Fender Myths I cannot stand!

[jerryjg]

I'm drunk..and bored, and hopefully the mods shall premept this if it is against the letter of TFF. But here goes. Heres some of waht I call "urban Myths " about Fenders that really really tick the the hell out of me off;


1) "My Made in Mexico Strat is better than any Fender American I've ever played". This si sometimes taken to the extreme of bettr than any vintage Fender the OP has ever played( and invariably followed by the list of MIA / Vinatge Strats that said commenter has owned or played).

2) "Just go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them". OMG, this is the one I think I hate the most. Dude, they are all the farkin Same! Okay? I absolutley despise how a guy says he went to guitar center and played 10 Fender Strats of the same model and the 15th one just rang out and "sang" or whatever. Dude, they are the same- most of them need a set up and they will all sound identical.

3)"Run a Distortion through a Fender amp and it will sound just as good as a Marshall"- Oh reallly?? Thank you, you just put 2000.00 back in my pocket! ( not!)

4) Custom Shop Strats sound "Just" as good as Vintage Strats. -Okay, they sound good, but lets get real here. The same? No.

5)"Tone is in the Fingers"- Total BS, If your fingers cannot do waht is needed to reproduce a ceratin tone it certainly is NOT the fault of the amp.

[elicross]

1) "My Made in Mexico Strat is better than any Fender American I've ever played". This si sometimes taken to the extreme of bettr than any vintage Fender the OP has ever played( and invariably followed by the list of MIA / Vinatge Strats that said commenter has owned or played).

How is that a myth? It's just a guy's opinion. He's got an MIM STrat, he's played American Strats, and he feels his MIM is better. I'd say your annoyance with this "myth" suggests you've bought into the myth that anything American, old, or expensive just has to be better than anything foreign-made, new, or inexpensive.

I imagine other folks will address your other "myths," but the last one caught my attention:

5)"Tone is in the Fingers"- Total BS, If your fingers cannot do waht is needed to reproduce a ceratin tone it certainly is NOT the fault of the amp.

Okay, I don't get this one at all. Do you disagree with "Tone is in the fingers" or not? You say it's total BS, and then in the same sentence seem to support it. Nobody who says "Tone is in the fingers" would disagree with your assertion that if you can't get the sound you want, it's not the amp's fault. They'd probably say you just proved their point: Tone's not in the amp.

Also, how is "Tone is in the fingers" a FENDER myth?

[phantomman]

Well the only "Fender Myth" that I take exception to (an' it wasn't mentioned here) is 'Any an' all old Fender guitar(s) are better'n any an' all new Fender guitar(s).'

I've seen, among vintage instruments, some real bowsers in my time (woof-woof sounds waft from the case when you unlock the latches). Most of 'em from the '70s with the 3-bolt bullet truss necks an' the ¼-inch thick poly-goo finish. I've also seen late '60s guitars with the round-lam boards that had frets nearly falling outta the slots. I've seen vintage Teles from the '50s with the string ferrules mis-aligned that plainly looked as crooked as a dawg's hind leg.

That said, I still enjoy these vintage guitars. But......as far as quality control goes, I believe there is more consistency -- generally speakin' -- with today's instruments.

Jus' mah 'pinion, y'unnerstan'......

[Zhangliqun]

2) "Just go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them". OMG, this is the one I think I hate the most. Dude, they are all the farkin Same! Okay? I absolutley despise how a guy says he went to guitar center and played 10 Fender Strats of the same model and the 15th one just rang out and "sang" or whatever. Dude, they are the same- most of them need a set up and they will all sound identical.

What a load of crap. Every piece of wood is different, even from the same tree. They do NOT all sound the same.

[Cogs]

So... whatcha been drinkin' jerryjg?

[Vics]

What a load of crap. Every piece of wood is different, even from the same tree. They do NOT all sound the same.

I agree. I bought my Strat in '96 and must have played about 20 of them from about 4 differant stores. The one I bought (in my humble opinion) just had "it." Had the feel and it had the tone.

Glad I took the time to shop around. I've had a few loyal Stratmen tell me I did good.

[sliding-tom]

So... whatcha been drinkin' jerryjg?

Doesn't matter - twas too much.

[Cogs]

lol!!!

[phantomman]

I'll have what he's havin'!

(make it a double)

[dzguitar10]

WOW!!! Someone certainly pissed in his Cheerios! They have meds for controlling these outburst problems nowadays too!

[Schtang]

Well you have bought into the myth yourself that vintage is better - no way, bunch of dogs in those like any other era.

[Erock_Germany]

3)"Run a Distortion through a Fender amp and it will sound just as good as a Marshall"- Oh reallly?? Thank you, you just put 2000.00 back in my pocket! ( not!)

Well maybe not the same but certainly closer than trying to get a Marshall to sound like a clean Fender

[ch willie]

I hear that a MIM hangover is far superior to one MIA...

[TobaccoBurst]

I hear that a MIM hangover is far superior to one MIA...

That's cause the MIM Tequila is better than the MIA stuff!

