Fender Aerodyne Club!

[ColdEye]

Looking to get the plain jane black Aeorodyne again, with all gold hardware (gaudy, I know). Missed out on the Mindnight Bass by a few years so this will be the PJ version of that. Anyone tried it with gold hardware before? I can kinda picture it in my head but not good enough.

 

[Skillet]

Looking to get the plain jane black Aeorodyne again, with all gold hardware (gaudy, I know). Missed out on the Mindnight Bass by a few years so this will be the PJ version of that. Anyone tried it with gold hardware before? I can kinda picture it in my head but not good enough.

I think black body with gold hardware looks pretty spiffy.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Looking to get the plain jane black Aeorodyne again, with all gold hardware (gaudy, I know). Missed out on the Mindnight Bass by a few years so this will be the PJ version of that. Anyone tried it with gold hardware before? I can kinda picture it in my head but not good enough.

I think black body with gold hardware looks pretty spiffy.
View attachment 4393060

Indeed, it is!

The trick is to know where the admittedly-subjective line between "tasteful" and "gaudy" lies. Go to town and show us your results!

 

[John Eaton]

Can anyone tell me, for the CIJ Aerodyne PJ (early 2000 model, I have the flame blue) what the neck radius is?
I belive it is 7.25" on these.
Looking to fit it with some Fralin p'ups and don't have radii gauges.

 

[Shirobon]

Can anyone tell me, for the CIJ Aerodyne PJ (early 2000 model, I have the flame blue) what the neck radius is?
I belive it is 7.25" on these.
Looking to fit it with some Fralin p'ups and don't have radii gauges.

I'm pretty sure it's 9".

In fact, I'm trying to find the specs of the thing, but there isn't any info about it. Going off of the 2006 Japanese Fender catalog, it looks like the Aerodynes had a 250R fretboard radius. I think when converted it's 9.8" but something doesn't seem right.

 

[John Eaton]

I'm pretty sure it's 9".

In fact, I'm trying to find the specs of the thing, but there isn't any info about it. Going off of the 2006 Japanese Fender catalog, it looks like the Aerodynes had a 250R fretboard radius. I think when converted it's 9.8" but something doesn't seem right.

[A

That is for the MIJ ones, and I believe 9.25” is correct for them.
I am looking for the CIJ ones that came before, and look to be 7.25” just from a visual comparison of both (I have one of each of the blue flame versions).
I found one resale reference for the CIJ ones to be 7.25”, but since its a resale, I want to be sure.
I ordered radii gauges, so at worst will know when they arrive, will let you know.

 

[Malak the Mad]

The vast majority of Aerodynes have a vintage-style 7.25" (184mm) radius on their fretboards. The exceptions I knew of were their five-string and medium-scale models which were built to the standard, 9.5" (240mm) Fender spec. I had no idea that the DiMarzio models were also built to those dimensions. I figured they'd have the same necks as rank & file Aerodynes. (Today, I have learned a thing! )

 

[John Eaton]

Thanks Malak the Mad, you are confirming my assumption on the CIJ one.
But, I am going to await the arrival of the radii gauges so I don't order the wrong Fralins. A few days wont kill me (even if it feels like it will, haha).

 

[Malak the Mad]

Thanks Malak the Mad, you are confirming my assumption on the CIJ one.
But, I am going to await the arrival of the radii gauges so I don't order the wrong Fralins. A few days wont kill me (even if it feels like it will, haha).

Always good to be sure. "Measure twice…cut once" and all that.

 

[juancaminos]

Aerodyne Fretless. EMG PAX active electronics, Warmoth Jazz neck/ebony fretless, Gotoh high mass bridge. Would like to install a black bridge and black machine heads.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Aerodyne Fretless. EMG PAX active electronics, Warmoth Jazz neck/ebony fretless, Gotoh high mass bridge. Would like to install a black bridge and black machine heads.View attachment 4399843

If you go all-black with the hardware, are you going to leave the white pickup covers?

