Apparently it's the "special"
There's info on it on this very thread.
I am told it's also a Non Export version
There's info on it on this very thread.
I am told it's also a Non Export version
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Good eye! I missed that!
Technically speaking, his is a "Non-Export Aerodyne Deluxe" or "AJB-D". They're the Deluxe models that were made specifically for the Japanese market and have been produced for pretty much the whole run of the Aerodyne Series. Much like the AJB non-exports, one pops up outside of Japan every now and then. I bought one from someone locally years ago, harvested the neck for a parts-bass Projekt and sold the body in the TB Classifieds.
Twisted, eh? Man, that sucks!
I haven't sold one in years, so I'd recommend sifting through the TB Classifieds to get an idea of what they usually fetch. Obviously, "condition" and "loaded or unloaded" will affect the sale price.
Hey there fellow Aerodyne users! Sorry if I’m interjecting but I figured I should just post my question here. I’m going to be installing some Dimarzio pickups and it was recommended to me that I get 500k pots to accompany it. Problem is....I have no clue what that actually means lol. I’m a real noob when it comes to upgrading my basses. Can anyone here explain to me in simple terms which pots I should buy and why?
Also, they will get installed by a pro, not me. I just want to make sure I purchase the right thing...
Also, they will get installed by a pro, not me. I just want to make sure I purchase the right thing...
Full disclosure, I am no expert when it comes to electronics. That being said, the basic difference is this…500k pots yield a brighter sound than 250k pots. As for which exact kind to get (e.g.: logarithmic, etc…), I'll have to defer to the more knowledgable folks 'cuz I keep forgetting which work best for volume and/or tone controls.
You might have some luck searching this branch of the forum…
Pickups & Electronics [BG]
Hello bass friends! This is my first post, although I’ve been playing bass for a very long time.
One of my basses appears to be a Japanese non-export Aerodyne, but it has some anomalies and I was wondering if someone here can help me date it and figure out if there’s anything special or unusual about it.
Where/when I got it: answered a Craigslist ad sometime in the fall of 2005 in New York City, asking price $450. The seller is a well known NYC jazz bassist who was a runner-up in a bass competition held that year, called “The Bass Extremes International Contemporary Bass Competition.” The Aerodyne was one of the prizes. He had no use for it so I bought it.
What’s unusual: it doesn’t say “crafted in Japan” or “made in Japan,” it only has a serial number: P072531. The headstock just says “Fender,” and nothing else. It does not have the “jazz bass” decal.
Other info: pots are marked “ALPHA A250KO,” no unique serial numbers.
The attached photos show what I’m describing. Would really appreciate any help with this!
One of my basses appears to be a Japanese non-export Aerodyne, but it has some anomalies and I was wondering if someone here can help me date it and figure out if there’s anything special or unusual about it.
Where/when I got it: answered a Craigslist ad sometime in the fall of 2005 in New York City, asking price $450. The seller is a well known NYC jazz bassist who was a runner-up in a bass competition held that year, called “The Bass Extremes International Contemporary Bass Competition.” The Aerodyne was one of the prizes. He had no use for it so I bought it.
What’s unusual: it doesn’t say “crafted in Japan” or “made in Japan,” it only has a serial number: P072531. The headstock just says “Fender,” and nothing else. It does not have the “jazz bass” decal.
Other info: pots are marked “ALPHA A250KO,” no unique serial numbers.
The attached photos show what I’m describing. Would really appreciate any help with this!
Attachments
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Ohayo gozaimas and welcome to TalkBass!
That is a very interesting story. I don't want to speculate too much, so here are some solid facts first;
- The Aerodyne was unveiled at the Winter NAMM in 2003.
- By early 2004, they were landing on store shelves in America, but some people say they got theirs in 2003.
- The "P + 6 digits" serial number corresponds to the "Crafted In Japan" era, specifically 1999 to 2002.
Have you tried calling or emailing Fender directly? I'd be curious to hear what one of their customer service reps have to say about the serial number.
Whatever it is, you've dropped quite a mystery into our midst!