[Offshore Angler]

Well, I first read this and wasn't totally in agreement. Than I gunned a few shots, and by golly, he's right!

[Offshore Angler]

That's cause the MIM Tequila is better than the MIA stuff!

Clearly, you've never experienced Cabo Wabo. That busts that argument.

[Gris]

Somebody should write a song for BB musicians entitled 'Troll' ... :-)

[NeoFauve]

My main beef with Fender is that they call tailpieces that can be moved to incite fluctuations in pitch "tremolo," and they call the circuit on some of their amps that cause adjustable fluctuations in volume "vibrato."

That's like Ford calling hoods trunks, and trunks hoods, then sticking with it for the sake of tradition.

The "myth" about vintage anything being inherently better is not unique to things Fender.

[NTBluesGuitar]

You know, I like what JerryG said...even if it's all bunk. Although, the underlying tone of the OP's statements is something I don't have a problem with.

My pair o' pennies is that the guitar is good if it stays in tune. The rest is up to the holder of said guitar. Anything else is entirely subjective. Of course, I don't have one US-made piece of Fender gear.

[sliding-tom]

My main beef with Fender is that they call tailpieces that can be moved to incite fluctuations in pitch "tremolo," and they call the circuit on some of their amps that cause adjustable fluctuations in volume "vibrato."

A mexican employee in the early fifties with a serious Tequila hangover mistook one for the other and when Leo Fender found out, all the decals, faceplates, promotion material etc were done already, so why not use 'em up? It's just never been changed, though.

[Doc W]

Well, I am reasonably sober, so I am gonna go for it and try to respond to each claim. I welcome the opinion of others on my comments, sober or not.

1) "My Made in Mexico Strat is better than any Fender American I've ever played". This si sometimes taken to the extreme of bettr than any vintage Fender the OP has ever played( and invariably followed by the list of MIA / Vinatge Strats that said commenter has owned or played).

I have played some real vintage dogs. Nonetheless, I think you are partly right. Up until the ... late 60s/70s maybe? it was easier to get good wood and there was a lot more handwork in guitars. Also, since that time, there are Fender "budget lines" which are often great for the price but don't have the longevity of the better models. So, I would venture to say that vintage Fenders overall are likely better than the average Fender now, except for higher end Fenders which, in my opinion, are sometimes even better.

2) "Just go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them". OMG, this is the one I think I hate the most. Dude, they are all the farkin Same! Okay? I absolutley despise how a guy says he went to guitar center and played 10 Fender Strats of the same model and the 15th one just rang out and "sang" or whatever. Dude, they are the same- most of them need a set up and they will all sound identical.

Once again, I partly agree. When you get right down to it, a Strat is a hunk of wood with pickups and a neck. You could make one with a chain saw. So one American Standard in the shop is pretty much like another American Standard in the shop. This is NOT true of handmade acoustics btw. Nonetheless, it is not uncommon to find one that just seems to feel better than the others. I don't get too overwrought about this and make it into something magical. I also wonder if a blind test would come up with the same result. Guitarists (including me) tend to get mushy about stuff like this.

3)"Run a Distortion through a Fender amp and it will sound just as good as a Marshall"- Oh reallly?? Thank you, you just put 2000.00 back in my pocket! ( not!)

Pedals are definitely overrated.

4) Custom Shop Strats sound "Just" as good as Vintage Strats. -Okay, they sound good, but lets get real here. The same? No.

You can get a Strat made to spec that will not only sound as good as a vintage Strat, it will sound better. But even if that were not true, think about this. A modern, custom made fabulous Strat can be had for say, 3 K. A vintage costs about 27K more. Does it sound 27K better? I don't think so. I could buy a great Strat AND play it on the beach in Hawaii for a month for that price.

5)"Tone is in the Fingers"- Total BS, If your fingers cannot do waht is needed to reproduce a ceratin tone it certainly is NOT the fault of the amp.

I am not even sure what you mean.

[CJ Neel]

I'm drunk..and bored, and hopefully the mods shall premept this if it is against the letter of TFF. But here goes. Heres some of waht I call "urban Myths " about Fenders that really really tick the the hell out of me off;


1) "My Made in Mexico Strat is better than any Fender American I've ever played". This si sometimes taken to the extreme of bettr than any vintage Fender the OP has ever played( and invariably followed by the list of MIA / Vinatge Strats that said commenter has owned or played).

2) "Just go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them". OMG, this is the one I think I hate the most. Dude, they are all the farkin Same! Okay? I absolutley despise how a guy says he went to guitar center and played 10 Fender Strats of the same model and the 15th one just rang out and "sang" or whatever. Dude, they are the same- most of them need a set up and they will all sound identical.

3)"Run a Distortion through a Fender amp and it will sound just as good as a Marshall"- Oh reallly?? Thank you, you just put 2000.00 back in my pocket! ( not!)

4) Custom Shop Strats sound "Just" as good as Vintage Strats. -Okay, they sound good, but lets get real here. The same? No.

5)"Tone is in the Fingers"- Total BS, If your fingers cannot do waht is needed to reproduce a ceratin tone it certainly is NOT the fault of the amp.

