Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass

Aside from its profile, this isnt your fathers Jazz bass! Gorgous laminated, carved top with a cream binding on the body (yes, the finish is prone to show fingerprints & every speck of dust, so keep a clean microfiber cloth at hand). Very sexy, Like a Jazz bass in a Tux.
USA P-J bass pickups (passive), smoked tuners, bridge & speed knobs.
My only "complaint" is its a little neck-heavy, but wont dive, which is good.

This is where this bass talks the talk.. I have a MIM Jazz bass that I loved, and recorded/performed with for @ 6 years with no complaints... untill now.
The Aerodyne is so much louder, and FULLER sounding then the standard MIM, its astounding! In one practice with the band we all noticed how much better EVERYTHING sounds with this bass. I do plan on switching the stock L bridge for a slotted black BadassII ASAP.

Out of the box the setup was playable, but you must have it set up for you & with youre string choice (i highly recomend Dr Music Marcus Miller strings)

so far, excelent, only have it 2 weeks now, so no real gig action yet.
I would use this without a backup

I've been playing bass in bands for over 27 years and this bass is far and above ANYTHING I've owned or borrowed! The tone, fit & feel are excelent value for the money (i bought this baby on Ebay, $450.00 american)and you can find them in the stores @ $980.00 (shame on Fender for raising prices in this economy).
If this where lost, stolen or broken, i'd replace it with the same in a heartbeat.

Standard Jazz bass configuration except for the P bass P/U in the bridge position. Beautiful finish, rear-routed controls and no pickguard. All black MIJ finish with a cream binding. VERY nice look.

With the basswood body, this bass is at least 3 pounds lighter than it's alder counterpart.

It's like a "greatest hits" for the Fender bass sound. Although not a pure Jazz or Precision, this bass takes on a life of it's own with the best tones from both basses. You can simply dial in what you need. No BS, just tone.

The stock pickups were a bit thin for me so I threw in a set of Duncan Basslines (quarter-pounders) and I have never looked back. WOW! The basswood body lends itself to amazing sustain. Is it possible to have too much sustain?

Don't be fooled by where this bass was made. The MIJ fenders are as good as the USA models with the exception of the electronics IMHO. Just don't buy it if you're looking for the value to go up. This is a player's bass, not a collector's. The later models are made with the bridge flush-mounted which means that the Badass bridge installs with zero mods. Do this.

It's got a fast Jazz neck and decent frets that may need a little dressing if you buy it new. Truss rod adjustment from the headstock makes fine-tuning a snap since you don't have to pull the neck off to adjust. Use a tuner and test after each 1/8 turn. Pitch goes down when you add relief. Use this method and you'll never over-adjust your neck. You may need to add some more foam under the pickups to get them closer to the strings, depending on your style.

The newer models also have the strat-style output jack, eliminating the loose nut issues that 1/2 of the reviewers here have mentioned.

All-in-all, USA quality at a MIJ price. Heads and shoulders above the MIM models.

Gigged with it without backup and never have to worry. This bass is solid and as reliable as any USA Fender.

I do all my own tech work so have never needed to contact them.

I've been playing for over 20 years and this bass is the best all-around guitar the i have ever owned. I play it through a Sadowsky pre-amp/DI into a MarkBass 2x10 1x15 setup and I have NEVER had better tone. I get comments from other musicians, especially bass players and all of them are positive. I really feel like I am done looking for that "sound" that has eluded me for so long. I play mostly classic rock and some funk and this bass does the job every time.

Crafted in Japan jazz bass with P/J pickup combination. 34" scale. Gloss black finish over cylinder-shape arched top with blonde binding and matching headstock. Jazz body profile, pickguard, control plate and neck. Standard bridge set in routed recess in the arch top. Passive electronics with two volume and master tone controls.

Sounds great, I use flatwound strings with the P pickup turned up and the J all the way down.

It's a real looker, but don't confuse it with a high-end bass. The neck wood is absolutely plain, unfigured maple. It might benefit from upgraded pickups. It would benefit from upgrade to a heavier bridge, but a BADASS-II BRIDGE WON'T FIT. The bridge sets on a flat platform routed into the arched top. That platform is too small for a Badass brige: it won't go without surgery (ug!).

Seems fine, I've gigged with no backup.

Been playing for decades. Other gear includes Robin Freedom II bass and upright bass. If I had to replace it I'd try to get a higher-end P-bass. The thing I love is getting the P-bass sound with the slim Jazz neck feel.

As listed in reviews below, nothing to add
Give it an 8, due to having 2 pick-ups with quite different sounds, but no actives (great, imho)
And its black!

