Fender Aerodyne Club!

[TinIndian]

I've been looking at these for a while now. I love a good Passive PJ. How are these tone wise? Any complaints? Obviously pickups can make a big difference but how are they stock? I think they look killer!

 

[Malak the Mad]

I've been looking at these for a while now. I love a good Passive PJ. How are these tone wise? Any complaints? Obviously pickups can make a big difference but how are they stock? I think they look killer!

The demo I posted just before you asked should give you a pretty good idea of what they can do.

 

[TinIndian]

The demo I posted just before you asked should give you a pretty good idea of what they can do.

Thanks I just checked it out!

 

[Catbuster]

Bonjour, Y'all! View attachment 3205580

Every now and then, I check YouTube for any interesting reviews and/or demos of our beloved 'Dynes. Today, I found a very nice one by Bruno Tauzin. It's in French, but the musical demonstration speaks for itself. As for the settings, "Manche" and "Chevalet" refer to the neck and bridge pickups respectively.



Also, I'd love to hear more club members report on the weights of their Aerodynes, complete with any modifications that might affect them (bridge, tuners, pickups, etc…). Even a "best estimate" would be cool.

Çela fait plus longtemps que je ne parle pas Français. Je suis trés heureux que je pouvais comprendre.


Anyway, that was a cool overview.

The bass you sent me weighed in at 7.8 on the machine shop scale. The lightest I had was 7.5 on the dot, and the other one I had was 8.2 stock. Once I added the Gotoh 201 it went up to 8.5.

One thing I thought was interesting was how much more the SD SPB-3 weighed than a stock pickup. It was ~3 oz more than a stocker with the big magnets and more windings.

The Frank Bello bass weighs 10.3 pounds. There’s a lot of alder in the slab Jazz body, then there’s a BadAss 3, and the neck is crazy thick front to back, plus the P/J setup with overwound pickups and as previously stated, the SPB-3. And it has lightweight tuners. I say again, it looks like an Aerodyne, but it is not.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Çela fait plus longtemps que je ne parle pas Français. Je suis trés heureux que je pouvais comprendre.

Umm, quoi?

The Frank Bello bass weighs 10.3 pounds. There’s a lot of alder in the slab Jazz body, then there’s a BadAss 3, and the neck is crazy thick front to back, plus the P/J setup with overwound pickups and as previously stated, the SPB-3. And it has lightweight tuners. I say again, it looks like an Aerodyne, but it is not.

Yeesh!! It sounds more like an Aerodyne on steroids!

 

[ChaseTheHeart]

Just got my aerodyne. Straight out of the box and onto the wall because I needed to stare at it for a while. This bass is beautiful.

 

[chris70x7]

Just got this beauty a week or so ago. I’ll take a number. The bridge was in rough shape so I tracked down a Gotoh 201b4 bridge in Cosmo Black. That’s what they call it anyway. It’s a fantasic match I think and works great. Very solid bridge. Action is good and it sits dead flat on the bass. I had read some concerns about having to shim and even route to fit a new bridge on an Aerodyne. Not the case here. Also seemed to thicken the tone a bit. Anyway have a look in case you have considered the same upgrade. I bought the bridge on Reverb at a good price.

View attachment 3197812

View attachment 3197813

Good call on the Gotoh. I picked up my Aerodyne about a month ago and Im in love with it. (I feel like I've discovered a secret that only a few bass players have figured out. Aerodynes seem to have a really unique set of characteristics that set them apart.) Anyway, the stock bridge seems flimsy. I think Ill pick up one of these bridges based on your experience.

 

[jmon]

Good call on the Gotoh. I picked up my Aerodyne about a month ago and Im in love with it. (I feel like I've discovered a secret that only a few bass players have figured out. Aerodynes seem to have a really unique set of characteristics that set them apart.) Anyway, the stock bridge seems flimsy. I think Ill pick up one of these bridges based on your experience.

