Help. Fender Corona series....?

[Beedster]

Anyone know anything about the above late 90's basses?
Cheers
Chris

Edited May 27, 2007 by Beedster

[jase00]

What sort of info you looking for Beedster?, they are the ones made in Corona California which I think is where the Fender custom shop now is.

[Beedster]

[quote name='jase00' post='7847' date='May 27 2007, 10:01 PM']What sort of info you looking for Beedster?, they are the ones made in Corona California which I think is where the Fender custom shop now is.[/quote]

Hi Jase
They were, I think, a series manufactured in the late 90's. I have a Jazz from the series in question and - despite the fact I think it's a budget model - it's the first jazz I've found that has some real oomph and I'm really starting to like it! Wondering really if anyone's played one, modded one, has any opinions etc?
Cheers
Chris

[Paul_C]

I think they were a bit like the Lakland Skylines, in that they were "made" in the US from parts that might actually have started life elsewhere (Mexico perhaps ? )

[Muppet]

Forerunner to the Highway 1?

[john_the_bass]

was that not the california series
or are they one and the same?

[STU-SBL]

If it's what I think you have, I owned a Jazz around 98/99 if my memory serves me.

They were American Fenders that started life officially in the US, were then finished in Mexico and then sent back to US.

They featured a 1 piece scratchplate, much like the early 80's run of jazz basses, with strat style knobs. However, unlike the Mexican Jazz's of the time, they were better made, featured US pickups etc and in general were better bang for the buck.

I modded mine extensively: Badass, changed the Scratchplate to a black one ( adding a bell plate instead of the 1 piece configuration) fully shielded and setup and a nice set of Dimazio Ultra J's.

Even to this day, it's the best Fender I ever owned, and the bass that started off my Jazz love affair.

I think they're great basses; reagrdless of where they started out, and as I said - at the time much better than the Mexican, and some of the USA J's

Stu

[Beedster]

[quote name='bleedproof' post='8119' date='May 28 2007, 03:16 PM']If it's what I think you have, I owned a Jazz around 98/99 if my memory serves me.

They were American Fenders that started life officially in the US, were then finished in Mexico and then sent back to US.

They featured a 1 piece scratchplate, much like the early 80's run of jazz basses, with strat style knobs. However, unlike the Mexican Jazz's of the time, they were better made, featured US pickups etc and in general were better bang for the buck.

I modded mine extensively: Badass, changed the Scratchplate to a black one ( adding a bell plate instead of the 1 piece configuration) fully shielded and setup and a nice set of Dimazio Ultra J's.

Even to this day, it's the best Fender I ever owned, and the bass that started off my Jazz love affair.

I think they're great basses; reagrdless of where they started out, and as I said - at the time much better than the Mexican, and some of the USA J's

Stu[/quote]

Thanks all.
Stu, that's exactly the one mate! One piece pickguard and strat knobs and, as you said about yours, it's lovely! As a few guys on here will testify, I've had some troubles with Fender Jazz's I've owned, just didn't get on with them. This one - which as yet is original - is a real keeper, the slap tone is really something else, and it's soooo growly when I dig in. I'm thinking about a pair of SD's and a Badass II, although it's certainly good enough to leave as is (although the tuning mechs could be better TBH).
Funny old company Fender aren't they, I've owned two US Custom Shop Jazzes, as well as an MIA, an MIJ, and a Geddy Lee (or as my GF called it, "the Geddly"), all of which cost a bloody fortune and none of which sounded or played anything like as good as this one! Not seen them around before, I guess their relative obscurity means either that they didn't make many or that people hang on to them?
Cheers mate
Chris