hiram.k.hackenbacker

1 hour ago, SpondonBassed said:

I have found this too.

If you submit more than one point or question to a customer support team, it is often the case that only the first part of the query is answered... if you're lucky.  Then the answer you get depends very much on the team's interpretation of what's been written.

As with GPs these days; it's usually better to deal with one issue at a time.  Still, you'd think that Hiram's two issues are related, ie; the sudden warping and the coincidental loss of thread contact with the adjuster.

Yes, quite. I’m going to get the old neck back from Rob and tackle Fender again once I have it back in my possession.

57 minutes ago, Cuzzie said:

@hiram.k.hackenbacker just read this whole thread, poor you, but great responses from all the chaos in BC here.

So today is the day for the Status Flea?!

I am going to selflessly promote a Fender/Status mash up I put together as a first time into guitar tinkering drilling holes from scratch and the like (Scary stuff!) and confidently say I bet yours will sound awesome, I like mine.

That looks fab.

Yes, I’m just about to head up to Colchester to collect it. I must admit I’m curious as to how a passive bass will sound with a bright new graphite neck on it. All my other Statii are active, so I don’t really know what to expect. 

7 minutes ago, SpondonBassed said:

I suppose it's closure of a sort.

They were aware of the way this happened overnight in a room in a house that (I assume) is well insulated and heat is regulated by thermostat?  Also the freely spinning truss rod nut?

Yes they were. I managed to restrain myself from firing off an immediate retort. I’ll respond tomorrow once I’ve had a think about it.

Surprise surprise, Fender have followed up their automated reply with an actual human response!

“Thank you for getting in touch and glad to hear you've been loving your Flea Bass up until now, looks as though that will have been caused by a dramatic turn in temperature or humidity and which has caused the neck to warp - thus resulting in an unplayable action! I'd get the bass over to a tech or local shop to get it tweaked back to it's former glory.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

2 minutes ago, timhiggins said:

That would be cool ,and I hope it all works out with the new neck..

Grangur seemed to have a very successful time rectifying a twisted neck in the repair section maybe he can do something with your old one if you have no luck with fender.   

Yes I read that thread. Very interesting process. Bit beyond my capabilities tho.

21 minutes ago, Monkey Steve said:

As I understand it, the Act can be quite subtle.  A lot of it is pinned on what is a reasonable expectation for the life of a product - in this case it's certainly reasonable to expect a truss rod to last for more than two years, and you can assume that any problem is the result of a faulty part or faulty installation at birth.  And to be clear, the claim is against the retailer for selling you a faulty bass, not against Fender for manufacturing a faulty bass.

So, even if the shop points at their guarantee, this doesn't give them any protection against selling you a faulty good in the first place.  They're only off the hook if you're clearly at fault...  In fact the main problem with this sort of thing is that because so few people make these sorts of claim they may genuinely not be aware of their legal obligations ans stick to the "no mate, two years, go away" defence for a while.

Once they accept this (and you may have to take them to court to prove your point) then their obligation is to get the goods back to the same condition that they should be in after a couple of years use.  Again, shouldn't be an issue for a bass neck, but this is often misunderstood for things like TVs and laptops where the manufacturer doesn't actually have to repair or replace it, they can simply give you what it would cost to buy a six year old TV or laptop that isn't broken (peanuts).

Worst case scenario, given that you have now replaced the neck - the shop asks for the opportunity to fix the truss rod, asks for the whole bass back, and then decides that they can't repair it and gives you the cost of a second hand two year old bass.

All noted. I’ll give them another nudge at the end of the week.

13 minutes ago, timhiggins said:

I would be interested to know how the graphite neck will affect the tone as i thought it might make things quite a bit brighter

do status no longer sell wood necks ?

They sell maple coloured graphite necks, but I don’t know about wooden ones. I certainly don’t have any.

I’ll ask when I go up there on Thursday if you like?

I will report back with an assessment of the Status Flea.

An update, just in case anyone is interested.....

No reply at all from the Fender dealer/point of sale.

Automated e-mail reply received from Fender UK (stating they would get back to me in due course).

Dawn at Status has contacted me to say that my bass is ready for collection.

1 minute ago, NancyJohnson said:

Get Rob to break out the termites and put some LEDs in it. 

 

Ha ha. I’ve already ruined the relic vibe by getting a graphite neck put on it. I think LED’s may be a step too far.

The bass is now at Status HQ waiting for Rob to do his magic. It should be ready some time next week hopefully. Too late for the gig tomorrow, but never mind.

I wasn't able to see the neck I've been allocated today as it was in the workshop being polished, but I saw various other necks they have waiting to go out. They do look rather fabulous, even the maple fingerboard effect variation.

A reply from the dealer I purchased the bass from has been conspicuous in it's absence 🙄. A 'message received, we'll look into it' would have been nice.

Whilst I was in Colchester, I popped into Peach Guitars. Talk about a guitar warehouse; it's huge! Mainly acoustics and guitars rather than basses, although there were quite a few basses upstairs, just not much I was interested in. The only reason I went there was to try out one of the new Stingray Specials. They only had one which was, ironically, hanging next to a Fender Flea '61. Well, at least I can say I've tried one. More on that in the MM Stingray Special thread....

