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Does Fender Owe Me a New Neck?

#47
If you bought it new from a Fender dealer, and the neck twists due to this issue, that would be a defect in "materials," and you should be covered under the warranty. They might claim the twist was from something else, but if this is a known phenomenon, I suspect they'd replace it.

FWIW, I had a graphite reinforced MIA Fender neck twist, but not due to this. I'm not sure why it twisted, but I suspect overly aggressive truss rod cranking at the shop when I bought it. I witnessed this, but as a total setup noob at the time, I didn't think anything of it until later. When my usual tech noticed the twist and it was verified by the Fender authorized service dude, Fender replaced the neck with minimal fuss.
 
#48
Ray Salamon said:
...and should've been something you were asking about a year ago, not now.
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Thanks for that percipient insight.

Actually it makes no difference in this case as the warranty is invoked when the user becomes aware of a functional defect in the covered instrument.

I'm not even sure that there is one now. That's the point of my question (which at this point I sorely regret ever asking here).

As little as Fender actually covers in their warranties, a bad neck is still covered. If their position would be simply that this is probably no problem and if it did warp to get back to them on it and they'd give me a new one, I'd be OK with that.
 
#53
Nedmundo said:
If you bought it new from a Fender dealer, and the neck twists due to this issue, that would be a defect in "materials," and you should be covered under the warranty. They might claim the twist was from something else, but if this is a known phenomenon, I suspect they'd replace it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it'd be pretty hard to avoid it in this case, as warps tend to center on the blatant grain defects. I've seen some doozies from Leo's day. :rollno:

FWIW, I had a graphite reinforced MIA Fender neck twist, but not due to this. I'm not sure why it twisted, but I suspect overly aggressive truss rod cranking at the shop when I bought it. I witnessed this, but as a total setup noob at the time, I didn't think anything of it until later. When my usual tech noticed the twist and it was verified by the Fender authorized service dude, Fender replaced the neck with minimal fuss.
Click to expand...
Well, that's cool.

That's the first time I've heard of a warped Fender graphite-reinforced neck and it indicates that it's possible -- possibly with less cause than I have here.

It's interesting how many neck twists and warps are due to poor trussrod adjustment. I've corrected quite a few in my day that were caused by twisted trussrods that were jammed up wrong inside their channels, but could be loosened and carefully reset while the neck was unstrung and backloaded. The necks seemed permanently straightened even years later, so sometimes there is hope. Proper trussrod adjustment is a really overlooked skill, unfortunately, with frequently dire consequences.
 
#54
Nedmundo said:
I think this would be their position. Unless the neck warps, it's just a cosmetic issue. If it does warp, my experience suggests you won't have a problem getting a replacement.
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Yeah, I think that's going to be my OK-with-it position if I can get someone to sign-on to it at FMIC. I don't care about the looks.

I just dread dealing with the FMIC Customer Service front line. It takes a couple of tries (consistently) to even get the simplest routine question dealt with. Really exasperating...kinda like this thread. ;)
 
#55
I think this prooves with most Fenders/Squiers
you have to see/play before you buy

unless you are using it as a mod platform
or you buy from a place that has actual photos of the actual product
like Bass Central,TPB, the Bass Emporium ,etc,.
even then make sure they have EXCELLENT CS.

If all else fails I am sure there is someone out there
where this is a non issue
either they need a kick a$$ mod platform or they look it at it as a cosmetic defect
and you can sell it here or the Bay
and try again on a Fender you can physically look at

I have been uber lucky so far in all my Fender trades and buys
I played and tested my 97 US Jazz Bass in a little mom and pop
store in 1998 and it was so nice I chose it over a similar priced Warwick Streamer
Same with a Mexi/CIJ Jass Bass I got from a TBer and a Squier I traded here
I have however been to a few Sam Ashes and GCs where a few Squiers looked and sounded amazing and a few Mexican Fenders played like dogs
most US Fenders I have seen were decent and like you have shown are all far from perfect

Thats sad but considering how huge Fender is compared to even EBMM and G&L
thats going to happen. QC is probably not as tight as other companies unfortunately
so I am wary of buying Fenders from such outfits like American Musical , Musician's Friend and such since you cant really see what you are buying

its more or less a crapshoot with the occasional holiday discount incentives
 
#57
Every time I've dealt with Fender they've been nothing but helpful no problems at all, in regards to the knot in the neck if you feel that sometime in the future the neck is going to malfunction sell it right now and don't look back.
 
#59
It's not crotch wood, it hit on the rift when it was cut. I have about 4 Fender basses with this condition. All of them are over 20 years old with no graphite rods. All of them play fine, stop looking at it and just play it.
 
#60
Bongolation said:
I just dread dealing with the FMIC Customer Service front line. It takes a couple of tries (consistently) to even get the simplest routine question dealt with. Really exasperating...kinda like this thread. ;)
Click to expand...
I'm just an outside observer but from my experience dealing with support lines (and I deal with a lot of them) it's about your patience level and amount and quality of input into the situation.

If you come across as know-it-all and blowhard-y, it's much more difficult for someone on the other end of the line to address the issue.

... kinda like this thread. ;)

I'm no wood magician but I'd wager that if it was as big an issue as you are concerned about that there would be tons of instruments with mangled necks that were like this... hidden by a manufacturer's paint job on necks that aren't bare wood.

IOW, what would you have done if this neck was painted instead of bare? You'd have done nothing because you wouldn't have seen it.

You've said it's not a cosmetic issue so why make an issue out of something that *maybe* an issue?
 

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