Why do Fender Custom Shop often install the bridge cover on jazz basses slightly askew?

Maybe it’s an attempt to show how “handmade” they are? I’d like to know..God knows, for the price they charge, they ought to sweat details. To me, for the prices they charge, this is a major oversight.

 

I'm looking at the J hanging on my wall right now, the bridge cover holes are spot on and the treble side pup cover placement is 1/8" off center from the bass side.

So IMO this is a valid question. Fender has been making basses, including CS, in a factory environment for close to 70 years. I'm not going to believe it's a guy gunning a handheld drill. It's a press and they use templates. I don't know the answer but I agree that it's a question worth asking.

 

You might check the cheaply stamped pickup cover. It could be wonky. Ive seen them warped, egged, etc.
Maybe swap one with another bass.

 

Are the holes on the bridge cover true? They might have drilled so it would be square with the bridge.

 

Well, if Rickenbacker can be sloppy aligning stuff, why can't Fender?

 

Ask them why - show those pics.

 

It is Fender! On their most expensive production basses, the abandonned AVS-Series, the pickguards don't fit the control plate on the Jazz Basses. Not that I care a lot and it doesn't prevent them from being my favourite basses, but it is just that gut feeling: they are building basses for 70 years and they don't get these vulgar things right on a model they build since 60 years?
The Bridges on the 3-5.000,- Custom Shop Bass VI are wrong and Fender asked Fender Japan to send them the correct ones or the specs of the correct ones and Fender Japan denied. They are correct on the 1.000,- MIJ Fender Bass VI. My > 2.000,- '63 P has taught me how much waste can be put between a body and a pickguard....
Fender. Tssss....

 

Fender are like the honey badger
They just don’t give a $$&&
People are going to buy them anyway

 

Simple. It takes two minutes of time to make sure they are straight and true before mounting the holes. They don't use a template. They are done by hand, and it's easier to not worry about it knowing that most who pay multiple thousands of dollars for a pre-beat up bass probably won't care if the bridge cover isn't perfectly straight. I believe they call those kind of flaws, "mojo."

And, they are more accurate that way. They were always a little crooked. Some more than others, some perfect. But they were never consistently perfectly mounted. If they were now, they wouldn't be period-correct.

I'm waiting for a 70's Precision custom shop where the neck heel mounting surface is 1/8" wider than the neck heel, like my '74 is.

 

Hello Brother! My '74 Precision:

It sounds great, it is ash and < 4 kg. Who cares...

But how do you like the tuner backplate of the G-string in front view?




At least, if you meet people, who play Fender, it is highly likely that they are not an*l and pedantic and not into unnecessary perfectionism that makes live unnecessary unhappy...

 

Wow! Your overhang is even totally crooked like mine is! See? There is some consistency!

 

The longer you wait to contact them, the less like Kelly they will be to do something (or give you a discount).

 

What??? That's not normal ??

 

It is for a 70's Fender! Back in the 90's, the 70's instruments were shunned, discarded, and ridiculed. But, now that time has passed, they are for some reason considered better than they were back then. They aren't bad instruments, well, until you consider workmanship and attention to detail. Then, they are pretty bad. But that doesn't mean they can't be great basses!

 

Judging by the OP's photos, the control plate or the pickguard (or both?) are misaligned too.

I agree with other comments, nothing unusual for Fender, especially for 70's examples, I've done repairs since the 80's and handled a few Fenders over the years. The funny thing is that if faults like the ones commonly seen from Fender, (and which often don't affect playability to be fair) were seen on a copy, or a non legacy brand, or heaven forbid a custom makers instrument, I suspect that the general attitude might be far less forgiving?