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Aerodyne vs P Lyte

I love the basswood on my Aerodyne! Makes it lighter and its not as cheap of a wood as many would make it out to be. Isn't there some high end brands that use basswood all the time? I can't recall which maker it is.

Music man uses basswood for the majority of the bongo basses. I'm sure there are other high-end basses that use it too. Pretty sure Ibanez used it for a lot of high-end guitars too at some point.
 
Never played an Aerodyne (been tempted to grab one a few times over the years), and own a Precision Lyte. It's a superb instrument, as most/all MIJ Fenders are. Mine tips the scales at 7 lbs, 3 oz. And yes, the stock electronics are boxed up, in my parts drawer. My personal arguments for why one should choose a Lyte over an Aerodyne are this: 1) more lightweight; 2) smaller size; 3) not offset. The Lyte pulls off the Precision Bass vibe well, and has a woody, raw tone to it that I find unique (speaking after owning 60+ basses). The Aerodyne, though lightweight, still has the large Jazz Bass body. The Lyte is essentially a 3/4 size Precision Bass body.
It only has an offset jazz body, if you buy an aerodyne jazz bass.
 
The P lyte was the last bass fender made that I could honestly say I enjoyed. As stated earlier, the binding on the aero isn't that inviting to people that actual gig with them. If you sit on the couch and play at home it may not be an issue.
 
There's been more than one model of the Aerodyne, but I assume you're talking about the current one with the binding and no pickguard. I haven't played either model a lot, but there was a Lyte at a local music shop that I played a while ago, and IMO it felt kind of cheap compared to the Aerodyne. Maybe that was just the light weight (which does have its advantages!) but it just gave off an impression of lower quality.
 
I love the basswood on my Aerodyne! Makes it lighter and its not as cheap of a wood as many would make it out to be. Isn't there some high end brands that use basswood all the time? I can't recall which maker it is.

I have had two basswood bodied basses in my life: a fretless Jazz and one of the Aerodynes with a pickguard you had to order directly from Japan. Both were amazing basses in both comfort and sound but that wood combined with my clumsiness led to quite a few dings. If you are more careful than I am you should have better luck but I had to let mine go.
 
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Aerodyne P.JPG
 
SCHWIIINNGGGG!!!

That is a BEAUTY!
The P lyte was the last bass fender made that I could honestly say I enjoyed. As stated earlier, the binding on the aero isn't that inviting to people that actual gig with them. If you sit on the couch and play at home it may not be an issue.

Nothing to do with where you play it. Everything to do with arm position. I've seen them gigged and will be gigging mine when things open back up.
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Yeah, that's Duff up top. What a couch potato! :roflmao:
 
SCHWIIINNGGGG!!!

That is a BEAUTY!


Nothing to do with where you play it. Everything to do with arm position. I've seen them gigged and will be gigging mine when things open back up.
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Yeah, that's Duff up top. What a couch potato! :roflmao:

sounds like you're just looking to argue- I offered my thoughts on the subject, nothing more.
Interesting that you think where you play it doesn't affect your arm position.
(no need to respond, I'll just poke the ignore button now)
 
I like the aerodynes better than the lytes, though I hold my Power Jazz Bass Special above either, something about those electronics scream old school active, just raw power! Something that was lacking in the lyte grunt wise
The Areodynes are very sweet basses I always considered them the successor of the Jazz bass special since Duff McKagan switched to them
 
how does an Aerodyne pj stack up against a P-bass Lyte?. Let the arrows fly!

Never laid hands on a Lyte, but I owned an Aerodyne. It was a decent bass, but I’m not a fan of basswood bodies and I didn’t know it was basswood til after I bought it and swapped the bridge. Two of the screws for the stock bridge came out with all of the wood that the screws bite into. Had to ‘fill’ the holes with some small sections of toothpicks and glued them in with Elmer’s wood glue. Works like a charm, but not something I expect to have to do on a Fender, a Squier maybe, but not a Fender.
 
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There's been more than one model of the Aerodyne, but I assume you're talking about the current one with the binding and no pickguard. I haven't played either model a lot, but there was a Lyte at a local music shop that I played a while ago, and IMO it felt kind of cheap compared to the Aerodyne. Maybe that was just the light weight (which does have its advantages!) but it just gave off an impression of lower quality.

I know the feeling you describe. The weight probably does create that feeling, but I could get used to that. I thought the plastic knobs added more to the cheaper feel.

I've swapped plastic knobs for metal on two MIM's and it made a surprising change to the feel.

Having a light arrow in the quiver might be nice, one of my favorite P's has an ash body and pushes 11 pounds and even the alder examples aren't light.
 
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my P-lyte had EMG actives because (as others have stated) the original electronics were so-so. lightweight = comfort, IME, so that's a plus. i have no experience with the aerodynes --- though i have admired them for years.

You dog ! Every time I looked at one, I could not get my mind off an EMG PJ Set and a BTS System. All the routes line up perfectly, battery box in place, turn-key job.

WELL PLAYED, sir.
 
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sounds like you're just looking to argue- I offered my thoughts on the subject, nothing more.
Interesting that you think where you play it doesn't affect your arm position.
(no need to respond, I'll just poke the ignore button now)

"Where you play" in my post refers to couch vs gigs. Your comment was that the Aerodyne is ok for couch players, and nothing could be further from the truth.

Of course where you hang your bass influences arm position, and I think that's the likely reason some people I have no issue with it and some people can't stand it. Nice thing, there's stuff out there for all of us.
 
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You dog! Every time I looked at one, I could not get my mind off an EMG PJ Set and a BTS System. All the routes line up perfectly, battery box in place, turn-key job. WELL PLAYED, sir.
:laugh:

that pairing is certainly a good combination of lightweight wood and electronics. the smaller bodies and the extra fingerboard length are also nice features. if you ever get an opportunity to land that ax for yourself = go for it! they're nice. :thumbsup:

but now i have to work out a way of not feeling self-conscious about my dumb, good luck!
i'm gonna give it my best shot! :D