Fender

Squier Bronco Bass Review – Why You Need One Now (2022)

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Fender Squier Bronco Bass

After purchasing one of these awesome Squier Bronco bass guitars as a Christmas gift for my daughter, we knew we had to do a review and make some recommendations. If you couldn’t tell from the title, we really like the Squier Bronco bass guitar. Lots of people will get great use out of this bass, and some will fall madly in love with it. To find out if the Fender Affinity Series Bronco bass is right for you, read on.

TLDR: The receiver of this gift is lucky they still got it. We couldn’t keep our hands off of it, but it might not be for everyone. (But it probably is for everyone…mostly.)

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Fender Telecaster Bass Guitar – Original or Reissue

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The Fender Telecaster bass guitar was introduced in 1968. As its name suggests, it resembles the famous Telecaster guitar that became an iconic instrument across many genres of music. Somewhat of an oddity in the long line of Fender Basses, the Telecaster bass was a reissue of the Precision Bass that debuted in 1951. And, the P Bass itself borrowed some key design aspects from the original Telecaster guitar. Let’s take a look at this odd and interesting design cycle that became the Fender Telecaster bass.

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Fender Goes Fretless

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Sometime in 1970, Fender introduced a fretless version of their iconic Precision Bass model.

By all accounts, this bass was identical to any standard Precision bass, except all the frets and fret lines were removed.

However, being a fretless bass, the neck was designed and constructed a little differently than a stock fretted P-Bass.

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Fender Mustang PJ Bass: A Short-Scale Force

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Fender Mustang PJ Bass

Introduced in 1966, the Fender Mustang PJ Bass is a classic short-scale instrument that is, despite its small size, a force to be reconned with. The original concept for the Mustang PJ bass was to offer a smaller-scale instrument for students and young bassists of smaller stature. However, due to its high quality and delirious amounts of fun, it gained popularity among many pro bassists and everyday players as well.

The Fender Mustang Bass was the last bass that Leo Fender designed before he sold the Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company in 1965 to CBS. This fact alone makes it somewhat of a historic instrument.

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My Favorite Vintage Fender Custom Colors

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When I first started playing bass more than 15 years ago, I noticed that Fender sunburst finishes were priced a little higher than solid colors. What’s interesting is that Fender only offered sunburst as the standard finish from the late 1950s through the 1960s. If you wanted any other color, it was a 5% up-charge, known at the time as a custom color job. They offered several custom colors, all of which were based on American automobile paint options of the era. I’ve listed 12 of my favorite vintage Fender custom colors from that time period.

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How to Buy a Fender Bass Online

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Buying a bass on the Internet can be a risky and somewhat scary experience. Unfortunately, there are many dishonest people online selling bass guitars. Some are outright scammers, while others simply don’t know what they’re selling. Either way, the responsibility falls on you, the honest buyer, to find the right deals and reputable sellers. Hopefully, the information here can help you to understand how to buy a bass guitar, especially if you’re looking online.

I’ve personally bought several Fender basses online over the years, and I’ve learned some valuable tips on what to look for and what to avoid.

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Fender Fullerton Reissue Bass – A New Golden Era

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In 1982, in an attempt to reclaim their audience’s deep affection that was fostered by the high quality of earlier instruments, Fender introduced their vintage reissue series. These guitars and basses intended to replicate the classic late 50’s to early 60’s instruments of Fender’s Pre-CBS golden era. The Fender Fullerton reissue bass guitars created quite a stir and have since become very collectible in their own right.

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Dating a Fender Bass: Serial Numbers and Hot Clues

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Dating a Fender bass guitar to figure out when it was made is not always as easy as it sounds. This is especially true with a vintage bass. Ever since Fender started making basses in 1951, they dated certain parts and components to provide a general idea of when the instrument was produced. The problem is that a neck might be made and dated and then sit in the factory for a while until finally being bolted to a body produced and dated months later. Even using official Fender bass serial numbers isn’t as straightforward as you might think.

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Great ’60s Fender Bassists

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There have been countless great Fender bass players since Leo introduced the first Fender electric bass in 1951. I’ve decided to compile a list of who I thought were the most influential Fender bass players from the 1960s. I chose that time period because, in my opinion, that was the golden age of bass playing. … Read more

Fender Bass Guitar Facts and Myths

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Fender has been around a long time, and over the years several myths have developed about Fender Basses. The question is….are any of them true? When Fender first started making basses the only thing on the company’s agenda was to produce high-quality instruments efficiently. But, as time went by and Fender became a legend and … Read more