NBD - Olympic White P-bass, some issues.

[marklaforest]

I'll be taking it back tomorrow. I'll keep you guys posted on what happens.

 

[Musicman20]

Just get another brand new bass....thats wrong and dont accept it. Nice neckplate!

 

[pasta4lnch]

No they dont. Bring it back to the store. That isnt right.

I meant all the tuners or just the one string. . .but yeah, either way it's not right.

hopefully this will get resolved for for the OP quickly . . . bummer

 

[MtManiac]

Just get another brand new bass....thats wrong and dont accept it.

+1, those holes were drilled on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, I'm guessing.

 

[DWBass]

Wow! At first I thought the tuners were shifted but those shafts are way too short. How did this even leave the factory?? They had to have seen this when they strung it up and tuned the diggoned thing! Take detailed pics and document everything and send to Fender CS. Is there any way to loosen the tuners up and shift them away from the wood? Yeah, the tuner holes are way off! Can't believe this actually left the factory with a QC stamp of approval!

 

[MtManiac]

I think the tuners themselves are fine, it's the placement of the machine head holes.

 

[dalkowski]

Fender Fail.

 

[2400]

I think the tuners themselves are fine, it's the placement of the machine head holes.

Indeed. The holes appear to be perfectly spaced relative to each other, and they line up with the strings perfectly. However, the group of holes is either too close to the headstock, or the headstock is too large. I'm going to go for the first.

First time I've ever seen that happen, but there you go.

I hope this works out okay for you, man.

 

[AmadeusXeno]

This just goes to show that "Made in America" doesn't mean what it used to. It sucks that a company that has a reputation for building great instruments over the years is slacking off on QC now. Fender USA quality seems to be going downhill. Hopefully they wake up soon and get back to making sure every instrument is built to the quality they got known for.

 

[Jeff K]

They (Fender) must have heard so many of us giving them props for upping their quality game starting in 2008. Now they figure they can get away with carelessness again.

Actually, I know we shouldn't over-react. Hopefully, this is just an anomaly. But nevertheless, it is blatantly unacceptable. Like some others have said, whomever strung it up before leaving the factory should have immediately pulled it. Definitely a severe black eye for Fender.

 

[Osprey]

My money's on those being the wrong tuners for the bass. Surely the neck and headstock must go into a jig, wham bam..job done, so the holes can't be misplaced. And if the strings run straight up to the peg that's what the headstock is slanted to allow. The bass should have tuners with a longer shaft and smaller keying piece. Certainly worth seeing if a Fender dealer can just replace them. Or if Fender will send you replacements: it's a ten-minute job to swap them.

 

[MtManiac]

My money's on those being the wrong tuners for the bass. Surely the neck and headstock must go into a jig, wham bam..job done, so the holes can't be misplaced. And if the strings run straight up to the peg that's what the headstock is slanted to allow. The bass should have tuners with a longer shaft and smaller keying piece. Certainly worth seeing if a Fender dealer can just replace them. Or if Fender will send you replacements: it's a ten-minute job to swap them.

No, the holes are definitely too far from the top edge of the headstock.

 

[The Birdman]

The tuner holes do look a bit far from the top of the headstock. Wish I was at home, I'd have a look at my American Standards to compare. The tuners don't look perfect, either, though, the flange on the knobs seems to go a bit far compared to what I remember.

Bottom line is that Fender failed on their systems engineering.....when a change is made (hole location, or new tuners), they should check that the system still works as intended. Back to the store it should go.

The story I heard from a sales person at GC is that Fender lost or changed their bass finish vendor for some reason, and that put them behind on their orders, that's why it took so long. They're probably hurrying (a bit too much) to catch up now.

Roger

 

[tangentmusic]

+1, those holes were drilled on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, I'm guessing.

Or on a Monday after a long weekend!

 

[Spinal Tapper]

Isn't this just a standard MIA bass? I don't understand how this happened - don't these go through an assembly line?

This isn't a Custom Shop, right?

How is it possible the screws are in the wrong place?

 

[RaginRog]

Fender did have a backlog...per someone I know, there was a labor dispute with one of the companies that provides the paint for their guitars/basses. However, I'm not sure if it was directly with Fender.

 

[RaginRog]

BTW...hope it works out for you...I have 4 fenders, all American Std (3 with new tuners), and none have that issue.

 

[TMart99]

So, is this thread a "Fender Bashing" thread?

 

[JimmyM]

So, is this thread a "Fender Bashing" thread?

i've resisted the urge since the new fenders i've played lately have been killer, but this is just totally unacceptable at any level whatsoever.

 

[TMart99]

i've resisted the urge since the new fenders i've played lately have been killer, but this is just totally unacceptable at any level whatsoever.

I was being sarcastic. It seems people can't criticize Fender for legitimate lapses and negligence in quality control; without it being perceived and catagorized as bashing.

And I love Fender instruments. The one's that are actually designed and built to high quality standards, that is.