Fret Ends Sticking Out

[Forensicguy]

Hi!

New to this forum... but not new to guitars...

I recently purchased a used MIM Telecaster and found that the guitar had frets that were sticking out so bad that you could feel every fret as you moved up and down the neck. Obviously, the guitar had been stored in a very dry condition causing the neck to shrink in so much that the ends were noticeably sticking out.

I had read that re-humidifying the guitar could help bring the neck condition back and so I have been keeping the guitar in a case with a wet sponge in a ziplock bag with holes punched in it.

Over the past couple of weeks, it does appear to have helped, but still, I can feel the fret ends. Believe me, it's better than when I got it! But I have to wonder if it will ever get back to normal.

Has anyone here had this problem before? Have you successfully fixed the issue?

I've even left the guitar on a guitar stand sitting in a closed bathroom after taking a shower just to get more humidity to the guitar. I've only kept it there for perhaps 3 hours at a time though.

Am I wasting my time hoping to bring it back to norm or should I consider getting the remaining fret ends filed?

Thanks for your replies!

[notdave]

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

I've even left the guitar on a guitar stand sitting in a closed bathroom after taking a shower just to get more humidity to the guitar. I've only kept it there for perhaps 3 hours at a time though.

I bet the pots loved that.

Take it to a luthier/tech. Get his opinion.

[Forensicguy]

Originally Posted by notdave

I bet the pots loved that.

Take it to a luthier/tech. Get his opinion.

Yes, I worried about that! This is why I didn't leave it there extremely long.

[Telepi]

My frets poked out a bit from winter dryness. I just filed them down with some 400 grit nail files from the beauty store where my wife shops. Then polished the ends with 900 grit.

[xtrajerry]

Originally Posted by Telepi

My frets poked out a bit from winter dryness. I just filed them down with some 400 grit nail files from the beauty store where my wife shops. Then polished the ends with 900 grit.

Great idea..

[soulman969]

A condition known as fret sprout Mexican style. The fret ends on the MIM aren't as well finished as they are on their north of the border cousins so they tend to have rough edges to begin with and the neck shrinkage from dryness just makes it worse.

I have a Tele that came to me from the Midwest that's drying out in this climate and the fret ends are doing the same although here it's pretty difficult to re-humidify a guitar unless you store it in a humidity controlled environment. It's probably dried out enough now that with a little bit of fret work it will be just fine and never need it again.

If you're unable or unwilling to work on them yourself you can take it to a luthier or a good tech and have it done for around $50. If you're going to do it it's best to tape off the fingerboard and the side of the neck so you don't mar it. Stew-Mac sells special files for that purpose if you don't already have something that will help you to do it.

[73Fender]

This was some of the best info I found on the subject, Thanks Colt
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home...t-troubes.html

Although if nail files and 900 grit paper works go for it. Telepi, did you mask / tape the neck first or work without a net?

[Arbiter]

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

I had read that re-humidifying the guitar could help bring the neck condition back and so I have been keeping the guitar in a case with a wet sponge in a ziplock bag with holes punched in it.

This is not a great idea. Guitars can mold more easily than you might think.

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

I've even left the guitar on a guitar stand sitting in a closed bathroom after taking a shower just to get more humidity to the guitar. I've only kept it there for perhaps 3 hours at a time though.

Sweet Jesus Mother Mary of God.

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

Am I wasting my time hoping to bring it back to norm or should I consider getting the remaining fret ends filed?

Thanks for your replies!

Considering you've done everything one could do to humidify an instrument short of peeing on it, I'd say at this point you'd be well advised to try another approach, assuming the guitar isn't ruined by now.

Perhaps a fret file is in order?

[JDRNoPro]

Well, ask yourself if you want to deal with this annually.........or fix it once and for all. I used to do the former but now always take the latter course of action.

BTW, welcome to the TDPRI !!!

[Mike Eskimo]

Or you can wait for June...

[Telepi]

Originally Posted by 73Fender

Although if nail files and 900 grit paper works go for it. Telepi, did you mask / tape the neck first or work without a net?

It didn't take much. Probably 10 minutes, so I just filed very carefully.
I thought about masking, but that would have taken too long.

Added... I used nice, easy downward motions away from the fret board. and followed the contour. The files came from Salley's Beauty. They have a whole section. They're stiff, so they don't flex. So, it's not the sand paper you get at Lowes.

I'm very pleased with the results. It's all very smooth. Probably more smooth than when I bought it.

[73Fender]

Originally Posted by Forensicguy

Hi!


