Fender 2018 MIM Player Series

[Modest_Moose]

This looks good...
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I do not know if it is any better than my 2011 FSR Standard Jazz Bass.
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I am going to come out of the closet and boldly claim; I love ButterCream!

There I said it.

I love ButterCream!
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
...
-- Joan Jett and the Black Hearts

I absolutely love the butter cream. I'm upset its only available for the maple.

 

[Modest_Moose]

If I stumble on a solid buttercream p bass I would probably buy it

 

[Double E]

The quality control on the player series guitars apparently is suspect. I'd worry about the basses too. There's a pretty length write up on reddit about the guitars

I came upon a rant on Reddit. Someone working in a Music store claims that the build quality has gone down the tube with the new Players line:

It's funny that this guy thinks he is issuing some kind of important public service announcement. Probably he'd be in a bit of trouble if his boss knew about this post.

The very minor discrepancies in string spacing are almost indiscernible on the few photos he provided. Fender would most likely take care of any legitimate complaint about this sort of thing.

This dumbass reddit post has popped up on every Player Series thread that's been started and frankly I don't personally give it an ounce of credibility...it's from freaking reddit! Not exactly the bastion of unbiased, fair internet forum platforms.

edit: I just noticed that the guy's whole OP rant has been deleted... what does that tell you.

 

[Modest_Moose]

It's funny that this guy thinks he is issuing some kind of important public service announcement. Probably he'd be in a bit of trouble if his boss knew about this post.

The very minor discrepancies in string spacing are almost indiscernible on the few photos he provided. Fender would most likely take care of any legitimate complaint about this sort of thing.

This dumbass reddit post has popped up on every Player Series thread that's been started and frankly I don't personally give it an ounce of credibility...it's from freaking reddit! Not exactly the bastion of unbiased, fair internet forum platforms.

edit: I just noticed that the guy's whole OP rant has been deleted... what does that tell you.

Yes and as this thread developed and information came out my views and attitude has changed personally

 

[_Franik]

Just bought one today at my local shop. I dig it! I wanted buttercream but tidepool was my second choice. The buttercream sold before I got there.

 

[Modest_Moose]

Just bought one today. I dig it! I wanted buttercream but tidepool was my second choice. The buttercream sold before I got to the shop.

Is it the angle you're holding it or is the bridge pickup slanted

 

[_Franik]

Is it the angle you're holding it or is the bridge pickup slanted

Its probably the angle. I actually had to tweak this bass a lot though when I took it home. The neck had a bow in it and the saddles needed a lot of adjusting. It really needed a set up. Sweet username btw

 

[Modest_Moose]

Its probably the angle. I actually had to tweak this bass a lot though when I took it home. The neck had a bow in it and the saddles needed a lot of adjusting. It really needed a set up. Sweet username btw

Thanks!

No adjustments that seemed crazy? Just really needed a set up? I'm not surprised saddles needed adjusting or the neck was off but you'd think they'd at least check the necks on the instruments. I'm not actually sure though. The blue is a beautiful color

 

[_Franik]

Thanks!

No adjustments that seemed crazy? Just really needed a set up? I'm not surprised saddles needed adjusting or the neck was off but you'd think they'd at least check the necks on the instruments. I'm not actually sure though. The blue is a beautiful color

Yeah just needed a set up really bad. Right? It seemed like as soon as they were done making it they tossed it in the pile with the rest of them lol. They didn't set it up at all, wasn't even close. Yeah I love the tidepool blue. buttercream was my first choice though.

 

[Modest_Moose]

Yeah just needed a set up really bad. Right? It seemed like as soon as they were done making it they tossed it in the pile with the rest of them lol. They didn't set it up at all, wasn't even close. Yeah I love the tidepool blue. buttercream was my first choice though.

Butter cream is 100% my choice but the lack of p bass with the pau ferro in buttercream.... I just like the darker color board. I've personally never noticed a tone difference between the two. I really hope my local GC gets some in

 

[Fun Size Nick]

Re the lighter colour of the Pau Ferro vs Rosewood - I’ve not worked with PF before (would love to hear from someone who has) but I bet it’d darken up significantly with a decent application of boiled linseed oil.

 

[Linnin]

Re the lighter colour of the Pau Ferro vs Rosewood - I’ve not worked with PF before (would love to hear from someone who has) but I bet it’d darken up significantly with a decent application of boiled linseed oil.

