NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

[Funkfingers]

Early this year, my local Fender dealer stocked a pre-revamp Fender AVRI Jazz Bass. The same retailer has also taken delivery of the new AVRI series '64 Jazz Bass. A quick A/B test between them confirmed what I already suspected months ago. For my tastes, the '62 was bang on the money whereas the '64 has ever so slightly lost the plot.

Spec-wise, the only significant differences are the fingerboard to neck join (slab versus lam) and the pickup voicing. The '62 does the Soul thing, the Jaco honk and the John Paul Jones "bigness". Not a battery in sight.

Pics will follow ... if I ever put the thing down long enough to take some.

 

[BlueTalon]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Passive basses are so underrated any more... it's a pity. It seems like a lot of people just automatically assume a bass has to have a preamp, and that's so not true.

Interesting analysis between the two basses. I'll be interested in seeing the pictures. Congrats on the new acquisition!

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Better late than never. (Still on the eighty hour week night shift.)


As new.


Subtle flame in maple.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Looks good - very similar looking to my American Special. Is that a tweed case it's in too?

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Rather more expensive than yours, I'm afraid. Brown Tolex case. All the candy in the case.

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Rather more expensive than yours, I'm afraid.

Of that I have no doubt.

Brown Tolex case. All the candy in the case.

OK. Difficult to tell from the tiny sliver of it I can see.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Tweed Fender style cases are generally lined in orange.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Pardon my ignorance but wasn't the Jazz Bass Introduced in 1964?

 

[LReese]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Pardon my ignorance but wasn't the Jazz Bass Introduced in 1964?

'60 I believe.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

1960 with the dual concentric control knob arrangement. 1962 is when the VVT controls - as seen on the prototypes - were introduced. (I know this anorak stuff from reading recently about one of Jaco Pastorius' main bass guitars being a modified '60.)

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Looks good - very similar looking to my American Special.

Where the AVRI really wins out over the American Special model is in THE SMELL. Nitro-cellulose. :knockedou

 

[JohnJohn]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

Congrats mate, glad you got it.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

This morning, I finally had the time to make direct comparisons between the AVRI '62 Jazz and a few other instruments. This has only served to increase my appreciation for my AVRI '75 Jazz. Each of the re-issues nails a particular era of the Jazz Bass sound. There is some overlap and, yet, each remains distinctive.

I have already attempted to describe the sound of the '62 in my opening post. By comparison, through identical amp settings, the AVRI '75 is louder, nastier, more aggressive, more Marcus Miller, more like the Spectrasonics sample library sounds found in a thousand Roland S+S synthesizer presets. In my opinion, it is a pity that the AVRI '75 pickups have not been offered as an aftermarket item.

In summary, I would say that the '62 is the choice for soulful syncopation whilst the '75 is the choice for snap 'n' pop. Gotta have both.

 

[CTN]

Re: NBD - Fender AVRI '62 Jazz Bass

holy moly that is a sweet bass.

I wanna get a jazz bass one day.