Fender Coronado Bass II Hollow Body Electric Bass Guitar (1967)
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Fender Coronado Bass II Model Hollow Body Electric Bass Guitar (1967), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 220487, sunburst lacquer finish, laminated maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
Fender's 1960s Coronado models have always been somewhat odd ducks, but over the last couple of decades have finally gotten better appreciated by both players and collectors. The line was the CBS management team's project to challenge Gibson, Gretsch, and Guild in the booming 1960s hollowbody electric market. Fender's new corporate owners felt the company should cover the entire musical spectrum, not just their traditional solid body strengths.
The Coronado guitar and bass line was worked up quickly, launched in January 1966 just a year after CBS bought the company. Former Rickenbacker designer Roger Rossmeisel was involved, having moved over to Fender in 1962. While not a hit at the time with either Fender loyalists or players of other brands, the Coronados remain interesting and often attractive instruments that have found some dedicated fans in the decades since.
Coronado basses were initially offered only with a single pickup in Cherry or Sunburst finish, but the palette was quickly expanded to include a number of flashier looks. This comparatively rarer Coronado Bass II was added to the line in 1967 with a second pickup to open up the tonal range. This one has a neck date of October 1967 and would be a fairly early example of the new model. The twin-pickup Bass II model mates a 30" scale bound, block-inlaid maple/rosewood Fender bass neck to a double cutaway, fully hollow body with triple-bound edges and bound f-holes.
The pickups are not Fender-made but sourced from Rowe industries, makers of the DeArmond line. They have adjustable screw poles inside a plastic center inset in the thin metal covers. The wiring is the typical Gibson style 4-knob, 1 switch array. The trapeze tailpiece has the Fender "F" in the plastic center. The bridge is a sort of staggered metal trough with adjustable plastic-center saddles on twin metal feet, one of several ideas Fender tried. There are finger rests both above and below the strings.
In October 1967 this twin-pickup bass in sunburst livery had an eye-popping list price of $449.50 plus $64.50 for the case. By comparison a Custom Color Jazz bass could be had for $293.50!; no wonder these Coronados are fairly rare! This is a very good-playing and sounding bass, although quite unlike a solidbody Fender is a far better instrument than its original reputation suggests. It is very reminiscent in feel of the contemporary twin-pickup Harmony H-27, which has very similar features and layout but lacks the more reliable Fender neck. The Coronados were discontinued after 1970; while in general they are not uncommon, this twin-pickup Bass II is a less common instrument and from a plater's point of view the pick of the litter.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a relatively clean instrument overall showing signs of use but remaining nicely original. For the most part the finish is well preserved with some typical checking (mostly to the lacquer on the neck) and small dings, dents and scuffing here and there. There is some shallow belt buckle scratching on the back into but not through the lacquer. The headstock edges have some small chips and dings, the back of the neck a chipped spot behind the third fret and finish worn through just below the binding edge.
All hardware is original and complete. The chrome is mostly still shiny, but the bridge and top edge of the tailpiece have a decent amount of moisture damage to the plating. The original frets show some very light wear but the instrument plays very nicely with a most comfortable action strung with flatwound strings. It actually has a more versatile sound than many hollow or semi hollowbody basses and is quite light and handy.
This is an oddball piece of Fender history perhaps but a very playable one and a better instrument than the critics of 1968 would ever admit! It lives in the original HSC, somewhat worn externally with some noticeable seam repair but still fully functional. Overall Excellent - Condition.
Fender's 1960s Coronado models have always been somewhat odd ducks, but over the last couple of decades have finally gotten better appreciated by both players and collectors. The line was the CBS management team's project to challenge Gibson, Gretsch, and Guild in the booming 1960s hollowbody electric market. Fender's new corporate owners felt the company should cover the entire musical spectrum, not just their traditional solid body strengths.
The Coronado guitar and bass line was worked up quickly, launched in January 1966 just a year after CBS bought the company. Former Rickenbacker designer Roger Rossmeisel was involved, having moved over to Fender in 1962. While not a hit at the time with either Fender loyalists or players of other brands, the Coronados remain interesting and often attractive instruments that have found some dedicated fans in the decades since.
Coronado basses were initially offered only with a single pickup in Cherry or Sunburst finish, but the palette was quickly expanded to include a number of flashier looks. This comparatively rarer Coronado Bass II was added to the line in 1967 with a second pickup to open up the tonal range. This one has a neck date of October 1967 and would be a fairly early example of the new model. The twin-pickup Bass II model mates a 30" scale bound, block-inlaid maple/rosewood Fender bass neck to a double cutaway, fully hollow body with triple-bound edges and bound f-holes.
The pickups are not Fender-made but sourced from Rowe industries, makers of the DeArmond line. They have adjustable screw poles inside a plastic center inset in the thin metal covers. The wiring is the typical Gibson style 4-knob, 1 switch array. The trapeze tailpiece has the Fender "F" in the plastic center. The bridge is a sort of staggered metal trough with adjustable plastic-center saddles on twin metal feet, one of several ideas Fender tried. There are finger rests both above and below the strings.
In October 1967 this twin-pickup bass in sunburst livery had an eye-popping list price of $449.50 plus $64.50 for the case. By comparison a Custom Color Jazz bass could be had for $293.50!; no wonder these Coronados are fairly rare! This is a very good-playing and sounding bass, although quite unlike a solidbody Fender is a far better instrument than its original reputation suggests. It is very reminiscent in feel of the contemporary twin-pickup Harmony H-27, which has very similar features and layout but lacks the more reliable Fender neck. The Coronados were discontinued after 1970; while in general they are not uncommon, this twin-pickup Bass II is a less common instrument and from a plater's point of view the pick of the litter.
Overall length is 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This is a relatively clean instrument overall showing signs of use but remaining nicely original. For the most part the finish is well preserved with some typical checking (mostly to the lacquer on the neck) and small dings, dents and scuffing here and there. There is some shallow belt buckle scratching on the back into but not through the lacquer. The headstock edges have some small chips and dings, the back of the neck a chipped spot behind the third fret and finish worn through just below the binding edge.
All hardware is original and complete. The chrome is mostly still shiny, but the bridge and top edge of the tailpiece have a decent amount of moisture damage to the plating. The original frets show some very light wear but the instrument plays very nicely with a most comfortable action strung with flatwound strings. It actually has a more versatile sound than many hollow or semi hollowbody basses and is quite light and handy.
This is an oddball piece of Fender history perhaps but a very playable one and a better instrument than the critics of 1968 would ever admit! It lives in the original HSC, somewhat worn externally with some noticeable seam repair but still fully functional. Overall Excellent - Condition.