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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:25 pm
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Rock Star
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Location: Albemarle, NC
Welcome to the forum!

Personally I think some Artist Series instruments have interesting finishes (e.g. Nate Mendel/Steve Harris) or terrific features (e.g. Marcus Miller/Reggie Hamilton) but I'm more into playing an instrument tweaked to my needs rather than someone else's.

I don't mind paying more for quality materials, better build quality or anything else going into the instrument itself. However royalties built into the price on a signature bass merely line the artist's pockets with my cash.

Artists who get Fender Artist Series instrument contracts have to play Fender exclusively. That's part of the deal. In many cases, such as with Mr. Jones and others, Fender exclusivity doesn't seem to be in the cards.

Who gets an Artist Series instrument isn't like induction to the Hall of Fame. It isn't done to "honor" anyone but to sell instruments making money for Fender and also for the artist. Artist selection is a business decision by Fender marketing and requires a contract with the artist who then has input on the specs for their model.

There are about 17 artist basses and 32 artist guitars in mass production plus Custom Shop models on top of that. They obviously move well or there wouldn't be so many of them.

I've had a Sting and it's a fine instrument but I prefer my modified 51RI over the Sting just because I made it my very own "Artist Series" instrument by changing up some things. With an artist instrument if you change parts it is no longer the artist instrument that you paid extra to get, so I feel pretty much locked into an artist instrument always being what it is out of the box.


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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 3:56 pm
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Hobbyist
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You guys seem to really like this post! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D Check out Parts 2 and 3 as well, and I will be coming out with a Part 4!


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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 4:42 pm
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Quote:
Nate Mendel


You said those who get Fender signature series instruments have to play Fender exclusively, but I have seen Nate Mendel, like you mentioned, play P basses and Sadowsky basses.


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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:41 pm
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Rock Icon
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I was never one to be swayed into buying a signature model guitar because of my dedication to a favourite musician until I bought a John Lennon 1965 Limited Edition Epi Casino.When I first played that guitar,there was an instant connection,it felt just perfect in my hands,it was literally the most comfortable and easily playable guitar that I ever held in my hands.The sound of it was exactly like the sounds that I had listened to on the post 1966 Beatle albums for 40 years.The same goes for my John Lennon EJ-160-E acoustic electric,although when played acoustically it doesn't sound exactly like its '62 Gibson counterpart,when played through an AC-15 or 30 it puts the player into goosebump territory,the tone is that close.

When on a Strat hunt about 4 years ago,I tried 9 or 10 Strats,purposely avoiding looking at the hang tags,headstock or anything else that could give away the model or price.After trying them all,there was one that I kept going back to and when I decided that it was the one that I wanted I saw that it was a Jimmie Vaughn model.

There is something to be said for signature models,they can contain just the right combination of features that could suit you that aren't available on stock models,unless you spend a lot of money on upgrades,so they could conceiveably save you a few dollars.BTW,the Jimmie Vaughn was the cheapest Strat that I had tried out that day.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.


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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Fri Jan 24, 2014 7:46 pm
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Professional Musician
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Personally I've never found a Sig model that worked for me. I wish I could. Unfortunately I'll likely have to wait til I come into a little money to order my own CS bass before I'll be able to find that perfect mix.

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2012 Fender Custom Shop 55 Precision Bass
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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:04 am
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Rock Star
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HardRockLover wrote:
Quote:
Nate Mendel


You said those who get Fender signature series instruments have to play Fender exclusively, but I have seen Nate Mendel, like you mentioned, play P basses and Sadowsky basses.


When and where did you see him playing anything other than a Fender P-Bass? His Fender model has only been out a little over one year and the contract probably happened in 2012 or 2011 at the earliest. If it was on a video check to see when the video was shot. If it was in person over 18 months ago, he possibly hadn't yet signed with Fender.

Mr. Mendel has been known to wander off the reservation being seen with several Lakland models but mostly a Bob Glaub Lakland model (which essentially is a P-Bass clone) plus he played a couple of Gibsons including a Ripper and Thunderbird way back pre-Foo. However, I've never seen him with a Sadowsky. Mostly I have seen his '71 P-Bass, which was the inspiration for his Fender Artist Series model. He also uses a Fender Jazz. To be honest, I can recall seeing him play at all since his Fender Artist instrument came out.


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Post subject: Re: New Signature Models
Posted: Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:06 am
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Rock Star
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HardRockLover wrote:
You guys seem to really like this post! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D Check out Parts 2 and 3 as well, and I will be coming out with a Part 4!


Not actually no.


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