Fender Flea Sig Bass RDWRN SHP

Electric Bass

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) signature model
Type: Offset
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple
Neck shape: C
Fretboard: Rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia)
Scale: Long scale
20 Vintage frets
Pickups: 2 Dual pure vintage 64 J-bass single coils
Special neck plate with artwork by Flea
Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer
Colour: Faded pink shell
Includes gig bag

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

3-Year Thomann Warranty

Available since June 2016

Item number 393407

Sales Unit 1 piece(s)

Colour Pink

Soundboard Alder

Neck Maple

Fretboard Rosewood

Frets 20

Scale Longscale

Pickup System JJ

Elektronic Passive

Incl. Case No

Incl. Gigbag Yes

Signature Flea

Body Alder

Pickups JJ

Electronics Passive

$1,390

The shipping costs are calculated on the checkout page.

Sales Rank

in 4-String J-Basses

Sometimes the search ends where it started

Many seasoned bass players end the quest to find "their" sound by choosing an electric bass from the instrument's earliest days - in other words, a vintage bass. Red Hot Chili Peppers' bass maestro Flea is no exception, and was fortunate enough to come into possession of a 1961 Fender Jazz Bass that, interestingly, features pickups from 1964 and embodies everything he has ever looked for in a bass. What makes it more unique still is that it is finished in Shell Pink, a colour that Fender used only extremely rarely at the time, and Fender's Mexican-made Flea Signature Bass now means that fans and players alike can also get their hands on an exact reproduction of this one-of-a-kind instrument.

Incredibly close to the original

The Flea Signature Bass is manufactured at Fender's plant in Mexico and features the same components as the original: An alder body with a C-shape maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard with 20 vintage-style frets and "reverse action" machine heads. The two high-quality 1964 Pure Vintage single coil pickups are made by Fender USA and, as on Fender's earliest Jazz Bass models, are governed by two "stacked" knobs on which the top section controls the pickup's volume, while the outer ring (which is incremental for better orientation) controls the tone. Both the nitrocellulose lacquer on the body and neck and all of the hardware parts have been artificially aged to give the bass real vintage flair, and the only indication that this is an artist signature model is the stylised "Flea" signature that is discreetly engraved into the neck plate. The scope of delivery also includes a gig bag.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

The Fender Flea Signature Bass is a faithful reproduction of the company's Jazz Basses from around 1961 in every respect. The dizzyingly high prices demanded for original instruments on the vintage market mean that these gems are now usually far beyond the means of mere musicians - fortunately, however, the Flea Signature Bass now gives them a chance to get their hands on a bass with the same desirable qualities without spending a fortune. The "Roadworn Series" represents the pinnacle of Fender's Mexican-made basses and combines affordable volume-production quality with custom shop finesse. Since the relicing is carried out according to a template as part of the manufacturing process, the wear does not vary from bass to bass, but the instrument will pick up the player's individual "mojo" with every gig and every drop of sweat, and will become unique in no time at all.

About Fender

Fender is without doubt one of the most legendary guitar and amplifier manufacturers of all time. The company was founded in 1946 by its namesake Leo Fender († 1991), whose innovative ideas brought a breath of fresh air into the musical world. His Telecaster, Stratocaster, Precision Bass, and Jazz Bass are not only classics – they also continue to shape the styles of musicians in countless genres to this day. Timeless Fender amplifier models such as the Bassman, Twin, Deluxe, and Princeton also enjoy a stellar reputation. Besides maintaining its classic product portfolio, however, the company is also constantly developing new products that make Fender a driving force in today’s music industry.

60 years and still going strong

Virtually all Fender Jazz Bass afficionados agree that basses from the early 1960s have a particular magic about them, and this is due in no small part to the neck profiles used at the time, which for many bassists represent the abolute pinnacle of playing comfort. While the artificial ageing may be part of a larger, popular trend, it may not be important to everybody with regard to looks and aesthetics - however, the sound and playability of the Flea Signature Bass do not suffer in any way as a result.

In the spotlight

Ageing, relic, and roadworn

Terms like "Ageing", "Relic", and "Roadworn" refer to the process of artificially ageing instruments. When it comes to guitars and basses, this includes the look and feel of all the components, which after decades of use display significant signs of corrosion and wear due to sweat, climatic exposure, and the rigours of transport and life on the road. Driven by the frequently exhorbitant prices that older, used instruments now fetch on the vintage market (not despite but often precisely because of their worn appearance), "ageing" has now become an art form in itself as well as a popular trend. Many of the instruments that have been perfectly aged in this way are now virtually indistinguishable from the vintage originals - apart from in price, of course.

