P Bass Ultra II Brand new out of the box, is this normal?

Normal?

  • Yes, just fender being fender

    Votes: 20 27.4%

  • No not normal…

    Votes: 53 72.6%
  • Total voters
    73
#41
It looks like finish has crept up all the fingerboard edge. It seems like a misguided tape job. There shouldn't be any finish at all on the ebony. I agree about the rolled edge causing the finish to delaminate, but it shouldn't even be there. I'm not sure I agree with the comments on the fret work. It is difficult to tell from the pictures how bad it is. I can say that if you left the finish on by mistake, you'd be reticent to dress the fret ends.
 
#42
Jason Bonilla said:
Just got this brand new P bass ultra ii. The fret board seems to have spots where it looks like the neck lacquer/finish and the ebony board meet is slightly lifted. Is this normal and or inevitable for this kind of neck? I’m new to Fenders so I’m not sure if this is an issue or just something that happens anyway. It certainly doesn’t look all that pleasant.

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Definitely not normal. Take it back to the dealer you purchased it from and they’ll know what to do.
 
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#43
Dabndug said:
Gotta love the attitude that the finish imperfections are OK as they don't affect the sound or playability. Would anyone be happy with a new car that had paint peeling off the door edges? After all, it wouldn't affect the way the car drives....

Fender's QC is appalling in this case. There are other manufacturers at this price point (and below) who will do much better.
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Yup, one might say they are "Smoking the copium pipe" :smug:
 
#48
Your poll option #1 just gives Fender haters an opportunity to hate on Fender.

This is not how a brand new product should look like, at any price point. Return it, don't help normalizing this level of quality.
 
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#49
Each guitar is unique even within the same make and model. I would not recommend buying any guitar without playing it first. I've only done this one time. It was a MIJ Pro-line Gretsch Duo Jet and the dealer I bought it from assured me it was an A and I could send it back no questions asked if I had any issues once I received it. I've been happily playing this guitar for 12 years now.
 
#55
Killing Floor said:
How much was a New Fender Precision Bass in 1970? Because $250 (1970) = $2,040 (2024).

Reason I say this is because Fender Bass and Guitar prices are one of the very few consumer items you can buy today that are consistently flat to decreasing in price versus inflation.

Depending on the year and any options a P or J or Strat or Tele in 1970 (example) cost between $450-500 USD. That's $3,700-$4,600 in today's money.
In other words, Fender IS charging "rock'n'roll prices".
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statistics is a bitch
you can make a formula and twist inputs to your will

let's look at this calculation - US minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60, in 2024 is $7.25. so - 250/1.60=156.25 work hours to buy that P. today - 2040/7.25=281.38 hours of labour.....

bottom line - as a teenager, with a month of summer job i could afford a fender.
i bought a jetglo rickenbacker 'cause fender sucks 🏀🏀. ;)
and lemmy.

not to mention fully manual production in 1970 vs manual finishing and setup today. lower production cost, lower quality, higher price, profit margins through the roof.

but, at the end of the day - whatever makes you happy. :)

and sorry OP for long rant and derailing the topic
 
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#56
gricko said:
statistics is a bitch
you can make a formula and twist inputs to your will

let's look at this calculation - US minimum wage in 1970 was $1.60, in 2024 is $7.25. so - 250/1.60=156.25 work hours to buy that P. today - 2040/7.25=281.38 hours of labour.....

bottom line - as a teenager, with a month of summer job i could afford a fender.
i bought a jetglo rickenbacker 'cause fender sucks 🏀🏀. ;)
and lemmy.

not to mention fully manual production in 1970 vs manual finishing and setup today. lower production cost, lower quality, higher price, profit margins through the roof.

but, at the end of the day - whatever makes you happy. :)

and sorry OP for long rant and derailing the topic
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Being a later entry into the production electric bass guitar market enabled Rickenbacker to evaluate and modify existing specs to make their bass stand apart from Fender’s.
 
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#57
Jason Bonilla said:
Returned, the other ultra was new and had scratches from the factory, so I just did a straight return, decided a brand new fender wasn’t for me lol.
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My suggestion, what i do, I buy from guitar center used. If it is not as described, I drop it off at the local GC. You can call the store, salesperson will get the bass & you can ask questions. I’ve had them check the truss rods too. I have bought 6 like that and have returned 2. Both were I just didn’t like it.
 
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#58
Minimum wage is a very misleading way to look at changes in income - different states have minimums above the federal min (some are more than twice as high) and you would need to take a weighted average based on population in each state for a national effective minimum wage

Ideally we would look at 25th percentile wages for this comparison but i cant find them

Focusing on easily available data - If we look at median household incomes, things look pretty interesting for the fender cost changes; median household income in 1970 was about 10k and is about 80k now, an 8x growth. 8x250 is a $2, 000 bass

1970 median household income:

2023:
www.census.gov

Income in the United States: 2023

This report presents data on income, earnings, & income inequality in the United States based on information collected in the 2024 and earlier CPS ASEC.
www.census.gov www.census.gov
 
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#59
Is the whole board laquered, or just edges? They probably masked the top of the board, sprayed the whole neck, and then rolled the fingerboard edge. Any time you feather laquer to zero thickness, it’s going to flake along that edge. Might be possible to stabilize it with a little water thin CA glue wicked in along that edge.
 
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