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Protruding Frets


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I'm having a problem with my guitars, particulalry with a maple necked strat. The edges of the frets are protruding due to winter dryness. Is this temporay and will it work itself out as summer comes? Any suggestions for repair or prevention?

The guitar has been out and on a stand. I've blocked the baseboard heat in that room so as to not effect the guitars I have there. (most are in their cases).

Any help will be appreciated.

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its pretty common from what i gather for necks to do that expecialy in colder areas during the winter when the humidity drops the neck dries out and shrinks during the summer when its more humid the neck will swell back up. there was a thread on this last year and some of the guys said they had simply started using a humidifier in there music rums others just dressed down the frets.

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Frets do not shrink, wood shrinks because its dropping its humidity content.

I would be curious to know your ambient athmosphere, do you have a hygrometer?

The only thing to do is to use a fine grit file and take off the excess sticking out on the fingerboard sides, then polish it all up with some 1200 grit.

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Frets do not shrink, wood shrinks because its dropping its humidity content.

I would be curious to know your ambient athmosphere, do you have a hygrometer?

The only thing to do is to use a fine grit file and take off the excess sticking out on the fingerboard sides, then polish it all up with some 1200 grit.

I have to invest in a hygrometer; but its been pretty dry. We've had tons of snow in the NE USA, but for the most part it makes a great ski season. If I use another part of the house, its too cold. The living room has a pellet stove in it which dries out that room, so there aren't many choices.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

I have some frets on a Classic neck that is protruding, bending up, on the sides of the FB - flat in middle.

You can press the fret-ends down by hand but as soon as you let go they rise again.

I was thinking of applying some wood glue at the sides while pressing down for setting, but then you have to make sure that the (new) Fretboard-flat position of the fret won't be out of line and causing fretbuzz and whatever.

Has Anyone done it?

Edited by Metallion
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I was thinking of applying some wood glue at the sides while pressing down for setting

Wood glue only glues wood. By itself, its pretty brittle and probably won't hold a fret in. If you're trying to hold frets down, preradiusing will help before you install your frets. If the frets are already in, and they're sticking out the sides, then I would do what everyone has suggested and either dress them down, or get a humidifier...

It makes more sense to me to dress them down though, as I'd be annoyed if they stuck out the sides again.

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sounds like a different issue and should probably be a different topic to save confusion.

sounds like metallions frets are popping out of the board rather than protruding at the ends

again it can be a humidity issue, but its a bit more tricky to fix - if they wont stay in place you will need to use some thing to help them. i find a little drop of superglue ran under the fret (and hopefully into the slot) with a little while in the clamps is usually enough

although if it was bad enough i decided it needed a full refret i would use a little woodglue or epoxy in the slots to ensure they stayed there. depends how bad it was. wood glue doesnt stick to the metal, but it can be useful for slightly swelling the wood and hardening it around the tang.. epoxy comes out if the slots are truly shot.

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sounds like a different issue and should probably be a different topic to save confusion.

sounds like metallions frets are popping out of the board rather than protruding at the ends

again it can be a humidity issue, but its a bit more tricky to fix - if they wont stay in place you will need to use some thing to help them. i find a little drop of superglue ran under the fret (and hopefully into the slot) with a little while in the clamps is usually enough

although if it was bad enough i decided it needed a full refret i would use a little woodglue or epoxy in the slots to ensure they stayed there. depends how bad it was. wood glue doesnt stick to the metal, but it can be useful for slightly swelling the wood and hardening it around the tang.. epoxy comes out if the slots are truly shot.

New Topic: http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=45576

It's Very Old so humidity won't affect it either way on this issue.

Maybe I'll try the superglue.

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Frets do not shrink, wood shrinks because its dropping its humidity content.

I would be curious to know your ambient athmosphere, do you have a hygrometer?

The only thing to do is to use a fine grit file and take off the excess sticking out on the fingerboard sides, then polish it all up with some 1200 grit.

I have to invest in a hygrometer; but its been pretty dry. We've had tons of snow in the NE USA, but for the most part it makes a great ski season. If I use another part of the house, its too cold. The living room has a pellet stove in it which dries out that room, so there aren't many choices.

Put a cast iron tea pot on the pellet stove and keep it filled with water. Make sure you remove the whistle if it has one. :D

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