Fender American Professional II Jazz Bass Bone Nut Incorrectly Cut - Too Wide

From a functional standpoint if the properly strung open E doesn’t rattle in the nut, and if there’s enough down pressure it probably won’t, then it’s fine. I can’t answer “at this price point” questions. Those are up to you.

 

Well, in both pictures, the E string is not strung properly, so there goes that plan!

 

Where did you get this bass? Are you sure the nut is original? The D string slot looks odd as well.

 

I am inclined to think Fender didn't setup the bass this way. I have owned more Fenders than I can count (new and old), and the nut has always been fine. They also don't normally cut the strings short. I would suspect it was messed with where you got it from.

 

I'm not a Fender guy, but imperfect basses do manage to slip through QC.
This one seems to be a FIIF bass...yes, inexcusable...but it's definitely a gamble buying online.

 

Fender definitely have FIIF instruments, but they usually don't have the problems described here. Those don't even look like Fender Bass strings in the picture. No silks. (Edit: looks like the basses on the Fender site have no silks, but I swear Fender bass strings have silks on them).

 

Where . . . . did you buy this ? My guess was it's one of those 'tried it, returned it, didn't like it' and it had a little re-work . . . . then you bought it. NOBODY would send out a bass with those strings like that.

Re the nut: IF it tunes smoothly without binding, and you can slip a .20 feeler gage under the first fret and it's a fit, you're good.
'

 

Time for a set of 45-130 strings to fill that gap. It really is a bummer the nut isn't cut correct, talk to the store about replacing it, I could make a new nut in no time, or you could use a pre-slotted Tusq, but they aren't as pretty as a polished bone nut.

 

You meant .02 right ???

 

If that's all that's wrong with it, you're in great shape. Don't ask me why I say that.
If it is rattling in the slot on an open E, the piece of paper + thin super glue + careful work with new, sharp Xacto blade is a quick fix that'll hold up very well for quite a while.

PS: just looked at your vid; yes I'd say that's too wide and for that string gauge, needs a new nut.

So I'd send it back to Fender too, if it's a NIB also...

I could regale you with tales of the QC on my 4 Fenders (2 Tony Franklins and 2 Jacos) that I bought new over the last 2 years, and you'd probably never feel bad about that nut ever again...

L

 

OP says it should be a tight fit

wrong

a lot of gap and no back angle in the slots is no good, but I don’t see it here. what gauge of E string is that? Perhaps it’s light gauge.

 

Not to be "smart" but if you were there when they took the bass out of the box, didn't you inspect it closely before accepting it?