Fender Aerodyne Club!

[just-1-more]

I guess the Universe does work in weird ways and all ya gotta do is be ready to listen up when it taps you on the shoulder!

It would appear I've randomly stumbled upon one of my great, Sasquatch/Nessie-level basses...one that I thought I'd never get a decent price on. I only just purchased it online, but if all goes well, I'll soon be the proud owner of a 2007-2010, Non-Export, AJB Aerodyne in an oh-so-lovely U.S. Gunmetal Blue! (For the record, the official finish code is "UGB". )

In other words, it's flippin' metallic teal! Huzzah!!

Of course, like a dunce, I didn't grab the full-resolution pics before the ad was taken down, so these will have to do, for now...until I take some proper photos or it needs to be returned. We'll have to wait and see how this plays out. Either way, wish me luck, people!

The neck pup and bridge are definitely aftermarket. I don't know about the bridge pup, though. Apparently, some of the finish on the side, near the control plate, came off and was filled in by a previous owner. Given how much these finishes crack and chip, it's not really a big deal to me, especially since it isn't that visible from the front.

There is a chance, however, that I might remove some/all of the aftermarket doo-dads, do a little routing and convert it to a J/J system. I can't say for sure. I have a set of Seymour Duncan Apollo pickups waiting patiently to be given a good shakedown trial. But then, I also remember how sweet a couple of Fender Custom Shop '60s sets I've previously used sounded. Decisions...decisions...

Regardless of what I do to and/or with it in the future, the most important goal is for it to feel good in my own, two hands.

@Malak the Mad did you ever do a photo shoot of your UGB Aerodyne? I don’t think I saw any photos other than the ones you included in the above post

 

[Malak the Mad]

@Malak the Mad did you ever do a photo shoot of your UGB Aerodyne? I don’t think I saw any photos other than the ones you included in the above post

Not in it's post-modified state, I haven't. I got some pics with so-so lighting shortly after I got it home.

I'm waiting to get one, last piece of hardware before I do another photo-shoot. I will say this, though...while it's looks are mostly the same, I've pulled off a fair share of mods on this beastie it an effort to make it that much more "mine".

Speaking of "mods", one of them was to drop in a set of Hipshot licensed 3/8" Ultralite tuners. Well, someone just posted a classified ad for a set of four. I figured I should mention it while the getting's good.

• https://www.talkbass.com/classified...-lic-tuner-4-inline-set-right-handed.1668380/

 

[Runnerman]

I picked up this Aerodyne Special Precision Bass this week. It's my third Fender MIJ.
I think I love this one the best of all of them.

 

[Snake101st]

Fender Aerodyne P special build I mentioned a while back is done!

Delano P and double J/humbucker pickups, Lusithand filter preamp (like a Wal, which Justin from Tool plays), and an aluminum neck from Aluminati in Asheville

 

[Qwerty123456]

Picking the collective brains here...

I bought a used, but in perfect condition, aerodyne jazz bass a couple of months ago. Candy Apple Red. The thing is gorgeous.

The bass was in a gig bag leaning against the wall and someone knowcked it, it ended up falling face down on the floor. I was standing two meters away and saw the whole thing in slow mo....

At first it all looked fine, but I noticed a 1cm long hairline crack at the neck pocket. As far as I can tell it seems just the lacker and paint.

But I'm feeling quite devastated, previous owner had this bass in mint condition, and me as the new 'custodian' managed to get this in just a few months....

Anyways, I know fender starts are known for the neck pocket cracks.

Wondering if anyone here has this issue with the aerodynes??

Many thanks

 

[Malak the Mad]

Picking the collective brains here...

I bought a used, but in perfect condition, aerodyne jazz bass a couple of months ago. Candy Apple Red. The thing is gorgeous.

The bass was in a gig bag leaning against the wall and someone knowcked it, it ended up falling face down on the floor. I was standing two meters away and saw the whole thing in slow mo....

At first it all looked fine, but I noticed a 1cm long hairline crack at the neck pocket. As far as I can tell it seems just the lacker and paint.

But I'm feeling quite devastated, previous owner had this bass in mint condition, and me as the new 'custodian' managed to get this in just a few months....

Anyways, I know fender starts are known for the neck pocket cracks.

Wondering if anyone here has this issue with the aerodynes??

Many thanks

I don't know what it is...the finishing material, the basswood construction or something else...but there's something about Aerodynes that leads to them getting chipped and cracked somewhat easily. I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, but personally, I would try to accept the fact that they are prone to such superficial boo-boos. I am very sorry it happened, but it is a fate that likely would've befallen it, eventually.