For that very reason I think I’ll wait until I’ve tried it with the originals and if they unbalance it too much I can swap them out. 

Enquiries are being made. I shall report back in due course.

Ska rehearsal tonight. What bass to take instead of ‘Skamite 1’?

Think it’s gonna have to be the 1996 Sienna Sunburst....

18 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

That is going to be an awesome bass!

 

Just an idea though - Status necks can be a little heavier than wooden ones so if you have the cash ask Rob to drill for smaller tuners and get a set of Hipshot Ultralites on it.

 

The difference between old school big plate fender tuners and the Ultralites can be as much as half a pound! 

Dawn did mention the tuners when I spoke with her on the phone. Definitely worthy of discussion, but I decided I wanted to retain the vintage tuners it came with.

Part of the reason I’ve decided to go with a replacement neck is that the issue with the old neck is not obvious i.e. you can’t see what the problem is without taking it irreparably to bits. I did look at the replacement kit, but that just looked like grief to me.

Initially, it looked like a three week wait for Rob to make the one I wanted, however, Dawn said they had one that had been made for a named artist that had not got back to them. A quick enquiry was made to find out if they still wanted it and I’ve bagged it. The best bit is, it has no fretboard markers (other than side dots) which I’m quite taken with after getting my Starry Night Stingray. Each to their own of course, but I’ve been a bit mystified as to why everyone has been selling their Flea Sig’s because mine was a great sounding bass. I’m hoping this might make it sound even better 🤞.

Thanks for all the info people, but I’ve just spoken with Status and I’m taking it up there on Friday. 

I know it’s going to cost about half of the original cost of the bass again, but I think it’s going to be an easy fix with what should be outstanding results.

I have two Status basses already, plus a NAMM Stingray which has a Status neck, and in my experience they sound fantastic and are almost bombproof.

It won’t be ready for the weekend, but it will be worth the wait.

I really like this option and it’s just up the road from me. It will probably double the cost of the bass to me, but at least I’ll be able to use it.

Black graphite fingerboard would look odd, but the natural option would look fine I think?!?

http://www.status-graphite.com/status/frames/index_home.html

20 minutes ago, Mudpup said:

Fender have a 2 year warranty - check your dates as you may be lucky.

I had a Fender Nate P from around the same period that developed a truss rod issue - seems that it was eating into the wood inside the neck when it was investigated - and the neck was replaced under warranty (just a month before it expired) with no problem. And I've since heard of at least 2 others having the same thing in the USA - i wonder if its from the same series/source and theres a batch issue?

Just checked. Ordered 29/6/16 ☹️

16 minutes ago, Dom in Somerset said:

Aargh shiiit! 
The thread must be stripped somehow. I've heard of this being repaired but I've never been asked to do it, I don't think you'll be using this bass any time soon.

https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Truss_Rod_Installation_and_Repair/Truss_Rod_Rescue_Kit_Instructions.html

Would another option be to get a new neck?

Having had it apart - twice - and adjusted the truss rod I conclude that it is indeed knackered. The first time, I rotated the rod adjuster just to where I could feel it tighten and there was no difference in the string height when I reassembled it. The second time, I rotated the rod adjuster and it just keeps going around and around with no change in tension whatsoever, so I don’t think it’s attached to anything at the nut end anymore ☹️

Just now, Lozz196 said:

That is some serious neck movement, if that`s happened without any adjustments I`d be taking it to a luthier who knows what they`re doing, I`d expect some kind of movement with the weather changes in autumn/spring but not that much.

Yes, that was my first thought along with a few expletives 😬

Yes, to the right when looking down the neck from the body. I meant I don’t know much about the mechanics of how they are held in place. I get the principle, but I’ve never seen the guts of how they are secured. I’ve just taken the neck off and it’s like the truss rod has been wound almost completely off. None of the tension that was there when I adjusted it the other day as the crosshead adjuster rotates freely. I’ve turned it to where I can start to feel it tighten and I’ll put it back together.

2 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Not heat, but humidity. If you've just switched on the central heating, for example, the level of humidity in your lounge may have changed drastically.

Slightly cooler today and the heating has flicked on, but it’s nothing this bass hasn’t been through before. All a bit odd. I’ve just taken it apart and will report back.

3 minutes ago, Dom in Somerset said:

You'd know about it if you broke the nut off. A possible scenario - you adjusted it the wrong way or too far   and it's taken a day or two to settle? Some necks don't react immediately to truss rod adjustment and move a bit in the next few days.
Can you remember what direction you turned it and what were you trying to achieve?

I’m not a complete numpty in terms of knowing how to adjust a bass. It needed a slight tweak to bring it down, but I’m fairly sure that’s because I hadn’t played it for months.

24 minutes ago, Happy Jack said:

Has there been a significant change in the weather? Or did you leave it close to a radiator or similar?

No, I never leave any of my basses exposed to any significant changes in heat. 

9 minutes ago, Dom in Somerset said:

Truss rods don't just break. It's made of metal and it's sealed inside the neck. The only time you can damage one is while you are actually adjusting it  but only of you overdo it and snap the nut off.
It may need adjusting but it's not broken.

I did adjust it when I started using it again the other week and the truss rod was very stiff to adjust, but it always has been. Somethings happened as it’s pretty far form how it was set up last night.