Fender American Design creations

[jersey bluesdude]

Typing this post with one hand.

Easy Matt, you'll go blind.

[tedesco23]

That is BEAUTIFUL.

[Matt R.]

Typing this post with one hand.

Easy Matt, you'll go blind.

i dO n''t BEl i eve You

[Addison]

[Addison]

Almost forgot...

Here's what the personalized neckplates look like.



It's a little cheesier looking than I expected, but whatever I guess... it's just kind of neat to be able to put your own personalized stamp on the bass to make it even more of your own.

[AzWhoFan]

that's a hunka hunka burnin' love right there! Love that wood grain.

[fivebass52]

\m/

http://youtu.be/pi00ykRg_5c

Man, that's brilliant! Totally LOL-ing on this!

[andrew]

OH MY!!!









8.55 lbs!

I'm still at work, so I haven't been able to plug it in yet, but... other than a few minor details, this bass is up to par with my $4500 Custom Shop bass.

The alder they used for the body is RIDICULOUS... it shimmers in the light. I don't think I've seen anything like it.

I hate factory setups, so I'm really excited to get home and set this beauty up and play it.

DAMN!!!

This bass is melting my brain. Do want. This look in a P bass is on my dream basses list.

[andrew]

Will do Peter. I've been super busy the last couple days but I'll give a nice, super OCD rundown of it ASAP.

Looking forward to it.

[J-meister]

Those are really FPOF (fine pieces of Fender)! That grain on the P is quite sophisticated indeed.

[fivebass52]

Both beautiful basses guys, well-chosen design elements, and there's not two better examples of what a J-bass, and a P-bass ought to look like!

[Matt R.]

Both beautiful basses guys, well-chosen design elements, and there's not two better examples of what a J-bass, and a P-bass ought to look like!

Thanks and I gratefully and humbly agree

[Addison]

So... I have some interesting news to report on my order. I've waited to post updates while I have tried to figure everything out.

Both Frenchy and Matt R. give me crap about having horrible luck with my bass orders, and this is no exception.



First of all, the volume pot was bad... and I simply do not like the design of the '58 pickup. The staggered pole pieces are way too high causing the A string to be too loud. Truth be told, I replace all my pots anyway, and the pickup thing can be easily fixed.

As far as everything else goes...

The bass obviously looks amazing... and it also sets up and plays unbelievably (hands down the best playing p-bass I've ever touched)... AMAZING playability... no exaggeration... but, after I really had a chance to sit down with it, I ended up noticing that it's not what I even ordered.

To make a long story short, I ordered a "Vintage" ADE build, choosing all of the typical '58 parts, (vintage body, vintage bridge, '58 neck with 7.25" radius, vintage reverse tuners) but I ended up with a modern neck and body, put together as a typical classic.

So, it's basically a modern neck with the graphite bars, 9.5" radius and easy access hex-key truss rod adjustment, but it has the vintage decal, vintage reverse tuners and vintage tint. The body is a perfect match for the modern neck, complete with the small route for access to the truss rod. However, it has the 5-hole vintage bridge instead of the modern 3-hole with string-through design.

In other words, it's a huge fuck-up, but it's also completely one-of-a-kind... an anomaly... there's not another lefty OR righty like it.

I've called Fender and they can't explain how it happened. My guess is that whoever procured the neck and body mistakenly grabbed a set of modern pieces from the bins and the rest of the workers finished it correctly as a Vintage bass without ever questioning the body and neck that were pulled.

Anyway, Fender was embarrassed beyond belief, incredibly apologetic and we're working together for the best possible solution. It's obviously not what I ordered, but it also happens to be an amazing bass and it is completely one-of-a-kind. I'm bummed I didn't get what I ordered, but I also feel kind of lucky in a way...?

It's an odd mix of feelings, but Fender is basically telling me I can do whatever I want. I can hold onto this bass while they build me a new one... they'll send me a new neck... or I can keep this bass and they'll make it up to me in some other way.

What would you guys do?

[jersey bluesdude]

The body doesn't have the string through ferrules so it must be a vintage body. I would wait,settle down and play the shit out of it and see how much you really like it that way. The modern 9.5" radius with C shape neck and 1.625' @nut width is actually the P bass neck I prefer, but has a very different feel from the vintage 7.25" radius 1 3/4" nut. It really depends what you're most comfortable with. Don't be hasty, but if you feel it's not something you really like I would send it back and have them make you a new one. No sense having major buyers remorse over something that could be easily corrected. Good luck. PS You really have some shitty luck with ordering basses.

[Matt R.]

Well you already know my thoughts but I'll reiterate here-

As a lot of you have seen, I'm also waiting for my vintage PBass and if this were to happen to me, I'd send it back because I'm dead set on having a vintage radius P neck.

Anyhow-
I think you're answering your own question in your post. It plays amazing, it's certainly beautiful and it's now a one of a kind instrument, and who knows, that may add value someday.

Of course this should've never happened and in a way it's one of those 'happy accidents' since you're stoked about the playability.

So I say get Fender to take care of you on the electronics, and what you mentioned yesterday, which is more than fair. They're gonna work with you and you'll have a badass bass.

[Addison]

The body doesn't have the string through ferrules so it must be a vintage body. I would wait,settle down and play the shit out of it and see how much you really like it that way. The modern 9.5" radius with C shape neck and 1.625' @nut width is actually the P bass neck I prefer, but has a very different feel from the vintage 7.25" radius 1 3/4" nut. It really depends what you're most comfortable with. Don't be hasty, but if you feel it's not something you really like I would send it back and have them make you a new one. No sense having major buyers remorse over something that could be easily corrected. Good luck. PS You really have some shitty luck with ordering basses.

It actually is the modern body... it has the route for truss rod access to the neck heel.

However, it was drilled for a 5-hole vintage bridge... which is why they didn't drill out the string-through holes either. I'm sure if they would have drilled it for the 3-hole modern bridge with the string-through body, they would have drilled out the string-through holes as well.

This was confirmed by my rep at Fender.

PS - I know.

[Matt R.]

"Jimmy Coppolo likes this."

[jersey bluesdude]

"Jimmy Coppolo likes this."

That's cold.

[Matt R.]

"Jimmy Coppolo likes this."

That's cold.

[jersey bluesdude]

"Jimmy Coppolo likes this."

That's cold.

Watch out Matt. Yours may arrive with a.... well we all know how much you like Jazz basses. Just sayin'