Fret Sprout

Like many of us living in the northern central US, we have experienced cold, dry, weather. The humidity drops to very low levels and a whole house humidifier is not a solution (another discussion with different issues). The only real concern for solid body guitars is fret sprout. This is the time of the year to deal with it as it sometimes doesn't go away when the humidity returns. If you take care of it now you most likely will not have to deal with it again.

I removed it on 5 guitars this morning and it was slight and easy to remove. I use a Nicholson fine flat file about 8 inches long. It is easy to do and if done properly you will not touch the neck finish. It does take a bit of practice to get the feel. The file must be run flat against the side of the neck. You can feel the frets grabbing, a few passes and as soon as it the file begins to feel smooth and move easily you are probably done. Carefully check to make sure you don't get to the finish while you are doing it. It takes patience and checking to get it right. Do not try this unless you think through the process. Keep in mind that the wood has shrunk from low humidity and the fret ends are now wider than the neck. Do not try to address the frets individually but run down the side of the neck along the neck. Practice on a beater if you have one. The key here is to have a perfectly flat file. Good luck to those who confident to try this. The results are amazing and the neck will feel smooth to play again.

The interesting thing is that many guitars don't develop fret sprout. Some do and if fixed when the humidity has been the lowest for a period of time it most likely will not happen again.

BTW, I have been using a whole house humidifier and have unplugged it. That is a story in itself. -- Darwin

Last edited by darwinohm on Sat Feb 28, 2015 9:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

Darwin, thanks for posting this. My SC-2 gets a bit of fret sprout sometimes and it has always annoyed the hell out of me. I'm going to pick up one of those files and give it a go. I will be sure to follow your instructions and be patient. Your Bass neck looks like like it is going to turn out great BTW.

Thanks GL. Fret sprout is annoying. Let me know how it works out for you.

I have 6 coats of Tru Oil on the neck with about 6 more to go. I couldn't be happier! -- Darwin

Fret sprout saved my Larrivee!
It was last winter, and especially cold one here in Wisconsin. I picked up one of my Asat's, and noticed fret sprout for the first time. Looked it up online, and realized it was linked with humidity, or lack there of. Checked on my Larrivee to find, that very slight fret dive hand begun towards the sound hole.

I was a fool. I had never even considered monitoring the humidity. I grew up in Santa Ana, CA. Apparently the winds blew that lesson right over my head...not a great joke..
My only acoustic before purchasing my Larrivee, was a lower end Ovation, which is impervious to any environment!...at the cost of tone.

Got a case humidifier, and a room humidifier for my music/media room, in my apt. Thankfully no other warping had taken place.
I live in an apt with large windows, sliding door, which does not make for the best insulation.
Every once in a while, if the temp has been extremely low for a prolonged period, a touch of fret sprout is a great reminder for me to double check the case humidifier, and/or turn down the heat a touch. I've gotten pretty good at remembering to fill the room humidifier frequently enough, so dropping the temp a few degrees, has always been enough to do away with the fret sprout.

Good to know its a diy'er if I ever have the need. Thanks for walkthrough, and tips.

I'm curious about your issue with the humidifier. A whole house model? Did it make a moldy swamp of the basement carpet...?

For a second, I thought fret sprout meant you went from 24 frets to 25 frets Darwin! I am jealous that you have the time to fiddle with your guitars. It is a fun pastime that escapes me lately.


Homesick - acoustics are touchy either way, too much or too little humidity and can develop serious problems if ignored. If you have a nice one you care about (I am sure your Larrivee fits this category) buy yourself a hygrometer to monitor it. My problem is usually far too high humidity. Acoustics are happy in the 45-55% range. Where I live is usually 75 or more but, we have dips in the winter and I have to get my Taylor some moisture. The hygrometer keeps me on track without the guesswork. Check out some of the tech tips on Taylor's website to keep your acoustic healthy. I think they may even sell them.

Fianoman, your right, they don't grow that way, however fret sprout is common in our climate. I was at a newer G&L dealer last week and most had fret sprout.

Homesick, your climate is very similar to ours. I had a whole house humidifier and had it in our living room. I have been keeping it at 40% which takes several gallon a day in cold weather. Our house was constructed in 1975, pretty modern by most standards, and we have new windows and had our attic insulated last summer. The first warmup after the cold spell, I noticed moisture melting in the soffits. Upon inspection I discovered the the Cobra ridge venting had frosted up and was not venting. It was probably installed too tightly when last re-roofed. Anyway, I will take care of that as soon as it gets warmer but a lot of that humidy was getting trapped in the attic. Under control now and life is good. If you check humidity charts, it should be much lower in the house during cold weather. I will do better next year.

Solid body electric guitars do quite well and may only show some fret sprout when the humidity gets low. Acoustics are a whole different ball game and if you want to use a room humidifier to do the job, the room should be very tight with a vapor barrier and designed for that purpose. It is only an issue in very cold climates. My story for what it's worth. -- Darwin