What to do about Niggles?

[KiOgon]

The latest from the shop & from Fender - very quick response, can't moan about that!

"Hi John

I have had an email back from Fender in relation to your guitar. It reads:

Hi Rob,
Thanks for your email.

I can see from the pictures that the truss rod slot is not quite in line with the strings and seems to be slightly off centre. This should not actually cause any problems with the playability of the guitar and should just be a cosmetic issue. It is also possible that the string tree is slightly redirecting the string a little towards the nut to make this appear worse than it is. The truss rod itself will still function as it should and the neck should not be affected.

With regard to the pickguard, it is possible that this has had either a wire or something similar causing it to bend slightly. If this is causing problems I can arrange for a new one to be sent to yourselves, subject to confirmation of a valid serial number.

Finally, I have checked the details of the extras that are supplied with this model but it does not appear to include a polishing cloth. It should have had a tweed case, strap, cable and bridge/pickup covers

If you'd like to send us the serial number, I can arrange for a replacement scratchplate to be sent over if necessary.

Best regards

Rob"

Not exactly admitting their QC is crap is it?

EDIT: I forgot to mention in my list of niggles that the 'Polishing Cloth' detailed in the Fender spec was also missing.
From the Fender specs:
Accessories
Case Gig Bags: Vintage Tweed Case
Included Accessories: Vintage Tweed Case, Strap, Cable, (Chrome Bridge and Pickup Covers are Unmounted and Included in the Kit)
Polishing Cloth: Polishing Cloth Included
Control Knobs: Chrome Knurled Style

I can live without a Fender duster I suppose

Edited October 12, 2010 by KiOgon

[Musicman20]

Where did you get it from?

It doesnt matter if they think its acceptable, its whether you do

If there is space for a credit card between the neck and body, Id just say its not acceptable.

[KiOgon]

Changing the subject I've just been to the greenhouse & got some bits for a Chilli con carne tonight!

[KiOgon]

[quote name='Musicman20' post='985862' date='Oct 12 2010, 04:11 PM']Where did you get it from?

It doesnt matter if they think its acceptable, its whether you do

If there is space for a credit card between the neck and body, Id just say its not acceptable.[/quote]
No room for a credit card at .030", I can just get the corner of a .012" business card in, on the E side, G side is OK, like I said I can live with that, it ain't perfect but I've seen far worse. Difficult to 'photo;

[lanark]

[quote name='chris_b' post='985722' date='Oct 12 2010, 01:55 PM']I'm assuming you can't take it back, so:
1. It's a Fender
2. Take the pick guard off and see what the problem is.
3. It's a Fender.
4. It's a Fender.
5. It's a Fender.

Number 2 I'd get checked out but the rest?!! If all my "problems" were as inconsequential as these![/quote]

If I had those problems on a Squier it would be reason enough to send it back, never mind its more expensive, illustrious parent. Just shows that the name is no guarantee that you're not going to get a friday afternoon lemon.

[Doctor J]

[quote]is also possible that the string tree is slightly redirecting the string a little towards the nut[/quote]

Isn't that what it's suppose to do?

If the truss rod really is off-centre I'd take pictures with the strings off and a ruler measuring to each side of the neck. He calls it a "cosmetic issue" but that's just crap workmanship which is not on for that kind of money.

[Cat Burrito]

Fender's QC can occasionally be a bit hit & miss. If it plays great I probably wouldn't worry BUT everyone is different and now is the time to shout. You could just go for a full refund. I too can confirm the logos were like that in the 50s but the rest is just poor workmanship. None of it is life or death but it is enough to take the edge off an instrument for some people. It's also the danger of buying online occasionally. A roadtest instore could have cured your GAS for this bass.

[chris_b]

Well. I guess that I'm still in a minority here.

I'd get the scratch plate sorted but the other stuff? The truss rod plug is 2 mm to the right? Sorry but how can that even register on the problem scale? Why does a truss rod have to be exactly center? There are tolerances in all manufacturing processes. The neck pocket looks better than many that I've seen and it's way better than my Precision. Leo Fender wouldn't know what you were talking about if you took that back to him! It's only guys like Sadowsky who make exactly fitting neck pockets. Fender has never offered that!

You definitely haven't got a Friday afternoon bass. If it was you'd have one or more of the following; buzzing frets, intonation problems, misaligned bridge/ tuners/neck/pickups, marks in the paint work, etc etc. What you've got is a bass that plays well and sounds good so it sounds like a good Fender to me.

