Venting frustration - brand new bass arrives with inplayable set up.

[chriswareham]

OK, it's "only" a Squier Precision Classic Vibe, but surely any new bass should arrive with a reasonably playable set up. In this case, it's impossible to play a note at the first fret on the E and A strings - they just buzz. It looks like the nut slots have been cut too low, and the bridge saddles are cranked up so high to compensate that the action at body end of the neck is ridiculous. That string height also means the pickup is way too far from the strings to be optimal.

 

Checking the website of the vendor (not naming names, but they're UK based and big), they state they only do a pre-shipping set up "on request". Surely that should be standard practice without needing someone to dig through support pages to find out. They claim they do "quality control" before shipping, but clearly no one actually tried playing the bass, so I assume that's a quick visual inspection.

 

[Bunion]

Quick phone call and send it back would be my advice, either for a set up or a refund, take your custom elsewhere. 

[chriswareham]

Foolishly I recycled the packaging before actually trying the bass, and I'm not sure if they'll accept a return if it's not in the original packaging. I have raised a support ticket with them, and I'm hoping I can persuade them to refund me the cost of a basic set up. Although if it needs a new nut then that's going to be more than a basic set up...

[Grimalkin]

I set them all up myself as soon as they have arrived basically.

[Paul S]

6 minutes ago, Grimalkin said:

I set them all up myself as soon as they have arrived basically.

 

I say, well done.

[Grimalkin]

11 minutes ago, Paul S said:

 

I say, well done.

 

It's nowhere near rocket science...

[chriswareham]

I can tweak a set up that's already in the ball park, but removing the nut on this bass looks a bit of an effort as they clearly applied a final finish once the nut was installed. Removing it would likely need considerable care, and I've never had to prepare a new nut before - I assume they either come unslotted or need a fair bit of work.

Edited October 23, 2022 by chriswareham

[Grimalkin]

4 minutes ago, chriswareham said:

I can tweak a set up that's already in the ball park, but removing the nut on this bass looks a bit of an effort as they clearly applied a final finish once the nut was installed. Removing it would likely need considerable care, and I've never had to prepare a new nut before - I assume they either come unslotted or need a fair bit of work.

 

How much neck relief has the bass got?

 

I fret the first fret on the E string (F) then put my elbow on the string at the last fret, and visualise and feel by pressing at the 9th fret, to gauge what the relief is. By eye alone is tricky, so it's useful to feel the gap too.

[Doctor J]

Factory setups are a waste of time. The temperature and humidity of wherever it was made and setup is likely entirely different from where you are, meaning it will go all out of shape by the time it gets to you. I'm guessing it was out of tune, too? Learn how to do a setup. It's very, very easy. There are countless resources on youtube which show how easy it is. If you can change a lightbulb, you can set up a bass. The neck will usually need a gentle tweak twice a year, anyway. Save yourself time and money for the rest of your life and do it yourself.

[Cato]

Sounds like a QC fail at the factory. If it's a big retailer I'm sure they'll sort a replacement for you, even without the box.

 

Years ago I had a Squire Jazz bass from Anderton's that arrived with a dead neck pickup, they replaced it with no hesitation or additional costs on my part. I just gave the broken bass back to the same courier who dropped off the replacement.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Cato

[Reggaebass]

I’m happy to, and expect to do a basic setup on a bass I’ve ordered because I play with a very low action, but if the nut needs work or replacing then to me that’s a manufacturer fault and should be returned and refunded, or exchanged for one your happy with 

[Doctor J]

Now, you say it's impossible to play at the first fret, but blame the nut. Do the strings choke when played open or do they buzz when you play the first fret.

 

If they choke on the first fret when played open, have a look at how the E and A strings are sitting on the string posts. There is supposed to be a decent break angle of the string over the nut which means the string actually rises slightly as it leaves the nut. If the strings approach the nut quite straight, if the strings are sitting high on the tuning posts, they will choke on the first fret. Loosen the strings and push the windings down towards the headstock, then tune up, making sure they don't just lift again.

 

It would be very, very rare for an instrument arrive with a nut cut too low. They usually leave them way too high.

 

If they are ok when played open but buzz at the first fret, it's likely the truss rod is too tight, causing the neck to arch back slightly. The easy way to check is to sit the bass on your lap as if you were playing it and hold the E string down at the first and last fret. There should be a very small - business card width - gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the frets at around the 8th and 9th frets. If there is no clearance there at all, loosening the truss rod slightly should cure that.

 

Take pictures and post if you're not sure.

 

 

[Woodinblack]

I wouldn't expect a bass I bought to be setup how I wanted when I got it (unless I had asked for that), but I would expect it to be playable.

