Just Bought a Player Telecaster! (aka Please Help a Newbie)

[Lucius Paisley]

As an older father, a new guitar can be like a new child........& you don't want to send the baby back, however we must understand the commercials of your purchase

1. that hairline crack is in the Poyurathane coating ....shouldn't be there, but is not relative to any slab construction of the body....you could consider it as a childs birth mark and accept it as such.....do not attempt to do anything with it

2. the rise & fall of the potentiometer knob is not acceptable......if the knob scraping is not the cause, the rotary shoe within the pot is the cause.......I have not heard of a potentiometer with a rising spindle, unless it were a Push/Pull variant ..and a standard [quality] pot be replaced for less than $10.00 US

3. So you have a choice.........does the guitar sound as a real Tele should sound?.......do you find the action comfortable to use?

4. Check your Terms & Conditions of Sale........if the Terms were free to return the guitar to Amazon, I would e-mail document the issues absolutely and clearly with Amazon & ask for a confirmation of their offer of a resolution

5. If the Terms state you are responsible for the safe return of a product to Amazon may include exorbitant freight costs to comply with the T&C of your purchase

6. If the latter is the case, you may be responsible for a $50 + return freight costs to comply with their requirements ......you cannot claim these costs back

After confirmation of communication, if the return costs were at Amazons responsibility, I would return the guitar

If 3. 5. & 6. are your case, install a replacement quality pot, keep & love the child.....

Derek

Sorry, Mr Rational.

Changed my vote.

 

[Philtastic]

I like the sound of the guitar. It sounds like a Tele. The stock pickups are alnico 5 (as far as I'm aware), which is what I want. The pots are 250K CTS pots with solid shafts, not split shaft. The volume knob is Audio Taper.

As for the knobs, either the outer knobs were molded slightly off, or the pot shafts are slightly off being perfectly perpendicular, causing the knobs to wobble. If I loosen the set screw, the knobs turn freely (not connected to the shafts). Tightening the set screw reveals the problem again: A slight wobble when turning the knob. If I leave a gap between the bottom of the knob and the control plate, that gap appears to get slightly bigger and then smaller again when turning the knob. If I push the knobs down all the way to the control plate, they will only do a half-turn before coming into contact with the control plate, and either grinding, or stopping altogether.

It's pretty much impossible to see on the shaft itself, but the knob reveals the issue. Here are some photos of the electronics. It's too difficult to show the problem in photos.


Tone knob: 250K CTS pot




Volume Knob: 250K CTS Audio Taper




Capacitor




3-Way Switch:

 

[Harbinger77]

It’s an expensive item, so it should come mint (setup notwithstanding).

OP has to make the call it’s his circumstances, time and money.

 

[Skyhook]

If it's not a deal and you have that many issues, send it back!

Jeff Bezos(I've read) is rich enough to buy a house for every single homeless man, woman and child in all of the USA,
so he can definitely take the hit. He's made it back already before you can post your complaint.

And WTH is up with the missing gig-bag?!
Those things are supposed to come with gig bags!

To recap:
- Wonky tone pot
- Cracked neck pocket
- Missing gig bag
- Full price paid

... and you're even here discussing this?!

We'll happily read your NGD thread afterwards.
New Lemon Threads, less so...

 

[Skyhook]

I like the sound of the guitar. It sounds like a Tele

So will the replacement guitar you order.
It's kinda their thing...

 

[Boreas]

I like the sound of the guitar. It sounds like a Tele. The stock pickups are alnico 5 (as far as I'm aware), which is what I want. The pots are 250K CTS pots with solid shafts, not split shaft. The volume knob is Audio Taper.

As for the knobs, either the outer knobs were molded slightly off, or the pot shafts are slightly off being perfectly perpendicular, causing the knobs to wobble. If I loosen the set screw, the knobs turn freely (not connected to the shafts). Tightening the set screw reveals the problem again: A slight wobble when turning the knob. If I leave a gap between the bottom of the knob and the control plate, that gap appears to get slightly bigger and then smaller again when turning the knob. If I push the knobs down all the way to the control plate, they will only do a half-turn before coming into contact with the control plate, and either grinding, or stopping altogether.

It's pretty much impossible to see on the shaft itself, but the knob reveals the issue. Here are some photos of the electronics. It's too difficult to show the problem in photos.


Tone knob: 250K CTS pot

View attachment 929341


Volume Knob: 250K CTS Audio Taper

View attachment 929342


Capacitor

View attachment 929343


3-Way Switch:

View attachment 929344

View attachment 929345

WRT the pots, if the knob is not actually getting higher (I think I misunderstood), but the gap is uneven, either the hole in the knob is too big or the shaft is too small. As others have mentioned, this is especially obvious when putting a set screw knob on a splined shaft, but can also happen on a solid shaft. I can usually get them right by repositioning and re-tightening using guitar picks or something as a spacer when tightening. If there is a big discrepancy, there are thin, brass sleeves that are made to go over splined shafts that may fit. But my guess is it is the knobs and not the pots. If you have any other knobs in the house that fit the shafts, try them to see what happens. I usually change my knobs anyway.

