New Fender Woes

[Hobbayne]

I bought a 2011 P Bass last year. got it a bit cheaper coz the 2012 was coming in. I had it set up by the shop before I collected it.
When I got it home I played it for a bit, but for some reason I couldnt get on with it. It had random buzzing spots, and was uplayable up on the top register frets.
So I gave the neck a tweak and raised the action but it still wasnt right.
So I took it to Chandlers who took one look at it and told me it had that infamous Fender hump high up the neck, and it would need a neck tweak and a fret dress to make it playable.
Its great now, but I cant believe Fender would let it out the factory in less than high standards.

[JTUK]

I can... but they aren't alone. Unfortunately, the name of the headstock is a garauntee of nothing, too often

Glad you got it sorted ..and you were even able to. Some basses on the wall in shops are a complete non starter for me..and that may be my problem rather than the norm, but at a big chain store, that may have had 50 basses in stock... I couldn't find one that I fancied or wanted to play.
So I settled for a Sadowsky metro 5 and even that wasn't that well set up. At least with that one, I would hope that 10 mins with an allen key for the saddles would get quite a long way, but that isn't something you can really do in a shop unless you are really interested.
Saying that, GAK were completely happy for me to do that to make the sale...

[Billy Apple]

I understand the fret dress bit, but what is the 'tweak' that they did?

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1380985931' post='2233137']
I understand the fret dress bit, but what is the 'tweak' that they did?
[/quote]

They straightened the neck. I overtweaked it trying to sort it myself.

[Dom in Dorset]

I tried some Fenders in Guitar Guitar and only the American Delux models were well set up.

[White Cloud]

Had almost the same experience with an off the shelf Fender Jazz. This the downside of mass production and variable QC.

[Mr Fretbuzz]

Yep I had to tweak my 2012 AM Standard P out of the case... Everything in fact, truss rod, saddles, intonation and I fiddled with the pick up height as well. But got to say that since I put the La Bella flats on it, I love it. Sounds great and it's got the lowest action of all my basses. So much so that I'm starting to flog off my other basses.

[Roger2611]

The only guitar I have ever brought that was perfect out of the box was a bottom of the range Tokai ALS48 Les Paul even my American Strat needed a minor saddle adjustment to get the best out of it but after that it was a fantastic guitar

[visog]

Tried a Jazz USA standard in PMT Manchester a couple of years ago. Nut slots cut badly so the string spacing was off for the lower frets. Plus the standard strings (Fender) had such high tension, coupled with a high action, it was almost unplayable.

Yours for £750... kerching!

[Dingus]

I am not at all surprised that your brand new Fender was knackered ( to use the technical term ) . I had to buy five USA-made Fender basses to eventually find one that wasn't faulty ( actually , only three were faulty but the fourth one weighed a ton ) .

As for the setup , I think it's unrealistic to expect a factory-made guitar to have a perfect setrup out iof the box , and everyone likes a different setup anyway , so expecting it to suit you perfectly straight out of the box is a bit like expecting a blind date to be the woman ( or man !) of your dreams i.e it could happen but it's quite unlikely . If the bass has structural faults then that is another matter entirely .

The thing about USA Fenders is that if you can persevere and find a good one then you have got a bass that you could use and enjoy for the rest of your days, so I think it's still worth looking.

[kevin_lindsay]

Usually avquick setup solves the problem. I remember Many years ago I can remember buying my first 5 string bass. I went with another musician friend tontry out the various basses on offer.

I opted for the Fender Jazz 5 as it had the best sound, but played like a complete pig - high action, too much neck relief. However, 5 minutes once I got it home and the neck was straight, action was lowered, and the intonation reset. In fact, it's still being played (albeit by a bassist friend of mine in NYC after I gave it to him).

Wood moves, and with Fenders coming from overseas, it's inevitable that dome tweaking is required.

[dave_bass5]

My last highway-one jazz had this, as did a MIM 70s jazz I had just before it.
I sent the MIM back but lived with the HW, it didn't really effect my playing much.

[lojo]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1380981286' post='2233078']
I bought a 2011 P Bass last year. got it a bit cheaper coz the 2012 was coming in. I had it set up by the shop before I collected it.
When I got it home I played it for a bit, but for some reason I couldnt get on with it. It had random buzzing spots, and was uplayable up on the top register frets.
So I gave the neck a tweak and raised the action but it still wasnt right.
So I took it to Chandlers who took one look at it and told me it had that infamous Fender hump high up the neck, and it would need a neck tweak and a fret dress to make it playable.
Its great now, but I cant believe Fender would let it out the factory in less than high standards.
[/quote]

You still got the LPB MIM ?

[Lowender]

Hmmm, first off, you can't correct a hump with a set-up. You can only adjust the overall relief of the neck, not a specific part of it.

Secondly, was this a MIM or a MIA bass? Because that makes all the difference. I believe the MIA were outstanding from 2006 to 2011. The new one's are not up to snuff. And many of the MIM are junk.

Edited October 7, 2013 by Lowender

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1381166851' post='2235298']
You still got the LPB MIM ?
[/quote]

No, I sold it on to get this one.

