist, weekend jammer, semi-pro, or the like, spend a little time and save some money. You might find a Jazz Bass like I did, that sounds great right off the rack. Maybe it was made on a Wednesday. Maybe it got the wrong pickups installed. Who cares? In any case, it’s better than what its supposed to be but costs the regular price. But if that fails, do this:
Find a reasonably priced bass that feels good in your hands. Now, get an expensive version of the same model… or, a close relative by another brand. Close your eyes and play them both. Alternate a few times. Do you feel a difference? If the difference isn’t worth the price margin, get the bargain bass. An inexpensive but good quality bass with smokin’ after-market replacement pickups can get you something that sounds and plays as good as an expensive bass for a fraction of the cost. And the next time someone looks at your headstock and says: “Too bad it’s a (fill in the blank)…” Just smile at them… It’s rude to laugh.
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