[Slipperydick]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='985795' date='Oct 12 2010, 02:51 PM']Yep, spoken to & yes measured it's 4.25mm nearer the G side.

When I 'phoned to buy, the guy said is was "factory fresh" not ex-demo or display & [b]he would check it over before it went out the door![/b]

The shop seem OK about it & I'm not too unhappy about it, as said it plays very nicely, the neck pocket I can live with, I think it looks worse 'cos it's white against maple, can just get a corner of a business card in at the top of the E side.[/quote]


Pickguard/Knobs issue makes me wonder if it been taken off to sort out a snag.

Been caught out like this myself. Bet you if you ask for another one, they'll say they aint got one ands wont have for weeks. If you get a refund, could you get another at the same price elsewhere ?

Long shot, but would they be prepared to pay for it to be checked out by another dealer local to yourself ?

Up to you, but unless it plays really well, and you really love it, I'd send it back.

You could always contact Fender and see what they have to say.

[mcnach]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='985695' date='Oct 12 2010, 01:35 PM']Ok I'm a fussy old bastard but why shouldn't I be? This cost a lot of beer tickets & I've got a few niggles, what to do?

Pickguard, doesn't sit flush on the body around the pots - I think there might be a wire trapped under but don't want to take it off yet to see. The knobs were fitted oddly, one high one low almost scratching the surface, not quite, so I've raised/lowered those OK.

Neck pocket fit - not perfect but I can live with that, (I think).

Fender decal - I can see & feel that it's 'stuck on top of the laquer', I don't know if that's how they do it on Nitro finishes?

Truss rod hole/infill at top of neck - Is not in the middle, I didn't notice it at first but it's one of those things that once you notice it's there in your face every time you pick it up!

Apart from above - it's beautiful & plays very very nicely

Photo's not brilliant I know but I tried to show what I mean. Your opinions please?

Cheerz, John[/quote]


personally, the pickguard I'd look at myself... it could be a very minor thing easily corrected.

but the neck pocket fit would be clearly the most important. If it's not right (and there are no pictures here to see), I'd send it for a replacement. Not a cheap bass! Some things I can live with, cosmetics, but a neck/body fit is an essential part of the instrument.

edit: ah, just saw the neck thing... not as bad as I had imagined... in fact, and this is the sad part... it's not terribly unusual to have those gaps on Fenders... no guarantee next one would be better

Edited October 12, 2010 by mcnach

[bh2]

Looks okay to me!

[Musicman20]

Neck pocket isnt really bad, but it isnt as good as it should be. As I mentioned in my PM, three of the recent ones Ive had (2 have been traded) had SUPER tight neck pockets...like perfection!

I am super picky, but we all spend hard earned cash and deserve a well crafted instrument.

If this was a Squire, I wouldnt be suprised....but Im guessing this was around £1300-1400?

[BassBod]

The scratchplate issue needs sorting - that's one for the dealer to do (properly!). Others wouldn't bother me, as long as the neck won't budge (even with reasonable provocation) and it plays well and sounds good. I actually don't like neck pockets that are super tight - especially with nitro paint!

Good luck

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='KiOgon' post='985851' date='Oct 12 2010, 04:02 PM']"Hi John

I have had an email back from Fender in relation to your guitar. It reads:

Hi Rob,
Thanks for your email.

I can see from the pictures that the truss rod slot is not quite in line with the strings and seems to be slightly off centre. This should not actually cause any problems with the playability of the guitar and should just be a cosmetic issue. It is also possible that the string tree is slightly redirecting the string a little towards the nut to make this appear worse than it is. The truss rod itself will still function as it should and the neck should not be affected.

With regard to the pickguard, it is possible that this has had either a wire or something similar causing it to bend slightly. If this is causing problems I can arrange for a new one to be sent to yourselves, subject to confirmation of a valid serial number.

Finally, I have checked the details of the extras that are supplied with this model but it does not appear to include a polishing cloth. It should have had a tweed case, strap, cable and bridge/pickup covers

If you'd like to send us the serial number, I can arrange for a replacement scratchplate to be sent over if necessary.

Best regards

Rob"[/quote]

That's pathetic imo. I personally think they're just hoping you'll go away by telling you it's no big deal. If the bass had come with a massive scratch down the side, I would also say that was probably a "cosmetic issue" too. Does that mean it's still non-returnable!? f*** no! Tell them that you're not just going to let them get away with it, no matter how minor they try to make it seem.