As for hardware, a Gotoh 201 bridge might fit. Of course, if someone has tried that and it's not a perfect, drop-in fit, please stand up. As for tuners, Hipshot's HB10's are made for Japanese Fenders.

 

[juancaminos]

If you go all-black with the hardware, are you going to leave the white pickup covers?

As for hardware, a Gotoh 201 bridge might fit. Of course, if someone has tried that and it's not a perfect, drop-in fit, please stand up. As for tuners, Hipshot's HB10's are made for Japanese Fenders.

I would leave the pick up covers to match the binding.

 

[Malak the Mad]

I would leave the pick up covers to match the binding.

Yeah, that works!

 

[415Fish]

Hey there! Long time reader, first time poster. I've spent shameless hours running through this thread and there are certainly some incredible setups and enthusiasts here. That said, I am Aerodyne-less at the moment. I fiddled with a regular export model at GC and I liked it. Then I found out about non-exports and then the non-export precision models. I started on a precision bass so that's where my heart is and this seems like a reasonable upgrade to my budget Affinity P/J. I've seen some conflicting information though on nut size. I've heard that the precisions have the same nut size (1.5" I believe) as the AJB but then I've also heard that the Aero precisions can have a more standard 1.76" nut size? Can anyone help confirm either way?

 

[John Eaton]

My PJ and JJ CIJ/MIJ respectively have the same nut width. Same neck actually.

EDIT - see below, this was incorrect, corrected a few posts down.

 

[415Fish]

Even if the headstock states Precision rather than Jazz? Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[Shirobon]

Even if the headstock states Precision rather than Jazz? Thanks for the quick reply!

The Precision Aerodynes have Jazz necks. Mine is 38mm thick. And yes they still have the Precision name on the headstock even though it's a Jazz neck.

 

[JakobT]

Even if the headstock states Precision rather than Jazz? Thanks for the quick reply!

Fender normally designates model by body shape, so a a bass with a Precision body shape will be a Precision, no matter which type of neck it has.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Greetings and welcome to TalkBass, Fish!

Hey there! Long time reader, first time poster. I've spent shameless hours running through this thread and there are certainly some incredible setups and enthusiasts here. That said, I am Aerodyne-less at the moment. I fiddled with a regular export model at GC and I liked it. Then I found out about non-exports and then the non-export precision models. I started on a precision bass so that's where my heart is and this seems like a reasonable upgrade to my budget Affinity P/J.

You could do far worse than getting yourself an Aerodyne…any Aerodyne, for that matter. I won't say "upgrade" because I've encountered a few Squier Affinities that punch way above their price-tag. (I, for one, am a firm believer in cherishing any bass that works for someone ergonomically and sonically regardless of the decal on the headstock or country of origin.)

With that in mind, could you go into more detail about your hands-on Aerodyne experience? Aside from it being Jazz shaped, what was it about it's "feel" that worked and didn't work for you? Was it more of a "sound" thing that did/did not grab you or is it really just an "I want something Precision shaped…'cuz reasons!" sorta thing? If the latter, I totally get it. "Looks" can important, especially when it stokes one's enthusiasm to pick it up and whale away at it.

Ultimately, if an Aerodyne Precision turns out to be too difficult to find, or prohibitively expensive, and you know an Export Edition Jazz will work for you, I'd say go for it. There are plenty of string and/or pickup options available that can bring one that much closer to the sound you're chasing, and all for a fraction of what it would cost to get a Precision 'Dyne. (Then again, you might luck out and find one that's already on local soil, wherever that may be for you. Who knows?)

 

[Malak the Mad]

Fender normally designates model by body shape, so a a bass with a Precision body shape will be a Precision, no matter which type of neck it has.

I think along the same lines. However, I make an exception for the '80s-era, Japanese-made Jazz Bass Specials. I, for one, give those a pass since it was early on in Fender-Japan's joint venture with FMIC and they may not have been hip to that organizational groove.

Now that I think about it, maybe a JBS could work for @415Fish …a used MIJ Jazz Bass Special that was built by the same hands that later crafted the Almighty 'Dyne? Just some food for thought, ja?