So my squire strat frets out at the last 3 frets on the high e string. I've checked the truss rod, bridge angle and string height. She does not fret out on another strings. The only thing that has made it any better (but not complely fixed it) was raising the action extremely high. I was thinking maybe a wood shim would help. I've never done any shining on any of my guitars so I don't really know what it would do. I just figure it would simulate easing the action by angling the neck. Either that or I need some fret work. I'm not afraid to shim the neck. I quit taking my guitars to shops for tune ups years ago so if anyone thinks it might actually help I'll probably try it. What do you think?

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"coretta" '71 tele thinline
"domino" '97 lonestar strat
"marie" squire strat
"lexy" jag-stang
"owa" martin 000

tone=fingers; fingers=tone

This could be my complete ignorance, but if you're comfortably playing at the top 3 frets, you should be playing a better guitar.

A shim won't help at all.
It sounds like bad fretwork to me.

If the guitar frets out on the last fret it's your pickups too high.

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needs a fret dress (leveling).It would roughly cost $100-$200USD.I would buy a new guitar

I was hoping it would be a cheap fix. Sounds like a new guitar (or neck). It's a hard choice cuz it was my first diy hot rod job. Guess I'll have to tear off the band-aid. Thanks for the responses

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"coretta" '71 tele thinline
"domino" '97 lonestar strat
"marie" squire strat
"lexy" jag-stang
"owa" martin 000

tone=fingers; fingers=tone

In your particular situation, I suspect that one of the neck mounting screws is pushing those frets up from the fingerboard. Sometimes just a rap or two on the offending area of the fret(s) with a plastic hammer solves the problem.

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You dig?

hi there m7b5,
while it probably is a bad fret or frets...it may also be----a bad string- or pickup heightis too high (close to the string) on the low end.
I noticed that you did check the neck adjust, but perhaps it may still have a touch too much relief (what I call underbow).
best regards,
rob

Nonsense mate. I see absolutely no reason to bin a perfectly good guitar that you're fond of.
All the points mentioned on this thread are quite fixable by even the most inexperienced of us.

Have a look at the guitar, post pictures if possible and I'm sure helpful folk will be more than happy to help you out.

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Hi m7b5: listen to these gentlemen. These are people who know.

By all means post pictures so's we can have a good look and give more opinions. But I also strongly suggest finding a respected, well recommended tech to have a look at your guitar. Fret type issues are sometimes best diagnosed with the guitar in front of you.

Don't worry: these sort of problems are nearly always soluble.

Good luck - C

Man I'd take that as gospel where strats are concerned.

Note also the use of the term 'relief'. Implying that the trussrod adds relief by straightening the neck. Rather than releasing the rod, allowing more bow, to add relief.

Crawlybumlick post but thanks Rob. I'd been using the term wrongly for a good while.

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I know it's not pickup height. I forgot to merrill I checked that also. I'll try taking a plastic hammer to the last frets. I've also adjusted the neck too convex and too concave to eliminated the bow in the neck as the source. If all that fails I'll take it to my local shop. I like the guitar and the neck plays well aside from the fretting issue so I would rather keep her intact.

Thanks all:)

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"coretta" '71 tele thinline
"domino" '97 lonestar strat
"marie" squire strat
"lexy" jag-stang
"owa" martin 000

tone=fingers; fingers=tone

Mate don't go taking a hammer of any kind to your frets without first using a rule and set of feeler gauges to check for a high fret.

Even then don't do it.

You could stone and recrown your frets and end up with a much less expensive repair and a better playing guitar.

You could, if you're feeling flush, take it to a luthier and have it sorted properly. Or you could do a bit of reading on fret leveling and try it yourself.

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No no and no

+1!

Good Lord - indeed! Martian was suggesting one possible problem and its solution. We have no idea if this is the right one in this case, and he of all people would caution you to get fret work done by a pro, not just go wacking at your guitar with a hammer to see what happens.

We can all make suggestions, but ultimately this issue has to be diagnosed by someone with the guitar in their hands. Seriously: take it to someone who knows.

BTW: we are all presuming that "last three frets" in the original post means the top three, rather than the bottom three. That's right - is it?

Good luck - C

See, this is why I said a few 'raps' with a PLASTIC hammer. The torque from said 'raps' via plastic will reseat the frets (if this is the issue) without deforming the frets and compressing the fingerboard underneath. If the frets aren't loose, no harm done.

Needless to say, a picture is worth a thousand words here.

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You dig?

This




not this





How do you test for loose frets? It's not a problem that I've ever encuntered.

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No no and no