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Post subject: Help on fretboard
Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:55 pm
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Thanks for welcoming me in your forum. I bought a highway one a couple of years ago and only recently i learnt how to set it up ect, i was in the middle of a pickup change when I noticed something strange on my frets. They had these sharp edges which you can actually feel so i used a super fine sandpaper to smooth them out a bit. I havent played this strat for a long time so i dont think it is normal wear and tear. It seemed like some type of wax was starting to come off....... I stopped and took a close up picture before i go on. What do you think? Is this normal or is my strat damaged?

Ps i am still trying to attach a picture:)


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 1:49 am
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Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:31 am
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Location: Province de Québec, Canada
Yes picture is a must ,

Look here how to ;


forums.fender.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=52777&hilit=Nutter%27s+guide


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:36 am
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It's hard to speak to the issue of some kind of "wax coming off" without pics...depending on what you did exactly, it almost sounds as though you sanded off some of the lacquer finish on the neck.

As far as the sharp edges on the frets go...if you mean along the sides of the fretboard at the ends of the frets, this is actually fairly common depending on where you live. Do a search here on the forums for "fret sprout"...it happens because the wood in your fretboard and the metal in the frets respond differently (expand and contract) to changes in temperature and humidity...'tis the nature of the materials and in climates where you go from winter to summer (and vice versa) it tends to happen with the changing of the seasons...a particularly dry winter for example will cause this to happen in nothing flat. Now if you mean the sharp edges are along the top of the frets, it's also possible that the guitar could just need a good fret dressing (PLEASE - do NOT try this with sand paper...you really need good crowing files to address this). Again happens to the best of us and is simply the nature of the best.

Hope this helps!
Jim


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:03 am
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Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:46 pm
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Thanks for the replies and the pic tutorial. Here is the link

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag7 ... 4d0145.jpg

Image


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:27 am
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Location: Province de Québec, Canada
Frets need some work ; leveling and crowning . Strings will buzz . Frets must be round .

Under $100. Go see a skill luthier you know or hear about, not anybody

I don't see wax, only sand paper dust or sand paper touch the wood


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 8:58 am
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Ouch:( i might have damaged them more since i used sand paper but they were already begining to shapen this way, so what might have caused that in the first place? I barely used the guitar:/


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:13 am
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that discolouration on the frets is either overspray of the satin lacquer on the board, or grime and dead skin :shock:

to me looks more like lacquer, in which case it shouldn't be there.


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:51 pm
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Most of the Hwy 1's I've played all needed the frets dressed. Had mine done and now it plays real smooth. :)


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 9:51 pm
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Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 6:47 pm
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It's called "Fret Sprout". The neck on your guitar is dried out. This can be fixed. I just had my HSS strat done.


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 10:43 pm
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Hi. First off it's the fret wire,and not the frets themselves that you had a problem with. In the future, purchase a #1175 fret end dressing file from stew mac for thirteen bucks,as this is the tool to use for those fret wire ends. There is also a video on their site as how to use it. If it was a rosewood fretboard,i would say it was dry conditions,but you have a maple one and it has a coating on it and i don't see it really drying out,nor can you use a fretboard conditioner because it will not penetrate. The factory is supposed to do a good job of clipping the wire ends,but some do and some don't. As for the wax coming off, that is a coating on the fret wire put on there for long life. I am not sure how many you sanded, but the damage is done and you have learned from it,like we all do.The guitar may still play,but you took life off the fret wire.Get it fixed, and remember ,the right tool for the right job. Good luck.


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 11:35 pm
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Location: TURKEY
It's overspray of fretboard laquer that has built up on the sides of the frets
The strings rubbing across the top of the frets will have worn it off there, causing the frets to look flat-topped
Get a stanley knife and VERY carefully score the bottom of each fret both sides (with the blade as flat to the fretboard surface as possible ) , then get a plastic scraper and again CAREFULLY bludgeon the remaing laquer off the sides of the frets

You should notice immediately a difference in the appearance with the fret profile looking more rounded , then file over the sharp ends with a Stewmac file and polish the frets and fret board with Duraglit or metal polish to remove the scratches you have already made on it and shine up the frets making them play smoother

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Ted

"All right, guys, uh, listen. This is a blues riff in "B", watch me for the changes, and try and keep up, okay?"


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 1:24 am
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Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:46 pm
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Thanks for all your replies. I am dissapointed that i managed to damage the guitar but im also dissapointed at the fact that i thought a Fender would not need any work on the frets since it has not been played a lot. I have an epiphone les paul which has been my main guitar for about 5yrs and the frets are still ok. Either that or it has been used a lot in the shop where i bought it. Im sure of one thing, next time i buy a guitar ill go over it with a fine tooth comb:)


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 9:17 am
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Hi. DO NOT use a knife to scrape between the frets. DO NOT start digging in there.All you will cause is damage. And to taking a file to your frets to make them round again, you can try this but you can also make things worse if you don't know what your doing.And no amount of polish or whatever is going to put the color back in the fretwire,and will take the finish off your frets. Do not worry about a little overspray.If you wanted to clean there,you would use a credit card,nothing sharp! You sanded the fretwire and made it uneven,it was not caused by playing. Do not follow Ted J's advice.It will make things worse.


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 5:48 am
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Scarfaze, don't worry, you haven't damaged your guitar. I have a 98 MIA Strat that looked exactly the same. It's basically where the lacquer is applied to the maple neck after the frets have been fitted, therefore the frets get covered in lacquer. Through time, by playing the guitar, the lacquer wears off the frets, but it does so unevenly. I did exactly what Ted J suggested to carefully remove the surplus lacquer from the frets then applied masking tape to the fingerboard leaving the frets exposed and polished them with 0000 grade steel wool. Came up a treat. However, it's purely cosmetic. Leaving the lacquer as it presently is will not affect the playability of your guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Help on fretboard
Posted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 11:57 pm
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Joined: Mon Jul 22, 2013 11:46 pm
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Just finished installing the pickups and setup, you were right, the guitar was playable as before!! Thanks for the help. This has been another great lesson. Now im ready to rock my strat for nxt weeks gig:)


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