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NBD - Fender Player II Precision - Sunburst / Rosewood

MustangMan78

MustangMan78

Supporting Member
Mar 20, 2021
186
340
Douglassville, PA
#1
I picked up a new bass because I wanted something a bit cheaper that played well and I could gig with and not be overly worried about. After letting my new bass adjust to the temperature inside the house, I tuned it up today. First impressions…well, it’s not ready to play! The fretboard is rough, it feels like sandpaper. It’s extremely dry, which given the time of year, ok, but don’t they oil them at the factory? The fret edges are sharp (online reviews said they were pretty good). The action…OMG, it’s about 7/16” - 1/2” off of the fretboard at the 12th fret! Never have I picked up an instrument that was so unplayable right out of the box. It’s going to need a lot of work to get it into playing shape! I didn’t even bother checking the intonation since it’s going to need a full workover.

Would you keep it, or send it back? Sending it back is such a pain, especially for a bass that didn’t come with a case!

I planned to upgrade it heavily…halfwounds, himass bridge, hipshots, strap locks, and quarter pounders. I’m wondering if it’s a lost cause, at this point. This is my first Fender product that didn’t live up to expectations, and I’ve played a lot over the last 25 years. I’m really kind of bummed…
 
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#2
MustangMan78 said:
I picked up a new bass because I wanted something a bit cheaper that played well and I could gig with and not be overly worried about. After letting my new bass adjust to the temperature inside the house, I tuned it up today. First impressions…well, it’s not ready to play! The fretboard is rough, it feels like sandpaper. It’s extremely dry, which given the time of year, ok, but don’t they oil them at the factory? The fret edges are sharp (online reviews said they were pretty good). The action…OMG, it’s about 7/16” - 1/2” off of the fretboard at the 12th fret! Never have I picked up an instrument that was so unplayable right out of the box. It’s going to need a lot of work to get it into playing shape! I didn’t even bother checking the intonation since it’s going to need a full workover.

Would you keep it, or send it back? Sending it back is such a pain, especially for a bass that didn’t come with a case!

I planned to upgrade it heavily…halfwounds, himass bridge, hipshots, strap locks, and quarter pounders. I’m wondering if it’s a lost cause, at this point. This is my first Fender product that didn’t live up to expectations, and I’ve played a lot over the last 25 years. I’m really kind of bummed…
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I thought it was only mine with the sandpaper fretboard. Fender have clearly painted the rosewood boards to give them a dark appearance but whatever they’ve painted them with has a rough finish. Not happy with mine either, I’ve only had it 3 weeks and it’s up for sale already. I’m considering an American Professional Classic at this point but that purchase will have to wait until after the holidays. Sorry to hear your bad experience.
 
#3
I oiled all my rosewood boards this month because it's a particularly dry winter up here (not far from Detroit). I would do that before condemning yours as rough or dry. I use Dunlop 65. I apply a moderate amount covering the entire board and then wipe off any excess. You can do that, let it soak in overnight and try it again in the morning.

As for action, that is partially weather and partially typical of Fender. I just went through this whole thing on an AVII bass that I ended up returning. But modern ones like Player 2s shouldn't be as bad as mine was. Adjust to taste and see if you can find a comfy playing position.

If you're still bothered by everything in a week, return it.
 
#5
MustangMan78 said:
Would you keep it, or send it back?
Click to expand...
Depends. Are the frets sharp because of sprout? And if so, how comfortable are you repairing it yourself? If it just needs a bit of work, as do all new instruments, I'd keep it. If you need to spend any money on a new instrument getting it fixed up, I'd send it back instead. If you don't like how the neck feels, send it back.

What would worry me is the dry neck. Is there a chance that the dryness could already have caused damages in the material? I think I wouldn't be comfortable with that.
 
#6
Where did you order it?

I ordered one from Sweetwater last month and it was right in every way - smooth rosewood (no paint - Fender doesn't paint or stain rosewood), frets were level & no sprout.

I changed to a heavier gauge string - I had to adjust the truss and set the action and intonation. Only other mod was to replace the pickup with a personal favorite I had sitting on my desk - otherwise very happy with mine.
 
#8
MustangMan78 said:
I picked up a new bass because I wanted something a bit cheaper that played well and I could gig with and not be overly worried about. After letting my new bass adjust to the temperature inside the house, I tuned it up today. First impressions…well, it’s not ready to play! The fretboard is rough, it feels like sandpaper. It’s extremely dry, which given the time of year, ok, but don’t they oil them at the factory? The fret edges are sharp (online reviews said they were pretty good). The action…OMG, it’s about 7/16” - 1/2” off of the fretboard at the 12th fret! Never have I picked up an instrument that was so unplayable right out of the box. It’s going to need a lot of work to get it into playing shape! I didn’t even bother checking the intonation since it’s going to need a full workover.

Would you keep it, or send it back? Sending it back is such a pain, especially for a bass that didn’t come with a case!

I planned to upgrade it heavily…halfwounds, himass bridge, hipshots, strap locks, and quarter pounders. I’m wondering if it’s a lost cause, at this point. This is my first Fender product that didn’t live up to expectations, and I’ve played a lot over the last 25 years. I’m really kind of bummed…
Click to expand...
Send it back. It ain’t worth all the trouble to tune it up and throw time and/or money and/or your own labor into it. Find a good feeling used bass at a shop or on Craigslist/Facebook so you can try it out. Just my $0.02 but it’s the principle of the thing 💥
 
#9
I bought a used Precision a while back. It was an Am Pro, but it came with a horrendous setup. The intonation was wack, buzzing frets all over, truss out of adjustment. I figure that's why half the stuff out there is for sale... people don't know how to maintain it. After I set it up is was and is great.

