Fender - I love your basses, but why so sloppy?

[Clarky72]

You make amazing instruments, but why can't you finish a top end instrument off properly? This is a 60th Anniversary Jazz, no cheapy, and look at the state of it under the plate. No sexy plate-free Jaco action will be happening here. They couldn't have routed both pickup slots tight and drilled through to the cavity instead? I won't even start about the locating hole for the router! Meh....

Still it sounds great, has a lovely tone, and plays like silk, but just looks pants without it's cover... shame on you Fender!!

Edited October 24, 2013 by Clarky72

[Happy Jack]

Took me a while to notice the issues with the bass. I was trying to work out what was happening with the jeans ...

[BigRedX]

There won't be any "Jaco action" going on anyway - it's got frets.

[Clarky72]

Haha... what wrong with my legs? Ok, yeah it is fretted, but they look so nice without the plate. If only...

[bh2]

Fenders eh?... expensive mass produced bolt on bits and pieces.

[Clarky72]

I was waiting for the anti-Fender people to find this!

[Karnage]

Sometimes they use one routing pattern for multiple options (why the excess was covered with a scratch plate in some cases) and as in the 60s they probably did exactly that, the re-issue has to repeat all the bad bits as well as the good bits!

I know what you mean about the non-scratchplate look though, it's pretty cool.

[KiOgon]

I thought only MiMs were like that under the covers shame - makes it look like a cheap copy body definitely not a good look

[Clarky72]

No, my mate's US Deluxe is the same under the cover too.... :/

[BigRedX]

But "Leo got it right", he doesn't want you to take the scratch plate off. (Or the bridge and pickup covers, and he wants you to play with your thumb using the tug bar.)

Edited October 24, 2013 by BigRedX

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1382603980' post='2254123']
But "Leo got it right", he doesn't want you to take the scratch plate off. (Or the bridge and pickup covers, and he wants you to play with your thumb using the tug bar.)
[/quote]

He also wants you to use those enormous chrome covers that make playing the instrument utterly impossible...

[xilddx]

I'm just wondering about that box that seems to be attached to your knob, what does it do?

[Twigman]

Another reason to love Warmoth licensed bodies. They always rout the pickups tight and drill through to the cavity.

[Clarky72]

keeps my knob in tune... oh, is that not normal?

[bh2]

I first saw that routing on an expensive RI and thought WTF?

I really don't know why fender do that on these.

The CV Squier has the same... pity.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='Karnage' timestamp='1382602612' post='2254095']
Sometimes they use one routing pattern for multiple options (why the excess was covered with a scratch plate in some cases)Also as in the 60s they probably did exactly that, the re-issue has to repeat all the bad bits as well as the good bits!

I know what you mean about the non-scratchplate look though, it's pretty cool.
[/quote]

An example of why it's worth more to get an imported CIJ jazz. My 62RI has the 'clean' route, and I haven't seen one that hasn't.

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1382602987' post='2254104']
No, my mate's US Deluxe is the same under the cover too.... :/
[/quote]

It's just a cheap cost cutting measure, I make a point of asking to to see underneath the P/G to see the routing when buying.

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1382604328' post='2254128']


He also wants you to use those enormous chrome covers that make playing the instrument utterly impossible...
[/quote]

Also impossible to restring in a sensible amount of time.

[CHRISDABASS]

I wonder how much money / red paint they save by not doing the 3 tone burst on the bottom horn??

[Clarky72]

Yeah annoying isn't it!!

[BigRedX]

Being serious now. On nearly every other solid electric instrument the scratch plate is there to cover up the routing channels for the electrical components. Removing it on most other instruments would reveal far worse than you are seeing here.

[Clarky72]

You are right, just a shame they do it properly but can be lazy these days on all but Custom Shop builds....

[EliasMooseblaster]

[quote name='Clarky72' timestamp='1382605917' post='2254176']
keeps my knob in tune... oh, is that not normal?
[/quote]

Just seems a bit much when you've only got one string to tune...

[AntLockyer]

This is why I bought a VM Squier because it doesn't have the ugly hogged out body.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='AntLockyer' timestamp='1382610911' post='2254276']
This is why I bought a VM Squier because it doesn't have the ugly hogged out body.
[/quote]

Exactly. The VM Squire is designed without a scratch plate.

Ever taken the scratch plate off a "traditional" Fender Stratocaster? Even the ones that don't have the "swimming pool" route are far worse than what's shown in the OP.

[Graham]

Does Fender's poor quality control make them good for metal? At leas they're not as expensive as a Fodera etc

[Musicman20]

It would be fantastic if they released a non-plate Jazz, with an option of the control plate, in some awesome colours, and not charge custom prices.

Mind you, we all wanted a USA P/J, and they have answered this, in a very expensive way!