Are Fender P-Bass bent headstoc string(s) wonk?

[lowphatbass]

I wouldn’t be too concerned about some deflection there. That photo is pretty cropped so it’s tough to tell, it looks like the D string may not be seated correctly.

 

[Clifford Lee]

I have seen quite a few like this but the owners never made a big deal out of it.

 

[BigBigGuy44]

I miss nobody.

 

[scuzzy]

I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper...

 

[basscapes]

Mine plays perfectly fine, even with the slight bend on the E string (or in my case drop D string)...

 

[Madhouse27]

Is it the nut or is the hole? Of my three Fender-style basses only one has a bend.

Maine player Frankensquier-straight
Squier Special P-bend
Fender Player P w/mystery neck-straight

 

[The Nameless]

I have a 1990 Warwick Streamer Stage I 5 string. None of its strings come off the nut toward the tuner straight. In fact none of my basses have perfectly straight draws across the nut. The strings need to come off the nut towards the bridge straight. But behind the nut it doesn't matter, if there is enuff downward pressure. I have a feeling this is due to the variations of neck width, headstock width, and where the tuner can be located. Definitely something that occurs lots on many varied designs. I don't worry what's happening behind the nut. Only in front of it. On the fretboard.

It did just occur to me... Some strings taper, get thinner, after they cross the nut toward the tuner. My D'Addario ProSteels do this. That would help in this case, or others like it. Bliss could be but a string change away .

 

[Altitude]

It's not a problem, leave it.

More notably - that was one of your more lucid posts, congratulations. I can never be sure whether or not you're trying to punk everyone, but either way I could actually tell what you were talking about on this one.

 

[InhumanResource]

***vent alert***

this oldie has it! and my player’s series (mim), has it too!

the estring leaves the nut on its way to its corresponding and respective tuner shaft at a not-so-straight bend as pictured.

is it make it more bad than a straight shot?

the nut, all of the sudden has lateral force

number one solution? make it straight by way of redrilling? are the p basses that have this, sub-standard and we want to avoid? is it why the sadowsky kind of brands do it differently, or the same to match the righteousest oficial fender’s way? edit add pic:

That's not bad, but I have a pet peeve for this too. It really annoys me when I see basses that do this. The design should account for the strings going straight through to the tuners.

 

[SAlcott]

It doesn't matter. As long as the string doesn't bind in the nut, there's nothing to be concerned with.

 

[micguy]

My Warmoth necks - straight as an arrow. But they have 3/8" dia tuners - maybe with 1/2" diameter tuners they'd be a bit off?

 

[MattZilla]

If you consider the radius, the string is straight but the tuner is cocked sideways roughly two degrees. Leo mentioned this in his patent application.

I might be full of number two.

 

[gln1955]

Do you spend more time looking for problems or just playing your bass?

 

[StatesideRambler]

My patent applications look nothing like that one. No wonder Leo was a success!

 

[Iridescentone]

Gasp! Someone alert Wooten to this!

Wait 'til the folks at Spector find out they've been doing it all wrong for decades.

 

[Iridescentone]

There is a more serious design issue on this headstock in the lack of proper angle behing the nut on the A string.
It leads to at least a thread a week PLZ HELP MAH A STRING BUZZES.
The flaw has been kept for 50+ years without a change.

It's only a "flaw" to those who don't know how to install strings. It's not rocket surgery, but apparently it isn't foolproof either.

 

[Kukulkan61]

YES drill out the E tuner hole and have a machinist make you a new string post that will fix it.....

 

[MoeTown1986]

If that bugs you, don't look at a 2+2 Epiphone, Gibson, ect headstock.

 

[Jim Carr]

My Fender P-bass, a '63 AVRI, is the same. Most Fender P-basses with 1.75" nut width are like that. However, I suggest you modify yours, if you wish. Get ALL the tools and cranks, etc. needed. Good luck, must run. Got someone new to ignore.

 

[GretschWretch]

Gasp! Someone alert Wooten to this!

View attachment 3184836

Wait 'til the folks at Spector find out they've been doing it all wrong for decades.

View attachment 3184837

If Spector were really serious about the bend, they would have wound the strings to the outside of the post and made the tuners reverse.