Rolled edges on Player Plus Tele Nashville, E string sometimes slipping off

[Oldplay Rick]

Hi guys and gals,
I was given ie allowed to buy a new guitar for an anniversary present and after auditioning many fine guitars, all Fenders and Squiers, I decided on a Fender Player Plus Tele Nashville in Aged Candy Apple Red. It plays really nicely and I’ve had it for about 6 weeks.
Now just in the last week, I’ve noticed that around the 8th or 9th fret, sometimes the E No 1 string slips off the side of the fret board and I’ve noticed the distance from that string to the rolled edge of fretboard is quite narrow, and visually is less than the distance between the E No 6 string. Has anyone else had this issue with their Tele and is the simple fix to loosen the screws holding the neck on and move the neck slightly towards the E No 6 string side?
thanks in anticipation, group

 

[AAT65]

Yup, loosen the neck screws and give the neck a wee nudge!
And btw you know what they say -- this thread is worthless without pictures...

 

[That Cal Webway]

Hopefully shifting the neck per the advice above will help!

I'm more of the minority nowadays, not liking rolled edges at all.
It can take real estate away from the fingerboard:

but for me I do a technique bending the A string off the fingerboard the 10th fret and above, to create an interval of a major 3rd.

On several of the rolled edges guitars- I can't do that effectively/in tune.

 

[8barlouie]

It could be the neck could use a tweak up in the pocket or it could be that the strings could use to be tweaked up on the saddles. It could be a combination of both. Pictures would help greatly.

 

[SRHmusic]

I doubt the main issue is the edge roll, which should just be a small chamfer. The fact the high and low E strings have different distances to the edges indicates at least the neck isn't straight as you and @AAT65 note. Easy enough to adjust and see. Some Fender necks were notoriously too narrow, though (some mid 70s CBS ones I had come to mind).

@That Cal Webway Would bending towards the middle work for you? Seems a common way is to bend strings 1,2,3 up and 4,5,6 down (though sometimes the other way for a small, quick bend).

 

[ponycar]

I tend to be very opinionated and one of the things that I find consistently frustrating about factory Fenders is that that the nuts are cut with the high e too close to the edge of the fretboard. This is the case with many Fenders, rolled edges or not.
My American Original 60s Stratocaster, a 50s laquer MIM tele, the list goes on, and on. This causes me to cut and install replacement nuts on brand new guitars.
Installing a nut on a pristine guitar is not without risk.
One issue is lack of available space on narrow factory necks. My modern profile 2019 Limited Edition Chambered Telecaster, with a 1.70 width rolled edge neck is the exception. It is the only factory Fender that I don't tend to inadvertently mute the e.
It is also the only factory neck that I bonded with immediately, to the point that I tolerate the poly.
I build with Warmoth or Musikraft and cut my own nuts.
Photo is AO 60s Strat, Limited Ed Ch Tele and Warmoth Duo Sonic with my nut.
Just the slight difference in the 2 Fenders provides a huge improvement for me.

 

[JL_LI]

@AAT65 is right about loosening the screws to shift the neck. I have to do that on my CS69 Stratocaster. But that CS is the only Fender I have to do that with. Fender necks are narrow, at least to me, and rolling the fingerboard edges only compounds the problem. One would think a narrow neck is an advantage for thumb over but it’s not. It’s very difficult to keep your long fingers perpendicular to the fingerboard when playing thumb over and it’s east to unintentionally mute strings with the fingers of your left hand with a narrow neck. I’m not being snarky when I say the only real solution to the problem is practice with focus on technique, even if it’s unorthodox technique line thumb over.

 

[That Cal Webway]

I doubt the main issue is the edge roll, which should just be a small chamfer. The fact the high and low E strings have different distances to the edges indicates at least the neck isn't straight as you and @AAT65 note. Easy enough to adjust and see. Some Fender necks were notoriously too narrow, though (some mid 70s CBS ones I had come to mind).

@That Cal Webway Would bending towards the middle work for you? Seems a common way is to bend strings 1,2,3 up and 4,5,6 down (though sometimes the other way for a small, quick bend).

No. When I bend off the A string like that... at the same time I will bend another string up or go up chromatically without bending etc,
after I come down from that maj 3d up from the 'off the fingerboard' A string.

Here ya go- a short demo:

 

[That Cal Webway]

Hi guys and gals,
I was given ie allowed to buy a new guitar for an anniversary present and after auditioning many fine guitars, all Fenders and Squiers, I decided on a Fender Player Plus Tele Nashville in Aged Candy Apple Red. It plays really nicely and I’ve had it for about 6 weeks.
Now just in the last week, I’ve noticed that around the 8th or 9th fret, sometimes the E No 1 string slips off the side of the fret board and I’ve noticed the distance from that string to the rolled edge of fretboard is quite narrow, and visually is less than the distance between the E No 6 string. Has anyone else had this issue with their Tele and is the simple fix to loosen the screws holding the neck on and move the neck slightly towards the E No 6 string side?
thanks in anticipation, group

Did you try to shift the neck??

.