And, if it makes you feel a bit better, I'll say to you what I was told years ago when I told a Guitar Center employee I was thinking of getting mine refinished. He said, "Nah, man!, don't do it! That's 'mojo'! Some people would pay good money for that!"

So far, I've been fine with it "as is", but I do have a bottle of glossy black nail polish handy that I might, or might not, put to use. Not as much to "beautify" it, but to keep the existing chips from spreading further.

 

[JakobT]

Picking the collective brains here...

I bought a used, but in perfect condition, aerodyne jazz bass a couple of months ago. Candy Apple Red. The thing is gorgeous.

The bass was in a gig bag leaning against the wall and someone knowcked it, it ended up falling face down on the floor. I was standing two meters away and saw the whole thing in slow mo....

At first it all looked fine, but I noticed a 1cm long hairline crack at the neck pocket. As far as I can tell it seems just the lacker and paint.

But I'm feeling quite devastated, previous owner had this bass in mint condition, and me as the new 'custodian' managed to get this in just a few months....

Anyways, I know fender starts are known for the neck pocket cracks.

Wondering if anyone here has this issue with the aerodynes??

Many thanks

Basswood is on the soft side, which means that Aerodynes can be vulnerable to dings and cracks. A bit of extra vigilance can therefore sometimes be indicated to avoid dropping or knocking it against stuff. In your case, it seems likely that impact caused the neck to move slightly inside the neck pocket, which, due to the relative softness of the body wood, flexed sufficiently to cause the crack in the paintwork.

That said, I’ve had my export Aerodyne going on for four years with no cracks or dings. I did notice that the damage to yours happened when your gig bag toppled over with the bass inside. I’ve had exactly this happen to me many times with no ill effects, so apparently your gig bag did not offer sufficient protection.

To avoid similar situations in the future, I would suggest upgrading the gig bag you use with your Aerodyne. I don’t know what you’re using now, but the important thing is to get a bag with proper neck support and the right kind of padding. The padding should not be soft, but springy and resilient, enough that the bag can stand upright on its own with no bass inside. I use Mono bags, and have never had a bass sustain any damage whatsoever inside one. If you find Mono too expensive, there are other good options out there for less money.

For maximum protection, you might even get a hard case. I generally feel that hard cases are more trouble than they’re worth, but it might be something to consider, as they will protect against the dings, chips and cracks that Aerodynes are prone to.

 

[Malak the Mad]

To avoid similar situations in the future, I would suggest upgrading the gig bag you use with your Aerodyne. I don’t know what you’re using now, but the important thing is to get a bag with proper neck support and the right kind of padding. The padding should not be soft, but springy and resilient, enough that the bag can stand upright on its own with no bass inside. I use Mono bags, and have never had a bass sustain any damage whatsoever inside one. If you find Mono too expensive, there are other good options out there for less money.

I have a couple of these and, so far, they've served me well when I'm taking an instrument on a road trip. They may not stand upright too well, but they're sturdy and light.

• Universal Shaped Electric Bass Soft Case

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[JakobT]

I have a couple of these and, so far, they've served me well when I'm taking an instrument on a road trip. They may not stand upright too well, but they're sturdy and light.

• Universal Shaped Electric Bass Soft Case

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

It’s not so much the standing up per se, it’s more that if the bag is too floppy to stand up on its own, the padding is too thin or too soft for good shock absorption, or both.

I haven’t got any experience with these. Are they hard or soft?

 

[shirojiro]

I have a couple of these and, so far, they've served me well when I'm taking an instrument on a road trip. They may not stand upright too well, but they're sturdy and light.

• Universal Shaped Electric Bass Soft Case

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

I haven’t seen that Skb gig bag. It looks really nice - it looks similar to a Mono M80 but less pricey!

 

[JIO]

I don't know what it is...the finishing material, the basswood construction or something else...but there's something about Aerodynes that leads to them getting chipped and cracked somewhat easily. I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, but personally, I would try to accept the fact that they are prone to such superficial boo-boos. I am very sorry it happened, but it is a fate that likely would've befallen it, eventually.

And, if it makes you feel a bit better, I'll say to you what I was told years ago when I told a Guitar Center employee I was thinking of getting mine refinished. He said, "Nah, man!, don't do it! That's 'mojo'! Some people would pay good money for that!"

So far, I've been fine with it "as is", but I do have a bottle of glossy black nail polish handy that I might, or might not, put to use. Not as much to "beautify" it, but to keep the existing chips from spreading further.

Black is easy make chips go away.

 

[Malak the Mad]

It’s not so much the standing up per se, it’s more that if the bag is too floppy to stand up on its own, the padding is too thin or too soft for good shock absorption, or both.

