Fender American Pro II Tele - would you accept this?

[fifty merc]

Just received an American Professional II telecaster from Fender right from the factory and honestly for the money, the rosewood fretboard finish is not anything to write home about; you can see what looks like lots of small scratches, like rough sanding that wasn't polished out with finer grit, especially over the inlays. I'm sure I could take care of it, by why should I have to?

Anyway the big thing for me is: the micro-tilt hole in the back is misaligned. The hex can get in there but it looks like crap and from other pictures I've seen of these Am Pro II guitars (strat or tele) it doesn't look like this. Also, there is what looks like a small indent right where the skunk stripe meets the maple on the back of the neck, I'm guessing it wasn't finished right, idk.

I've attached pics if anyone cares to look, but this is going back to Fender. It plays good, but for the money it's almost $2k after tax, I expect better. Who assembles and inspects these before they go out the door? Yeah I should know better than to buy one without seeing/playing it, I just can't find this color by me so I took the risk.

 

[Frenchy_JC]

I will not accept a guitar like this at this price (even at a lower).
My AM Pro II Stratocaster is perfect & my new Vintera Modified Telecaster, made in Mexico, is with an almost perfect finish.

Send it back. Even if she play well... you will never love it because of those quality issues.

 

[fifty merc]

I will not accept a guitar like this at this price (even at a lower).
My AM Pro II Stratocaster is perfect & my new Vintera Modified Telecaster, made in Mexico, is with an almost perfect finish.

Send it back. Even if she play well... you will never love it because of those quality issues.

Thanks, yeah definitely returning, trying to get it shipped back today.

 

[Sgt Pepper]

it's almost $2k after tax

wow. How much are your taxes? The guitar is $1699.99. Right? Even at 10% tax that would be $1870. I never pay retail though. Even Sweetwater will generally give me 10% off, especially around holidays, so $1530 plus tax. Lots of great deals, though, on used but like new American Professional II guitars, much to my chagrin, because I'd like to sell my Stratocaster. I paid about $1375 including tax and free shipping in 2020, but too many out there from $1000 to $1200.

 

[Jakedog]

Fender quality control has been lacking for a while now. The short answer is no, I would not accept that.

The only guitars I’m seeing from that maker that have QC that matches their price tags are coming out of Japan. That stuff has been just flawless lately. The nut and fret work on my Boxer, including the leveling, rivals my USA PRS. And the finish is perfection from one end to the other. I tried out a couple of the new MIJ JV Strats at my local big box, and found the same thing.

For what Fender is charging these days, if I’m buying new, only MIJ stuff is on my horizon. They’re building stuff on par with MIA Fender in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Which IMO was their best era.

 

[fifty merc]

wow. How much are your taxes? The guitar is $1699.99. Right? Even at 10% tax that would be $1870. I never pay retail though. Even Sweetwater will generally give me 10% off, especially around holidays, so $1530 plus tax. Lots of great deals, though, on used but like new American Professional II guitars, much to my chagrin, because I'd like to sell my Stratocaster. I paid about $1375 including tax and free shipping in 2020, but too many out there from $1000 to $1200.

Yeah, it was around $1870, I exaggerated, but what I was saying was for that price which is almost 2k, this thing is trash. Neck grain was garbage, misaligned micro-tilt adjustment, neck fretboard finished worse than any guitar I've had. Came with a indent in the back of the neck, etc. This must have been inspected by either a blind person or not at all.

It did play alright, so it was setup at some point.

 

[fifty merc]

Fender quality control has been lacking for a while now. The short answer is no, I would not accept that.

The only guitars I’m seeing from that maker that have QC that matches their price tags are coming out of Japan. That stuff has been just flawless lately. The nut and fret work on my Boxer, including the leveling, rivals my USA PRS. And the finish is perfection from one end to the other. I tried out a couple of the new MIJ JV Strats at my local big box, and found the same thing.

For what Fender is charging these days, if I’m buying new, only MIJ stuff is on my horizon. They’re building stuff on par with MIA Fender in the late 90’s and early 00’s. Which IMO was their best era.

I agree 100%, all my MIJ guitars are fantastic. And I have some that go as far back as the late 90s, Fujigen stuff.

 

[Dunxy]

Yeah Fender Japan is always a pretty safe bet. I have a 2021 Jazz Bass and its just perfect, i looked at MIM and they weren’t even close and here in ‘Straya no rosewood on MIM but Japan can still get. My 2005ish Japanese Tele (TL5288TX iirc) was excellent, but looking at pics im not sure the radius on body edge was correct for what it was supposed to be, not like my current AO50’s. Japanese necks always seem great, doesn’t seem to matter what era.

 

[Gary in Boston]

If these issue bother you this much then return it.

 

[fifty merc]

If these issue bother you this much then return it.

I did.

 

[old school fender]

I don't think Fender has quality control anymore. This one managed to find its way to me. Notice the low e side of the neck between the nut and the first fret. Ouch! Fender did replace the neck, no questions asked, but it stayed in the shop for three months.

 

[Southpaw Tele]

Between the QC issues and being a lefty, if I want a new guitar, these days, I’m going to just build my own. I put together a Warmoth Jazzmaster a few years ago I regret selling. It was every bit as nice as the Vintera series stuff coming off the line.

 

[OldPup]

My AmPro Tele didn't look perfect. It worried me so I tested it against a couple other AmPro Teles. I even bought another to bring home for side-by-side comparisons (I told GC what I was doing and that I would likely return the second instrument). The tele with the imperfection had "it" and I couldn't bring myself to return it. So I kept it but took the other one back.

My point is if it plays and sounds great, I'd consider keeping it. If it's just like every other one that rolls off the line, send it back.

 

[Fenderbaum]

the neck i would not bother with..
Missaligned holes. How is that possible with CNC machines today..?

 

[ReverendRevolver]

Unacceptable.
You describe a poorly finished instrument in a price range where that is insanity.
My last brand new guitar (from a Japanese seller, as it Japanese domestic market only) had lackluster pickups and trashy saddles, but everything about the playability was spot on.

Fender US shipping a guitarvas you describe can only happen because people allow it to.

 

[fifty merc]

I don't think Fender has quality control anymore. This one managed to find its way to me. Notice the low e side of the neck between the nut and the first fret. Ouch! Fender did replace the neck, no questions asked, but it stayed in the shop for three months.

oh man, yeah I see that. Three months, that seems a little crazy... but as long as it was taken care of and it's all good now.

 

[fifty merc]

Between the QC issues and being a lefty, if I want a new guitar, these days, I’m going to just build my own. I put together a Warmoth Jazzmaster a few years ago I regret selling. It was every bit as nice as the Vintera series stuff coming off the line.

I'm gonna try building one as well; I emailed Best Guitar Parts, which has a good rep, but there communication as far as emails is lacking because I've yet to hear back. I might give them a call or go with someone else. Musikraft is on the east coast and have responded quickly.

 

[fifty merc]

the neck i would not bother with..
Missaligned holes. How is that possible with CNC machines today..?

I'm guessing the back neck plate was mounted poorly. I notice they do vary a little, so I'm not sure how that's done at the factory.

 

[Gary in Boston]

I did.

Well all righty then!

 

[Gary in Boston]

Well all righty then!