This is an ultra-rare, 1967 Fender Coronado Bass II - Wildwood I Edition with a flame maple neck.

A single-owner bass, I purchased this instrument in 1967 and used it mostly for recording sessions. It is now 46 years old and in excellent condition. See photographs below (or at www.mecfilms.com/bass). The hard-shell, conformed case is new and was extremely difficult to locate due to the uniqueness of this instrument.

The Coronado Bass II is rare, but the "Wildwood" edition is even rarer. This version is made with Beachwood injected with dyes to give it its distinct colors. A double-cutaway, thin-line, hollow-body, this bass was designed by Roger Rossmeisl, a well-known designer from Rickenbacker who came over to Fender in the 1960s.

The Coronado II is a two pickup bass, as distinguished from the Coronado I series that featured only one pickup. The pickups -- at neck and bridge position -- are controlled by two volume, two tone controls and a three-position selector switch. The sound from this instrument is mellow and low E packs an incredible punch. This is the reason I purchased this bass after selling my Gibson EB-3L which I found inadequate.

The Coronado Bass II has 21 frets and is normally available in cherry, sunburst, or a DuPont custom finish, but as mentioned, the bass for sale has the special Wildwood finish. Only a very few Coronado IIs were offered in the "Wildwood" finish as this finish involves specially prepared, heavily-grained Beachwood. A chemical dye was injected into the growing trees, years prior to harvesting and this dye stained the grain pattern of the wood.

Most of the Wildwood editions were made with 6 colors of dyed Beachwood on the front, back and sides. The colors, indicated by roman numerals -- I for green, II for gold and brown, III for gold and purple, IV for dark-blue, V for purple-blue and VI for blue-green -- are only a guide because every "Wildwood" has a totally unique look. The Wildwood series is solid, not a veneer as some have erroneously suggested and again, all Wildwoods feature maple necks, Rosewood fingerboards and Mother-of-Pearl block inlays.

The bass offered is a series I Wildwood finish of a gold/brown with a slight green hue depending on the color temperature of the predominant light source. The neck of this bass is made of a flamed maple with a Rosewood fingerboard and mother-of-pearl block inlays. The body of the instrument is finished in a high-gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, a finish which is rarely used for modern guitars.

The serial number of the offered instrument is 219127 and is stamped into a metal plate at the base of the neck. The instrument, being hollow, is quite lightweight, just 7 lbs. All parts on this instrument are original, including both thumb rests and it works perfectly. The neck has recently been adjusted and the strings replaced. The neck is straight and all the frets are true. The truss rod is flush with the end of the heel and easily turns when adjustment is necessary. The original oval tuners work correctly and none are bent or difficult to turn.

This rare and one-of-a-kind electric bass is for the serious collector or studio musician. Contact James Jaeger at 610-688-9212 or jjaeger@mecfilms.com.

Price: $2,200.

Source of this site: http://www.mecfilms.com/bass