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Fender Aerodyne Club!

No matter what the background, you want a dot color that can "gather" light. You won't be seeing where the fretboard ends, just the bright white dot. Don't overthink it, go to a hobby store and buy the brightest they have, and a decent detail brush. It will make a huge difference.
 
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Hi all,

I don't want to start a war, just ask a question.

Let's say there are 2 black aerodynes, one for japanese market (with pickguard) and one for export (without pickguard, this is the deluxe model i think).

If they are in the same condition, and let's say the same year, which worths more? In my case in europe, if it matters.

Are these made of the same wood and do they have the same pickups? Or what's the difference?

Thank you
 
Hi all,

I don't want to start a war, just ask a question.

Let's say there are 2 black aerodynes, one for japanese market (with pickguard) and one for export (without pickguard, this is the deluxe model i think).

If they are in the same condition, and let's say the same year, which worths more? In my case in europe, if it matters.

Are these made of the same wood and do they have the same pickups? Or what's the difference?

Thank you

The non-export one will probably be worth more outside of Japan, due to the fact that they're pretty rare. The only difference is the non-export has a pickgaurd and a standard Jazz control plate/output jack and the export has no pickgaurd.
 
You didn't like the sound of the stock pickups? When I got my Aerodyne I put on a Hipshot bridge, and a set of Dimarzio Model PJs, which were highly recommended. I rarely played the bass, i just didn't bond with it. I recently put the stock pups and bridge back on, and it's truly a thing of beauty. To my ears, the sound is finally perfect. I'll never mod this bass again.
 
I believe there is inconstancy in the OEM pickups. My stock pups were weak and hollow. I replaced them with DiMarzio, but I did not go with the typical recommended replacment - just because I like to be difficult I suppose :)

I used the Model P in the Neck and a single DP-148 ultra jazz in the bridge, along with extensive shielding work on all the cavities, and sleeved the pickup wires with woven mesh shield wire. The ultra jazz bridge pickup is much weaker than the Model P, but I dont really play the bridge alone. I either run both flat out, with the tone out of the picture (this is generally how I run this bass); or I will roll the Jazz back about 1/3 and tone to taste. Sometimes will back the jazz pickup out altogether and just run the Model P and the tone 50%ish for a more old school tone, but I do more tone profiling on the amp.

@Jonahlane why not just use the stock jack and solder your output leads directly to it? While the pots may be part of the tone package you purchased, the output jack itself is simply an electrical connection and if the wires are properly soldered with clean joints, there will be no difference in tone.

I eventually lost interest in this bass also, came close to selling it. A little over a year ago I started providing bass support for an acoustic jam / coffee house type thing and I wanted to keep it simple. I restrung the Aerodyne with flats and it changed its character completely.
It was my first bass. There have been allot of basses come and go in the past 12 years but this one and my SR5 are keepers.
 
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I just recognised that the export deluxe models have a p body, the non export have a jazz bass body :O

Nope, my Deluxe "Export Edition" definitely has an offset Jazz body.

FAJB.jpg
 
Is this aerodyne a custom one?

2 knobs, no pickguard, dots?



That looks like either the Jazz Bass Special (an MIJ model with PJ pickups and a P body -- go figure that naming out) or the Duff McKagen signature bass.
I didn't look at the date of the video to figure it out which it is, but it's not an Aerodyne, I don't think.
 
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Is this aerodyne a custom one?

2 knobs, no pickguard, dots?



That particular bass is the old Fender Frank Bello bass's body with one of his JBS necks. The Frank Bello bass is discontinued, and it had a slab body except for the forearm contour, but otherwise looked like an Aerodyne. It also only had two volume knobs, which is the clue in for that bass.

I'm aware that Duff calls it an Aerodyne, but Duff is, by his own admission, not a technical guy. He may well not have known the difference.
 
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That particular bass is the old Fender Frank Bello bass's body with one of his JBS necks. The Frank Bello bass is discontinued, and it had a slab body except for the forearm contour, but otherwise looked like an Aerodyne. It also only had two volume knobs, which is the clue in for that bass.

I'm aware that Duff calls it an Aerodyne, but Duff is, by his own admission, not a technical guy. He may well not have known the difference.

You nailed it. For sake of comparison, here's a side-by-side;

Fender Deluxe "Export Edition" Aerodyne Jazz Bass
Fender%20Aerodyne%20Jazz%20Bass%2001_zpsjwmleipw.jpg


Fender Frank Bello Signature Jazz Bass
frank_bello_pjbass.jpg
 

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