Fender Artist Series Basses

The ultimate way to follow your star

Part of the fun of being a bass player is hero worship. You listen to guys like Geddy Lee, Mike Dirnt, Reggie Hamilton, Mark Hoppus--the list could go on all day--and you just have to bow down. These are guys who really play the bass and it's impossible not to idolize them. In return for our appreciation, they provide us with inspiration and a greater understanding of the goal, give us licks to work on, and dazzle us with great playing and moments of stunning bass perfection.

Perhaps the most interesting and fun aspect of this hero worship is learning about the instruments and gear the top players use. It's intere to see what the choose and how it reflects upon them. It's also a way of learning what the good stuff is amd what gear it takes to get certain sounds.

Fender Artist Models

Fender has taken it a step further and provided us a great way to be like Mike or Reggie or Geddy--their Artist Series basses (also commonly referred to as signature basses). These are basses made by Fender to the artist's specifications and choice of modificatons. The basses can be fairly stock or substantially modified--it all depends on the artist, but all are especially cool instruments. First of all, they are well-made Precision or Jazz Bass models, the two most popular basses of the last 50 years. Secondly, they are interesting in what they say about the artist each is associated with. Here are several of Fender's Artist Series basses to illustrate this point.

Geddy Lee Jazz Bass

Among the millions of Rush fans worldwide are lots of bass players. They are drawn to the band because of Geddy Lee's dazzling bass work. Lee is now the elder statesman of rock bass and a master of the genre. He plays fast, tricky, and all over the fretboard. It is impossible for a bass player, even those who don't play rock, to not feel awe and appreciation for Mr. Lee's music.

The Geddy Lee bass is a slightly modified Jazz Bass replicating the one he has used for years. It has an alder body and maple neck fitted with a maple fingerboard. It is equipped with U.S. Jazz Bass single-coil pickups and the bridge has been changed to a BadAss II. Fairly stock, but a solid Fender bass.

Mike Dirnt Precision Bass

Green Day put punk into the mainstream in the '90s, providing an alternative to polished and processed pop. And the band has resurged recently with new hits. Mike seems a down-to-earth kind of guy and his choice of instrument shows an appreciation of the basics.

Mike's signature instrument is a P Bass, modeled after the vintage '51 with a slab body that has been slightly contoured like a '55 P Bass. The neck is maple and has a thick C-shape based on the '69 Precision that Mike originally played. It sports the '55-style pickguard which gives it an especially vintage look. The pickup has been upgraded to a Custom Shop '59, and a BadAss II bridge with more mass has been swapped for the stock bridge. Mike's bass is practical and oozes vintage vibe. Most importantly, it gets the job done.

Sting Precision Bass

Sting is a man of many facets: a great songwriter, an environmental activist, singer, society playboy, and bass player. Most bass players have become Sting fans because of his tenure with The Police. It was a very creative band and Sting made the biggest contribution in it. His early songs were odd and smart, often with prominent, driving ska-like bass lines that would fall into unison with the vocal line at the right moments.

Although in his later career Sting has moved away from the small-band simplicity of his Police days, his bass is rather simple and unpretentious It is a basic '50s Precision, with an ash body and thick C-shaped neck with maple fretboard. It's totally vintage, with the vintage two-saddle bridge and vintage single-coil pickup (the single coil used before Fender went to the split-coil pickp). It also features the most vintage of all finishes--a two-color sunburst--and sports a single-ply white pickguard The only indicaton of its exalted status is a Sting inlay at the 12th fret. Other than that it is vintage P-Bass enough to please any purist.

Mark Hoppus Jazz Bass

Mark Hoppus is, of course, the bassist for blink-182. He writes, sings, and produces other bands--an involved musician. In a way, he plays a similar role to Sting, anchoring a trio that fits into much the same tradition as The Police. In blink-182, Mark gels with drummer Travis Parker to kick out forceful grooves that combine rhythmic sophistication and insistent drive.

You don't need a fancy bass for this purpose, just a good one that can handle high-powered music. Mark's Jazz Bass is an especially interesting combination of vintage Fender, simplified controls, and a stepped-up pickup. Counter-intuitively, it has a Jazz Bass body with a Precision Bass neck. The pickup is P-Bass-style despite the J-Bass body, and it uses a Seymour Duncan Basslines Quarter-Pound P-Bass pickup controlled by a single volume knob. Simple and powerful--perfect for Mark's style of music.

Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass

You can call Reggie Hamilton a complete bassist. He has played with everyone including Boyz II Men, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Sheila E., Tony Braxton, and many others. He is most essentially an R&B and funk player, but is adept at many genres. As you might guess, Reggie needs a bass that is versatile. His instrument of choice is a Fender Jazz Bass with some substantial modifications--all of which enhance the instrument's versatility.

Fender has duplicated these modifications in the Reggie Hamilton Standard Jazz Bass. It has a Noiseless Jazz pickup in the bridge position, an American Series P Bass pickup at the neck. A mini toggle has been added that switches between active and passive modes In active mode, the preamp features three-band EQ with boost/cut on each band. In passive mode, there's a volume control and a knob that pans between the pickups. These controls give you an incredible range of tones and also allow you to make quick adjustments.

Another special feature of Reggie's bass is a Hipshot Drop D on the E string. It allows you to get that low D so popular in music these days without switching to a five-string. You can see why a session bassist might choose this modification.

More basses of the gods

The basses described above aren't all of Fender's Artist Series models: Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Roscoe Beck, Stu Hamm, and Victor Bailey Artist models are also currently available. Each of the Artist Series Basses is a great axe, with solid Fender attributes and carefully chosen modifications. They offer a way to celebrate your favorite bass star and enjoy a sense of connection with him.

We carry all of Fender's Artist Models, and you won't find any of them for a lower price anywhere else. You can count on a bass made by Fender with specs and features chosen by your main man. Order your hero's Artist Series Fender today and let it inspire your playing.