This is the reason for me taking time to submit a review.
My band had a radical "re-think" on its direction, from a Motley Crue type sound, changing to a Guns n Roses type. So my sound had to change (was using a 51 P-bass reissue). And was a great excuse to buy another bass.
I`d ordered the Fender Duff McKagan signature model, but it was taking forever to come over. Added to that, I went to see a band whose bassist was using the Aerodyne and was simply knocked out by how great it sounded/looked.
Anyway, choice made, Duff cancelled, Aerodyne arrived.
As per one of the reviews, it was a tad "boomy" on the low G, but I wasn`t too bothered, as, as that reviewer suggested, I`d already planned on installing a Leo Quan Baddass 2 (straight replacement, no mods required). That, plus a change of strings to Rotosound heavy gauge, a new story was to be told.
Basically, Duff McKagans sound was wanted, Duff Mckagans sound was obtained (Duff actually uses an Aerodyne on some of Velvet Revolvers material)
I play thru a Marshall MBS 4210 combo (450watts, 2x10 spkrs) with Marshall MBS 1x15 extension cab - no effects (they`re for guitarists)
This bass produces a sound that fits in with the sound spectrum of the rest of the band, rather than booming away at the bottom, or twanging away at the top.
I`ve also used it in the studio, bizarrely using a pre-set Fender Guitar amp setting, and again, it blends well.
J pickup hums a bit, but thats what J pickups do - can`t criticise it for doing its job as intended!
Gets a 9 here - If it had the Baddass as standard, a 10

When it arrived all was good, didn`t need to adjust anything.
Obviously, once the Baddass was installed, coupled with heavier gauge strings, a bit of adjustment required, nothing either difficult or time consuming.

I`ve not gigged this bass yet, but, its a Fender, so live performance won`t be a problem. Like I said, I`ve seen one used for a whole set with no problems.
I`ve had the bass about 3 months now, and used it weekly at rehearsals, and stands up well to the task.
If I only had this one bass I would gig it without backup, no worries, cos I do at rehearsals, tho as I have the 51 P-bass reissue, it would be daft to not take it along, just in case......

Haven`t had any need to contact Fender at all.

Overall rating is 9 - purely cos I had to add the Badd*** myself, otherwise it would be a 10.
When the guys in my band remark how good a bass sound is, you know what you have is working.
I`ve been playing (ahem) 27 years. Had US Precisions, Mex Precisions, Yamahas, Squiers, Epiphone T-Birds, Gibson Les Paul bass, but this bass is my fave of all of `em. It delivers exactly what I want.
Plus points:
Sounds great, in live/rehearsal/studio
Looks great
Doesn`t weigh anywhere near like a "normal" Fender
Negative points:
As mentioned, Badd*** not included (imho, Fender should stick one of these on all their basses)
Just a cautionary note - I mentioned the sound sits well within the tonal spectrum of a rock band - If yr the type of player who plays for himself, and not the song, and really wants to be heard in addition to the guitarists, rather than creating a platform for them to work on, this bass may not be the right choice for you.
I`m not knocking those bass players, but the job I do in my band is vastly different to that, and for me, this bass delivers, looks great, and doesn`t break my back. Well done Fender.

Made in 2000, i bougt it in 2002. Made in Japan. It has got 20 frets like every JBass and it has a very nice rosewood fingerboard without dots.
Special things: Basswood body, carved Top, very beatuful creme binding, P/J-PUs, smoke chrome hardware, matching head, no pickguard and the resulting rear wiring.
It is black over black - one of the nicest basses i've ever seen.
Altough it was madi in Japan, it included a Fender hardcase.

Absolutely a great sound for slapping, pick and fingerstyle. Not like a classic Fender JBass but very nice. The sound can be crisp an vintage. I play it thru an Trace Elliot GP11 MkV in a Trace Elliot AH 500X Poweramp. Is sounds like chocolate. Better than every of my oher basses.
I play classic rock and some dirty punk and sometimes some amateur funky jazz - and it suits all my needs.

As i bougt it, it was already set-up by the dealer - so I can't say anything 'bout the factory set-up.
Great low action. The strings ware bad - but they're changeable. I play Pro Steels now with low D Tuning.

never had problems - build like military equippment.

never dealt with them - so I can't say anything.

For that price it is one of the best basses one can get.
Great loog, great sound, great action and playability - the only bad thing is, that it has got no pickguard - there are som ugly scratches from ghe pick and my fingernails... but it looks better without!

