I had a similar problem, only the instrument was top of the line. I brought it back to GC and got a check for the amount owed me. The weird thing is that the instrument is hanging on the wall waiting for another buyer. Sad...but true. Neck stability and a truss rod that works properly has become a thing of the past. Apparently this problem doesn't happen often enough to have an impact on sales? Q.C. needs to follow through and get to the end of a issue rather than play phone tag, that's a shame. Good Luck.
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Fender Troubles...big time
- Thread starter Big Mike Ipp
- Start date
Similar problem here, I have 2 MIA Jazzes, one is perfect, the other one has constant neck movement, you can adjust it, put it in a case, and when you take it out again, surprise, the darn thing is nearly unplayable due to high action. Wood is wood though, but I did not expect that huge of a variation, and I guess that once it starts bending, you can't stop it easily. And since I'm not the original owner, no warranty, and for the price of a Fender neck on ebay, I can get an all decked out Warmoth neck. I'll just slap a decal on it....
I love Fenders but I am a little weary of giving them my money these days with all the options out there. Now I have Warmoth necks where you can take the neck out, throw it in the rain, beat somebody up with it, reattach it to the bass and it still plays perfect
I love Fenders but I am a little weary of giving them my money these days with all the options out there. Now I have Warmoth necks where you can take the neck out, throw it in the rain, beat somebody up with it, reattach it to the bass and it still plays perfect
So what exactly is the current problem? Dead notes and buzzing all over the neck? Buzzing shouldn't be very hard to identify, especially if the frets are causing it.
Not sure why a poll would recommend not taking a new neck from Fender in the first place. What was their rationale?
BTW if this is enough to sway someone else from buying a used Fender, it's probably for the best. There are plenty of people with anti-Fender bias and they should probably just steer clear of them. OTOH I personally know several people with smoking current and used Fender Jazzes. I just picked up a three year old Mexican 5 and it's killer.
Not sure why a poll would recommend not taking a new neck from Fender in the first place. What was their rationale?
BTW if this is enough to sway someone else from buying a used Fender, it's probably for the best. There are plenty of people with anti-Fender bias and they should probably just steer clear of them. OTOH I personally know several people with smoking current and used Fender Jazzes. I just picked up a three year old Mexican 5 and it's killer.
I bought my '98 MIA brand new for 504.00 with a strap and HSC included at GC in Dallas. I've always loved the fun of haggling prices in Guitar stores. Takes a couple hours...
Really sorry to hear about this continuing saga with your MIM Fender jazz bass. Sounds like you're doing everything possible to get it squared away and finally playable. I would have demanded a full refund long before now though. I'm firm with this recommendation however and I don't see ever changing this stance: Don't EVER buy MIM Fender products. I've never played a MIM guitar or bass that was worth the effort to set it up. They are inferior PERIOD. I consider MIM products little more than 'toys' compared to MIA and MIJ products.
You've got some super humidity in Florida - maybe that's causing neck instability issues?
FWIW - a friend of mine had the same issue with 2 Carvin basses he's owned. The necks are always bowing like crazy. Gets them fixed, and a month later again bowing like crazy. (and since they're neck through, he can't exactly replace the neck)
I'd recommend selling the Fender neck, with full disclosure, and buying a Warmoth neck. If that doesn't solve the problem, then the issue most likely isn't the neck itself.
FWIW - a friend of mine had the same issue with 2 Carvin basses he's owned. The necks are always bowing like crazy. Gets them fixed, and a month later again bowing like crazy. (and since they're neck through, he can't exactly replace the neck)
I'd recommend selling the Fender neck, with full disclosure, and buying a Warmoth neck. If that doesn't solve the problem, then the issue most likely isn't the neck itself.
lol.
Me too. I'll go as far as to recommend that people do consider MIM basses as a counterpoint.
Nope, not the humidity. I live in Florida, and the worst I have to do is a tweak when the weather changes. It's a green neck, or a neck made with wood that hasn't been properly cured.
LilRay
Commercial User
- Dec 27, 2007
- 4,166
- 39
- Disclosures
- Owner: Cockeyed Cow Custom Leathercraft
Every Bass I currently own is a Fender, and I'd like to try a five string sometime. However this has me greatly concerned with Fender, especially with their prices where they are and the tons of other options ie Valenti, etc. To me it's not the QC mistake but rather the runaround on getting it resolved. MIA, MIM, MIJ, CIJ, makes no difference in that reguard.
BTW Rattman, Did you even read the thread?
God Bless, Ray
BTW Rattman, Did you even read the thread?
