Dip in frets Update

lapua65

Hi I purchased a neck for a strat and have had some issues as I could never get it set up properly. The best I could get was playable to around the 14th fret and after that I either got no change in tone on the higher frets or buzzing. It seemed one or the other. I have since purchased some tools and with a crimson notched ruler I can get the fret board quite straight, but again 14th fret up and there is a slight dip. If you put a level on the frets themselves the dip is more pronounced. I will try and post a pic. Looks like at least a mm on the lower frets (not the 22nd that is slightly higher. I can level the frets but It will mean nearly all the frets will have a huge amount of material removed to meet the highest fret level. Is it for the scrap heap?

randella

I have a similar-ish problem with my well-worn USA Strat.  The damage in the frets is from me, it's the classic divots from bending and my 80's glam metal vibrato.  If I levelled the frets I'm not sure how much would be left, given the standard fretwire that Fender used on those was only (from memory) Dunlop medium-jumbo to begin with.

I think in my case, when this current situation eases up a bit, I'm going to cough up the cash and treat it to a pro refret.  I think it'll play as well, if not better, as new when the work is done.

If your frets really are goosed, then a refret is an option, but depending on how much you paid for the neck and how much you like it (I love the one on my Strat so much) it might not be worth it in monetary terms.

I'm sure someone much more knowledgeable will be along shortly who might have a fix for you, so I wouldn't bin it just yet.  There are a lot of skilled fixers and builders lurking around here.

Andyjr1515

lapua65 said:

Hi I purchased a neck for a strat and have had some issues as I could never get it set up properly. The best I could get was playable to around the 14th fret and after that I either got no change in tone on the higher frets or buzzing. It seemed one or the other. I have since purchased some tools and with a crimson notched ruler I can get the fret board quite straight, but again 14th fret up and there is a slight dip. If you put a level on the frets themselves the dip is more pronounced. I will try and post a pic. Looks like at least a mm on the lower frets (not the 22nd that is slightly higher. I can level the frets but It will mean nearly all the frets will have a huge amount of material removed to meet the highest fret level. Is it for the scrap heap?

If you can post the pics that would be helpful.

But are you saying that, further up the scale from the 14th fret, the frets start dipping away from your straight edge except for the 22nd?

If so, it might be just the 22nd fret that is high.  Some makers do make the upper frets dip away a touch, but that should be progressive and the 22nd fret should therefore be the lowest of them all.  If so, it isn't too difficult to file down that one fret (you can even use a nail file emery board) and - because there aren't any frets further up the scale than that - you can't actually overdo it

If there are more frets that are at the wrong height, it's best to get it looked at by someone with some experience of doing this - levelling and recrowning a fretboard isn't difficult, but it does need the right tools and experience as it is very easy to make things a lot worse... 

TJT1979

Yes, to me it sounds lie a bit of fallaway from the 14th upwards, maybe with a high fret at the 22nd. And yes, a pic would help!

randella

Yep, it would seem I read it wrong - it sounds like @Andyjr1515 and @TJT1979 are on the money.  I thought from my (incorrect) reading of your post that your neck was like the one on my USA Strat, where frets 3 to 15 are badly worn and the higher frets (where I rarely venture) are still intact and therefore taller, which is causing choking and rattling.

If it's the case that your frets are worn past the octave, barring the 22nd, I wonder what on earth the previous owner has been playing on it?  One for Sherlock Holmes . With my guitars you can pretty much hold them up to the light and see that, for every three fret 'box', I use the barre-E shape minor, the barre-A shape minor, and the barre-G shape major.  But a neck that has its wear predominantly between the octave and the 22nd fret is a puzzle for sure.

Was it a genuine Fender neck removed from a Strat, or an aftermarket neck maybe with a bad fret install job?  Some pics would be useful.

lapua65

Apologies, I meant to get a photo earlier in the week, but can't get into the house until Sunday. I will get a photo to try and show you the issue. It's a shame, it was a nicely finished neck.

Andyjr1515

lapua65 said:. It's a shame, it was a nicely finished neck.

But with luck, it's just one high fret and the one that is easiest and safest to lower.