NBD - But what's up with this neck?

[TraktorBass]

Hello guys

NBD, Fender Mustang Vintera:


Psyched, I like the feel of it, but I'm curious about some discolouration on the fingerboard, right next to the frets.

Looks like this, from 1st to last fret:


Backlighted you can see the discolouration has a slightly different shine to it than the rest of the fingerboard:


Some gentle wiping with a soft, damp cloth helped a little, but it is still not perfect:


Also some wear up by the nut:


I never noticed anything like this on my other basses when they were new.

Ordered this online (brand new), arrived today, so I could not inspect before i bought it. I do, however, have the possibility to return it.

Should I? Would you?

 

[aproud1]

That is very strange. Unless it plays or sounds especially magical I'd look to exchange.

 

[lug]

That ain't ryyyight!

 

[Spidey2112]

Am I seeing right? Are those well defined lines parallel to the edge of the frets?

 

[J_Bass]

That's really strange.

Looks like the frets where inserted on the wrong slots, and then corrected to the new position and filled.


Taking a better look, doesn't look like what I said. Looks more like a tool mark, as others said.

 

[MMiller28]

Pass

 

[David Jayne]

It's some sort of tool mark. Likely from the fret press.

 

[PWRL]

It looks like it might have happened when the slots were cut for the frets or as stated in post #7, when the frets were pressed. Never saw that before.

 

[fretno]

is it possible they PLEK them and that was a machine mark ?

 

[mongo2]

I'd return it.

 

[gln1955]

That's terrible. No excuse for that gettting out the door.

 

[David Jayne]

is it possible they PLEK them and that was a machine mark ?

PLEK doesn't touch the fingerboard.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Can you feel it? You should not have to do it on a new bass but.... light scotch brite and some and your favorite fret board oil may hide that.

OT. Very nice color combo's going on here.

 

[dkelley]

Wow, there goes the "Fender is better than other brands" theory that I see once in a while.

edit: I'm just kidding.... don't take that seriously

But that certainly is bizarro!

 

[DavC]

i have seen this happen on my own basses ... when i first started taping off the neck to polish the frets ... = sloppy taping job ..!! leaving some of the wood exposed - then that exposed wood gets dirty from polishing the frets ... then the taped wood gets a good cleaning/moisture removal when the tape is pulled off ...!!! leaving the lines you see and the difference in color .!

i'd just clean and condition the fret board with some Music Nomad F-one oil ... using some #0000 fake steel wool grey scotchbrite pad stuff ... or clean board and frets with treated Gorgamyte cloth stuff ... you can just loosen the strings , carefully find a way to hold them back and out of the way as to not scratch anything else ..! i used my Fret Wrap mutes ... finally found a good use for them .! ha

i find when i tape off my neck , i used the tiny slicing i trim off to fill in the gaps where the blue tape isn't wide enough .!

 

[seedokebass]

I hope the frets are in the right places, I'd be worried it was botched!

Then again it might make for an interesting game of Name That Microtone!

 

[mikewalker]

look at the grain - those are FILLED SLOTS, it seems...

not sure how that can happen in a CNC environment, but "hey, computers!!"

 

[Skillet]

It looks to me like the fret press missed the fret and made an indentation right next to it.
Those basses aren't cheap. I'd return it.

 

[gomania16]

I bet it is what DavC said, I bet it would clean right off. I would be reluctant to send it back, especially with all the stuff going on. It is possible you would have to wait some time for another bass. Even if it didn't clean off I would just use 'till it was gone. Not trying to suggest you accept anything you find unacceptable.

 

[Frankie Fender]

i have seen this happen on my own basses ... when i first started taping off the neck to polish the frets ... = sloppy taping job ..!! leaving some of the wood exposed - then that exposed wood gets dirty from polishing the frets ... then the taped wood gets a good cleaning/moisture removal when the tape is pulled off ...!!! leaving the lines you see and the difference in color .!

i'd just clean and condition the fret board with some Music Nomad F-one oil ... using some #0000 fake steel wool grey scotchbrite pad stuff ... or clean board and frets with treated Gorgamyte cloth stuff ... you can just loosen the strings , carefully find a way to hold them back and out of the way as to not scratch anything else ..! i used my Fret Wrap mutes ... finally found a good use for them .! ha

i find when i tape off my neck , i used the tiny slicing i trim off to fill in the gaps where the blue tape isn't wide enough .!

+ This.

I've done it myself, leave the tape on too long and it draws the moisture out, plus it was a sloppy job of masking. When I pulled the tape off the taped part looked a lot lighter than the rest of the board. Just oil up the fingerboard, heck it needs it anyway - it looks dry, and then report back.