Fender Player Series bass has the wrong pickup

[ThingsAbove]

This is the spec sheet from GC's ad, right? I'm searching Fender's site, not seeing these specs re "alnico" pickups for their Player Series P bass. Did I miss it?

From GC: GC clearly specs alnico poles.

Invalid Link Removed

At Fender site: Not seeing any mention of pickup pole specs.

Invalid Link Removed

At this point, I'm wondering if GC may be the misinformation culprit here, with some cockup re one of their special editions? Not quite ready to lynch Fender yet, unless it's Fender's job to police the idiots at GC.

You're right. I cannot find that information now on Fender's website but I thought I saw it when I was researching the bass a couple weeks ago. I have pointed out the error to them, so who knows.

The Alnico 5 pickups are noted in in GC and MF ads as well as other stores with internet sites that are selling the same instrument (like Fender Player Precision Bass Maple Fingerboard Limited Edition | Music & Arts , Invalid Link Removed). I could understand MF and GC having the same ad copy as they are the same company but not the others.

The key distinction between this one and the previous year "Special Edition Ocean Turquoise" seems to be that it's called "Player Precision Special Edition" like the other MIM Player Precision basses that are advertised with the Alnico5 pickups. If it is exactly the same as the previous year's Standard Precision Limited Edition Ocean Turquoise, why would they price it $100 higher?

In any event, MF/GC seem to be almost out of these models so it won't matter to new buyers much longer. I'm OCD so it mattered to me, but in the end it likely makes little difference.

 

[ThingsAbove]

Like this?
View attachment 3402027

Nice color combo

 

[Zoobiedood]

This has me wondering even more about my Rogers Waters MIM Fender P bass that I purchased from GC a year ago. The bass is advertised with Duncan QP pickups. However that Duncan logo is not on them and they don't sound like those PU's either. The reason I say is that I have a P bass that I had a friend install Duncans in and it does not sounds the same to me. I was immediately suspicious and this thread has me even more curious. And yes I know well after a year from purchasing the bass I am "stuck". But now I have to find out for sure. Just cause.

Use a DCR meter to test. There should also be a sticker on the bottom.

 

[Iridescentone]

You're right. I cannot find that information now on Fender's website but I thought I saw it when I was researching the bass a couple weeks ago. I have pointed out the error to them, so who knows.

The Alnico 5 pickups are noted in in GC and MF ads as well as other stores with internet sites that are selling the same instrument (like Fender Player Precision Bass Maple Fingerboard Limited Edition | Music & Arts). I could understand MF and GC having the same ad copy as they are the same company but not the others.

The key distinction between this one and the previous year "Special Edition Ocean Turquoise" seems to be that it's called "Player Precision Special Edition" like the other MIM Player Precision basses that are advertised with the Alnico5 pickups. If it is exactly the same as the previous year's Standard Precision Limited Edition Ocean Turquoise, why would they price it $100 higher?

In any event, MF/GC seem to be almost out of these models so it won't matter to new buyers much longer. I'm OCD so it mattered to me, but in the end it likely makes little difference.

Good points. I'd want alnico's if it was advertised that way, too.

Call me skeptical but I have scant respect for MF, GC, or any of the big retailers when it comes to integrity (or competence). It wouldn't surprise me if they all lifted spec sheets from one another like some echo chamber, rather than taking the time (interest?) to get every aspect of their ads 100% correct and up to date. Or, that they might deliberately try to pull a fast one on consumers.

Or, maybe it's all Fender's fault.

 

[ThingsAbove]

Hah, I just had an online chat with Fender Technical support...

Okay so for reference here's what my serial number comes up as in terms of Fender model #

And here is the chat where I ask what pickups come on that model #

The mystery deepens...

 

[HamOnTheCob]

Yeah, I forgot "crap" is a big trigger word around here.

I'm not triggered at all. I think it's laughable that a year or two ago, legions of people on this forum wanted to fight to defend the honor of how awesome MIM Fenders are and how they're just as good as American Fenders, and now that there's a new version of MIM Fenders, people want to slag on the old ones suddenly like they were trash. TB is hilarious sometimes.

 

[The Bass Clef]

I'm not triggered at all. I think it's laughable that a year or two ago, legions of people on this forum wanted to fight to defend the honor of how awesome MIM Fenders are and how they're just as good as American Fenders, and now that there's a new version of MIM Fenders, people want to slag on the old ones suddenly like they were trash. TB is hilarious sometimes.

It's all good man. The last time I called something crap on TB it sparked a 20 page uproar.