But if Fender has 10,000 knobs that have oversized holes, they won't go in a dumpster. Quite likely the next guitar you get will have the same knobs. Amazon has always been good with me for returns/exchanges, but that is all they can do. Keep in mind, the guitar does have a warranty, so if parts or workmanship is an issue, you also have the option of taking it to a good Fender tech and get it sorted. They can't fix the crack, but they should be able to help with sharp frets and funky knobs or pots.

 

[Gary in Boston]

When I had scraping knob issues i discovered that the shafts of the pots were ever so slightly bent
The hair line cracks could expand over time

Best of luck!

Gary

 

[Southpaw Tele]

And WTH is up with the missing gig-bag?!
Those things are supposed to come with gig bags!

The Player Series does not include a gig bag. The old Standard did (for many years).

 

[0ct0Pr0n]

This is why you should work with local shops, even if you have to wait.
I've NEVER paid MSRP for a new guitar. It shocks me that online retailers can move them at those prices.

 

[Jack Clayton]

Up to you, but I'd keep it if it plays well. If it were a $3,000 guitar you bought as a collector item, these would be worth fighting for a refund or return. But if you play this guitsr for a few years then sell it on CL or reverb, these issues aren't going to have much of an effect on resale value.

Player series guitars are players. Just play the thing. It sounds like a good instrument.

 

[Skyhook]

The Player Series does not include a gig bag. The old Standard did (for many years).

Oh, cool. Why don't we tell OP( @Philtastic ) also then?

 

[Boreas]

This is why you should work with local shops, even if you have to wait.
I've NEVER paid MSRP for a new guitar. It shocks me that online retailers can move them at those prices.

Local shops often get their asking price - or close to it - at least from me. IMO, the more they make on a sale, the longer they stay in business. Local shops are becoming a rarity, so I try not to squeeze them any more than I have to.

 

[unixfish]

That would bug me. The crack is probably cosmetic or just in the poly finish, but what is to keep it from growing / chipping? I don't like inheriting other's issues.

 

[bsman]

The Player Series does not include a gig bag. The old Standard did (for many years).

Yup - the Standards stopped including a gig bag at some point in the mid-2010s and the Player Series have never included a bag.

 

[Philtastic]

I had watched this unboxing video that shows the guitar shipped in a gig bag. I just re-watched it, and although I thought he purchased it off Amazon, because of the affiliate link, he got it from another UK shop.

Down in the comments he says he didn't buy the gig bag separate. Either it did in fact come with it from Fender, or the shop included it for free as a bonus/better padding during shipping.

I really do remember seeing it listed as an included item on Amazon's listing page, though. It's one of the main reasons I decided to chance it with Amazon. Maybe my mind's playing tricks on me…

 

[Ebidis]

Will having the pickups too low induce more hum? I'm guessing yes, because they'd have to work harder to get a signal, right?

This is not how pickups work. The hight has no bearing whatsoever on 60 cycle hum. Pickups do not "work harder" or "work easier" they just work.

They will pick up more signal if they are closer to the strings, just like if you move your mouth closer to a microphone it sounds louder.

As far as the other issues, those would be non issues to me, but you have to decide how important those things are to you.

 

[Ebidis]

I like the sound of the guitar. It sounds like a Tele. The stock pickups are alnico 5 (as far as I'm aware), which is what I want. The pots are 250K CTS pots with solid shafts, not split shaft. The volume knob is Audio Taper.

As for the knobs, either the outer knobs were molded slightly off, or the pot shafts are slightly off being perfectly perpendicular, causing the knobs to wobble. If I loosen the set screw, the knobs turn freely (not connected to the shafts). Tightening the set screw reveals the problem again: A slight wobble when turning the knob. If I leave a gap between the bottom of the knob and the control plate, that gap appears to get slightly bigger and then smaller again when turning the knob. If I push the knobs down all the way to the control plate, they will only do a half-turn before coming into contact with the control plate, and either grinding, or stopping altogether.

It's pretty much impossible to see on the shaft itself, but the knob reveals the issue. Here are some photos of the electronics. It's too difficult to show the problem in photos.


Tone knob: 250K CTS pot

View attachment 929341


Volume Knob: 250K CTS Audio Taper

View attachment 929342


Capacitor

View attachment 929343


3-Way Switch:

View attachment 929344

View attachment 929345

There is a difference between a wobble, and the knob rising up and down as you posted previously. When you tighten the set screw there will be a slight offset as the knob is pushed slightly to one side. It's normal, and not an issue.

 

[Ebidis]

This is why you should work with local shops, even if you have to wait.
I've NEVER paid MSRP for a new guitar. It shocks me that online retailers can move them at those prices.

Online prices are not MSRP, they are MAP. There is a difference. MAP is the price that shops used to sell when they "discounted" MSRP.

MSRP was never anything but a scam so retailers could say "here is what it is supposed to cost, but here's what we will sell it to you for". They then sold it to you at MAP.

In the age of the internet, MSRP is no longer used, because it's a waste of time, and nobody sells or buys anything at MSRP. Everything is listed at MAP now.

 

[Philtastic]

I called Fender. They vote to return it.

They didn't offer any help on the knob issue.

 

[netgear69]

If the pots are split shaft which are not great on them barrel knobs face the gromet along the split or it will just bend the shaft that should fix the up and down motion
The crack in the finish on the neck pocket is probably where someone has forced the neck in pretty lazy at quality control there
Send it back make them pay the return shipping