I bought a Vintera Precision in seafoam green. This is what I originally wanted but had opted for the cheaper Player. I was gassing too hard so I pulled the trigger, with the intention of then selling the Player, before the upcoming price increase. I bought it new online from a reputable chain of music stores here in Poland. {} Alas, it was not to be. All the frets are sharp and sprouting, the neck pocket is not parallel with the top of the body, the neck is warped and the pickups have almost zero output. Dead! And the instrument was probably a floor model - it's from 2019 and there are scratches on the pickguard. Just a dog Massive disappointment. I really wanted this bass, it's incredibly beautiful. I had to call the store and demand that THEY send a courier to pick it up for a full refund next Monday. They wanted me to send it to them - that's customer service in Poland for you. Unbelievable. The good news is I know this is my favorite Precision. The one-piece neck is just amazing with the 7.25 radius, 1.75 nut, thick carve and slightly rolled edges. Definitely a notch above the Player. I hope to find a good one soon. My Player had issues as well (fret sprout, sharp fret ends, misaligned neck, ineffective shielding) but I decided to keep it and I fixed everything because the instrument was solid. This Vintera though was just unsalvageable. So two Fenders with major issues in a row means I can't buy sight unseen anymore. Squier is much more reliable BTW. Sorry for the rant, carry on
Just returned the bass. For some reason the electronics started working properly. I guess the jack is a bit wonky. It really sounds good, however the sharp frets and twisted neck were a no-no. So now I'm looking for another one. Too bad the few stores that still have them want 150 euros more. I have 3 options: get one of them to price match the store I bought it from, buy a body from the Stratosphere ($90 shipping from the US!) and a Vintera neck plus tuners and pay a tech to install them, just buy the neck and tuners and put them on my Player.
That is very frustrating. The Vintera has a good reputation....Do remember the body is finished in Poly I just ordered a body thinking it was Nitro.....Oh well
Yes it's poly but it's not sticky at all like poly on Squier necks. Where did you order a Vintera body?
fret sprout is not uncommon in cold weather. The other issues ARE unacceptable, IMO, but fret sprout is a "take it to your guy " kind of issue tahts to be expected. Within reason, but winter is a good reason.
I know, that's why I bought it now. However my Squiers had no fret sprout even though they are built in Indonesia. Fender must be doing something wrong in Mexico. It was not worth risking to mar the glossy finish on a bass that would've been unplayable anyway.
Sounds to me like the Player is the better bass. Not sure why you call it "cheaper" unless you're referring to the initial cost. Truth be known, I favor the Player with the 1.625" nut, 9.5" fretboard radius and satin finish on back of the neck. I found the Vintera sticky feeling, didn't care for the ultra wide nut nor the 7.25" fretboard radius. Finally, you have to remove either the neck or pickguard to adjust the truss rod. Inconvenient. So, they're different but both made in Mexico. I think you're paying for the bit of flash on the Vintera but I wouldn't say it's a better bass than a Player, IMHO.
The Vintera costs more because some parts are more expensive (tuners, pots), the neck has rolled edges, it comes with a cheap gigbag and it's vintage-style. Players come shielded (half-assed on mine so I had to redo it) while the Vinteras don't and they buzz. True vintage The pickup sounds different, not better. The neck proportions are just personal preference. The neck on the Player fits me like a glove but I love the big fat Vintera neck. It's silly, but I love the idea of playing a vintage-sized neck. The Player has a glued-on maple fretboard while the Vintera is one piece. It's cosmetics like the vintage tint but I like it. The Vintera neck also has slightly rolled edges which are more comfortable. The truss adjustment at the heel is a pain in the neck, literally. Luckily it's not something you have to touch often. Yes it's all personal preference and cosmetics. The Player is a fantastic bass.
Fret sprout should NOT be acceptable. If the neck wood is aged correctly before the frets are installed there won't be sprout. Perhaps if you let the RH where you keep your bass get down below 30%, one MIGHT expect some sprout on cheap instruments. But in normal environments where the RH is between 45-65% the only reason for sprout is the wood was green when the factory installed the frets.
tell that to ebmm. My $2500 stingray has fret sprout. They will warranty it but it developed the issue over this winter. It’s not a problem to play so hoping it fixes itself. fenders are hit or miss. You take a chance with anything they sell. I had to return defective and or poorly built American modes and Mexican made. Your chances of poor quality increase based on how low the price is. But don’t think spending more on a fender gets you a top notch quality. I will never buy another fender when G&L rules the roost.
I played a dakota red one at a local GC, and this is what turned me off to this bass. Even with the poor setup, I did not think a setup to my liking would make me like the bass any more. Too bad, because the sea foam green with gold pickguard is quite nice (as is the blonde version).
Yeah I agree, it bugs me that some companies advertise "Rolled-Fret ends" as some sort of additional feature rather than a setup that they should have had before it comes out of the factory.
My apartment is constantly around 35% humidity in the winter. Some fret sprout is bound to happen. What is unacceptable is sharp (unfinished) fret ends on MIM Fenders. I shouldn't have to spend a fortune for playable frets. I fault music stores as well. Over here in Poland I've never found a guitar that was set up in a store. How they expect to sell them is beyond me, especially since they cost a ton more than online. My Vintera had obviously been kept in the store with a bowed neck for two years so it was warped beyond repair. The people working there are all clueless klutzes.
Had the same experience last year with a Vintera, Player P Bass and a Squier 70’s P. Sent them all back to Sweetwater and their 55 point bs checklist LOL.
All of mine were from Sweetwater too. The 55 point inspection is the biggest lie ever. After I sent back a defective Duff Mckagan bass I wanted a replacement, they had 4 online already inspected ready to ship. But I made them check it before sending the replacement which they did. One after another they found defects and should not have passed inspection. All 4 of them were either damaged or defective to the point where they pulled them from their site and just gave me a full refund. thats just one horror story from sweetwater. I have a bunch more.
Here are some related products that TB members are talking about. Clicking on a product will take you to TB’s partner, Primary, where you can find links to TB discussions about these products. Browser not compatible
