Gandalf_Sr Posted March 18, 2021 Report Share Posted March 18, 2021 I bought a 'cheap' ES533 clone from Guitar Fetish https://www.guitarfetish.com/LIMITED-OPPORTUNITY-Semi-Hollow-SETNECK-BELOW-COST-Cherry-Red-Two-Humbuckers_p_35595.html for $159 - I now regret that purchase but it's not worth me sending it back as postage alone would be $50. I accept that it was sold as second quality but "nice" is not a fair description, "needs work" might be better and they won't give me any credit even after I asked them nicely. I'm not here to bash Guitar Fetish but I would not recommend this particular purchase to a friend. Their Advert claimed that it only has "minor blemishes" but mine has at least 2 frets that are not seated fully and the nut area is far worse than "minor blemishes", the nut looks undersized and the truss rod access plate is bent up against the back of the nut - I call that major. To make this good I would have to: a. press and level the frets b. remove and grind down the truss rod access panel and possibly replace the nut Other than the specific issues above, it's reasonably made and sounds nice when the frets aren't buzzing. However, I do feel that $160 was too much considering the work needed to make it good. I've attached a photo of the nut; I have another picture that I can post later that clearly shows that the 13th & 14th fret are not fully seated (emails with GF led to the claim that high humidity on Florida can cause the frets to lift which I personally don't believe). Anyway, I've put this in the tech area as I am planning on fixing it and I'd welcome any advice as I progress. There are 2 main subject areas: 1. Fixing the high frets - Frets 12 & 13 are high and cause buzzing when I play on fret 12. I plan to press the frets down using a StewMack Fret Press Caul and then check the frets for level and file as needed. Any thoughts or advice? 2. The nut - The guitar actually plays OK and the 1st fret string height are OK but the nut looks horrible at the sides (see photo). Should I replace the nut or just clean up the surrounding area? Or should I just call up the credit card company and have them do battle with GF? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted March 18, 2021 Report Share Posted March 18, 2021 Your plan for the high frets is sound. If you find more problems a re-level and crown may be in order. The nut actually looks good from that angle. Touch the finish up a bit if that is what is bothering you. You can take the truss rod cover off and sand or cut a bit off the end against the nut for a better fit. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 18, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2021 Thanks, now I look at the nut closer, it does look like it's serviceable even though it's unsightly. Sanding off the truss rod cover is no problem but can you (or anyone) suggest where I can find paint/lacquer that matches the cherry red finish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 19, 2021 Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 11 hours ago, Gandalf_Sr said: where I can find paint/lacquer that matches the cherry red finish That's a simple one: There's a nail varnish of any imaginable colour available! There's semi-transparent ones as well, or you can mix some clear with the colour. Most likely there's a clear coat over the colour on the neck so applying a thin coloured layer first and a clear to finish it might give you the best result. AFA the truss rod cover, can't you just flip it to make it fit better? Maybe some reshaping at the edges after that? For that price a brand new guitar like that is a steal, given that the guitar originally was worth the original price. The woods alone can be worth that! Also, it's rare that a guitar is perfect right off the box. The better guitar shops usually do a thorough maintenance worth $100 or more even on boutique guitars. I've seen a $1800 brand new Gibson whose fretboard had visibly shrunk sideways so that the sharp fret ends were sticking out on both sides. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 Thanks for the input and suggestions; I'm feeling less unhappy about the purchase now. I wish I knew who the original manufacturer was; I've found comments online that say that the OEM was Firefly in China and that this is effectively a Firefly factory second which would make it not a very good deal) but there are aspects of mine, such as what appears to be mother of pearl fret inlays (rectangular), that are nicely done and appear to be a step above the standard Firefly models. The internal label has been removed and the head is blank gloss black. Here's another photo which shows the raised frets at 13 & 14. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted March 19, 2021 Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 5 hours ago, Bizman62 said: There's a nail varnish of any imaginable colour available! My personal preference that I always have a bottle of nearby...old 301, He's With Me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 19, 2021 Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 12 minutes ago, Drak said: My personal preference that I always have a bottle of nearby...old 301, He's With Me! Oh your nails are sooooo purty! Whom does "He" refer to? Is that some Christian varnish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 19, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2021 LOL, my wife just looked over my shoulder and saw me looking online at Amazon for cherry red and black nail polish! I won't be searching for "he's with me" colors though! I looked at the guitar neck some more today and actually loosened the strings and took the nut off - it virtually dropped out. It does look like the nut was replaced and it was done really badly. The old one came out easily and I measured it and then ordered a pre-slotted Tusq-XL white/cream nut that appears to be made specifically for these guitars. I pushed it back into place and played it some more today and I like the tone.(when it's not buzzing). I'll put up some before and after pictures as I get it done. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 20, 2021 Report Share Posted March 20, 2021 Instead of Amazon I'd walk to the nearest drugstore or the equivalent department in a supermarket as they have samples of every shade available for the brands they sell. "Cherry Red" isn't an exact colour and comparing the image on your monitor to the actual neck is referential at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2021 1 hour ago, Bizman62 said: Instead of Amazon I'd walk to the nearest drugstore or the equivalent department in a supermarket as they have samples of every shade available for the brands they sell. "Cherry Red" isn't an exact colour and comparing the image on your monitor to the actual neck is referential at best. Thanks, I came to that conclusion after seeing how much Amazon charges for nail polish; $5-$10 a pot plus shipping if it's not Prime. My local Target sells many nail polishes for about $3 a pot. It's odd that Amazon sells many nail polishes that are UV cured (with comments saying things like, "this stuff is useless, it never dries"), I'm planning on buying 'normal' nail polish although I do have some UV light sources. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 20, 2021 Report Share Posted March 20, 2021 Heh, for me it seems amazing how much people seem to want to do online shopping for minor items like that. Maybe it's an age and culture thing, I don't know. The last time I bought nail varnish it was because I saw a big bottle of clear for €1 in the bargain bin while shopping for food at the grocery store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2021 4 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Heh, for me it seems amazing how much people seem to want to do online shopping for minor items like that. Maybe it's an age and culture thing, I don't know. The last time I bought nail varnish it was because I saw a big bottle of clear for €1 in the bargain bin while shopping for food at the grocery store. Right now, my reason for not going to the store is related to my strong desire to stay alive. Here in Michigan there has been a recent 15% upswing in new Covid 19 cases; I had my first vaccine jab (Phizer) on Mar 16th and will get my second one on Mar 30th; the instructions say that, right now, I have zero protection so I am not taking any unnecessary risks. In about 3 weeks, the vaccine will have taken effect and I and can start actually going to the shops for nail polish etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 20, 2021 Report Share Posted March 20, 2021 Good point. Stay safe! I guess I'll get my first shot by September... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 So now I've looked at the fretboard under my microscope I have discovered that there are at least 4 frets that are loose, 13 & 14 move when I press on them hard which explains why, after using the fret press caul, they are still high. I've ordered some #10 superglue from Amazon; I know I could buy it from the local store but Amazon's service is so good here that stuff ordered at 8 am today will be delivered today! I am of the opinion that good tools are worth spending money on but now I've already spent as much on tools and parts for this guitar as I paid for it although I will have the tools afterwards. I'm hoping that #10 superglue will hold down the frets when I clamp and let it dry for a while. If that doesn't work then I will have to remove and replace the frets. This is definitely a project guitar and I would not recommend that anyone buys one unless you're a masochist like me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Super glue is a good choice for loose frets, gluing and clamping one at the time should do the trick. It's also possible that either the fretboard has been a bit too moist when the frets were installed or the climate afterwards has been extremely dry so the fretboard has shrunk a bit. Proper oiling after gluing the frets in should take care of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 13 minutes ago, Bizman62 said: Super glue is a good choice for loose frets, gluing and clamping one at the time should do the trick. It's also possible that either the fretboard has been a bit too moist when the frets were installed or the climate afterwards has been extremely dry so the fretboard has shrunk a bit. Proper oiling after gluing the frets in should take care of that. Linseed oil is OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Yes, it's been used for centuries so it most likely still