What should a new MIM Fender come with ?

[hamfist]

So what should a brand new MIM Fender bass actually come with these days ?

Just received one (which is actually faulty and will go back) in a non-Fender branded gigbag, no Fender box, no tools, no manual. Pretty shoddy for a more than £500 bass. I'm pretty sure the shop are pulling a slighly fast one on me, putting out a shop demo as a new one.

Edited January 22, 2013 by hamfist

[lojo]

Unless its changed, a fender gig bag , instructions and an allen key for the neck and saddles is about it anyway

[Judo Chop]

I bought one in November, the truss rod hole was rounded off and rusty, it didn't come with a manual, allen keys or a gig bag.
I returned it to Dawson's and the replacement came with an allen key that was too small to adjust the truss rod, but that one came with a manual.

[highwayone]

I bought a white P bass from a shop that I shall not name! and it was THE worst bass I've owned. It felt very cheap, factory set up was awful, frets were poor and rough at the ends and overall for £493 it was a bad investment. It didn't come with a fender bag, the shop gave me a cheap shoddy bag when I asked where the Fender bag was that was supposed to come with it. I had it overnight and took it back the next day and exchanged it for a different bass altogether.

[Delberthot]

Most Mex Fenders don't come with anything, unless it says so on the Fender website

[Dandelion]

Mine came with a slim manual, a tag tied on one of the tuning keys, one allen key for truss rod and one for bridge, and guarantee card. it was wrapped in a polythene bag, padded out with plenty of polystyrene in a fender branded cardboard box.

No gig bag though.

This bass originated from "samash" store in the USA.

[uncle psychosis]

This is an area Fender really need to improve on. Their Mexican basses don't come with a lot (I thought it was just manual / allen keys / tags) but because they don't make it clear it means that retailers just send any old junk and hope you'll accept it.

Edited January 22, 2013 by uncle psychosis

[xgsjx]

Do they come with strings?

[jezzaboy]

They used to have a thin gig bag with them but unless you are buying a "classic" model you get no bag which is pretty bad crack. A couple of alan keys and a generic set up guide and a cardboard box that`s your whack!

[bigjohn]

I my Precision Special (bought 2nd hand, but as new) came with a Fender Gig bag, Allen keys, guarantee card, Fender price tag (with barcode/model number) and a Fender cleaning cloth. Then again, this bass cost £599 new in 2001. So you'd expect some candy. The P Bass Upgrade I bought similarly as new, just came with a Fender gig bag.

My guess is that some MIMs come with candy, some don't. Some have their candy pilfered on way from factory to customer, some don't. So yeah, because of that people don't know what you're supposed to get, unlike with every US where you expect a hard case, strap, lead, manual, allen keys, truss rod adjuster etc.

What do you get with a Japanese bass when new?

Edited January 22, 2013 by bigjohn

[MrTaff]

[quote name='hamfist' timestamp='1358838447' post='1945737']
I'm pretty sure the shop are pulling a slighly fast one on me, putting out a shop demo as a new one.
[/quote]

Loads of shops do this, they think it's ok to sell the one off the wall that everybodies played & still claim it's new.

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='MrTaff' timestamp='1358853831' post='1945950']
Loads of shops do this, they think it's ok to sell the one off the wall that everybodies played & still claim it's new.
[/quote]

On the flipside, I've happily bought the shop "display" model because I don't see the point in saying "yeah, this one plays nice, now give me a totally different unseen one thats boxed up through in the back...". [b]As long as a shop looks after its gear[/b] I have no problem with them selling the display ones as new.

[MrTaff]

Which is ok if you know it's a demo model and you've had a chance to inspect it but if you order a new bass online I'd expect it to be new.

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='MrTaff' timestamp='1358857385' post='1946025']
Which is ok if you know it's a demo model and you've had a chance to inspect it but if you order a new bass online I'd expect it to be new.
[/quote]

The Distance Selling Regs exist to allow you to inspect an instrument. I don't have a problem with shops shipping the instrument from the shop floor so long as they've looked after it. Its a personal thing though. Some people get really picky about it---"I want an unplayed one" but forget that it's probably already been played at the factory and maybe again by the shop staff if they set it up before sending it out.

[MrTaff]

Don't you still have to pay return postage in that case?

Besides there's a difference between somebody in a factory testing it & being played every kid that walks in the door, electrical shops wouldn't get away with selling ex-demo as new, why should music shops?

Edited January 22, 2013 by MrTaff

[barkin]

[quote name='highwayone' timestamp='1358840293' post='1945750']
I bought a white P bass from a shop that I shall not name! and it was THE worst bass I've owned. It felt very cheap, factory set up was awful, frets were poor and rough at the ends and overall for £493 it was a bad investment. It didn't come with a fender bag, the shop gave me a cheap shoddy bag when I asked where the Fender bag was that was supposed to come with it. I had it overnight and took it back the next day and exchanged it for a different bass altogether.
[/quote]

Similar-ish story here - I was looking at things at that sort of price point a while back, and after trying several MIM Fenders in a couple of different shops I just couldn't convince myself that I'd be spending my money wisely.

Ended up taking a punt on a used Tanglewater Classic J from here (at half the price) which I'm very very pleased with.

[hamfist]

Sadly I'm not surprised by the apparently huge inconsistency in what people receive with their MIM Fenders. Not Fender's fault. It's just a pity the modern electrical musical instrument trade has attracted so many crap dealers. If you bought a violin of any price, I'll bet no traditional musical instrument shop would try and rip you off quite in the same way as most of the household name big dealers that we deal with.

[highwayone]

[quote name='barkin' timestamp='1358875489' post='1946413']


Similar-ish story here - I was looking at things at that sort of price point a while back, and after trying several MIM Fenders in a couple of different shops I just couldn't convince myself that I'd be spending my money wisely.

Ended up taking a punt on a used Tanglewater Classic J from here (at half the price) which I'm very very pleased with.
[/quote]

That's what I swapped it for! Lovely sounding bass.

[joeystrange]

I bought mine in 2011 and it came with a manual, two allen keys, guarantee info and a padded Fender gigbag. Oh, and a Fender sticker too.

The factory setup was actually pretty decent but there was a cold solder joint on the tone pot that caused it to have barely any output. In fact I think the joint was oxidised or something because it was green!
Anyway, As I was planning on replacing all of the electronics anyway, that didn't bother me. I probably would have at least tried to get some cash back otherwise.

EDIT: Just remembered that I found out a little whille later that the saddle on the E string kept dropping right down every time I played it too. By then it was too late to expect the retailer or Fender to do anything about it as I went a while without playing it whilst I was waiting for new pickups. A very nice guy on another forum sent me a bridge for nothing though, which was really nice.

Edited January 23, 2013 by joeystrange

[Adrenochrome]

Wow, the only basses I've ever bought were around the 200-250 mark and all came with Allen Keys and basic instructions at least, in pristine condition and well set up.

[Mylkinut]

[quote name='joeystrange' timestamp='1358936283' post='1947188']
I bought mine in 2011 and it came with a manual, two allen keys, guarantee info and a padded Fender gigbag. Oh, and a Fender sticker too.
[/quote]

Yup, a bandmate of mine bought a MIM Strat and it came with all of this, plus a fender cloth (but no sticker ). I'd assumed this is just what they came with, sad to see so many short changed...