Fender Mustang PJ - truss rod off-center?!

[goodformetal]

Ive been wanting to get one of these, but this is tripping me up. Every one of them I've seen in stores and most of them online have the truss rod slot at the headstock off-center towards the E string to varying degrees. Some are almost directly below the A string, yet others (the chicago music exchange exclusives for example) show them centered between the A and D strings as they should be. I've not seen any examples in person where the skunk stripe is off center. What's the deal here? Here's a less extreme example of what I'm talking about:

Is this poor MIM quality control? No big deal or deal breaker? Current Mustang PJ owners chime in please! Thanks!

 

[jd56hawk]

Yes, Fender had the very same problem with the all-rosewood neck Precision and Jazz basses when they first came out.
Several people mentioned it in a number of different threads.
Not a deal breaker for some, but I expect more from a quality bass.
We're not talking about a bass not being set up properly or simple fret sprout, we're talking about something that you might expect from one of those $75 Chinese basses, not something you should expect from a company like Fender.

 

[goodformetal]

Yes, Fender had the very same problem with the all-rosewood neck Precision and Jazz basses when they first came out.
Several people mentioned it in a number of different threads.
Not a deal breaker for some, but I expect more from a quality bass.
We're not talking about a bass not being set up properly or simple fret sprout, we're talking about something that you might expect from one of those $75 Chinese basses, not something you should expect from a company like Fender.

I remember seeing those threads now that you mention it. Those basses were FAR too expensive for something like that to pass QC. Speaking of poor setups, every one of these mustangs I've touched at 5 different guitar centers had atrocious setups, some to the point where it seems like someone actually went out of their way to completely jack up the string and pickup heights and intonation adjustments. Sucks for all the students out there getting off on the wrong foot because of lazy employees, store managers and shoddy QC to begin with.

 

[jd56hawk]

I'm lucky. I live near one of the best Guitar Centers around...between 90 and 100 basses in stock and a manager who hires employees who actually care.
Other than that, how Fender lets a problem like this continue is unacceptable.

 

[Deleted member 271037]

Same with the American Original 60s P-basses. Every single one I've seen has had the truss rod off-center. Very poor for a $2000 instrument but then I've stopped expecting anything from Fender QC.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Now that I've seen this, I can't unsee it. It looks like an optical illusion because of the increasing thickness of the strings, but then it's too off to just be that. Has this been a problem since the beginning of the model, or is only certain years/production runs?

 

[Lownote38]

Fender QC has gone downhill dramatically more recently. I was just at the NAMM show here in Nashville, and every bass Fender had there looked like it was set up by a moron! I thought NAMM was where you show off the best stuff you have! I guess Fender doesn't care.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Went to GC today and saw this for myself. They had 3 Mustangs. The Pau Ferro one was centered. The Laurel ones were off center, with one being worse than the other. There was also an Indonesian Squier Bronco that had an off center truss rod.

Looks like I'm not buying a Mustang without pics of the actual instrument.