 

[BigRedX]

12 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

I wouldn't expect a bass I bought to be setup how I wanted when I got it (unless I had asked for that), but I would expect it to be playable.

 

This.

 

IMO there is no such thing as "a setup". Every setup is unique to the person who owns the bass. I wouldn't except a bass setup to my specifications be acceptable to anyone else looking for a "setup".

 

However as has been said I would expect any instrument to be playable, and if the nut has been cut too low that's a QC issue and the bass should never have left the factory that way, since the only way to rectify it is to fit a new properly cut nut.

[Linus27]

I bought a brand new Musicman Stingray from The Bass Centre in 1998 and no matter what setup it had, it would never stay in tune. Took the bass to Strings and Things and they confirmed the wood used on the neck was too soft, contained too much moisture and they replaced it with a new neck. Never had a problem with it after that. 

So worth pursuing as it could be a manufacturing fault.

[Old Horse Murphy]

If you don't think you can return it and it's definitely caused by nut slots being cut too low, a bit of bicarb of soda and superglue mixed together can be used to build up a nut slot carefully. It can then be filed again to suit. I've used this method before a few times and it's worked like a dream. 

[Guest]

.

Edited October 23, 2022 by Tobe

[PaulThePlug]

It's NEW... back it goes... don't make do... it will bug you forever more... presume you didn't pay to make-do?

Get on the blower! If ya binned the packaging, especualy the maim box, how hard is it to take back to a store and inspect what you are taking away in exchange? worth the effort.

[Maude]

Buy another and return this one for a refund in the new packaging. 

 

Effectively they'll be sending you a replacement that you'll pay a 100% deposit on, refundable once the defective bass is returned. 

[Downunderwonder]

48 minutes ago, Maude said:

Buy another and return this one for a refund in the new packaging. 

 

Effectively they'll be sending you a replacement that you'll pay a 100% deposit on, refundable once the defective bass is returned. 

Ding, ding, we have the answer.

[Guest]

16 hours ago, Doctor J said:

Factory setups are a waste of time. The temperature and humidity of wherever it was made and setup is likely entirely different from where you are, meaning it will go all out of shape by the time it gets to you. I'm guessing it was out of tune, too? Learn how to do a setup. It's very, very easy. There are countless resources on youtube which show how easy it is. If you can change a lightbulb, you can set up a bass. The neck will usually need a gentle tweak twice a year, anyway. Save yourself time and money for the rest of your life and do it yourself.

How does temperature and humidity affect nut height, action and intonation of a factory set up? The neck relief may change and if the manufacturer publishes the factory relief it’s the work of a moment to bring it back into line. Then a bit of experience (where “your” setup is relatively speaking) and you get to where you need to be quickly enough. And if there are wider issues - a hump in the fingerboard or high frets, for example, having a factory spec setup tells you something else is wrong.

 

I also didn’t detect any particular lack of setup knowledge from the OP, and even is there was, your mildly condescending reply didn’t really offer any help, did it?

[Doctor J]

Keep going

[chris_b]

Many box shifters raise an order with the distributor to ship directly to you, so they never see the instrument.

 

I agree, it's a factory set up issue, but the shop is the first line of responsibility for any issues, like badly cut nut.

[Ralf1e]

On 23/10/2022 at 16:08, chriswareham said:

OK, it's "only" a Squier Precision Classic Vibe, but surely any new bass should arrive with a reasonably playable set up. In this case, it's impossible to play a note at the first fret on the E and A strings - they just buzz. It looks like the nut slots have been cut too low, and the bridge saddles are cranked up so high to compensate that the action at body end of the neck is ridiculous. That string height also means the pickup is way too far from the strings to be optimal.

 

Checking the website of the vendor (not naming names, but they're UK based and big), they state they only do a pre-shipping set up "on request". Surely that should be standard practice without needing someone to dig through support pages to find out. They claim they do "quality control" before shipping, but clearly no one actually tried playing the bass, so I assume that's a quick visual inspection.

 

It sounds to me like the neck is not seated into its pocket properly as happens when sawdust is left under it making an incorrect angle. I have found this on new basses as well as older ones that never got a set up.

As others have said throw it back at them.

Or bring it to me and I will breath on it for you.

[TrypF]

For this kind of thing I'd do the work myself as the stress of repackaging, shipping it and waiting for a replacement would be too much of a faff. Like the other posters wrote, I'd check neck relief, string height, neck pocket, then the nut itself. I recently bought a Squier CV fretless Jazz that had control knobs that didn't grip properly. A new set ordered from AllParts cost a tenner or so - for the great deal I got on the bass, I didn't want to hassle the shop over something like that. If it is a nut problem, a GraphTech one is a great upgrade for very little cost anyway.