Same features as a standard Jazz bass - individual pickup volumes and a master tone.

Beautiful black finish that's bound to pick up fingerprints easily complimented by graphite hardware. Binding around body sides is best described as unfortunate.

Passive pickups - split Precision-style pickups in the neck/bass position and a Jazz style pickup closer to the bridge.

Seems to have the same neck profile as standard J bass.

The bass sounds regrettably plonky and boomy - almost totally P bass in character. Fooling with the controls didn't produce any dramatic changes in the sound.

Adding a BadAss II bridge would probably help the sound a great deal.

The bass was set up nicely out of the box, although the strings looked and sounded a bit dubious. In my time playing it, I noticed no flaws in the finish or the overall assembly.

The bass' sleek looks are going to show every ding and fingerprint like a postlight was shining on them.

n/a

Very disappointed in this bass. I have a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass and was hoping this would sound as good or maybe even better due to the mix of P and J pickups. Unfortunately, the bass doesn't sound nearly as good as it looks.

As mentioned above, a BadAss II bridge (as on the Geddy Lee model) would probably do wonders for the sound.

You could do a lot worse at this price point, but I'd pass and save my pennies for a better bass.

2003 MIJ Export Model.

Sounds gorgeous. Chords are rich. The simple controls are deceiving because you can dial in just about any sound. Very punchy through my '78 Fender tube bass amp. Killer sub bass.

Great action. This bass seemingly never goes out of tune. I can really dig into it for an hour one day and come back to it five days later and it won't be out of tune at all.

Like some others on here I had the input jack fail on me because it kept coming loose and I'd have to continually tighten it up. I soldered it myself, it seems to be OK now. Not a big deal. Everything else is flawless.

I don't think I'll ever sell this bass. It's just too versatile and easy to play. Plus the tone is so rich and full of depth. I thought about buying a vintage bass but I'm glad I went with this one. Huge performance for a relatively cheap price.

No idea what year it was made, but I tracked it down to a small shop in Cardiff, Wales! Was an 8 hour road trip to collect it! It's the Jap, 4 string, pretty standard, no pic guard, smoked hardware and great black headstock and body. The P & J pick ups give a great range of sound, but with them both up to the max you can get a weird "electronic" buzzing through cheaper amps(no probs with my marshall B150, but some some generic amps have been bad at gigs I've played. I like the 100 gauge e string, but it means asking the dude in teh shop to trade out a 105 for a 100, or shelling out another #5 for another string! As for extras, nothing, but would really like a fender case that comes with it, the guys in my band play gibsons, and you always seem to get a case when you spen upwards of #500 with them, I got a cardboard box :(

The way I play it with the P & J pick ups on the max, and lots of tone, cuts through a gothic flying V and a classic Les Paul, so power is no problem! Have recorded with it a few times, and in the studio the guys recording were very impressed, the depth of sound they were getting let them do alsorts of cool freak stuff to the final sound. From time to time I play it through an overdrive box, makes it sound a littel more "synthy" but I think that's more the effect than the bass!

Out of the box it plays great! Debated taking to "Andy's Guitars" in denmark street, they did an amazing job with my Epi Thunderbird (honestly, plays as good as the Gibson! Guess I need to thank my thunderbird for the slight floor of the "neck dive" else I'd never had thought about the Aerodyne!) Not got the required c#100+ for that at the moment though!

Had one slight problem, well, I say slight - it stopped working. The output jack hole (sorry, don't know the technical term!) has a nut on it, this came loose, and I hand tightened it a few times... This in turn, twisted the wires inside and pulled them off the solder. The nice guy at Plug Studios Norwich soon fixed it, for free for me (top man!). Simple fix, but annoying problem! I "think" a rubber washer would solve the twisting problem... Apart from that, no problemn at all!

Couldn't be botherd to find out about warranty when I had my problem (see above) It just pays to know a mn who can solder! :)

It's my 3rd bass, and I don't think I'll ever need another. Been playing since 1999, in my current band (Born Backwards www.bornBackwards.co.uk) since 2003. It gets played through house bass amps, or my marshall B150, without putting the amp through the pa, it's had enough power for a 2000 capasity venue... Looks amazing, and have had comments from other bass players and joe public about it.

2003 Non-Export Japanese Model. Silver Dophin Grey finish, w/ matching headstock, and black pickguard. I thought it was so unique when I saw it... obviously not that unique given that most of the reviews are for the same type. But in any case, a lot of people have never seen a Fender like this one and I get compliments on how cool it looks all the time.

As for features, there's no real bells or whistles here, just everything you'd expect on a Fender.

