Fender American Design Experience

[Matt R.]

True. About 10 years ago I priced this bass in the Fender Custom Shop. Almost 5 grand. I'm so excited to have a kickass 60s RI.

 

[peterpalmieri]

That is a very similar spec to my AV64 which has a capped fingerboard or round laminate. Is it done in nitro? Does it have vintage tuners and a strap button on the headstock?

Nice bass!

 

[Matt R.]

Slab rosewood board. Nitro neck, poly body. Vintage reverse tuners but they don't have the strap button on the headstock.

 

[Stranger Danger]

View attachment 431114

Are all of these Nitro??

 

[CharlieC]

Congrats on the new bass!

Question: As a fellow lefty, my pet peeve with Fender has always been that, on their left-handed instruments, they wire the Volume and Tone controls in reverse simply using right-handed pots from their parts bin. The result of this is that the pots act as on/off switches, without the logarithmic sweep right-handers take for granted.

My question is: What direction on your pots make things louder and more toneful? Clockwise or counter-clockwise? And if "counter-clockwise" do they function with the expected sweep or do they act more like on/off switches?

My guess is that in keeping with tradition, Fender used standard right-handed audio tapers wired with the outer-lugs reversed (making for the Fender experience we left-handers are used to by default.)

Thanks in advance and congrats again on the new bass!

 

[Matt R.]

Yeah, the volumes taper nicely and the tone is basically on/off. Counterclockwise to increase volume.

 

[CharlieC]

Yeah, the volumes taper nicely and the tone is basically on/off. Counterclockwise to increase volume.

Thanks for the update!

This confirms to me that Fender ADE's left-handed instruments are in keeping with Fender's stock left-handed instruments with regards to the electronics.

Regardless, I will remain happy knowing that I can finally purchase a Fender with a Maple fingerboard and colors other than Black and Sunburst, but my soldering iron will continue to fix and re-wire the original, mis-configured pots so that they all sweep as expected. I have been performing this operation on all my left-handed Fenders for the past 30+ years so why stop now? LOL!

Cheers!

 

[Addison]

CharlieC, I'm with you 100%. I have reverse audio taper pots with quality caps and wire waiting for both of my orders as well.

 

[Bob Rogers]

CharlieC, I'm with you 100%. I have reverse audio taper pots with quality caps and wire waiting for both of my orders as well.

Where did you get the reverse pots?

 

[Bob Rogers]

My bass arrived an hour ago.

Same reaction to the fit and finish and the case candy.

 

[Matt R.]

Gorgeous. More pix please

 

[Addison]

OH MY GAWD!!!!

Amazing... yes, more pics please!!!

Where did you get the reverse pots?

Usually All•Parts... but if you Google search it, there are other places that sell them as well.

http://www.allparts.com/EP-4385-L00-CTS-Left-Handed-250K-Audio-Pot_p_1425.html

They're split shaft, unfortunately... but you can use these brass shaft sleeves to fix that:

http://www.allparts.com/EP-0220-008-Brass-Pot-Sleeves_p_1290.html

 

[Bob Rogers]

It's incredibly nice. Comes with cloth, strap, cord, COA, manual, chrome covers & thumbrest.

Are you going to put on the chrome covers. I'm gonna give em a spin.

 

[Bob Rogers]

Here's another.

 

[SpruceGoose54]

That vintage blonde looks great! How thin does the finish feel?

 

[Matt R.]

My PBass is gonna be the same except I went for the gold guard

 

[Addison]

I'm getting hot and bothered.

 

[Matt R.]

Are you going to put on the chrome covers. I'm gonna give em a spin.

Maybe on the PBass

 

[Bob Rogers]

And with a little bit of chrome .....

That vintage blonde looks great! How thin does the finish feel?

It feels the same as an American Standard poly finish. It's not nitro, but it also doesn't feel too thick and plastic.

More general impressions - My regular bass (up to now) is an American Standard (Alder) P body (that I refinished CAR) with a rosewood slab neck from a Hot Rod P and Fender "Original P-Bass" pickups. The new bass has an Ash body, maple neck, and "Vintage 63" pickups. (I put TI flats on it.) It's a much brighter and punchier bass. Nice chunky neck. Sounds great. I'm psyched!

 

[petrus61]

Here's another. View attachment 431444

Which neck did you go with? It looks like it has the deeper tint of the AVRI series (now AV).