frets sticking out

[Richiesos]

We've having some very weird weather here in New York and my guitars are going crazy. In fact I had a lot of them up on the wall and I just put them all in cases. My frets are starting to stick out of the sides a bit on my new one. I was wondering how you guys handle that. Should I get them filed or should I just try a humidifier?

Thanks,
-Richie

 

[BrickGlass]

My JP had some fret sprout that was actually pretty bad. Started just a few weeks after I got it (from Dubaldo Music of course) and was really annoying. I cleaned the fretboard (ebony board, not supposed to use lemon oil with finished maple boards or something like that right?) with some lemon oil to restore some moisture and then used a humidifier. Took a few weeks but the problem went away. Now I just use the fretboard conditioning wipes from EB once in a while and clean with lemon oil when I change strings. I always use the humidifier too.

 

[Roubster]

Hey Richie, I'm in Park Slope BK. My Y2D stays in the case every time I'm done playing and I have not had ANY issues yet. As a matter of fact all the previous Balls I've owned, I have never had issues over several years with fret sprout. It is cool to have the axes hanging though, but I guess that's what happens when they are exposed like that.

 

[Spudmurphy]

Fractions of a millimetre expansion of the frets will make it feel real bad - imo a light sanding will get it back to shape - had same issue with a guitar that had fret spout many years after it was made.
An alternative will be to re hydrate the guitar and the frets will feel normal again

 

[lumberjack]

If you can, put it in a room with a humidifier and try to get some moisture back in the neck.

 

[AllenJ]

Yeah my newish Axis Tribute bought new in mid Oct is starting to doing it a little also (even tough I keep it in the case when not using it). but it's very dry up in here N.E. So i bought one of those small plastic cups with a clay brick that you soak in water for about 10 minutes and put it in the case. You have to re water every few weeks though. It has a few holes in it to let out moisture as the neck needs it. I'll also wait till spring / summer to see if the frets go back in from the moisture then.

My EVH also had that REAL bad but It's out all the time and has been around the block a few times for sure. So I had a fret dressing done on it anyway last month at it buzzed a bit too much so they solved the fret sprout (nice term BrickGlass!)

 

[beej]

As mentioned ... fret sprout. Put a humidifier in the room and it'll go back to normal. I've got a dry house and radiators, have to keep a humidifier going all winter near my fiddles.

 

[TSHOW]

Thanks...I have that a little on one of my Super Sports...I will try a humidifier!!!

 

[aleclee]

I just knock down the fret ends.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Just a thought, if you sand or have the fret ends attended to whilst they are 'out', regardless of humidity or temperature it will probably solve the problem for good.

I had a Wolfgang a few years back which I bought in Sweden (in winter) and the frets were spouting really badly. The guy in the shop told me it was a real problem with non-bound necks as the store got so cold over night.

I had it attended to when I got home and it was never a problem again!

 

[straycat113]

Rich that is what is causing the problem-keeping it out of the case. I have only had this issue twice years ago with two Wolfgangs I had bought off the Bay that came from Nevada and Arizona and had it when they arrived. I left them both in the case for a month and never had an issue with them again as they went back to normal. I always put my EB's back in the case when finished and have not had an issue with any one of them.I was just reading about this somewhere else and some guy was raving about putting a violin sponge in the case. To be honest I do not even know what a violin sponge looks like lol, but someone else chimed in about one too. No doubt we have been having the craziest winter I have ever seen with this 50 degree weather in January but then it is shooting into the 30s at night. I would not play with the frets unless it persist after a couple of months. But just start to put it in the case from now on when you are done and it should go back to normal.

Hey Rob you moved? I thought you were in Bay Ridge? You down near me now lol.