That or you could just stain it. It is wood after all. Fender Japan stains rosewood black to look like ebony on its Aerodynes.

 

[grrg63]

When I got my SX Ursa J a couple years ago, the fretboard was very "ashy" looking so I used F-ONE oil cleaner & conditioner on it. It darkened it right up and it still looks good.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

That or you could just stain it. It is wood after all. Fender Japan stains rosewood black to look like ebony on its Aerodynes.

True, that’s another option. I’d probably recommend trying oil first as it’s the less drastic option and it’ll keep more of the natural character of the wood intact.

 

[Linnin]

True, that’s another option. I’d probably recommend trying oil first as it’s the less drastic option and it’ll keep more of the natural character of the wood intact.

I use F One oil on my rosewood once a year. It's the best. The thing is once you fill the pores with oil, and it soaks into the wood, it won't take any stain. Even the lightest of coats will repel the stain. So you need to decide right away if you are going to stain or not. Also the Pau Ferro might be waxed and buffed at the factory and repel stain anyway. That is something to investigate. Have your luthier examine yours to be sure.

 

[Modest_Moose]

That or you could just stain it. It is wood after all. Fender Japan stains rosewood black to look like ebony on its Aerodynes.

I use F One oil on my rosewood once a year. It's the best. The thing is once you fill the pores with oil, and it soaks into the wood, it won't take any stain. Even the lightest of coats will repel the stain. So you need to decide right away if you are going to stain or not. Also the Pau Ferro might be waxed and buffed at the factory and repel stain anyway. That is something to investigate. Ask a luthier to be sure.

I'm really going to need to start doing this. I never treat my jazz neck and the guitarist in my bands a tech and he gets after me for letting the board get dry

 

[Fun Size Nick]

I use F One oil on my rosewood once a year. It's the best. The thing is once you fill the pores with oil, and it soaks into the wood, it won't take any stain. Even the lightest of coats will repel the stain. So you need to decide right away if you are going to stain or not. Also the Pau Ferro might be waxed and buffed at the factory and repel stain anyway. That is something to investigate. Have your luthier examine yours to be sure.

Fair point!

I'm really going to need to start doing this. I never treat my jazz neck and the guitarist in my bands a tech and he gets after me for letting the board get dry

I wouldn’t get too hung up on it...plenty of boards out there that don’t get ‘treated’ but it’s very very rare for one to crack because it got too dry. It’s mostly about looks! Think of it this way...if you never oil the inside of an acoustic guitar, you can probably get away with not oiling a fingerboard, which will be absorbing your skin oils in any case.

 

[Modest_Moose]

Fair point!

I wouldn’t get too hung up on it...plenty of boards out there that don’t get ‘treated’ but it’s very very rare for one to crack because it got too dry. It’s mostly about looks! Think of it this way...if you never oil the inside of an acoustic guitar, you can probably get away with not oiling a fingerboard, which will be absorbing your skin oils in any case.

He's a stickler about how his guitars look. He loves to polish and clean the boards... When I showed him my bass when we started jamming 3 years ago, I had the bass for 10 years already and I had maybe cleaned the fret board once. I lived pretty hard by leaving the gunk on there, finger prints, grime, everything with what was 6 year old flats. Low E snapped at the nut and we learned that the stock nut had gone bad.

I'll likely keep not worrying so much about it

 

[bwanabass]

I played a 3TS Jazz bass with the PF fingerboard at Guitar Center today, and I was impressed. Both pickups sounded great, and the neck soloed had that nice growl. The next felt great and the fretwork was nice and neat. The set up off the rack was pretty good, with lots of room remaining to drop the saddles.

I went to GC to pick up a Squier VM Jazz ‘77, which I was pretty excited about. The Squier had a giant divot on its backside- there was not damage to the box, so I’m guessing it was shipped that way from the factory. It also had a corroded fret. I refused it and seriously considering putting the return toward that Player Series Jazz. It was really nice.

 

[ebozzz]

OK, the suspense that a lot of the comments have caused me, along with the fact that I just placed an order for mine, made me make a trip to GC. The location that I visited had two in stock. A Tidepool P Bass and a Sage Green Jazz. It was just a quick test but each looked, felt, played and sounded good. I can relax and hope that mine arrives in as good of quality as those two......