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57 Customer ratings

5 46 Customers 4 9 Customers 3 2 Customers 2 0 Customers 1 0 Customers

4.8 / 5

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35 Reviews

A bass that quickly became my favourite

Tamas 28.11.2017

As soon as Fender came out with this bass, a faithful replica of Flea's '61 shell pink Jazz Bass with roadworn finish, it jumped right on the top of my wishlist.
I ordered it from Thomann about 8 months ago and it has been my main bass since. I use it for rock and funk mainly, but it is just as versatile as any Jazz Bass.

The Pros:
- The build quality is great. Although this bass is made in Mexico, its quality is on par with American made instruments.
- The Fender Jazz Bass sounds. Want a growly tone? Or rather a Jaco-like low-passed bridge pickup tone? This bass has them all, with incredible sustain.
- The neck is super comfortable and really fast.
- The finish. Pictures don't make justice here, but in live the road worn look is totally convincing, in my opinion. Even the tuning gears has an oily wash on them. If this is your thing, you will love the looks of this bass. By the way, the shell pink color is not a bright, vibrant pink, but a faded, tastful one. This JB is a true beauty.

The Cons:
- The electronics inside have virtually no shielding, and as a result it is prone to picking up quite some noise. Sure, this is the replica of a '61 model, and basses back then didn't really use any shielding, so this bass doesn't have it either. Nothing that can't be fixed, but still, this is a major disadvantage.
- This is not related directly to the bass, but the gigbag that comes with it is pretty "meh". I don't have the feeling that it would adequately protect the instrument, so I have been using a Thomann gigbag instead which is much sturdier and has more pockets.

Great bass overall, and considering that this is a signature series bass, the pricing is really nice too.

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good looking bass... if not initial setup

kazik 29.11.2018

This bass is really good looking. But taken straight out of the box was not playable for me. I was expecting it to be set up better. Nut slots where cut too height, That caused strings at 12 fret where like 4mm over the fret-board. Be prepared to set it up to your needs especially if you are looking for very fast neck.

From other side this bass looks unique. And beside it's road worn look fret-board and neck where intact, so it does not feel like you are playing old instrument - and that is good IMHO. Frets seems to be smaller that average, more in the vintage range.

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Better than expected

Lookaji 29.07.2023

I was skeptical at first, as I wanted to get a replica of a ‘60s pre-CBS era J-Bass, with stacked controls, nice pick-ups and a rosewood fretboard, not particularly impressed by a MiM + Roadworn and Artist Signature at the same time.

Considered alternative were the AVII series, but I cannot stand the binding on their necks plus I have noticed some QA issues with these that I consider unacceptable for the inconsistent advertised moniker and high price.

Eventually I opted for this “Flea” signature model that won me on its looks and final price.

After receiving it in a well padded carton, along the “gig-bag”, I proceeded with setting up the action and doing a little truss-rod adjustment as i was expecting. Nothing serious, intonation was okay but there is no truss-rod adjustment slot on the body so the neck has to be removed.

After all I am very happy with this MiM, it feels a very good workhorse, not a boutique one has to be afraid if it gets some sweat, dust and scratches when played: one day I might carve that truss-rod slot myself, if ever needed again 😎 because of frequent touring.

The sound is great, the knobs works flawlessly and the overall build quality is almost excellent except for some - not really visible, but still - scratches almost on each fret probably due to some worker being too lazy to protect the wood while using a file…😒

The provided gig-bag is “cheapo-grande” with little storage and soft floppy padding, worth of being directly thrown in the rubbish bin: more bubble-wrap would have been useful to keep instead 😂 Better off ordering a good one or get a hard-case!

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Flea + Vintage + Fender Bass = ???

Jokerim 26.02.2021

I will try to keep it short. Buy this if yoy love Flea and the RHCP!
You can't go wrong with it.
It is beautiful, sounds so deep and thick, just like the Bass in the RHCP albums!
I love the road worn feel, makes it feel like a part of yourself, like an old friend.
I usually don't go for this finish, but I am glad I did!

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Fender Flea Sig Bass RDWRN SHP

Electric Bass