[Hobbayne]

[quote name='Lowender' timestamp='1381168256' post='2235332']
Hmmm, first off, you can't correct a hump with a set-up. You can only adjust the overall relief of the neck, not a specific part of it.

Secondly, was this a MIM or a MIA bass? Because that makes all the difference. I believe the MIA were outstanding from 2006 to 2011. The new one's are not up to snuff. And many of the MIM are junk.
[/quote]

MIA. 2011 US Standard.
I took it to Chandlers because they came highly recommended. Its a shame the shop I bought it from couldnt see anything wrong with it when I took it back to them

[Lowender]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1381187538' post='2235690']
MIA. 2011 US Standard.
I took it to Chandlers because they came highly recommended. Its a shame the shop I bought it from couldnt see anything wrong with it when I took it back to them
[/quote]

Well, the shop won;t admit there's anything wrong. It sounds like the fret dress did the trick though. A shame, since those basses tend to be pretty solid, but it's wood and anything can happen. . I bet it sound good now though!

[ambient]

Set up is very personal. I've never worked in a guitar shop, but I'm guessing they're out of the box and up on the wall. The only kind of place that'd be different is maybe somewhere like the Gallery ?

I shouldn't imagine a 5,000 mile or more journey in a container from the USA to here would do much for whatever set up they had prior to leaving the factory.

I have a US built Marcus Miller and that's a great bass. Though I spent a bit of time getting it set up.

[Jazzneck]

It took me over 15 years to find a Jazz bass that fitted the bill - ended up with a Japan 62 RI but I still had to tweak the action and intonation a gnats to suit me.

[Guest bassman7755]

Since Fender have had a reputation for sh*te quality control for the last 40 years, why is anyone expecting anything different ?.

[ambient]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1381247233' post='2236400']
Since Fender have had a reputation for sh*te quality control for the last 40 years, why is anyone expecting anything different ?.
[/quote]

I don't think it's the quality control that's the only problem. They're built in the USA, then shipped over in containers, and how long does that take ? Then unloaded, loaded onto a lorry, then into a van, then unloaded finally at the shop.

Nine times out go ten they're probably just stuck straight up onto display, meaning the buyer has to sort out the set up.

In my opinion it's the retailer that's at fault.

My Marcus Miller bass is superbly built, as good as any so called boutique instrument.

The guy who started this thread bought a new bass from a shop, the shop should have sorted out the instrument before putting it on display, and certainly before selling it.

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1381248178' post='2236424']
I don't think it's the quality control that's the only problem. They're built in the USA, then shipped over in containers, and how long does that take ? Then unloaded, loaded onto a lorry, then into a van, then unloaded finally at the shop.

Nine times out go ten they're probably just stuck straight up onto display, meaning the buyer has to sort out the set up.

In my opinion it's the retailer that's at fault.

My Marcus Miller bass is superbly built, as good as any so called boutique instrument.

The guy who started this thread bought a new bass from a shop, the shop should have sorted out the instrument before putting it on display, and certainly before selling it.
[/quote] yes and no. I bet if I ordered and bought a ACG graft bass or equivalent stuck it in a container on a ship and shipped it to the USA and back then played it it wouldn't need a fret job straight out the box. Some of it is quality control and what is being sent out not being good enough.

I agree about the shops though. At work we have a bit of machinery that broke and needed an imperial allan key - realised it was the same size as a USA fender truss rod would be... ring up PMT in Leeds to buy a truss rod tool - told they don't have any tools at all and don't have an inshore tech either..... mad really.

[Ziphoblat]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1381249120' post='2236443']
yes and no. I bet if I ordered and bought a ACG graft bass or equivalent stuck it in a container on a ship and shipped it to the USA and back then played it it wouldn't need a fret job straight out the box. Some of it is quality control and what is being sent out not being good enough.

I agree about the shops though. At work we have a bit of machinery that broke and needed an imperial allan key - realised it was the same size as a USA fender truss rod would be... ring up PMT in Leeds to buy a truss rod tool - told they don't have any tools at all and don't have an inshore tech either..... mad really.
[/quote]

Explains a lot. Nearly all the instruments out on display there have a terrible set-up. Played a Stingray there once on which I could literally (and I'm not exaggerating here) fit half of my hand under the strings between the fretboard without pushing them at all.

Edited October 8, 2013 by Ziphoblat

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='Ziphoblat' timestamp='1381249387' post='2236449']
Explains a lot. Nearly all the instruments out on display there have a terrible set-up. Played a Stingray there once on which I could literally (and I'm not exaggerating here) fit half of my hand under the strings between the fretboard without pushing them at all.
[/quote] they have a lovely USA G&L there at the moment - green (my fave colour) and at a silly low price. The neck's like a bent thing though- It probably would straighten out but i'm not going to spend £600 to test that theory....

[jazzybass]

I've been looking for a nice new Fender P and tried quite a few out in local shops. They just havent played anywhere near the level they should for the cost. Other brands have felt right in the same shop
I guess it's a lot down to setup, is it the shops responsability for setup or Fender before they ship them?
Either way I cant justify spending that amount of money then paying someone to set it up.