I haven’t got any experience with these. Are they hard or soft?

It's very firm and does not bend. It's some kind of poly-foam, much like a certain RoadRunner case. I got one when a fellow TB'er told the story of how his RoadRunner was rolled over by a slow-moving truck. He said the case was trashed, but the bass inside was surprisingly fine.

His story reminded me of a principle taught to me before, something to the tune of, "It should be able to take one, solid hit." So, that RoadRunner was my first-ever case. Then, when I learned about the SKB Soft Case, I picked one up. Between the backpack straps and the slimmer, more portable design, they've become one of my go-to cases.

Hopefully, I'll never have to find out how "truck proof" it is!

I haven’t seen that Skb gig bag. It looks really nice - it looks similar to a Mono M80 but less pricey!

I've never had a Mono bag or case. Too rich for my blood. All of the ones I've bought were usually with some Guitar Center accessory discount code. They usually aren't a restricted brand.

 

[JIO]

I haven’t seen that Skb gig bag. It looks really nice - it looks similar to a Mono M80 but less pricey!

I agree - that looks like a very protective gig-bag. It would be even better if it had a rubber boot like a Mono as basses are many times leaned against a wall/amp etc.

 

[JIO]

It's very firm and does not bend. It's some kind of poly-foam, much like a certain RoadRunner case. I got one when a fellow TB'er told the story of how his RoadRunner was rolled over by a slow-moving truck. He said the case was trashed, but the bass inside was surprisingly fine.

His story reminded me of a principle taught to me before, something to the tune of, "It should be able to take one, solid hit." So, that RoadRunner was my first-ever case. Then, when I learned about the SKB Soft Case, I picked one up. Between the backpack straps and the slimmer, more portable design, they've become one of my go-to cases.

Hopefully, I'll never have to find out how "truck proof" it is!


I've never had a Mono bag or case. Too rich for my blood. All of the ones I've bought were usually with some Guitar Center accessory discount code. They usually aren't a restricted brand.

I have a Mono bought used (for less) here on tb classified thread - they are really protective* but the SBK looks really good and for less $.

*they have/had a promotional vid of a guitar in a Mono gig-bag is thrown off a building and the guitar was unharmed. However I wouldn't do this test myself with one of my basses...

Another decently protective and more affordable option is this Fender gig-bag. Thicker foam perimeter inside, a neck yoke, top & bottom rubber bumpers/boots and well designed storage pockets. The cool thing it incorporates is a rear pouch that the straps can slide in if not in use. Haven't seen anyone do that.

 

[Michael Eisenman]

I’ve been satisfied with my Gator Transit bags: semi-stiff, rubber boot, decent pocket. I use them for my JP-90, my Aerodyne, and my Rick.

 

[Lucky Chuck]

*they have/had a promotional vid of a guitar in a Mono gig-bag is thrown off a building and the guitar was unharmed. However I wouldn't do this test myself with one of my basses...

Yup, that's definitely a test to perform with a bass belonging to somebody else... ;->

 

[Malak the Mad]

Yup, that's definitely a test to perform with a bass belonging to somebody else... ;->

Well, of course! How else would one maintain “scientific objectivity” if they were emotionally involved in such research?!

 

[Armani 077]

The GMB colour is quite rare. I don’t think I saw any come up over the 3 or 4 month period when I was looking for an Aerodyne. You’d probably have a better chance finding one in Japan.

The UGB is probably my favourite colour when it’s new. It looks really sharp. But I’m not a fan of the greenish tone it takes on as the clear coat ages and yellows. Most examples I’ve seen are now getting to that point now and I guess they all will given enough time. I went with DFG In the end - mostly because it was the best bass available from the colours I liked.

Good luck with your search.If you’re set on GMB it will take some patience.

Well guess what!!! I finally found a Gun Metal Blue, Jazz, 32" Medium Scale. Just got the tracking number and should be in my hands in a week or so.
I will be doing some mods of course, but already notice it's hard to find the knobs. Can anyone help. Can't wait to post this is #3

 

[Armani 077]

As anyone ever used SAMAN water based stain on their fretboard?

 

[Malak the Mad]

As anyone ever used SAMAN water based stain on their fretboard?

I'd never heard of them until now, but I'm glad you mentioned them. On the upside, they appear to have a nice variety of colors. On the downside, though, their website is not very forthcoming, 'cuz "pictures of bottles" is no substitute for what their colors actually look like on wood. Fortunately, a Google Images search for "saman water based stain" lets one see a fair representation of their product, not what's hidden from potential customers on the main 'effin site!