[thodrik]

It all seems pretty annoying. Finding one of the problems is pretty common on a Fender. Finding about three is just unlucky. If it really irks you I would return it. I don't think the truss is really a problem though, more the pick guard and the neck pocket (which doesn't look that bad). Of course if you send it back you might get one that has none of those issues, except the fretwork isn't as good. I doubt that would happen though, I'm just thinking about what would happen if I sent it back!

[gary mac]

I think if the issues you have detailed are enough to spoil your enjoyment of the bass, then it should go back.

I don't see why any of us should accept shoddy workmanship.

I know sometimes it doesn't seem worth all the hassle of returning stuff but this is exactly why dodgy quality control exists.
If Fender or any other manufacturer couldn't shift their less than perfect instruments, then I'm sure they would soon stop being made, quality control would suddenly improve dramatically and there would be a whole lot of very much happier musicians.

Oh for an ideal world.


Anyway hope you get it resolved to your satisfaction.

[KiOgon]

[quote name='lanark' post='985908' date='Oct 12 2010, 04:45 PM']If I had those problems on a Squier it would be reason enough to send it back, never mind its more expensive, illustrious parent. Just shows that the name is no guarantee that you're not going to get a friday afternoon lemon.[/quote]
Definitely not a lemon - looks lovely, plays & sounds great!


[quote name='BurritoBass' post='985985' date='Oct 12 2010, 05:52 PM']Fender's QC can occasionally be a bit hit & miss. If it plays great I probably wouldn't worry BUT everyone is different and now is the time to shout. You could just go for a full refund. I too can confirm the logos were like that in the 50s but the rest is just poor workmanship. None of it is life or death but it is enough to take the edge off an instrument for some people. It's also the danger of buying online occasionally. A roadtest instore could have cured your GAS for this bass.[/quote]
In this case instore roadtest probably wouldn't have helped, I didn't notice a couple of these things for a day or three!


[quote name='chris_b' post='986000' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:03 PM']Well. I guess that I'm still in a minority here.

I'd get the scratch plate sorted but the other stuff? The truss rod plug is 2 mm to the right? Sorry but how can that even register on the problem scale? Why does a truss rod have to be exactly center? There are tolerances in all manufacturing processes. The neck pocket looks better than many that I've seen and it's way better than my Precision. Leo Fender wouldn't know what you were talking about if you took that back to him! It's only guys like Sadowsky who make exactly fitting neck pockets. Fender has never offered that!

You definitely haven't got a Friday afternoon bass. If it was you'd have one or more of the following; buzzing frets, intonation problems, misaligned bridge/ tuners/neck/pickups, marks in the paint work, etc etc. What you've got is a bass that plays well and sounds good so it sounds like a good Fender to me.[/quote]
Agreed!


[quote name='Johnston' post='986011' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:09 PM']I'd agree with that . My MIM Dirnt has a few things but it plays great and unless you look really hard you don't know so why worry. IT looks like the neck pocket is sloppy too, tried loosening the neck recently to adjust the rod and it is in there tight no matter how it looks.

How long have you had it for anyway before you noticed things?

Edit to add. Thats a 50's isn't it. Are they not poly with the RW version being Nitro?[/quote]
It was delivered last Friday - spent most of the weekend playing it - started noticing things after a day or three! It's a '57 re-issue, American Vintage series, definitely Nitro Cellulose, body & neck laquer.


[quote name='Slipperydick' post='986017' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:14 PM']Pickguard/Knobs issue makes me wonder if it been taken off to sort out a snag.

Been caught out like this myself. Bet you if you ask for another one, they'll say they aint got one ands wont have for weeks. If you get a refund, could you get another at the same price elsewhere ?

Long shot, but would they be prepared to pay for it to be checked out by another dealer local to yourself ?

Up to you, but unless it plays really well, and you really love it, I'd send it back.

You could always contact Fender and see what they have to say.[/quote]
Yep - long time for a replacement & No I don't think I'll ever get another at that price.

[quote name='mcnach' post='986018' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:14 PM']personally, the pickguard I'd look at myself... it could be a very minor thing easily corrected.

but the neck pocket fit would be clearly the most important. If it's not right (and there are no pictures here to see), I'd send it for a replacement. Not a cheap bass! Some things I can live with, cosmetics, but a neck/body fit is an essential part of the instrument.

edit: ah, just saw the neck thing... not as bad as I had imagined... in fact, and this is the sad part... it's not terribly unusual to have those gaps on Fenders... no guarantee next one would be better[/quote]
Will be sorting the pickguard myself & yep the neck pocket ain't bad.