If you ask me, this bass is perfect for rock. It gets a nice, even bass tone. The notes are clear and you hear articulation and nuance. You can play it as soft as you need or as hard as you like and it responds in kind.

This bass can be noisy. I'm no expert on such matters so I don't know exactly what causes noise besides bad shielding and being near certain electronics.

The action when I got it was so-so. The guy at the shop fixed it for me though. Since the body is curved on top, the bridge needs to go in the same hill-like fashion, especially since the pickups follow suit.

The neck is nothing special, standard Fender neck. Needs to be adjusted every now and then, but no serious problems. Just don't leave it in your trunk in extreme weather and expect perfection.

My biggest issue here is the input jack. The nut and washer kept coming loose. After tightening it a million times, the wires inside snapped off from being all twisted around. I fixed the wires, and then continued to use my soder gun to soder the nut and washer on to the metal. That SOB isn't moving now!

This bass has taken a beating over the past 3 years. It's been all over the Northeast and survived the cold winter and humid summer. Its taken hit after hit and hasn't given out yet. With such durability, and given the sheer weight of Fenders.. I could probably use this bass as a weapon if need be and then go play a gig afterwards.

Never called Fender, if theres an issue I'd say you're better off fixing it yourself or taking it to the local shop.

Well, I've been playing seriously for 6 years. That's not an incredibly long amount of time, but its enough for me to have owned a few basses. This is by far the best bass I've ever had. No matter where I go, people love the sound, look and feel of this instrument. Its become almost part of my musical identity.. the way people look at Paul McCartney and the Violin Bass; although I'm nowhere near that level.

If it was lost or stolen... I'd probably try another bass, just for variety. But, as long as I have this one... I'm using it!

MIJ, 2003 (I think)
4 string, 20 fret (medium)
Standard VVT controls
Neck P, Bridge J pickups, Fender-made (so I assume)
Passive electronics
Neck is maple with a walnut? or rosewood skunk stripe and rosewood board, side dots only... the body is... light.
High gloss black finish, slightly carved with cream body binding... a very nice effect.
Body is Jazz with a twist... it is a carved top... with no control cover plate. Again, a very nice visual effect.
Bridge is a basic vintage satyle Jazz, not the best but still a good one.
Tuners are stock, but very nice. All of the hardware is pewter finished... this is a very nice looking instrument.

I keep it tuned down to D-G-C-F, It sounds very good... nice gutteral growl. I play a variety of styles, from punk/hard rock to metal to gospel, and just about everything in between. This bass, along with my 5 string Raven RMB500 handle it all.
I play though a Crybaby wah, (not the bass model) Carvin R1000 and usually an Avatar 4x10. This bass sounds awesome DI'd straight to the board, too though.
Ive noticed a little single coil hum on the J pickup, but its not singnificant. I may change the Pickups out, but not for a while.
This bass has a versatile sound, due to the P-J combination, so you can get just about any tone you want from it. Add in the dropped D tuning and you can really rumble.
Ive used it equally well in the studio and live, like I said earlier it DI's very well.
I havent found anything I dont like about it overall.

I bought it new at a music store, but it had been damaged very slightly when a rack of guitars fell from the wall. It had a couple of small chips in the finish, but nothing major. It was set up perfectly when I bought it (a very big selling point.) It is still set up perfectly.

This is a very solid bass, light, but well built, so it will (and has) held up to rigorous use. The finish is thick and tough, prone to scuffing and fingerprinting though due to the high gloss... keep a polishing cloth handy in your case.
The strap buttons are good, but I will likely order some lockers... because I have them on my other instruments.
I always bring two basses with me, not because I need a backup but because I switch back and forth... but if i had to, I would trust this one to stand alone.... although, shortly after I bought it, I had some trouble during a sound check, discovered that there was some loose/broken wiring on the tone pot... but I was able to bring it home and solder it up and be back in tome to start the show... I'm not sure if that problem was due to the falling gutar rack or a factory problem, but it is fixed now, and I went through the rest of the wirng thoroughly to make sure it wouldnt happen again... so it went from a 7 to a 10 in this department...

I've been playing bass for 9 years, guitar a lot longer.
I would definitely replace this bass with another like it. I will also probably buy the aerodyne tele too... I just like the style.
Over all there is nothing not to love about this bass... it has the PJ setup I love, it looks and feels awesome, sounds even better.
I do wish it had come with a case though.. or even a gig bag... I had to wait until I could afford a decent case, which stressed me out a bit.
There are better basses out there... but not many for the money.