God Bless, Ray
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
I agree. For years I stayed away from buying 'new wood' for this reason. This sounds like much more than seasonal tweaks for action. Although I think there should be better explanation than has been given on the part of anyone who has worked on this neck. I'd want to know what kind of twist, how much bow, if there are specific high frets, etc. You always get much better results to complaints if there specifics of the problem are spelled out firmly.
It is because of issues like this that I bought a Carvin, instead of the PBass I had always thought I wanted. They're too busy suing other manufacturers over head-stock shapes to bother dealing with the QC issues that are apparently all too common.
"This should be GC's problem, not yours."
Absolutely. GC should have to deal with Fender, not you.
:scowl:
"This should be GC's problem, not yours."
Absolutely. GC should have to deal with Fender, not you.
:scowl:
Rather than speculate as to why there's fret buzzing; I've had the experience where the fret slots aren't cut deep enough. When the wood moves, the fret can be nudged up. This back and forth action with humdity just makes this condition worse in time. To check this; try a .006" feeler gauge under the frets to see if aren't seated the same.
I had a similar problem with an 08 MIA I bought last year. It seemed to play ok until I dropped the string height down a bit, then it was rattling on all frets above the 12th.
I took it back to the dealer and their tech said he would fix it. When I got it back it had the same problem. I think he'd shimmed the neck but it didn't cure it.
So I took it back again. He looked at it and agreed with me. I don't know why he said he'd fixed it but anyway. This time he told me the Fender rep was coming into the shop in a couple of days and he'd show it to him. The Fender rep agreed that it was faulty as well so I got it back a week later with a new neck and guess what...Same problem. I can only think that either the neck pocket had been cut wonky or they'd had another duff neck lying around and put it on there to see if I would accept it.
So back to Fender UK again and they replaced it with a brand new one and this one is great. My favourite P that I've owned
I think in your case, with a bit of persistence Fender should replace it. I was after an 08 MIA Precision when they first started appearing in the shops over here and the only other on I could find locally had a neck like a banana. Maybe they had a few QC issues early on but I really can't complain about their customer service.
I took it back to the dealer and their tech said he would fix it. When I got it back it had the same problem. I think he'd shimmed the neck but it didn't cure it.
So I took it back again. He looked at it and agreed with me. I don't know why he said he'd fixed it but anyway. This time he told me the Fender rep was coming into the shop in a couple of days and he'd show it to him. The Fender rep agreed that it was faulty as well so I got it back a week later with a new neck and guess what...Same problem. I can only think that either the neck pocket had been cut wonky or they'd had another duff neck lying around and put it on there to see if I would accept it.
So back to Fender UK again and they replaced it with a brand new one and this one is great. My favourite P that I've owned
I think in your case, with a bit of persistence Fender should replace it. I was after an 08 MIA Precision when they first started appearing in the shops over here and the only other on I could find locally had a neck like a banana. Maybe they had a few QC issues early on but I really can't complain about their customer service.
And that's, probably, why they blew them out for $499.00. They must have known there would be issues with that run. I'd spend a bit more on a Warmoth neck and be happy.
So what exactly is the current problem? Dead notes and buzzing all over the neck? Buzzing shouldn't be very hard to identify, especially if the frets are causing it.
Not sure why a poll would recommend not taking a new neck from Fender in the first place. What was their rationale?
BTW if this is enough to sway someone else from buying a used Fender, it's probably for the best. There are plenty of people with anti-Fender bias and they should probably just steer clear of them. OTOH I personally know several people with smoking current and used Fender Jazzes. I just picked up a three year old Mexican 5 and it's killer.
Yeah its buzzing all up and down the fretboard, when the neck is strait it buzzes evenly, when i loosen the tension it buzzes from the 3rd down. The E is just dead for slapping and buzz central all over and the same goes for my D. The poll agreed with my original thoughts of taking it up with the warranty and getting the new neck, and when I first got it the bass sounded fantastic so naturally I wanted to keep it if I could. I just never envisioned such a nightmare.
I have an old american deluxe fretless jazz and it is one of the most playable basses i've ever picked up, its a shame that this bass isn't the same!
Very true, the humidity down here forces me to do the same, just a tweak every now and again, but no bass neck down here would be affected this greatly. I talked to the repair tech down here and we both kinda felt that the neck was cut with word that has not had time to cure and thats why we're having issues.
Well, I'm going to be calling sometime soon and if I don't get the answers I want I'm going to have to go to his manager. I don't think GC can help me out, its much too late for them and the serial numbers on the bass have changed. I wouldn't want to make a huge fuss for them to change it since its pass the 30day return policy and it already has been worked on and altered.
Thanks for all the replies! Unless this gets worked out, and I'm really sad to say this, but I will not be buying fender again.