I had read that re-humidifying the guitar could help bring the neck condition back and so I have been keeping the guitar in a case with a wet sponge in a ziplock bag with holes punched in it.

I have had a few of the top techs in my state (including one that is famous here) tell me that this method is good to use during the dry North East US winters which might prevent the sprout in the first place.

Arbiter's post about mold has me a little worried, I have had no issues in several years of winter time sponge in case use. Knocking wood.

[John Wesley]

This is quite common. I've seen this on quite a few over the years - everything from Gibsons to Encores. It seems a little more common on rosewood fretboards than maple. Wood moves over time and a little contraction can leave the fret ends sticking out. Take it to a luthier and get the frets dressed. If the humidity in your bathroom has any effect at all I doubt it would evenly hydrate the fingerboard sufficiently enough or evenly enough to alleviate your problem.

Good opportunity to get it setup.

Cheers,

JW

[TC6969]

Here in Florida, we carry knives in the summer cause after you take a breath, you have to slice it off of the atmosphere after you get it in your lungs.

The whole state is pretty much a post shower bathroom 25% of the year but I've never heard of anyone having pot or pup corrosion issues from the humidity.

I fail to see how 3 hours in a bathroom would be an issue worth worrying about!

[notdave]

Originally Posted by TC6969

Here in Florida, we carry knives in the summer cause after you take a breath, you have to slice it off of the atmosphere after you get it in your lungs.

The whole state is pretty much a post shower bathroom 25% of the year but I've never heard of anyone having pot or pup corrosion issues from the humidity.

I fail to see how 3 hours in a bathroom would be an issue worth worrying about!

Because humidity doesn't = climate, and vice versa?

I'm kinda glad that I live in a country that's mostly temperate. There's more than one way of measuring humidity as it goes, but let's not cloud! the issue with meterology..

[soulman969]

Originally Posted by Telepi

It didn't take much. Probably 10 minutes, so I just filed very carefully.
I thought about masking, but that would have taken too long.

Added... I used nice, easy downward motions away from the fret board. and followed the contour. The files came from Salley's Beauty. They have a whole section. They're stiff, so they don't flex. So, it's not the sand paper you get at Lowes.

I'm very pleased with the results. It's all very smooth. Probably more smooth than when I bought it.

I wonder if the local beauty shop would charge less to manicure frets than a luthier would to file them?

[cnote]

A couple hours in a really humid environment won't affect the wood much. It takes a while to soak up the moisture.

Wait until next winter when the sprout is at it's worst and fix it proper by filing the ends down and you'll never have to worry about it again. On my guits with some sprout I use a 10" bastard file and run it along the side of the neck. Few swipes usually does it. If your careful, you don't have to even mask it. Then clean up the ends with a smaller, finer file.

[soulman969]

Originally Posted by cnote

A couple hours in a really humid environment won't affect the wood much. It takes a while to soak up the moisture.

Wait until next winter when the sprout is at it's worst and fix it proper by filing the ends down and you'll never have to worry about it again. On my guits with some sprout I use a 10" bastard file and run it along the side of the neck. Few swipes usually does it. If your careful, you don't have to even mask it. Then clean up the ends with a smaller, finer file.

Good point here! I believe the ones on mine have reached that point which is why I'm finally dealing with it now. So the frets and some other work on the relief and neck angle when it's at it's worst are due and once that's done you should be good to go with only minor adjustments thereafter.

[TC6969]

Originally Posted by notdave

Because humidity doesn't = climate, and vice versa?

I'm kinda glad that I live in a country that's mostly temperate. There's more than one way of measuring humidity as it goes, but let's not cloud! the issue with meterology..

I'm not talking about what goes on in some foreign country!

All I'm saying is if high humidity is going to affect pots and pups at all, its going to happen in Florida in the summer time and as far as I know it doesn't!

So anyone worried about 3 hours in a bathroom after ONE shower needs to find something else to worry about!

[h2ocreeker]

I picked up a strat a few years ago in the depths of a midwest winter (back when we had winter). It had pretty severe fret sprout, but otherwise a fine guitar. It was kept in a glass case in the sun, next to the door, in a music shop, next to a frozen lake loaded with pickup trucks and ice fishing shacks. What I'm getting at is that it was baked by the sun with the heater always pumping and drying out the already dry air. I was going to file the ends but thought better of it and decided to humidify first. I used an in case humidifier not far off from yours and it took many months to bring it back into shape. It does have a quarter sawn neck so that may make a difference but if I would have filed them off at first they would be short today. I suggest you make sure it is properly hydrated before any filing.