The other problems.. fret edges especially that can be indicative of an instrument that's extremely dried out. I keep my music room humidified during the winter, so I don't have those problems as much.

If this is a used purchase at a good discount, I'm probably going to deal with it and make it right myself. But if this is a brand new purchase from a dealer (or even used from a dealer), I would probably send it back.
 
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#10
MustangMan78 said:
Would you keep it, or send it back? Sending it back is such a pain, especially for a bass that didn’t come with a case!
Click to expand...
Yes, sending it back is a big pain.
I'm going through the similar situation with fret sprout on a brand new Rickenbacker.
I bought it direct online from GC.
I'm very fortunate that I could bring it back to my local GC store today.
Even though you got a dud, I really love the Fender Player ll.
I bought your same bass brand new recently and it was in flawless condition. I'm sure you'll have success finding another one to your liking. You'll be glad you did.
 
#11
Coin toss for me. I would probably just do (or pay for) a good setup on it. If you are not able to have a good setup done local, then return and buy from somewhere that can do one before shipping. Noting this may impact return policy depending on the shop.

I just got a Player II precision with maple board yesterday. Plays great, which helped me get over the small finish defect on the side (visible contaminant in the paint that is clear coated over). This thread of one with playability issues gives me some comfort that keeping a playable one is the right decision for me.

IMG_4380.jpeg
 
#12
MustangMan78 said:
I picked up a new bass because I wanted something a bit cheaper that played well and I could gig with and not be overly worried about. After letting my new bass adjust to the temperature inside the house, I tuned it up today. First impressions…well, it’s not ready to play! The fretboard is rough, it feels like sandpaper. It’s extremely dry, which given the time of year, ok, but don’t they oil them at the factory? The fret edges are sharp (online reviews said they were pretty good). The action…OMG, it’s about 7/16” - 1/2” off of the fretboard at the 12th fret! Never have I picked up an instrument that was so unplayable right out of the box. It’s going to need a lot of work to get it into playing shape! I didn’t even bother checking the intonation since it’s going to need a full workover.

Would you keep it, or send it back? Sending it back is such a pain, especially for a bass that didn’t come with a case!

I planned to upgrade it heavily…halfwounds, himass bridge, hipshots, strap locks, and quarter pounders. I’m wondering if it’s a lost cause, at this point. This is my first Fender product that didn’t live up to expectations, and I’ve played a lot over the last 25 years. I’m really kind of bummed…
Click to expand...
That sounds bad. It's possible you got one that sat around improperly stored and developed some fret sprout. I do not think Fender oils boards, and I'm not sure I would oil it until you decide whether to keep it or not. If it were me, I'd take it to my local tech for a quick evaluation before deciding whether to keep it. I'd be more concerned about the neck and that 1/2" action than about the board. If the neck is crap, send it back.
 
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#14
EricOnTheBass said:
This is my experience with every bass at Guitar Center.

But seriously, Fender paints the rosewood? Maybe that explains why my hands get filthy whenever I play a new Fender.
Click to expand...

Again, Fender does not paint - or stain - rosewood. They use unfinished rosewood with a light, non-drying, food-grade mineral or silicone-free lemon oil as a treatment against drying - something owners should consider re-treating with yearly if in a <30% indoor relative humidity.

The idea that Fender or anyone else "paints" rosewood wouldn't work, BTW. Unless it's a 2-part epoxy, it's going to wear through and show patterns within a season of playing.

Also, it would add a time-consuming and expensive step masking and painting to an otherwise mid-grade cost instrument.
 
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#16
ahbradot said:
Even though you got a dud, I really love the Fender Player ll.
I bought your same bass brand new recently and it was in flawless condition. I'm sure you'll have success finding another one to your liking. You'll be glad you did.
Click to expand...

Bought the same bass a month ago from Sweetwater, who usually catches and returns major defects. (If they miss one, they pay the customer's return shipping cost). It's pretty flawless.

One of my new-bass litmus tests is a song that our BL often starts out at warp speed, such as was the case last night - If I can nail the song's bass break without cheating at that speed, the bass gets at least a passing grade.
 
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#19
The board between the 2nd and 3rd frets on mine is smooth like butter, the rest have the sandpaper effect. Could it be I got one which was half finished? I don’t know. The rosewood is almost black with no or little visible grain.
 
#20
I'd have to see and feel the bass to make my decision but I expect to have to set up a bass when I get it. I also expect MIMs to have unfinished fret ends and to develop fret sprout. They always do for me.

That said, if I get a bass with sky-high action I'm suspicious because it's probably been like that for weeks and therefore the neck might be permanently bent, given the fact that I think MIM necks are not dried enough. IME those necks never get straight.

Reasons for returning: wacky frets, twisted neck, bass won't set up, faulty electronics/hardware, neck misalignment, off-center nut (factory nuts are hard to remove and making a new nut is a ton of work), nut slots too deep, obvious finish flaws, etc.

Returning is a PITA but wasting money and not having a good instrument sucks even more.

I have a Vintera II P bass that I bought 2nd hand from a guy on Reverb. I specifically asked for pictures of the nut and some measurements before I pulled the trigger. Turns out the nut is a bit off-center so all the strings are shifted towards the bottom edge of the fretboard. I fixed that somewhat when I widened the slots so they could fit the 52-110 Jamerson flats. Eventually I will buy a new nut bone nut and install it properly.
The fretboard is quite dark. I don't think it's painted. It hasn't stained my hands yet in over 2 years. It's not rough but it's not super smooth either. My 2015 Classic Series Strat is the same.
 
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