Problem with frets

[overt1]

My Legacy has a maple neck with a maple fretboard with the tinted gun-oil option. All the frets on it began to stick out because of humidity or something. The neck has a gloss finish on it, so if I were to file down the edges, the gloss at the fretboard edge would also be removed. What is the easiest way to touch up the areas where the gloss has been removed? Or is there even a way to file the fret ends without even harming the gloss finish?

[Sprinter 92]

Filing the frets is the last thing you want to do. My '84 SC-2 had a bad case of fret sprout when I got it. I kept it on a stand near a humidifier for a week to rehydrate the neck. If you do that and can still feel the frets then you'll need to have them filed. Filing the ends is tricky and should be done by someone with experience.

Sprinter 92

[brianr0131]

Did this just happen or was it this way all winter? Normally the frets pop out in the winter when it's dry. Also, that's the best time to file them down because they're out close to as far as they can go.

I have a feeling that they'll "suck in" as the humidity rises. Obviously, this will all be relevant to your location and weather conditions. Here, in the Northeast frets pop out in the winter and suck in in the summer.

If you file them down now, you'll probably be filing them again in December. If this just happened in the spring and wasn't apparent in the winter, I'd bring it to a Luthier to have them look at it and make a recommendation.

I know most players around my way file down in the winter to get the most "meat" off. Normally this only needs to be done once if you get it while they're sticking out their furthest.

[sirmyghin]

There is no harm in filing the fret ends, you just need to know what you are doing. I have fret sprout immediately on my G&L as it came to Canada, really bad sprout too. I need to take the file to it again, as I didn't do the best job the first time, mid winter anyway. Just take it slow, and take your time and you will be fine. An end dressing file from stew mac is a good tool for it, albeit a slow one.

I have a maple board so any 'hydration' of the board is not an option as G&L finishes them. Brian is correct you only really need to do this once.

[Sprinter 92]

I have a maple board so any 'hydration' of the board is not an option as G&L finishes them.

A G&L neck with a maple fretboard will hydrate with the help of a humidifier. It takes longer due to the finish, but it does work. My SC-2 has a maple fretboard.

Sprinter 92

[overt1]

Thanks for the replies

Filing the frets is the last thing you want to do. My '84 SC-2 had a bad case of fret sprout when I got it. I kept it on a stand near a humidifier for a week to rehydrate the neck. If you do that and can still feel the frets then you'll need to have them filed. Filing the ends is tricky and should be done by someone with experience.

Sprinter 92

I would consider humidifying the guitars but it would seem like a bandage fix. I would rather file them right now so I don't have tow worry about them sprouting again when it's dry.

Did this just happen or was it this way all winter? Normally the frets pop out in the winter when it's dry. Also, that's the best time to file them down because they're out close to as far as they can go.

I have a feeling that they'll "suck in" as the humidity rises. Obviously, this will all be relevant to your location and weather conditions. Here, in the Northeast frets pop out in the winter and suck in in the summer.

If you file them down now, you'll probably be filing them again in December. If this just happened in the spring and wasn't apparent in the winter, I'd bring it to a Luthier to have them look at it and make a recommendation.

I know most players around my way file down in the winter to get the most "meat" off. Normally this only needs to be done once if you get it while they're sticking out their furthest.

I haven't touched it in over a month(they weren't sprouting back then), but when I recently picked it up again, I could feel all the frets were sprouted. I'm not sure if they're just starting to sprout, or if they're going to suck back in. I've played it for a few days now, and the fret sprouting doesn't seem that obvious... but that could be because I'm used to it already. I've had it for over 4 years, but they have never sprouted once.

There is no harm in filing the fret ends, you just need to know what you are doing. I have fret sprout immediately on my G&L as it came to Canada, really bad sprout too. I need to take the file to it again, as I didn't do the best job the first time, mid winter anyway. Just take it slow, and take your time and you will be fine. An end dressing file from stew mac is a good tool for it, albeit a slow one.

I have a maple board so any 'hydration' of the board is not an option as G&L finishes them. Brian is correct you only really need to do this once.

You used this one right? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... =3&xsr=531 Is it good for working on the tangs too? How much of the finish at each fret end did you take off, and how did you patch up the finish? Would this work well too? http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultimate-Fret-End-F ... 4304wt_907

[Sprinter 92]

Thanks for the replies

Filing the frets is the last thing you want to do. My '84 SC-2 had a bad case of fret sprout when I got it. I kept it on a stand near a humidifier for a week to rehydrate the neck. If you do that and can still feel the frets then you'll need to have them filed. Filing the ends is tricky and should be done by someone with experience.

Sprinter 92

I would consider humidifying the guitars but it would seem like a bandage fix. I would rather file them right now so I don't have tow worry about them sprouting again when it's dry.

If your house is dry enough that you have frets sticking out on your guitars then you need to humidify your house. Keeping guitars in conditions that dry is not good for your guitars. Low humidity can cause splits and warpage. Start with humidity first.

Sprinter 92

[darwinohm]

This is called fret sprout. My theory is that G&L has a problem because of humid Fullerton California. Send em anywhere else and they dry out. The ultimate solution is to move their factory right down the street from me. I will then test them before they leave the factory. Everyone knows that Minnesota has the perfect weather and climate for everything!! Also, If they have an overstock in Red guitars, they could store them at my house. By the way, we did have an earthquake in Minnesota this past week. Very few noticed it as it was only a little over a 2.-- Darwin

[overt1]

Thanks for the replies

Filing the frets is the last thing you want to do. My '84 SC-2 had a bad case of fret sprout when I got it. I kept it on a stand near a humidifier for a week to rehydrate the neck. If you do that and can still feel the frets then you'll need to have them filed. Filing the ends is tricky and should be done by someone with experience.

Sprinter 92

I would consider humidifying the guitars but it would seem like a bandage fix. I would rather file them right now so I don't have tow worry about them sprouting again when it's dry.

If your house is dry enough that you have frets sticking out on your guitars then you need to humidify your house. Keeping guitars in conditions that dry is not good for your guitars. Low humidity can cause splits and warpage. Start with humidity first.

Sprinter 92

Yeah a humidity gauge and a humidifier would be good. I just find it odd that it's only my Legacy that has frets sticking out, and the rest of my guitars don't. Could it be because of the maple fretboard? But then again, I have another guitar with a maple fretboard and neck but it doesn't have frets sticking out.

[sirmyghin]

You used this one right? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... =3&xsr=531 Is it good for working on the tangs too? How much of the finish at each fret end did you take off, and how did you patch up the finish? Would this work well too? http://cgi.ebay.com/Ultimate-Fret-End-F ... 4304wt_907

I used that first file on the tangs, slow but it works. I didn't patch up the finish because I didn't damage the finish. I don't know about the latter, never used it.