'3 Bolt' Fenders...

[AndyTravis]

Just a thought.

When Fender changed to the 3 bolt/micro tilt necks for their strats, jazz basses and telecaster customs; why didn't they change precision basses?

Just something which has puzzled me tonight.

Was there ever an answer?

[arthurhenry]

Good question. The 3 bolt was first introduced on the second version of the Tele bass in '72 and the Jazz followed. I would imagine it was more expensive to produce, due to the micro-tilt system, but I've heard of players being put off by a percieved lack of stability (never an issue in my experience).

[AndyTravis]

The 'standard' teles didn't change either.

Just odd how the two 'stalwarts' didn't change...

[4 Strings]

Was it more to do with the 'deluxe' nature of the guitars so fitted, the Precision not being in this category?

It was soon dropped but reappeared in the early Musicman basses. Works fine, means no need for slivers of plastic milk carton in the neck pocket.

[merlin]

No problems here.or have I just dealt the kiss of death ?

[AndyTravis]

Music man and G&L both did it.

I just wondered why the precision never got 'that' treatment...

[AndyTravis]

[quote name='4 Strings' timestamp='1365981192' post='2046992']
Was it more to do with the 'deluxe' nature of the guitars so fitted
[/quote]

This works for me.

[Geek99]

Mine is rock solid

[BigRedX]

While the idea of the 3-bolt neck and the micro-tilt adjustment system was in principal a pretty good one, the problem was that the production tolerances and quality control being implemented at Fender in the 70s simply wasn't up to the task.

The micro-tilt works by having the tilt screw push against a round metal plate in the neck. However unless the plate had been fitted perfectly flat with the bottom of the neck, when the tilt screw pushed against it, instead of just pushing up it would tend to push sideways as well. This wouldn't have been too much of an issue if it wasn't for the fact that at the same time Fender neck pockets were less than a snug fit (and becoming even larger as the decade went on) which of course meant that the sideways force of the tilt screw actually had somewhere to go. Every single 3-bolt Fender instrument that came into the shop where I helped-out in the late 70s had necks at various jaunty angles.

It isn't a problem for other makes because they were using new tools and jigs for production instead of the very worn ones that Fender had in the 70s, and modern basses are made to much higher tolerances these days.

[chris_b]

If Fender save 50c for every bolt they don't put on and they make 100,000 instruments a year they save $50,000, every year.

It all adds up.

Fenders attitude was we'll save money until we see anything going wrong. Which was why Leo, against all advice, started selling his first guitars without truss rods.

[BigRedX]

I'm pretty sure that the 3-bolt neck was more production and labour intensive than the standard one.

[chris_b]

In this case I think you're probably right.

[xilddx]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1366014980' post='2047164']
While the idea of the 3-bolt neck and the micro-tilt adjustment system was in principal a pretty good one, the problem was that the production tolerances and quality control being implemented at Fender in the 70s simply wasn't up to the task.

The micro-tilt works by having the tilt screw push against a round metal plate in the neck. However unless the plate had been fitted perfectly flat with the bottom of the neck, when the tilt screw pushed against it, instead of just pushing up it would tend to push sideways as well. This wouldn't have been too much of an issue if it wasn't for the fact that at the same time Fender neck pockets were less than a snug fit (and becoming even larger as the decade went on) which of course meant that the sideways force of the tilt screw actually had somewhere to go. Every single 3-bolt Fender instrument that came into the shop where I helped-out in the late 70s had necks at various jaunty angles.

It isn't a problem for other makes because they were using new tools and jigs for production instead of the very worn ones that Fender had in the 70s, and modern basses are made to much higher tolerances these days.
[/quote]
Fender had a punch press for the discs and if they were punched off centre which happened often, they'd use a hand router to widen the neck socket. That's why so many you'll see have the G dropping off the neck.

[arthurhenry]

Also worth noting that the Precision never adopted the bullet truss rod either.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='AndyTravis' timestamp='1365977247' post='2046936']
Just a thought.

When Fender changed to the 3 bolt/micro tilt necks for their strats, jazz basses and telecaster customs; why didn't they change precision basses?

Just something which has puzzled me tonight.

Was there ever an answer?
[/quote]

As I remember, Deluxe teles come with a carved heel with a micro-tilt, so they are those odd rounded 4 bolt ones. No idea though.

[arthurhenry]

What is the deluxe Tele - a guitar? '72 Tele bass was the first for 3 bolt.

[MiltyG565]

[quote name='arthurhenry' timestamp='1366053646' post='2047840']
What is the deluxe Tele - a guitar? '72 Tele bass was the first for 3 bolt.
[/quote]

Yes, it's a guitar.

[3below]

G&L SB1 3 bolt 1985 - rock solid neck joint and the tilt made setup easy. Opinion based on 23 years in my possession. Are 3 bolts one too many? my 1979 Kramer DMZ 4001 has two bolts, it is also dead stable.

[BigRedX]

I believe that there is an acoustic guitar manufacturer that has a single bolt neck joint (Taylor?)

There's nothing wrong with a 3-bolt system, just that Fender's build quality in the 70s wasn't good enough for it to be consistently reliable.

[MiltyG565]

My acoustic has a 2 bolt bolt-on neck.