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Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Impressions?

X

xray

Feb 15, 2009
544
6
Kona, HI
#1
I've been gassing for a '62 Jazz for a while and unfortunately the only way to get one to HI is to order it state side. Besides the concentric vol/tone knobs are there any other peculiarities? I just dig the style and there a B-Stock available online now for $950.00 shipped which sounds pretty reasonable.

Is it Am or Mexican made? I know when you get into the lower prices it's possible it MIM.

Fender's webs site says the pick ups are '62 American vintage which I can't fine any info on the '75 say '75 vintage pick ups? All I see for sale are Fender Custom Shop vintage pickups.

Also I've read a lot of great things about the new Am. Std Jazz and they reference the Custom Shop Pickups as being standard in the build. Are the neck and body shapes the same as the AVRI? $400 dollar difference but maybe it's worth it. Relying on your advice. Thanks
 
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#4
xray said:
...Is it Am or Mexican made? I know when you get into the lower prices it's possible it MIM...
Click to expand...
Made in USA. The closest thing to it in an MIM Jazz is a Road Worn—which I love, but some don't.

xray said:
Also I've read a lot of great things about the new Am. Std Jazz...Are the neck and body shapes the same as the AVRI? $400 dollar difference but maybe it's worth it...
Click to expand...

The American Standard body is essentially the same, but with a different nitro finish/undercoat and a string-through bridge. The necks are quite different. The AVRI is a typical narrow Fender Jazz—like the old "A" necks IIRC, but the new American Standard's have a larger profile and, and to me a different feel (radius?)—though they are great. Fretwork on all the MIA Fender basses is generally excellent. All IMHO.
 
#5
Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Impressions? Title of my new album BTW. :D

AV-American Vintage, made in US

If you can get one for $950 I recommend it. Even if it was a little more I'd recommend it, especially if you want old school Jazz Bass. The American Standards are great basses as well. Starting 2012 using the CS pickups. Be sure you buy from a place with a good return policy just in case you get a clinker, which can happen now and then.
 
#6
I have one. Don't love, love, love it. But it is kinda fun. The neck's a little chunky for a Jazz Bass. The pickups on mine (a 2012) are OK, but not killer diller (I'd like more burpy mids, and might swap em out). The nitro neck is a bit sticky; takes a few weeks for it to settle down. It's not the bass I'd save in a fire, though it was pricey ($1400). $950 is a good price. I'd try a few Am Stds and even Standards to compare them. I have a Geddy and it's pretty sweet (with the BAII bridge swapped for a vintage bent-metal bridge).
 
#7
These items are getting harder and harder to track down since they've been discountined by Fender. I have a CS '62 J that I love and when I played my friends there was little to no difference. Yea you get a 1/4 sawed neck but big woopie - every other part is the same.

There's a place in Vermont though that offers free shipping and great, great prices. Less than $1,100 for a new Fender American Vintage RI '62 J. I just bought a Warwick Thumb NO for $950. The big boxes keep them from showingup on searches but here's the website:

www.musicstorelive.com

Great guys to deal with and they are a authorized Fender reseller. No, I'm not a shareholder.
 
#8
Got a '62 AVRI from GC Phoenix in 3TSB a couple of weeks ago that was a clunker and had small dings on the finish. Beautiful to look at, but could not get the tone. Returned to a local GC in SoCal. Don't buy that one unless they performed some kind of miracle setup that totally transformed the bass.

For a bit less, got another one in Oly White from MF that is a monster. Holy moly!! A bass for the ages.

Good luck with your decision. I'd say $950 is a fair price if returnable...and that will look downright cheap when the new AVRIs start to ship with the price increase.
 
#9
I love mine. I've had a AVRI 62 P for years, and last year when I decided I wanted to pick up a jazz, I immediately went for the AV 62 one. Bought it from Sweetwater, got it down to $1200 shipped or there about, and I trust their screening and setup process, with good reason to, as the bass that showed up was absolutely immaculate (not that it stayed that way long!).

There are a few reasons I went AVRI over AmStd:
1)Stacked Knob setup, for more independent control (even more so now as I wired each pickup to boobies own output)
2)7.25" fretboard radius. I find it more comfortable than the modern 9.5" radius
3)C profile on the neck. The AmStds have what they call a "Modern C" profile but it feels more like a D to me. A bit too deep for my tastes
6)Vintage Frets. The Medium Jumbos on AmStds feel like I'm running my fingers along a railroad track.
4) Nitro Finish on body. Personally, I love it.
5) Nitro Finish on neck. Again, it's my preference. I'm not a big fan of satin necks.
6) Reverse tuners. I prefer the look of the taller vintage tuners, and after playing my AVRI P almost exclusively for years, I'm just more used to reverse tuners.


The only thing I wasn't fond of were the pickups, but that's more due to the fact that I'm not a big fan of the stock jazz sound. For what it's worth, it was one of the nicest sounding jazz basses I've played, it's just not the tone I'm looking for, so I switched the Mid pup for a Daguet Dagstar pickup (Bisonic variant). Now it's one of the nicest basses I've ever played or heard. For $950, I'd definitely pick one up, given it's in fine shape.
 
#11
I have a 1991 AVRI 62 Jazz, bought it used in 1999 and it's been my main bass since then. Put SD Antiquity IIs in it a while ago, that made subtle but discernible improvement in the tone, but the stock pickups were still decent. I would get one again for sure. All IMHO of course.
 
#13
I have 4 basses, one being a AVRI 62 JB. This is the bass I use for old skool rock bands. I love the neck and tone I get from mine but If I'm after more burp I use my Jazz Standard (Ash, maple neck)

My other two basses are 62RI P for jazz and groove

MM Sterling for most things , though not as good as the two J's IMHO.
 
#16
Jazz_bass2664 said:
Bought a sunburst 1997 with the tweed case for 550$ a few weeks ago, I basically have barely played my 2 other American jazz basses since.
Click to expand...

That is a killer deal!! So much for these babies appreciating in value over time. :eek:

Enjoy your find!!! :bassist:

P.S. You know the rules, no pics no bass! Give it up. Here's mine. See next post, TB won't upload pics on edit mode.
 
#17
ImageUploadedByTalkBass.com1362255128.276023.jpg

This was the moment I cracked the case open and got a whiff of nitro! This bass is a beast. Love the stack knob layout. Much more flexible than VVT. JMHO of course!
 

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