 

[BrickGlass]

Rich that is what is causing the problem-keeping it out of the case. I have only had this issue twice years ago with two Wolfgangs I had bought off the Bay that came from Nevada and Arizona and had it when they arrived. I left them both in the case for a month and never had an issue with them again as they went back to normal. I always put my EB's back in the case when finished and have not had an issue with any one of them.I was just reading about this somewhere else and some guy was raving about putting a violin sponge in the case. To be honest I do not even know what a violin sponge looks like lol, but someone else chimed in about one too. No doubt we have been having the craziest winter I have ever seen with this 50 degree weather in January but then it is shooting into the 30s at night. I would not play with the frets unless it persist after a couple of months. But just start to put it in the case from now on when you are done and it should go back to normal.
.

Not a solve-all to just keep it in the case, although without a doubt that is going to help. I've had the problem with guitars before and I never keep my guitars out of the case. I think it really boils down to the climate you live in, the humidity in the air, etc. If the fretboard wood comes from a fairly moist climate and then gets sent to somewhere like Utah where I'm at (after it gets built into a guitar somewhere, which will of course have some sort of climate that is possibly different than where the tree came from), well Utah is a very dry place as far as the humidity in the air goes. Not much humidity here so it is going to dry out and a humidifier is pretty important.

 

[dhalif]

what is the perfect country for our guitars to thrive? where im from we need a DE- HUMIDIFIER, opposite i guess

 

[assMan]

Rich,

Had this prob with a NOS ASS as well as with a new AL.. I went at it with (I think it was) Fret Doctor for a month and have had no prob since. Just a case of thirsty wood. I would definately not grind the frets unless I really had to.

Good luck!

 

[Big Poppa]

the down side to unfinished necks in the winter....

 

[Spudmurphy]

- happens with finished necks too!!

Mine was built in 85 had a finished neck. iI changed the heating system in the house (now more efficient) and this 85 hand built guitar experienced fret sprout.

There can sometimes be a tendancy to over react - thinking OMG why my guitar - it has a problem - it's not worth so much, heck look what's happening to my investment, is it my fault etc etc

But my opinion is that 2this happens - it feels horrible but the resolution is really quite simple and the guitar really is still as good as you first thought.

In defence I can understand the original post and hope that assurances posted on the thread helps to explain the situation and resolution.

I fully understand BP's critique in so far as when you live in a country that have these extremes in weather condions the "unfinished gun stock oil/wax may be more prone to this sprout effect.

Caveat emptor
If you are not happy in treating it yourself take advise or hand it into a good tech - they will have sorted this problem out on many different types of guitars, whereas you may cause some damage if you go at it without understanding what you are doing.
What was it BP used to say? -"don't trust a musiciam with a car wrench?"

 

[BrickGlass]

- happens with finished necks too!!

Yes it indeed does.

 

[morsecode]

Happened to my Koa (as well as another guitar) last winter and then in the past few weeks as well...last winter being the first I had it out on the stand. The humidity in our house is now below 30 and will likely continue to drop. (In the summer it will approach 60). I now have it in the case with a case humidifier and will do so every winter from now on. I will likely buy a room humidifier for my guitar room as well (almost need a de-humidifier in the summer). Filing the frets on a finished neck concerns as I'm afraid to ruin the finish on the neck. But if the above doesn't work, it will be my next course of action. Live and learn.

 

[straycat113]

Well the point I am trying to make is that Rich, Rob and myself all live near eachother. As far as the weather in NY we go through all four seasons, Winter-Spring-Summer and Fall. This has been the craziest winter I have seen in my 50 years as we are in the 50s and it is near the end of January. Neither Rob nor myself are having any issues with out Balls which are in the case when not being played. On the other hand Rich has his hanging on the wall and is now starting to have an issue. The best advice I can give him for now is to make sure he cases the guitar after playing with a case humidifier and give it sometime. There would be no way I would have the frets touched on that Slime Green Axis, even if I had to wait a few months for it to straighten out- which it eventually will. I would and personally am going to look into that violin sponge for myself.

 

[Richiesos]

Thanks for the advice. I put all my guitars back in the case for now. I put the slimeburst in my father's guitar room. He has a humidity controlled room where he keeps his guitars. My guitar is in pretty good company now: Tom Andersons, Gibsons and D'Angelicos. He ordered a Luke III last week. Hopefully he'll keep it!