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Post subject: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 5:09 pm
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I just bought a like-new, 2007 Squire Tele from Indonesia. The ends of the frets, both sides, up and down the neck are pretty sharp! The overhang on the edges seems like it would be easy enough to file down. Any suggestions of what to use?


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:03 pm
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Eric,

Check out the Stewart-MacDonald web site. it's stewmac.com. They have it all including how to do it and can send (sell) you all the stuff you will ever need if you want to do it correctly. Remember also that in the winter when it is dry, the neck may shring a little making the frets stand out even more.
Also you can search the forum for threads on how to do it. There have been a few.

Good luck and take it slow. :D


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Mon Feb 07, 2011 7:16 pm
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Before you file anything, understand that the sprung fret ends are from your guitar drying out! Put the guitar in a room with a humidifier running for a few days, maybe a week. Your wood will reach it's proper moisture content and the problem will go away. If you haven't filed on frets before, be careful, cause it is tricky to do the job without marring the finish until you have experience. Always get the guitar to about 45% moisture content before doing any work. :)


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:52 am
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This is the very reason I don`t buy guitars made outside the USA. Even Mexican made guitars have those rough edges along the neck. I must be sensitive to it because after a little while my fingers start to feel it and I have to stop playing. I sold all my foreign made Strats and Teles and put the money on an Am. Deluxe Tele and I never had that problem again. I can play as long as I want with no discomfort at all. Sometimes our budget is a factor and that`s understandable. But like they say... you get what you pay for.

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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:15 am
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Although I have not done it myself yet, I think that filing down fret ends is a realistic solution. Lots of forum people have done it with success. But - you have to do a little study first.
First give it some moisture. I do wonder, however, if some of the highly coated necks actually get to absorb much moisture. :?:


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 5:28 pm
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Yes, I think even the poly coated necks fluctuate in moisture content, just at slower rates than unfinished woods or nitro finishes. If the guitar has a rosewood fretboard, it is 99% likely to not be finished with the rest of the neck. Therefore it can shrink / expand quite a bit. It just takes longer with maple fretboards finished with poly, but they dry out too! :)


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:09 pm
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Not sure where you are located but here in NY it's so cold, even my old Strat is getting some sharp frets by the higher frets and so is my Tele. And both after some 35 years of drying, you'd think the neck stopped moving by now. The only neck that's never moving is my LP of course. LPs dont get sharp frets, the headstocks snap instead :)


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:24 pm
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Good points about the humidity. I'm in NH, forced hot air for heat. Last year, my Ovation developed a crack on the face. I'll give the humidifier a try for while and see what happens. Thanks for the advice.


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:11 pm
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I live in southern Wisconsin, and it is cold here too. It was actually -2 degrees F yesterday. I have a "music" room and bought both a small blower type humidifier, a small ceramic heater with thermostat ($18) and a small gage that measures both temp and humidity (approx $20). With very little work I can keep the room temp stable +- 4 degrees and the humidity at least above 30%. Guitars seem to hold up well with no fret problems. It is a small price to pay. Dry air is hell on all the wood.


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Thu Feb 10, 2011 4:25 pm
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I have an Squire Tele that I traded for used and it too had the sharp ends of the frets exposed. I had this one apart to shield the electronics and while I had the neck off. I took a small flat file (fine teeth) and carefully dressed the ends of the frets. It's slow work and you have to be very careful to stay off the wood and even in the best situation it is difficult to keep from removing any finish. Once I finished the job I rubbed the neck with diluted polyurethane. About three or four thin coats. Once dry cleaned it up with some 0000 Steel Wool. The job was kind of a pain in the rear but sure made a nice playing Tele. :D

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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:48 am
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Fret-sprout.
As others have mentioned it happens due to the lack of humidity where the guitar is stored. Very common in the Winter and probably in dry Summer conditions (desert). And it has nothing to do with the country of origin of the guitar! I have seen many American strats and teles with fret-sprout. A '52RI tele just 2 weeks ago in a GC had the most severe fret-sprout, I had seen!

I have filed down and sanded carefully, the edges of my Tele and it came out great. Others have done the same. Makes a lot of difference in how much you play having a comfortable neck.

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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:38 am
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You can cover the fret board (mask it) with low tac tape or buy a fret board mask to help protect the wood. Most importantly protect the pickups from the fine metel filings. Magnets and iron filings don't work well together. :evil: I think most people take the neck off before filing frets.


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Post subject: Re: Frets with overhang, sharp ends on Squire Tele
Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 8:14 pm
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One option is to have the fret edges filed during the last part of the coldest months of where you live. Because you will continue to deal with the issue every year. I did it to all my guitars so that I can play them all year around.


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