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Should I Just Return It?

Return or keep?

  • Total voters
    206
#41
Thank you everyone for your input. I really appreciate it. The strings being misaligned with respect to the neck (especially by the 12th fret area) is what bothers me the most. I don’t mind the pickup pole pieces not matching up, i’ve got lots of guitars like that. I was just using it as more of a proof as to how ridiculously misaligned the strings are.

In the end: I’m taking photos of it now and packing it up by tonight.
It sucks that the ONLY I bought new (in almost 10 years) and it ended up being a lemon.
 
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#44
P Cheen said:
Hey all,
Recently had a NBD two days ago and have spent a considerable amount of time with my new Player Jazz, however the strings are not entirely aligned with respect to the neck and pickup pole pieces.
I’ve already done the Fender neck alignment trick a bunch of times and even completely removing the neck and putting it back at one point. It is looking better than when it arrived, but still not 100%. I did order a Hipshot KickAss bridge and I will take advantage of the adjustable saddle feature.

The Pros: I have setup this bass to my exact liking, and plays as good if not better than my MIM Deluxe (costs $300 more) which I highly regard. In fact the fretwork on the Player Jazz is better.

The Con: I have OCD. Like, I was diagnosed when I was a kid. Had to take medication for a bit. So this is eating me up. I’ve improved, i’m 26 now and I can handle it MUCH better... but this string alignment thing is still lingering in my head.

Here are some angled shots:

View attachment 3874768

View attachment 3874769

View attachment 3874770

View attachment 3874771

View attachment 3874772

What do you guys think? My wife thinks it’s a non-issue since I love the playability and sound of the instrument. And who knows maybe the KickAss bridge will finally solve the issue.
Click to expand...
Am I the crazy one here? I see absolutely nothing wrong with this bass. Can't you just move the bridge saddles slightly apart if its bugging you that much?
 
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#45
JeezyMcNuggles said:
Am I the crazy one here? I see absolutely nothing wrong with this bass. Can't you just move the bridge saddles slightly apart if its bugging you that much?
Click to expand...
Well, at this point in the photographs I have already done the neck alignment trick and moved the saddles towards the bass side to compensate for the bad alignment. I did also buy a KickAss bridge because those things have adjustable saddles side-to-side.

It’s frustrating that I spent brand new price for something that’ll just bug me and get in the way of my enjoyment of the instrument.
 
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#46
P Cheen said:
Well, at this point in the photographs I have already done the neck alignment trick and moved the saddles towards the bass side to compensate for the bad alignment. I did also buy a KickAss bridge because those things have adjustable saddles side-to-side.

It’s frustrating that I spent brand new price for something that’ll just bug me and get in the way of my enjoyment of the instrument.
Click to expand...
Yeah, i get the mind $&%* part of it all. But, having the strings a little off the center of the pole pieces doesn't actually affect the tone...at all. Its really just a cosmetic, eat at you kinda thing. If it eats you that much, just exchange it. Hopefully the next one will be more aligned.
 
#47
Beautiful Bass, Keep It. A simple bridge upgrade will fix you right up.
OK, bracing for comments, I can take it...
Lots of people don't know anything about bass bridges. By lots of people I mean Fender. That's a gorgeous bass and you know it plays good too. I will buy another Fender soon and I will order a bridge to put on it so it will have better intonation, better sustain, better alignment/setup like I have done with every Fender I've bought since the '80's. It's a no-brainer to me. I only wish I could order a new American P without a bridge at all because I don't need another Glarry bridge in my parts drawer. Oops, did I say Glarry, I meant Glarry. But for some reason bassists don't give Fender enough heat for using Glarry bridges on such otherwise wonderful instruments, it's just their thing. So deal with that and get a bridge that is worthy of the rest of the instrument in your case. If you still don't like it, the screw holes are the same so you can swap back and return it. Oh, you ask, why are the screw holes on your new bridge identical to Fender/Glarry bridge? Simple, they know you need to replace it. The fact that there are about 100 brands of Fender P/J replacement drop-in bridges prove out the economics of the market.
Keep it, fix it, enjoy it because it's super cool. Rock it!
 
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#48
I understand your frustration, I would send it back if in your situation.
It ducks but look at this as an opportunity for something positive.
You will end up with a better bass in the end of it all.
The important thing is you made a decision and now have a plan
Execute the plan and see what becomes of it.
 
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#49
The pole pieces are a non issue that’s just how it is on J basses But the nice thing is no matter how hard you pluck your string will stay in magnet range.

the truss rod access IS off center which surprises me, I don’t know how that would be possible in a jig. But I see other posts that’s common on this model? I don’t know - that would bug me maybe, but if you love it who cares
 
#51
Lackey said:
Looking at this thing again, serious case of Tom Cruise Teeth going on. How the hell is the truss rod access so far over to one side anyways?? Fingerboard dots are super lopsided to the A and D strings... Yeesh.

This is why I no longer play Fender.
Click to expand...

Yahboy said:
The off side truss rod access actually is the Player bass benchmark.
Click to expand...

My new Roasted Precision neck has the same truss rod access....I must say it makes truss rod adjustment super easy with strings on.
 