does the job. Boiled, not cold pressed so it won't go rancid. And as with all oil treatments, the procedure is as follows: Flood with oil, apply more on instant dry areas. Let the wood suck for a while, about 15 minutes to half an hour or so depending on humidity and temperature. Wipe the oil properly off before it gets tacky. After some five minutes wipe the sweating oil off again with a clean towel. The surface should be dry after the treatment. Repeat if necessary every year or so, again depending on the variables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Thanks. I did some more investigation in daylight and realized that the fingerboard radius is not 12" as claimed in the description posted by GF, it's 16". Fortunately, the $88 StewMac set I bought includes a 16" radius brass insert and I don't seem to have damaged the frets I tried pressing with the 12" insert. So I went over the 4 frets I have marked with the 16" insert and now there's only 1 that still sticks up in the middle so I will glue that one first (when my CA glue arrives). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Hey, that was some good news! Just to make sure: Does the high fret go down and pop back up. The other option is that there's something in the fret slot preventing the fret go fully down, in which case leveling is the fix. BTW burnish some masking tape on both sides of the fret with tape so you don't get a CA'd fretboard. And tear it off immediately after having pressed the fret down, wiping all excess off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 21, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Thanks. I plan to be careful with the CA, I watched the StewMac video and will put Paste Wax either side of the fret and mask off the surrounding area and underside of the fretboard. Acetone also is a good solvent for CA but it will probably lift the lacquer off the finish so again, I need to be careful although I have tried it on the fretboard and it seems to be OK. If the job goes well, I may put CA on all the frets then they will be secured and then leave it a couple of days and then level the frets. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 21, 2021 Report Share Posted March 21, 2021 Wax is most likely much better than tape, good choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2021 Well the wax was a great idea. I went and glued and pressed down every fret on the entire fretboard, then leveled the frets that were still high then went through a full setup and I am VERY happy with the results. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 24, 2021 Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 Based on the photos the fret ends already look pretty nice, but do they pass the stocking test? With just the repressing and leveling you've just doubled the value of the guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandalf_Sr Posted March 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 2 hours ago, Bizman62 said: Based on the photos the fret ends already look pretty nice, but do they pass the stocking test? With just the repressing and leveling you've just doubled the value of the guitar! Fret ends are good actually, is the stocking test that I can slide a silk stocking along the side of the fretboard and not have them catch? As for added value, it's taken me 3 days to do all 22 frets - prep, wax, setup press, glue, press, wait 10 minutes, cleanup, prep... If I added $160 to the value, think I should report myself to the authorities for working for less than minimum wage! More seriously, the fret action and tone of this guitar is really nice and I've ordered some D'Addario ECG24 Chromes flat wound strings, Jazz Light, 11-50 for it; I put the old strings back on to test the action, raised the bridge a tiny bit, and all my buzzing issues have gone away. The new Tusq nut is supposed to arrive this week and I will fit that, polish the frets, and do a final clean up when that's all done. I never tried flat wound strings before but I'm only an intermediate player right now, been learning for just over 6 months but practicing twice a day. It's really bugging me as to who the original manufacturer was, apart from the loose frets and the clearly botched nut, the workmanship and parts quality on this guitar is good. I am not at all sure that it's Firefly. I am pretty sure it's an ES-335 copy but feel free to tell me if I'm wrong. Maybe this was out of the Gibson factory? (I can dream). I tried to follow the text of the original advert but that's probably BS; they had the fingerboard radius wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted March 24, 2021 Report Share Posted March 24, 2021 5 hours ago, Gandalf_Sr said: is the stocking test that I can slide a silk stocking along the side of the fretboard and not have them catch? Exactly. 5 hours ago, Gandalf_Sr said: I should report myself to the authorities for working for less than minimum wage! You're not a professional. Apprentices don't get paid that much. 5 hours ago, Gandalf_Sr said: Maybe this was out of the Gibson factory? You can dream... And I've seen a new $1800 Gibson suffer from a poor fretboard. They're not known for outstanding craftmanship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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