New BG - defective?

I'd keep it if it plays and sounds great.

 

Inexpensive instruments will have inexpensive Q. The C. will be equally inexpensive.

Look at the neck. Do the outside strings leave an even margin (the distance between the outside of the string and the edge of the fingerboard) the entire length of the neck? If so, leave it alone. If not, it is a simple adjustment.

Otherwise, there does not appear to be anything wrong with this instrument. If the gap is bothersome, a shim can be fashioned to fill the space.

 

That last pic looks like there may be a lump of paint and or clear-coat (or other foreign object) under the heel or on the side wall of the pocket that was just left there. The neck is not flat in the pocket; there is without question a gap on the bass side. I respectfully disagree with 202dy, this is not a desirable situation; a neck should always make full contact with the body pocket. Pull the neck off and look to see what is interfering with it from properly locating in it's home. Look to see if there is a build up of finish on the bottom or walls of the pocket impeding the neck from lying flat. If it is finish material, either shave it with a sharp chisel, sand it off, or put it back together and send it back. It may be a piece of wood or other matter that became trapped in there at factory and may simply fall out.

If nothing is impeding the neck, the heel may have a "twist" or "cup" defect because the stock was not carefully selected or seasoned long enough and has warped before assembly and QC didn't pick it up.

 

+1. Basses can be cheap but this one does look like a defect. The mating surface between the neck and the body should have no gaps. I'm fairly certain there's extra finish or sawdust inside there.

Do reduce the tension on the strings before you take the neck off, otherwise you'l rip the wood around the screws.

 

Yes, DO remove the strings! Stating the obvious but you never know.

EDIT!!!! I just occurred to me that maybe someone had the neck off already. The reason I say: My Epi Tbird was assembled by clamping the neck to the body and then driving the screw in. This results in the body having the screw threads cut in same as the neck holes. When I put it back together, it took three tries to get it in the pocket flat because I didn't hold the neck tight in the pocket and the emerging screw displaced the neck before it threaded into it; by one tooth. I finally got it in there flat. Next time I took it off I drilled the body holes so the screws would pass through and only thread into the neck: just like every other bass I own is made.

 

I missed the gap at the rear of the heel, where the back of the neck sits in the floor of the pocket. You are correct that something other than a legitimate shim could be lodged between the neck and pocket floor. The neck should be removed and this should be explored. As you point out in your second post, it could be that the screw is engaging both the body and the neck. That will cause the gap. The fix for that is simply enlarging the body hole(s). As far as the margin around the perimeter of the neck goes, it is nice when it's tight but it is not critical.

We disagree on whether the neck needs to have full contact with the bottom of the pocket. It might be ideal but not necessary. A thin shim negates that. Most bolt-on instruments leave the factory that way. My feeling is that as long as the neck connection is tight there is little or no difference. Does it affect the tone or sustain? Other than anecdotal evidence, there is no hard science to back the claim either way.

 

Gaps from heel to toe of the pocket are ok, but side to side, placing stresses parallel to the grain? Nope!

 

Rogue basses from MF are poor qaulity in my experience from ones Ive seen in stores used dept and reviews on forums Ive read. Youd be better off getting a refund and saving up for a decent bass like Ibanez Sr300 and similiar offerings by other makers.

 

I'd have to agree--this is a $120 bass, new. I wouldn't put a nickel into it; this is a almost a bass-shaped consumer object.

 

Quotable!

iJazz

 

I am lazy and would return it to MF, they send a free shipping label. take your chances with another one.

 

Return that bad boy!