i experienced this once and it was gory!
was playing with some friends in front of about 30ish people and got I sliced by my neck and blood went everywhere...Didn't hurt though ha:) so thankful for that.

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A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski~

Hi again DetroitBlues: well that is exactly what can happen, yes. Always worth checking budget guitars with bound necks for tell-tale bulges in the binding at the fret ends.

However, there is a standard way to prevent it during manufacture. The fret tang is cut back from the end. That can be done by grinding it off, or using a fret tang nipper, or other gizmos. For example:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Speci ... 3&xsr=2173

- and:

http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproduc ... moval+Tool

Yet another reason why Les Pauls cost more than Strats - because that process takes time.

Sometimes the tangs can be cut back on unbound Fender necks too. For example, it has been done on my Korean Lite Ash Telecaster and the little gaps that are left at the visible end of the fret slots filled with tiny slivers of maple. And the same has been done on a Fender-style Strat neck I once bought from WD Music.

No fret sprout on those necks, ever! And another point in favor of Fender's Korean operation...

Cheers - C

Eh-hem...

With all due modesty, not for me.

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Oh, but it most definitely does in extreme cases. The binding splits and begins to separate from the guitar. FWIW, those guitars that are bound (most of the high-end ones any way) have fingerboards and necks which were appropriately allowed to season and age. Couple this with the binding being of a softer plastic which does have some 'give'. The amount of warranty claims that say, Gibson for example would have to field would be astronomical otherwise.

Consider too: During the winter months, many a guitar is subjected to many different climates and humidities, so to speak. For example: Transporting the instrument from the environment of the player's home to the environment of the gig, the environment of the gig itself, transporting it back in yet another environment; to and from the environment of rehearsals, etc. As a matter of fact (and not blowing my own horn but merely to reinforce my point), I serviced three guitars today alone with this problem. Fortunately, none of them were bound.

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That sounds like a great show!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

You should have immediately segued into, "Let It Bleed" and people would have thought it to be part of the show.

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Masterhacker:

I just purchased a '62 Vintage Reissue Strat from Long & Mcquade in Oshawa Ont. a week before Christmas. I had the same problem as I paid nearly $2000.00 Canadian for it and it was driving me crazy. As I got a free set-up for the purchase and a 30 day return policy I took it to the in-store tech and he filed all the edges on both sides of the fret board. Now, when I run my thumb along the fretboard it's as smooth as my Custom Classic Tele. I was a little leary as how it would look after he finished with it but you'd never know it had been touched. I was very impressed with the work he did on it. My advice is to take it to a good guitar repair man at a good music store where you live and have the same thing done. I'm very happy with my Vintage Strat, now.

Ken, Toronto

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Ken

Funny enough, I have this to a small degree on my '09 MIM Strat (Fortunately, I don't really notice it when I'm playing.), but not on my '09 Am. Std. Jazz Bass (both with maple fretboards), which made me wonder if it was indeed a matter of MIM vs. MIA quality control as they are both brand new, and have been kept in the same exact environment.

I noticed that StewMac, in their catalog have a "fret-finishing" file which is a stick about the size of a pencil which has on it small circular strips of various grade sandpaper. I put in to buy one, less than $10. I'll give that a go.

-T

I solved the problem by installing a humidifier when I replaced the HVAC system in my house. Humans need the moisture as much as guitars, plus I don't know that I'd dress fret ends to correct a seasonal issue. Fixing the air rather than everything affected by it seems a much better solution.

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60th Anniversary AD Strat, Deluxe Nashville Tele, Player's P Bass. Mesa/Boogie Mk IV combo, Marshall JCM800, 1960A cab, Genz Benz El Diablo 60, Genz 2x12" cab, too many neat little practice amps and kit projects!

I just let my guitar live in the shower room for a week and fret sprout was cleared up.

Thomas

Last year, I had the idea of having my frets sanded. But a professional told me it was really more of a seasonal thing and would clear up when it got warmer.

And really, he wasn't kidding. By the following summer, the neck was as smooth as warm butter.

Well I got my Fret Dressing Stick today in the mail.
Cool little tool...4 different grit of sandpaper.
I did a few frets already and I'm pleased with the results. I won't take them down all the way yet. But I took off a good amount and the difference is noticeable. Worth the $10...I did buy some other things too for a project guitar.

-T

This is proof positive to the MIA die hards that MIAs are not immune to fret sprout either.

Now what do you all have to say about MIA woods grade, Fender QC and several hundred dollars more than a MIM, hmmm?

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Oh, you're going to create a firestorm with that comment Martian!

I have a '08 MIM Strat with no fret sprout and a '09 MIM Special Run Tele with fret sprout. Well used to anyway...this little tool I bought really is taking care of that and I'm curious what it will feel like after a New England Summer.

I was in GC in Boston this week ( huge store! ) and picked up a lot of different Strats on display. Some MIM, some MIA. Also some Squiers. I came across some MIA with sprout and some Squiers without! As well as some MIM with and without. I asked the Sales person and he acknowledged that I would see that. He said it showed how old the wood was ("green"), and also how long it had cured. He said that if I bought the guitar there they would take care of it by sanding the frets before I picked up the guitar to take home. If it happened after I bought the guitar, it would cost $30 to sand the frets down.

So bottom-line, it seems that the place of origin of manufacture has little to do with fret QC. Possibly the rest of the guitar too. I really have little complaints about the two MIM Fenders I have.

-T