NBD - Fullerton AVRI P Bass - Candy Apple Red over Lake Placid Blue

Hi RK, I have an old bandmate friend in San Diego who (I'm 99% sure) bought his AVRI P Bass new in 1986. His bass is black but I seem to remember him telling me that another color was starting to emerge beneath the dings and wear areas. I'll have him check the build dates on his neck and body, the serial number, as well as the finish(es) so that we can see if it is a match to yours.

From what I can tell, you appear to have a very very early Corona AVRI - which is totally NOT a bad thing. In fact, my friend still has his AVRI because it's such an outstanding bass. In the 35 years that he's owned the bass I've never seen him without it. His name is Dickie and he calls his bass Tommy (partly because he likes the Smothers Brothers and partly because he plays a lot of Who tunes with his band). He is one of the few bassists I know who can come close to pulling off the Entwistle parts... and maybe the only one who would do so using a P Bass.

 

Incidentally, Ron Sweet is a boutique winder. He started winding back in 2003 or 2004. He definitely knows his stuff and many like his pickups. He was known for building very close copies of certain years/eras of pickups. If I'm not mistaken I think he used to sell his wares on eBay but I haven't seen him there in a while.

 

TI flats are great. I have a Precision that wears them often. They last forever but definitely have a particular sound. Most often, though, my go-to strings are DR Sunbeams.

 

Hello @wysiwyg248 -
This is way too funny. I had just commented on this same post before you did.
Here's the issue from Bass Player Magazine which was the first time the ad appeared:


BTW, although up to 100 were commissioned to be made by the Fender Custom Shop of both the James Jamerson Tribute Bass and Jaco Pastorius Signature Bass, less than 50 of each were actually produced. You have the rarest of the rare!

Where did you find Jaco #1?

Here's photo of the Jaco Bass Crew from 1991:

L-R: Kevin Kaufman (Jaco's bass tech,) Chris Maury (The Bass Centre L.A.,) John Page (Fender Custom Shop Manager) & J.Black (Fender Custom Shop luthier.)

 

Wow!!!! Is great to know more details of this bass history.
Back in the day I read some articles, but didn't spend too much time. I joined a latin band, the leader asked me to learn to read music and charts (BTW, this was the reason why I had to pick up the bass) and start learning more about the instrument. He loved to visit pawn shops and I started to go with him, in the meantime I learned about Jaco, got his book, etc. Thru the internet, I run into this bass in eBay but the seller pull the listing before I put a bid on it, that was about 2007 I think. I contact him thru eBay asking about the bass, etc. and told him that if he ever wanted to sell, to contact me. I got an email from him like 4 years later asking if I was still interested, and I bought it. He was the second owner I believe, live in NJ (I am in suburban Detroit). I remember paying quite a bit of money -don't even want to check how much, LOL- and sending him a check. The back arrived a week later. If I think about what I did then, I'd probably wouldn't do it these days.
I truly looked for the James Jamerson version, at that time eBay was my main source, but never run into one of those. Thank you bery much for the details, I heard about Fender not selling that many instruments but though it was a rumor. The neck and body have the old Oval custom shop ink stamp, neck is dated Feb 22, 1991. Is probably one of the earliest jobs done by the custom shop I guess.
I saw one of these in Reverb a couple of years ago and another one in a Bass dealer in Spain (Vigo) called Doctor Bass.

 

The Jamerson and Jaco basses were exclusive to The Bass Centre L.A., however, I believe some were shipped to England as well after I had left the store in ‘93 (some may have been sold through our sister store in London.) I’m not surprised to learn that some of these found their way to Europe.

If my memory is correct, I sold Jaco #1 (which belonged to the store) at a Vintage Guitar Show in Pomona, CA in 1993, which was the same show where I sold my mint condition Ampeg B-15 that was used in the Jamerson ad:

I know a Jaco Sig Bass was just sold in England a few months ago for about $6k. I’d love to find out what you paid for the bass 10 years ago. I’ll pm you if you wish.

Chris

@rkwells101 -
Sorry to hijack your thread. No disrespect intended.

 

I may be in the minority here, but stick with the rounds.

 

I also bougth another

No disrespect taken. I LOVE this stuff. I love the stories of where equipment ends up and how equipment is acquired. Wsywig, would have never gotten this information otherwise. Directly from the gentlemen who sold it originally. Priceless. I just took possession of my bass the AM and will post some better pictures to get a better province of my instrument. Sometimes it is a very small world.[/QUOTE]

Actually, the seller just told me he was the second owner. At the time, I was not much into the internet and as I said, today I'd probably check the bass pedigree personally before buying it. I think it was more of an impulsive buy because I didn't get it the first time. I must thank Chris (nixdad) for claryfing most of the stuff and actually brining more information that I ever had about the instrument. Please post those pictures!

 

I have no problem with that, you can go with what makes you feel more at home for sure. ..

 

Agreed!

 

Congrats!! I've been eyeing that bass on reverb knowing that I shouldn't... thanks for shielding me from financial ruin. Its a preference thing, but hard to go wrong with Labellas

 

I see the listing on reverb now. It does look like maybe there is a router bump on the neck heel so the body could be leftover Fullerton. Everything else is straight Corona. With no original case, a swapped pickup and a possible refinish I would be hitting the guy up for a partial based on his massive misrepresentation of that bass in his description. Those early Coronas are still wicked cool and I have no doubt that's a solid player but he was for sure charging top dollar for a modded reissue even if it WAS a Fullerton.

 

while the origins/pedigree of your ax are exciting to know/research, you have a great playing ax (in the meantime). i hope you get some thrills and chills from the fact that your ax plays/feels so nice! it looks cool, that's for sure --- welcome to talkbass and congratulations on your new instrument!

 

Lacquer looks legit:
1 Fullerplast, 2 LPB, 3 Gold, 4 CAR


(Pickguard isn't the original).

You can also compare the contours.
The Corona ones have a slight smaller router hump.
Fullerton Corona Contours

 

'74 A neck made by Herb G.