Nothin' like a good buzz to bring out some good writing.

Here's my take:

#1. Yes, it totally possible for a MIM Strat to sound better than a MIA Strat.

#2. Yes, play as many as you can. Differences can be subtle, or stick out like a sore thumb. Find the one you like and buy it.

#3. Yes, a good quality pedal, like the MI Crunch Box, played through a Blackface Super Reverb will sound as good as a Marshall. And to my ears, better. I know I've done it.

#4. Yes, they can. A good guitar is a good guitar, can be MIM, MIJ, MIA, CS, parts-o-caster, whatever.

#5. The player makes the sound. All of this stuff is rather quiet without the player.

[Kap'n]

I liked the older threads better. This one seems, I dunno, seems more like corn likker, and less like VSOP.

Is the title a reference to a loss of equilibrium?

[NeoFauve]

Fender Myths. I cannot stand!

[elicross]

Is the title a reference to a loss of equilibrium?

"Fender myths; I cannot stand!"

(edit: Jinx, Neo!)

[elicross]

In keeping with the theme of the thread and in full possession of my equilibrium, I'll add the guitar myths *I* can't stand:

- Anything vintage will always be better than anything new.

- Anything made in the USA will always be better than anything made in Mexico or some other country.

- Anything expensive will always be better than anything inexpensive.

(As someone else pointed out, these aren't just guitar myths, but they're sure common in guitar playing circles.)

[stratcat55]

I totally agree with Mr. CJNeel and I'll just leave it at that.

[detuned]

Drunk, you say?

No way!

:-)

[NeoFauve]

I'm not really sure that because some people have said this or that means that those statments are "myths." Especially if those people are guitar players.
But then again, I haven't been drinking.

[jeru]

I cannot stand Fender myths.

[cdw2000]

jerryjg, I agree with you completely! You are drunk ... and bored.

[deepblue1963]

I'm drunk..and bored

As soon as I read that I took it with a grain of salt.
If you think all Strats sound the same then I think youre tone deaf.

[Gris]

OK, I'll play.

Fender Myth #6:

"If we reissue it, they will buy it for more than what they could buy a true hand-made original for..."

No, wait, that's not a myth - it's true!!!

[tooncat]

Hey it's 1:30 in Casper, WY...is it 5:00 somewhere?

[curtisstetka]

This is fun!

1) "My Made in Mexico Strat is better than any Fender American I've ever played". This si sometimes taken to the extreme of bettr than any vintage Fender the OP has ever played( and invariably followed by the list of MIA / Vinatge Strats that said commenter has owned or played).

I agree to a certain extent. If you read much at Harmony Central you'll find lots of posts saying "this is the best x EVER!!!!!", further going on to say how stupid you are if you disagree.

The quality of the foreign made instruments is not to be denied. With computer guided machinery, what's the difference whether the button's being pushed by a Mexican in Mexico or a Mexican a few miles north in California? That said, wood makes a difference. Setup also makes a HUGE difference. I'd rather play a nicely set up MIM strat than a MIA strat with the action, intonation, and nut all boogered up.

2) "Just go to Guitar Center and play a bunch of them". OMG, this is the one I think I hate the most. Dude, they are all the farkin Same! Okay? I absolutley despise how a guy says he went to guitar center and played 10 Fender Strats of the same model and the 15th one just rang out and "sang" or whatever. Dude, they are the same- most of them need a set up and they will all sound identical.

I totally disagree with this one. They're not all the same.

3)"Run a Distortion through a Fender amp and it will sound just as good as a Marshall"- Oh reallly?? Thank you, you just put 2000.00 back in my pocket! ( not!)

I've personally had better luck getting overdrive / distortion sounds I really liked out of various pedals. It's far more controllable. I've never had the opportunity to play a Marshall stack at full throttle so I guess I have no basis of comparison. All I can say is that to my ears, I'd rather have a good, clean foundation and build on it with pedals.

4) Custom Shop Strats sound "Just" as good as Vintage Strats. -Okay, they sound good, but lets get real here. The same? No.

I don't cotton to the notion of building up "vintage" strats to some sort of mythical status.

5)"Tone is in the Fingers"- Total BS, If your fingers cannot do waht is needed to reproduce a ceratin tone it certainly is NOT the fault of the amp.

You were drunk when you wrote this? Really???

[sliding-tom]

Anybody care for a drink (or two?) ( )

[MMP]

Here's my take on the situation.

"Shut up and play yer guitar." - Frank Zappa

I agree, Frank.
Thanks for listening.

[redcoats1976]

cmon down here and play MY MIM strat,its got to be a freak but its a great sounding guitar with very low action and louder than other guits at the same volume level on the amp...i have no idea why.

[waxbytes]

Nothin' like a good buzz to bring out some good writing.

Here's my take:

#1. ...

#2. ...

#3. ...

#4. ...

#5. The player makes the sound. All of this stuff is rather quiet without the player.

Unfortunately, a lot of this equipment can be rather noisy without a player.

[CJ Neel]

Heh. But someone has to turn them on.