 

[boris bubbanov]

Not a bad idea, to pull the neck off and clean out the crud in the pocket and on the underside of the heel. Also, ream out the 4 holes through the body with a twist bit maybe 1/64ths larger than 1/8ths inches, to eliminate binding there. Then, the neck adjustment trick should bring the neck into proper alignment and the stock nut then works all right. Do I wish most of these FMIC guitars had that slot a little more inboard? Sure. But they normally will work and buying a spanking brand new guitar, only to tear the stock nut out, is against my Rules.

 

[Geo]

Check the bridge plate alignment also. It is a common occurrence with MIM models where the plate get skewed a bit
at the factory when installed. When aligned generally strings should be centered across the bridge pickup magnet centers,
especially the high e string, or at least some or very close on others.

 

[Chicken Curry]

Oh this old chestnut. If it's not the neck angle, it's the lack of space between the string and the edge of the fret (before the fret tapers off!). For me, it's the latter, on both my teles and both E strings! The cheaper fenders seem to have more space, the higher up you go in value, the less space you have, generally speaking. While ago I was thinking of getting a Custom Shop 70th anniversary Broadcaster, but the rolled neck put me off, it was very rolled. On the other hand, was very impressed with a Players Series, just didn't sound as good. The neck on a Suhr was immaculate.

 

[Chicken Curry]

My American Original 60s Stratocaster, a 50s laquer MIM tele, the list goes on, and on. This causes me to cut and install replacement nuts on brand new guitars.
Installing a nut on a pristine guitar is not without risk.
One issue is lack of available space on narrow factory necks.

I was thinking of getting this done on both my 52AV and 50's AO. What would a comfortable amount of string spacing be with a new nut?

 

[tomasz]

No. When I bend off the A string like that... at the same time I will bend another string up or go up chromatically without bending etc,
after I come down from that maj 3d up from the 'off the fingerboard' A string.

Here ya go- a short demo:

But that is not a guitar issue. If you are looking for such a big bend close to and into the direction to the fretboard edge, no instrument will be good enough. You have to change your technique or position on the neck to securely bend upwards like that.

 

[That Cal Webway]

But that is not a guitar issue. If you are looking for such a big bend close to and into the direction to the fretboard edge, no instrument will be good enough. You have to change your technique or position on the neck to securely bend upwards like that.

Many non rolled fb electrics are gd enough for that technique, cheap to $$. Been doing it 20 yrs.
And it's ez to do technique wise!

Ain't no biggie: it just donut work for me!

 

[Oldplay Rick]

Well I am overwhelmed and grateful for each of your comments. I had another noodle session with it tonight and the issue seemed to disappear so maybe my playing. But I will take on board each of your comments and make a slight adjustment and see where we are. And yes pictures are always good so here’s one

 

[Oldplay Rick]

Did you try to shift the neck??

.

Is to happen

 

[Boreas]

Boy, not much real estate there. I can't tell by the picture, but the roll doesn't seem to be very extreme. Just looks like a really narrow neck. The bridge/pole alignment looks good. Shifting the neck or a more narrowly cut nut may help, but obviously won't make the neck any wider. A narrower bridge would probably provide the most benefit, but try the neck slip first. There is often a lot of finish overspray in the pocket that can be removed that can give you some wiggle room. Just be aware that your marker alignment will shift a little, which is just aesthetic.

I have a couple guitars like this. I just play them differently. I have also learned to stay away from rolled necks on guitars I intend to bend a lot on. Sometimes heavier-gauge strings help minimize the problem of running off the board.

 

[RoyMontero62]

Well I am overwhelmed and grateful for each of your comments. I had another noodle session with it tonight and the issue seemed to disappear so maybe my playing. But I will take on board each of your comments and make a slight adjustment and see where we are. And yes pictures are always good so here’s one

Can you take a picture of the nut? In my experience MIM fenders nut is cut terribly. The string spacing on the nut are sometimes cut unevenly. Also it looks like the block saddles are not perpendicular, the block sides should be flushed against each other and if its not then, the spacing between saddles could eat real estate on your fretboard. Maybe try using Gotoh compensated saddles. It should look like this. Yeah the other posters are right also to suggest try tilting the neck side to side, by loosening the neck screws. Detune first. See if that helps

 

[Thumper]

That Photo looks like the bridge is to far south. Check the alignment of the strings in relationship to the whole guitar sighting from the tail end of the guitar. Yes, neck pocket adjustment might buy you a smidgen and the nut as well, but…by that photo I would guess the bridge is not exactly where it should be.

I have been experimenting with JB Quikwood Epoxy putty for filling holes. It is a two part putty, once you kneed a small amount you can roll it into a mini noodle. Drop as much into the hole that is off as possible and fill it level with the surface of the surrounding wood. It has a decent working time, doesn't shrink and sets hard enough to drill in just over an hour (depending on room temp). This product sets up at least as hard as Alder or soft maple and it will take paint.
Use the smallest pilot drill possible with your tools and reposition the offending hole/s. Work your way up to the correct drill size in small increments. Go slow make sure your drilling straight and not too deep.

It sucks to reposition critical components but strings falling off the fret board personally drives me nuts.