#53
P Cheen said:
Hey all,
Recently had a NBD two days ago and have spent a considerable amount of time with my new Player Jazz, however the strings are not entirely aligned with respect to the neck and pickup pole pieces.
I’ve already done the Fender neck alignment trick a bunch of times and even completely removing the neck and putting it back at one point. It is looking better than when it arrived, but still not 100%. I did order a Hipshot KickAss bridge and I will take advantage of the adjustable saddle feature.

The Pros: I have setup this bass to my exact liking, and plays as good if not better than my MIM Deluxe (costs $300 more) which I highly regard. In fact the fretwork on the Player Jazz is better.

The Con: I have OCD. Like, I was diagnosed when I was a kid. Had to take medication for a bit. So this is eating me up. I’ve improved, i’m 26 now and I can handle it MUCH better... but this string alignment thing is still lingering in my head.

Here are some angled shots:

View attachment 3874768

View attachment 3874769

View attachment 3874770

View attachment 3874771

View attachment 3874772

What do you guys think? My wife thinks it’s a non-issue since I love the playability and sound of the instrument. And who knows maybe the KickAss bridge will finally solve the issue.
Click to expand...
This is exactly the kind of thing that keeps me from buying fenders.

If I were the OP it would never stop bothering me. Return!
 
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#54
Beej said:
As a builder, I'd want to slap a couple of long rulers on it and see how far off centre this is. You're right that this is way off alignment, and if you've tried to bump the neck over and it's not been successful, that sucks. You can also see how the bridge saddles are pulled over to the bass side? If they weren't, the misalignment would be even worse.

That's why I'm mentioning putting a straightedge down each side of the neck over the body. It looks like the bridge has been mounted about 2-3mm over to the treble side of the body, but hard to tell from photos. Also extremely unusual for this to be the case though, considering this is a CNC made body and should be identical to thousands of others.

I also notice the fretboard seems a little wonky up by the nut, bumping out on the treble side, and curving in slightly on the bass side - that's weird. Could also just be parallax from the photo itself though.

In the end, this would annoy me too if I could not get it to line up correctly - there's no reason it should not. :meh:
Click to expand...
good eye man
 
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#55
20200612_175043.jpg
P Cheen said:
Just as a little experiment I decided to bolt on the neck to a different MIM body. Take a look and tell me what you think. This experiment is to see if the bridge on the original body is at fault.

View attachment 3874869

View attachment 3874870

View attachment 3874871
Click to expand...
My 2001 Agave Blue MIM had similar issues. I bought a USA Deluxe bridge with the adjustable spacing saddles. Love the color
 
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#56
bdplaid said:
Oh, God no. There's a thread goin on now about how unhappy a guy is with his new G&L Tribute.

edit: Read the thread to the end. the bass is a mess, and echoes my experience with the tribute line.

Bittersweet NBD - G&L Tribute SB-2 - being too picky?
Click to expand...

I aggree that sb2 has neck screw assembly problem and headstock rough finished. But, I believe it is only rare case than the Fender crooked bridge assembly benchmark issue.

Another reason I suggest op the tribute JB because the stock pup sound lively and sweeter than Player J.
 
#57
murphy said:
My new Roasted Precision neck has the same truss rod access....I must say it makes truss rod adjustment super easy with strings on.
Click to expand...

Wow, the defective factory job could become an awsome design to you.

FMIC should proudly announce and mention this awsome job when they launch on 2018.

Shame that FMIC still has terrible nut cut issue and crooked bridge assembly problem until today. Another shame thing is the himass bridge use on Fender Ultra bass cause the G string almost sit at the fretboard edge.
Price increase years by years , but the QC are still not well control.

My2cents
 
#59
bdplaid said:
I was thinking you must have OCD.

IME you'll never find a jazz where the pole pieces line up. At last I've never seen one.

How about covering it with black tape, or getting pickups that don't have pole pieces? I do the tape thing all the time, not because of alignment, but to keep from hitting the strings.

If it plays well and you like it other than the pole pieces, play the mofo.

IMO, I can't stress enough how important it is that it plays and feels good to you. Yeah, Fender's QC is a mess and I don't buy from them, but a good bass is a good bass and if you find one, keep it. If not, back she goes. No crime in either choice.
Click to expand...

The OP already mention he has OCD.

If you never see the jazz bass has string line up magnet polepiece, you should check the china made Squier CV 60J with hi mass brass bridges. I own one in past, It has 20mm string spacing and string line very well across the polepiece.

IMG_20200621_092505.png
 
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#60
9Thumbs said:
That's why my 73 Jazz bass ended up with EMGs. My MIM Precision and my Squier 50s Precision from China have perfectly aligned pole pieces
Click to expand...

I own several china Squier CV bass in past, all of them has nice nut cut and well bridge assembly. Even the CV 50p has small single polepiece, but the string just well align with each polepiece.
The 20mm string spacing stock hi mass brass bridge are truly a nice stuff.

Even I swap with fender vintage threatsaddle bridge , I still can't get all string has even 20mm.

The reason I swap the stock himass bridge because it can't make my action low to 1.25mm on D and G string.
 
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