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You inspired me to do a google search for “fender Aerodyne bass prototype” and this TB post came up. The headstock looks the same, only the “Fender” decal and nothing else, serial # is P06 (mine is P07). I think you’re on to something!
Fender Aerodyne Prototype Dark Blue Metallic
I spoke to the guy who answered the phone at the Fender customer relations number, mainly to talk about my other Fender bass, but at the end I asked him about the Aerodyne. Nothing came up in the serial number search because the records start at 2015, since the change with Fender Japan, but he did tell me that there are always a bunch of prototypes floating around with Fender reps, and a bass competition is exactly where that type of thing is likely to end up. Not 100% confirmed, but highly likely
I spoke to the guy who answered the phone at the Fender customer relations number, mainly to talk about my other Fender bass, but at the end I asked him about the Aerodyne. Nothing came up in the serial number search because the records start at 2015, since the change with Fender Japan, but he did tell me that there are always a bunch of prototypes floating around with Fender reps, and a bass competition is exactly where that type of thing is likely to end up. Not 100% confirmed, but highly likely
You can try here: Fender serial number decoder, find the date of a Fender guitar by serial number It dated my Aerodyne CIJ "Q015573" as between 2002/2004.
I just tried that and it doesn’t work. There is no “crafted in Japan“ or “made in Japan“, it just has the serial number which starts with P07. It comes back as 1992 through 1994, which is impossible. I got it in the middle of 2006, so I’m guessing it’s made sometime between 2004 and then. almost certainly a prototype.
#KindaSortaCalledIt, I suppose?I spoke to the guy who answered the phone at the Fender customer relations number, mainly to talk about my other Fender bass, but at the end I asked him about the Aerodyne. Nothing came up in the serial number search because the records start at 2015, since the change with Fender Japan, but he did tell me that there are always a bunch of prototypes floating around with Fender reps, and a bass competition is exactly where that type of thing is likely to end up. Not 100% confirmed, but highly likely
I will say this part with some certainty…the Aerodynes hit the market when Fender-Japan was in their "Crafted In Japan" phase, so best to assume it's from that era.
Thanks for looking into it and reporting your findings! It'll definitely add a bit more to my nit-picky and near-obsessive
Aerodyne research!
#KindaSortaCalledIt, I suppose?
I will say this part with some certainty…the Aerodynes hit the market when Fender-Japan was in their "Crafted In Japan" phase, so best to assume it's from that era.
Thanks for looking into it and reporting your findings! It'll definitely add a bit more to my nit-picky and near-obsessive
i had kind of suspected it in the back of my mind the whole time, but you def called it. Searching through my emails I found one from 11/2006 with a response from a Ralph Esposito at Fender Custom Shop, and he wasn’t able to figure it out either.
Not the best way to present my Aerodyne JB, but pictures were long overdue.
The Aerodyne so far is the most expensive acquisition in my humble collection of used basses (got a really sweet deal, though—plus the instrument is in mint condition). But it is probably also the best. The neck is really smooth (and somehow the Jazz Bass shape seems to suit me) and perfectly straight; the set-up is spot-on (low action, good notes everywhere) so it plays like a dream. The Aerodyne also has a low-end punch that you perhaps would not expect from a light (basswood) body.
Why did they have to stop making these. This is by far the best P-Bass I've had. And I have 3 P-basses.
Such a sublime creation! 
Then again, I've always had a fondness for dark blue basses, especially transparent blues.
Then again, I've always had a fondness for dark blue basses, especially transparent blues.Ask the "geniuses" who dissolved the FMIC/Kanda-Shokai joint venture.
Such a sublime creation!
Ask the "geniuses" who dissolved the FMIC/Kanda-Shokai joint venture.
It's not like they can't bring it back. For crying out loud, we still have the Aerodyne Jazz Bass. And Fender Japan even released a series called "Modern", which features a carved top bound body with a contoured heel.
There's no reason for them not to make it anymore.
Question: Has anybody upgraded their Aero pickups to the EMG GZR PJ? Was it hard to do? Any mods to Aero or just plug and play?
