Different Specifications Of Stock And Spare Parts

[capmaster]

Here's another true story about Fender spare parts, specifications and unit systems in this case. <_<

 

The day before yesterday I restrung another one of my Fender Nashville Power Telecasters. Suddenly, while tuning up the A5th, the string jumped out of the peg right into my face. Luckily I wear glasses...

 

At first I thought I had done something wrong, put it back again, and with a loud pop, the spring jumped out another time. I also had seen the peg rotating backwards, clockwise in this case, and found the peg to have slipped out of the machine head about 3 millimeters or 1/8". Checking the other machine heads lead to the result that they all felt a bit loose. <_<

 

Since I had bought the guitar there, I called the Thomann service. They guy said that perhaps this is a bad batch with pegs insufficiently tightened to the gear wheel, and that he would send me a new set of machine heads without charge.

 

So far, so good. However, when they arrived today, I found out that the original ones have 6 mm pegs while the new ones feature 1/4" diameter. The package and the bottom of the gear housings say "Japan," other than with the stock parts.

 

Then I pushed out one of the bushings and found out that the outer diameters of the new ones matched.

 

Since everything else seemed to fit, too, I replaced the stock bushings with the new ones. It was a bit of a hassle since after moving I don't have a workshop anymore, but finally I got it done. By the wy, they feel much more solid.

 

As for the stock parts, in my opinion Fender went with different sizes in order to save money on making new instruments. I guess they pay much less for these metric parts, so they sacrificed this particular spec.

 

I don't care if they choose metric or imperial but they should do it with any consistency and predictability.

[BobF_]

What you've described is happening with everything sold. It used to be that a major appliance purchase came with assurance of decades of service. Same with small appliances, tools, everything. Manufacturers discovered that it's much better to include superfluous features, sold like only Madison Ave can sell, while reducing quality so that you have to replace what you bought sooner. But you'll be happy to replace that 3 yo refer with a new one that has a built in touch-screen grocery list tablet! And at only $3000 it's a bargain.

 

Every corner was cut to 45s a long time ago. Now we're cutting those to 22.5. Eventually everything will be rounded off like the inside of recently purchased Craftsman socket. We won't even remember what corners were like ... except a few that will be sold as reissues. Then the reissues will celebrate their own 20th anniversary.

 

We blame foreign manufacturing, but who provides the specs and accepts the products?

 

BTW, K-Mart owns Sears.

 

How many of the few things you've found labeled "Made In The USA" were any better than those labeled from Asia?

 

What were we talking about again? :)