 

[Pbassmanca]

So I was curious why my new Fender Ocean Turquoise Player Series bass that is advertised to have Alnico 5 pickups was only measuring 5,000 ohms DC resistance.

I decided to measure the pickups directly and when I pulled them out found that they are ceramic, not Alnico 5s. I put my serial number in Fender's instrument registration and it does come up as a Player series bass...
View attachment 3401441

So why does it come with the older model pickups...
View attachment 3401443

I've emailed Fender customer support but my expectations are quite low.

I thought that the sound of the player series pickups was pretty mediocre and now I know why.....

 

[Frankie Fender]

I thought that the sound of the player series pickups was pretty mediocre and now I know why.....

That depends on which version you played.

 

[40Hz]

I told them when I returned it, but the manager didn't show any concern. OTOH, the return was very quick, so kudos to them on that account.

Interesting. I looked at the published spec on GC's website and it did say Alnico 5 pickup.

Wonder if somebody did a swap and you got bit either by a dishonest employee or by a shady customer taking advantage of GC's liberal return policy. I've heard of that happening. And any time I've seen something returned for a refund at GC they only check for cosmetic damage and missing warranty cards and box candy. If a pup was swapped it's very unlikely it'd get caught. And if it did get caught, the customer only has to play dumb and deny everything. Since GC doesn't pop the guard and check to see what's installed before they stock instruments it's GC's word against the customer's they didn't receive it like that.

 

[ThingsAbove]

Interesting. I looked at the published spec on GC's website and it did say Alnico 5 pickup.

Wonder if somebody did a swap and you got bit either by a dishonest employee or by a shady customer taking advantage of GC's liberal return policy. I've heard of that happening.

I don't think the pickguard had been off it prior to me cracking it open... you know how factory pickguards have the wood "pucker" under the guard where the screws are driven in and there's a tiny bit of wood pulled up into the pickguard screw holes holding it on the first time.

That pg screw pucker always gets brushed off a bit when the pickguard is first lifted. I'm pretty sure it came this way from the factory.

 

[Wisebass]

hi ThingsAbove

The mystery deepens...

Poor Justin maybe called Guitar Center to know which pickups are in the bass.


may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[40Hz]

I don't think the pickguard had been off it prior to me cracking it open... you know how factory pickguards have the wood "pucker" under the guard where the screws are driven in and there's a tiny bit of wood pulled up into the pickguard screw holes holding it on the first time.

That pg screw pucker always gets brushed off a bit when the pickguard is first lifted. I'm pretty sure it came this way from the factory.

That's really bad then. Somebody at Fender is either playing games or (more likely) someone pulled the wrong SKU from the parts rack and the wrong pup got installed.

Might explain why fender wanted to inspect it first. They probably want to identify the production batch it's from so they can get an idea of how many units might be affected so they know how to address it.

 

[Axstar]

Are you sure those bar magnets are ceramic? You can get alnico bars. Probably cheaper to make them like this than to machine a bunch of alnico rod stock.

 

[Frankie Fender]

Are you sure those bar magnets are ceramic? You can get alnico bars. Probably cheaper to make them like this than to machine a bunch of alnico rod stock.

Hmmm. What we need to see are other samples of the Player OT P Bass. I'll pop mine off tonight and upload a pic or two.

OP mentioned 5,000 ohms DC resistance. Is that a giveaway to test for Alnico vs Ceramic? I don't pretend to know about these electrical things but I'm a demon with a screwdriver.

 

[NOVAX]

There's a disclaimer printed somewhere. Trust me.

 

[Doc Blue]

Is is possible to make a noninvasive assessment of ceramic bar vs alnico poles other than visual? i.e. touch a pole with a small steel screwdriver and check the magnetic field strength?

 

[Tommy V]

Fender has a long history of bad info on their website.

 

[Floppystrings]

It is interesting to me that so many are so quick to want to burn Fender at the stake because the pickups are listed incorrectly.

I find it more interesting that anyone would defend this.

 

[mcnach]

I never called the ceramic pickups "crap". But this bass was advertised to have Alnico5 pickups which are typically considered upgrades from ceramic pickups, and they were not.

But that's a wrong assumption. Ceramic is no worse than Alnico. The rest of the pickup will make it worse, or better, but not the material of the magnet alone. Feeling ripped off because you think you got an inferior pickup based on magnet material is not very reasonable. The specs for this particular bass may be inaccurate, but that's not to say that the actual bass is worse for it (or better, for that matter).

Saying that alnico pickups are better than ceramic pickups is a bit like saying that real bass players don't use a pick...