Few bassists have left as large a mark on modern music as Flea. Slapping, plucking, and grooving his way through three plus decades in music, the man has influenced generations and countless musicians through his work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and more recently, Atoms for Peace. It stands to reason, then, that such an influential figure should have an equally influential signature instrument. Well, now he does: the Fender Flea Signature Jazz Bass.
Crafted to the exact specifications of Flea’s own 1961 Shell Pink Jazz Bass (which he received as a gift from a fan when he asked online for a pre-CBS instrument so he could be “as cool as John Paul Jones”), these signature models capture all the magic of the original. After receiving it, Flea famously used this bass on Stadium Arcadium and later on his Atoms for Peace recordings.
One of the rarest finishes in the pantheon of vintage instruments, Fender speculates that Flea’s Shell Pink model is “quite possibly the only one in existence,” and the replicas capture every element of the nitrocellulose finish from the sedate fading to the specific road worn details.
The finish sits on an offset solid alder body with a contrasting c-shape maple neck. The wood is rounded out with a 7.25”-radius rosewood fingerboard sporting 20 vintage-style frets. Even the 4-bolt neck plate is customized with engraved artwork by the man himself.
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On the electronics front, Fender keeps the vibe authentic with a pair of Pure Vintage ‘64 Jazz Bass single-coil pickups, vintage-accurate stacked concentric controls, and a vintage-style bridge with barrel saddles.
Retailing at $1,199, the basses are available now.
Fender Flea Signature Jazz Basses