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Post subject: Fender / Apple USB Squire non-vertical nut slot defect!
Posted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:56 pm
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Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 5:01 pm
Posts: 5
I bought my Fender Squire USB guitar directly from the AppleStore.com about a month ago.

From the start the A note on the G-string sounded horrible, as well as other notes that were not as far off but not right.

I'm new to this but my similarly new Fender CD140S doesn't suffer from this (at all) so, I know it isn't me.

The tuner shows that when the string is in tune (and intonated!) the A on G is off by 15 to 20 cents.

I purchased Dan Erlewines book, How to Make Your Electric Guitar Sound Great, and used the information (comes with a wonderful DVD!) to setup my Squier Strat but it still had the same problems on the first and second frets ... after that it was fine?

Now, I examined the nut more closely and discovered the problem ... it isn't perpendicular to the fretboard but leans down towards the bridge, slightly!

The reason the problem was worse with the G string is because the nut has a radius so the middle of it leans further down the fretboard towards the bridge, shortening the string to first fret distance of the G-string more than of the e-string. But, they are all still off enough to be out of intonation by at least ten cents and all sound strange for first position chords.

This has driven me crazy! At least I figured it out, now. I'm going to file the front edge of the nut and also replace it with a bone nut as it is just a plastic one that comes on the Squire.

I hate that the groove for the nut is cut at an angle! Talk about lack of quality! Unfortunately, in tapping the current nut to remove it, a chunk of the rosewood (behind the nut) chipped out so, I can't return it. So it goes!

Anyway, if anyone else has problems with their G-string, first and second fret tones being off ... check to see if your nut is at an angle! I suspect they made many like this, once the machine was setup improperly!

Another tip off to this problem was that in order to intone the guitar, several of my string saddles had to be tight back against the end bridge plate. I guess they cut the bridge hole too close to the nut, too?

I've set my sights on a good, American Strat ... the Fender/Roland VG5 ... for next year after I can play better. I just hope they are made better ... at least playable?

For now, I may just lick my wounds and practice on the acoustic? It will take me longer and therefore delay my purchasing a better guitar. I realize you get what you pay for and this was very cheap but I had planned to use it to practice on, only! This experience has been very disappointing!

BTW I can't get over how much the bone nut has improved the sound!!! For a few bucks, this is really an amazing improvement! Notes now ring, sounding like a grand piano where they used to sound muffled or muted with the plastic nut!

Does anyone know where I can buy a replacement neck for my Squier ... one with a good start nut cut into it? It won't solve the bridge placement problem but at least it should tune up? And a maple neck should hold up better for replacing the nut with a bone one, too.


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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Fender / Apple USB Squire non-vertical nut slot defect!
Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 5:16 pm
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Fender Staff
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Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2010 1:12 pm
Posts: 4396
Hi digeratti,

I see that you had posted this message regarding your Squier® Strat® USB Guitar some time ago. Our apologies for not getting in touch with you sooner. We wanted to check with you to see if you ended up exchanging the guitar because of the issue you found, or if there might be anything we could do to assist at this point?

If we can offer any assistance, please let us know. Thanks very much.

Best Regards,

_________________
Fender Technology Support Lab
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation
TSL@Fender.com
(800) 856-9801


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