[quote name='bh2' post='986044' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:37 PM']Looks okay to me![/quote]
Yep - me too!

[quote name='Musicman20' post='986049' date='Oct 12 2010, 06:42 PM']Neck pocket isnt really bad, but it isnt as good as it should be. As I mentioned in my PM, three of the recent ones Ive had (2 have been traded) had SUPER tight neck pockets...like perfection!

I am super picky, but we all spend hard earned cash and deserve a well crafted instrument.

If this was a Squire, I wouldnt be suprised....but Im guessing this was around £1300-1400?[/quote]
£1400 + a bit!

[quote name='BassBod' post='986096' date='Oct 12 2010, 07:24 PM']The scratchplate issue needs sorting - that's one for the dealer to do (properly!). Others wouldn't bother me, as long as the neck won't budge (even with reasonable provocation) and it plays well and sounds good. I actually don't like neck pockets that are super tight - especially with nitro paint!

Good luck[/quote]
I don't think any dealer could sort it as well as I can myself TBH, Yep - good point about a little bit of slack with the nitro paint!

Thanks to everyone for their input, I'll be sorting the pickguard as soon as my new strings arrive (unless I get impatient) & unless there's a horror story underneath, I think I'll be keeping it. It looks like Fender are sending a replacement pickguard, that'll be handy!

Cheerz, John

[Musicman20]

When Ive returned Fender's (one turned up with rusty pole pieces and a bit of damage near the neck) I just asked for a complete replacement. That was at £850 ish. At £1400 plus, Id be expecting them to do even more for me, eg send a new one AND make sure they pay for all the courier costs and send you some freebies. Luckily all basses since a year ago have been bought through one store, and they treat me excellently.

It is all down to you mate, but please dont accept it if its niggling you enough to make a thread on it. Im just trying to help a fellow bassist out; id hate you to lose money later down the line.

BTW - I reckon if you barter you can easily get one for £1400 or less....offer the cash and they will accept! Bass specialists especially.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Musicman20

[retroman]

[quote name='gary mac' post='986130' date='Oct 12 2010, 07:48 PM']I think if the issues you have detailed are enough to spoil your enjoyment of the bass, then it should go back.

I don't see why any of us should accept shoddy workmanship.

I know sometimes it doesn't seem worth all the hassle of returning stuff but this is exactly why dodgy quality control exists.
If Fender or any other manufacturer couldn't shift their less than perfect instruments, then I'm sure they would soon stop being made, quality control would suddenly improve dramatically and there would be a whole lot of very much happier musicians.

Oh for an ideal world.


Anyway hope you get it resolved to your satisfaction.[/quote]

Big +1

[CHRISDABASS]

i think the fact that you started a thread about it tells me you're not happy with it at all!

These niggles are unlikely to go away as your first impressions will stay with you!

dont feel pressured to keep it! the customer is always right!

[PURPOLARIS]

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='986250' date='Oct 12 2010, 09:12 PM']i think the fact that you started a thread about it tells me you're not happy with it at all!

These niggles are unlikely to go away as your first impressions will stay with you!

dont feel pressured to keep it! the customer is always right! [/quote]


I would have been pissed off if I'd got a Squier with a neck pocket like that, I certainly wouldn't accept it in a £1400 + Bass. I own a high end Fender and the pocket and overall workmanship is top quality. If people keep accepting sub quality products Fender will keep on supplying them.

[Alfie]

[quote name='CHRISDABASS' post='986250' date='Oct 12 2010, 09:12 PM']i think the fact that you started a thread about it tells me you're not happy with it at all!

These niggles are unlikely to go away as your first impressions will stay with you!

dont feel pressured to keep it! the customer is always right! [/quote]

And if you don't keep it then let us know which shop you got it from.

I would keep it if I was you, little quirks are just part of the identity of the instrument.

[Slipperydick]

If you like it, and are prepared to keep it-have you tried contacting the dealer to see if they'll knock a few quid off as a goodwill gesture ? No harm in asking is there ?

I got fifty quid back once cos a cab turned up with a cracked plastic corner trim. Not a lot I know, but it all helps.

[chris_b]

We dig at Fender because their QC can be quite erratic, but they can make basses that don't have issues.

I think that for this money you have to be happier than you are. I didn't realise you have only had this bass for about 4 days so you have a window of opportunity to send the bass back. Maybe you should.

[ThomBassmonkey]

How does it play and sound?

If you're happy with how it plays and sounds then it's just down to whether or not the niggles will spoil your enjoyment of the instrument.