I’ve played 6 gigs so far with the Aerodyne. Performs perfectly. Plenty of punch. Plays great. And I get compliments on its looks of course. Sharpest looking bass I’ve ever owned hands down.

As far as the bridge goes it’s been dead on. No issues what so ever. Hold everything in place. Intonation and action have stated spot on. No loose parts or movement at all.

Now if I can just find a detuner for the E that matches perfectly I’ll be in heaven. Can’t have everything I guess!

 

[chris70x7]

I’ve played 6 gigs so far with the Aerodyne. Performs perfectly. Plenty of punch. Plays great. And I get compliments on its looks of course. Sharpest looking bass I’ve ever owned hands down.

As far as the bridge goes it’s been dead on. No issues what so ever. Hold everything in place. Intonation and action have stated spot on. No loose parts or movement at all.

Now if I can just find a detuner for the E that matches perfectly I’ll be in heaven. Can’t have everything I guess!

Ah, the detuner dilemma. This one fits the MIJ Geddy Lee bass- but will it fit an Aerodyne?

BT2 Bass Xtender

 

[Malak the Mad]

Good call on the Gotoh. I picked up my Aerodyne about a month ago and Im in love with it. (I feel like I've discovered a secret that only a few bass players have figured out. Aerodynes seem to have a really unique set of characteristics that set them apart.) Anyway, the stock bridge seems flimsy. I think Ill pick up one of these bridges based on your experience.

Sending you a PM about this…

Ah, the detuner dilemma. This one fits the MIJ Geddy Lee bass- but will it fit an Aerodyne?

BT2 Bass Xtender

Nerp! You want the BT10. It's made for most Japanese Fenders.

BT10 Bass Xtender

 

[jmon]

All set up and ready to do some damage to the walls in this place!

 

[chris70x7]

Has anyone replaced the stock fret side-markers with glow-in-the-dark markers, like the Keisels have? Seems like a great upgrade for an Aerodyne.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[chienmort]

Çela fait plus longtemps que je ne parle pas Français. Je suis trés heureux que je pouvais comprendre.


Anyway, that was a cool overview.

The bass you sent me weighed in at 7.8 on the machine shop scale. The lightest I had was 7.5 on the dot, and the other one I had was 8.2 stock. Once I added the Gotoh 201 it went up to 8.5.

One thing I thought was interesting was how much more the SD SPB-3 weighed than a stock pickup. It was ~3 oz more than a stocker with the big magnets and more windings.

The Frank Bello bass weighs 10.3 pounds. There’s a lot of alder in the slab Jazz body, then there’s a BadAss 3, and the neck is crazy thick front to back, plus the P/J setup with overwound pickups and as previously stated, the SPB-3. And it has lightweight tuners. I say again, it looks like an Aerodyne, but it is not.

It is a clone.

 

[chienmort]

The stock bridge changed over the years my bass was made in 2003 and has a bridge that is similar to the Gotoh 201. Later bridges were BIBT

 

[Jeff Elkins]

Gang, I’ll be traveling for the holidays and likely without internet for a good part. If anyone needs a club number, let me know soonest, otherwise I may not be back until next year!

 

[chris70x7]

Ill take a club number, thanks!

Also, I ordered some side dots from Luminlay. Ill let you know how the project turns out!

 

[Jeff Elkins]

Ill take a club number, thanks!

Also, I ordered some side dots from Luminlay. Ill let you know how the project turns out!

@chris70x7 you are club member # 166!

Would love to see pics of the Luminlays when you get them installed.

 

[Snakeman1066]

I finally get to Join this club!!! Took delivery of a Gun Metal Blue Aerodyne P/J Jazz Bass today all the way from Osaka Japan....

 

[jeff62]

Welcome... I believe the official name for that paint is Dolphin Grey. Someone might have better info than me but that’s what I was told.

I’ve got one too!

 

[chris70x7]

Are those Japanese aerodynes routed underneath the pickguard or are they solid like the export editions? What other differences are there? Love that color, the red ones look great too.