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Fender gets into vintage sales via Reverb

Aloha_Ark

Active member
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
154
As a decades-long participant in #3 [community of player/collectors], I don't need some bullshit "Fender" imprimatur to help me make decisions. There's no evidence that they know anymore about these guitars than anyone else.

Group #3 is evolving, either expanding with new members, or contracting due to old guys dying. The amount of fakery among sellers is very annoying. Parts substitution is quite high. You are also right about the small number of vintage dealers who can be trusted to "honestly" describe the condition and authenticity of an instrument. I was sold a player grade Fender guitar by a dealer who failed to mention there was bashing damage to the lower bout (a la Pete Townshend), and stinky mold in the case. The worst part was that he rated the condition as VG+.

Due to the inherent dishonesty and lack of trust in the Fender vintage market, it is no wonder some people would prefer to buy a curated instrument. The prices for both curated and unvetted guitars are outrageous, and more expensive than a new automobile. And yet the guitars are sold with less documentation than an auto that can be inspected by a mechanic for $125. I am sure that Group #3 has many members who have been burned at least once in their purchases.
 

agogetr

Active member
Joined
Jan 22, 2019
Messages
451
Although there was 100% no question more leeway in terms of the hand finishing & tooling methods in the first couple decades of Fender I don't think the shim means much. I still shim for preference on the new guitars, it can go a long way in putting the saddles/string height off the body where you want them.


What's "quality" mean in a Fender anyways? It sounds good and it's not screwed up?


String alignment a little off? Loosen the 4 bolts a turn, align neck, tighten. Problem solved.

Neck pitch too high/low? Shim the bastard. Problem solved.

Intonation? Fully adjustable through a large range of string gauges.

String height? Fully adjustable.

So, all your big angles right there are dummy proof, just cut'em flat.

Even the "neck pocket" comments you always see in terms of people touting "quality" on the internet are ill-informed, there's supposed to be some tolerance in the pocket because the the maple will shrink/swell differently than the ash/alder/etc. A tight neck pocket usully means a cracked neck pocket.



So, that last thing I want on a Fender style bolt-on guitar is some feller/builder touting his superior attention to angles, alchemy, and **** like that. It's two totally adjustable/modable dummy proof planks and whey they pair well they fair well.
im going to shim a few of my old strats starting with my 54/5 hardtail. i like a little angle and raise the saddles. just my preferance. some strats dont feel like they need messed with and i leave those alone. stew mac makes a good looking full pocket shim, they arent cheap but they look awesome i,m going to try those.
 

laotiosub

New member
Joined
Feb 25, 2022
Messages
1
These guitars are very special because they aren't reproductions. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a unique occasion to have a museum piece in your house if you're as passionate about guitars :) Or even better, you could sell them for more. I currently own a Shopify store that sells vintage furniture, musical instruments, and similar stuff. If I buy one of these guitars, I could make some money for sure. I also use https://revenuegrid.com/ to help me get better at sales, so there would be no doubt I'll make a profit. You just have to know what business is... Demand and supply!
 
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sunking101

Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2020
Messages
102
Fender fans always give shims a free pass but it smacks of poor build quality to me. Get the neck angle right! Even with CNC machines lots of modern Fenders still need shims. I had a CS Tele and an Elite strat that both needed a shim.

A good neck angle is essential on a guitar and if the manufacturer has stuffed a torn-off piece of a cereal box in the neck pocket in order to achieve that then my opinion of that guitar nosedives. It's just a bodge that is somehow accepted. Sure if they need a shim after decades of use then that's a different matter but straight out of the factory?
 

deytookerjaabs

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1,592
Fender fans always give shims a free pass but it smacks of poor build quality to me. Get the neck angle right! Even with CNC machines lots of modern Fenders still need shims. I had a CS Tele and an Elite strat that both needed a shim.

A good neck angle is essential on a guitar and if the manufacturer has stuffed a torn-off piece of a cereal box in the neck pocket in order to achieve that then my opinion of that guitar nosedives. It's just a bodge that is somehow accepted. Sure if they need a shim after decades of use then that's a different matter but straight out of the factory?


I get what you're saying about "getting it right." But, if I can counter that, there's weird little things that come with being able to change your setup when shimming the neck angle. It's hard to describe because there's differences of perception and opinions. But, in my experience shimming a neck down yields a bit spongier feel on the strings while shimming it up gets a bit tighter feel. It's kind of nice to be able to tinker either way, with a set neck you got what you've got. IMO it's more the exception than the norm for a Fender to need shimming but it does happen now and then. Usually it's a preference thing.
 

jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,276
Shimming for neck angle adjustment isn't a design/quality flaw it's a feature for flexibility. Fender has codified the need to adjust the neck angle via the Micro-Tilt.

Neck positions and derailment -- oh, the irony.
 
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