Fender

Fender Custom Shop Basses

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Most bass players have heard of the Fender Custom Shop, but few know how and why it came into existence. Fender started this division in 1987 to produce high-quality instruments that would reflect the way Fender built basses back during the “golden years” of the late ’50s and early ’60s. The custom shop was created … Read more

Jazz Bass Pickups Review

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There are so many Jazz Bass pickups on the market today that choosing one can be a little overwhelming. But, if you’re looking to upgrade the sound on your current J-Bass, there’s no better cost-effective way than to change the pickups.

Thankfully, the huge selection of Jazz bass pickups gives you plenty of options to nail down that specific bass tone that you’re looking for.

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Fender Precision Bass

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The Fender Precision Bass introduced in 1951 changed the world of music forever. Leo Fender’s ingenious idea to create a solid body electric bass guitar that could be mass produced proved to have a profound effect that is felt and heard to this day. The four string Precision Bass had a Telecaster style body and … Read more

How to Buy a Vintage Fender Bass

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For many Fender bassists owning a vintage Fender is the ultimate experience. There’s nothing quite like the feel and sound of a well played Fender Bass.

The question is how do you find a good, authentic vintage Fender for the right price…and how do you know it’s for real?

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How to Sell a Bass Online

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Just as buying a Fender bass online can be a somewhat scary experience, so can selling one, if not more so.

The key to successfully selling your Fender bass is following some simple guidelines and precautions.

I’ve personally sold several basses online without any problems at all. Not only can you easily sell your bass, but it can be fun too.

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Vintage Fender Custom Colors

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I’ve always thought that there was something mysterious and fascinating about the original Fender custom colors. Partly because of the history but also because of the misconceptions and myths.

There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about what colors were available and when they were originally offered. There are even some colors that didn’t even really exist at all. And when it comes to the actual finish types it can get even more confusing.

The first thing to understand is what type of finishes Fender was using during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.

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The Relic Bass Controversy

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Take a perfectly good new bass and deliberately beat it up so that it appears to be much older.

It seems like total madness to some people, but many bass players think relic basses are very cool.

So cool in fact that they’re willing to part with thousands of dollars to get their hands on a well made, great playing and sounding bass that’s beat to heck on purpose.

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Weird Fender Basses

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Throughout the long and impressive history of Fender Musical Instruments, there have been some odd bass creations that didn’t quite take off as well as some of Fender’s other classic designs.

At times, early on in Fender’s production history, it seemed as though everything they touched turned to gold. The Precision Bass, the Jazz Bass, and of course their classic guitar designs like the Telecaster and Stratocaster.

However, even Fender has turned out some misses. Some were flops, a few were interesting, some of them were baffling, and others were just plain weird.

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Is the Fender Bass Still the Standard?

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When Leo Fender invented the first Precision Bass back in 1951 he probably had no idea that he was basically creating the standard for all electric basses for years to come.

No other bass in history has been copied more than than the Precision and Jazz Bass and virtually every bass built since has been compared to one of these classic axes.

The question is….is the Fender Bass still the standard by which all other basses are judged?

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Fender Jazz Bass History – A Timeline 1960-1982

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Fender introduced the Jazz Bass in 1960 as a “deluxe” model to augment the Precision Bass. Since its debut, the Jazz has stayed remarkably similar to its original design. There have, however, been many smaller changes over the years that are important not only to Fender Jazz bass history in general, but also as valuable year indicators for vintage Fender bass buffs.

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