My VI arrived!! now with decent pics

[woster]

Yesterday I finally got to pick up my CS VI!   :) I'm just so in love with it, I even skipped work to play it. The tone is really nice, and Fender did a great job on the sunburst - I really really it. I remember someone at the forum had quartersawn wood showing on the headstock. Mine seems to have a similar type. A wee bit of of a downside is the pickguard, which has a strange and rather big 0,5 square inch of yellow close to the middle pickup. It looks a little awkward. But actually this is not a problem for me... One MAJOR downside is the bridge cover which is too large. It simply doesn't fit and falls off immediately when I pick up the guitar. Come on CS!!! Wake up! I still have to get used to playing the VI, and discover my own VI-playing style. But I'm sure it will work out just fine. Someone borrowed my camera for a couple of days, so I can't take any pictures right now. But as soon as I get it back, I'll put some on the forum (promise!).

Now the warning bit. The shop where got my VI had a little surprise: not one but TWO VIs arrrived at the shop, so I got to choose. At least, I thought there was a choice. One of the two VIs (the one I didn't take) had some very serious rattling coming from somewhere around the bridge, when strumming the lowest 5 notes. It sounded like it came frame underneath the bridge. The shop's tech boy had no idea what exactly caused this rattling. It wasn't the saddle screws, I'm sure. Maybe a trem spring or something, I don't know. I've never heard such rattling on my other guitar (AVRI JM) or bass (Jazz). After some inspecting we found out the guitar apparently didn't go through the last inspection at Fender. You know the tag that is tied to the headstock of new Fender guitars, with the four phases of fabrication process? (Prep, Assembly, Tune/Test, Inspector) It really seemed to me that this VI didn't get the final inspection - the 'Inspector' part was not signed. The shop wil be sending back this one, so Fender can have another look at it.
To make a long story short: beware when buying a VI, even when it's a new CS model!!

Now I'll be off to play my VI some more. Can't wait to take it to the rehearsals of my band!

[zhivago]

congrats!

and of course, we need pics!!! 

[spaceghost]

you may try carefully squeezing the bridge cover with some pliers, using cloth so as not to damage it My bridge cover on my AVRI Jaguar was a little loose and i pinched either side and now it fits nicely.

[spacecadet]

you may try carefully squeezing the bridge cover with some pliers, using cloth so as not to damage it My bridge cover on my AVRI Jaguar was a little loose and i pinched either side and now it fits nicely.

Did the same on my CIJ Jazzmaster.  Seems a common trick.  These bridge covers are just cheap bits of metal held on by their own tension.

[TheMilford]

The buzzing is pretty normal... if the bridge posts are ever so slightly touching the mute it will rattle...

[starfish]

Congrats!  I had the same problem with my CS VI bridge cover.  The careful bending worked, but I also got the CS to send me a brand new one formed properly.  So I get to keep an extra.  Small price for the crappy quality control I received on mine.  Check my thread from last week for a list of relatively minor issues, but still present on a $2600 custom color VI.

index.php?topic=4038.0

Otherwise, I agree.  The CS VI sounds great and plays great after a proper set up.  The factory set up was a joke, really.

[Jarvis]

Good save on checking both of them out. That would really suck to bring home a lemon. But post some pics of your new VI!

[~*blissedandgone*~]

Congrats! I will be joining your party when I build my own Bass VI

But I have bills and now I'm moving back to California in a few months or so, SO! no Bass VI for now.

[woster]

I'm taking the bridge cover to the guitar shop, and let them do the bending. I don't think I have the proper tools to do it myself, and don't want to break it. And yes, pictures will be made    by the end of the week, when my gf brings back my camera.  The factory setup on my VI was actually pretty decent. It needed just a little bit tweaking. The intonation was proper also. Which is good thing, cause at home I noticed the intonation screws are the other way round, compared to my JM bridge. They're so close to the mute, I find it quite difficult to adjust them.

Oh btw, I injured my right hand this morning with scissors, so playing is a bit tricky now    I hate it when that happens...

[starfish]

I'm taking the bridge cover to the guitar shop, and let them do the bending. I don't think I have the proper tools to do it myself, and don't want to break it.

If you have a rubber mallet it's really easy and no damage will be done.  You just need to lightly tap the ends width-wise.  You are not bending the length of the bridge cover just slightly bending the width at each end.  It was easy to do and made no visible marks.  Fits very well now.  I will caution that the bridge cover itself will mute the low E when seated all the way.  There just isn't clearance for the low E.  I'm not sure if this was also true on the original VI's or just the CS reissue.

[DB]

...A wee bit of of a downside is the pickguard, which has a strange and rather big 0,5 square inch of yellow close to the middle pickup. It looks a little awkward....
...One MAJOR downside is the bridge cover which is too large. It simply doesn't fit and falls off immediately when I pick up the guitar...

Sounds like our guards were cut from the same material.  Take a look:



And yes, the bridge cover I got doesn't fit right either, though it fits on a CIJ Jazzmaster just fine.

DB

[SPudnik]

If you have a rubber mallet it's really easy and no damage will be done. 

Nuthin like a Dead Blow rubber hammer ay? ...

Good to see more and more members of CLUB VI!

I'd be willing to bet that it was a real pretty turtle that gave up its shell for the guardplate... 

[woster]

Edit: I've deleted those poor quality pics, because...

[woster]

...here's a couple of new hi-res ones!! I really like the quartersawn wood at the headstock, and the grain on the body (but the pictures don't really show the grain). So take a look at my VI 







A bit off topic, but here's the rest of my stuff (hey, it's MY thread  )

[Soiouz]

God, that VI is beautiful!!!!   

I am really amazed at how well the sunburst looks on this... That's what a Fender sunburst should look like to me!

I guess it's harder to do it like that than the "standard" sunburst they do on AVRIs, but if they did AVRI JMs with that kind of sunburst, I'd get one for sure! It looks so much better!!