Is This Normal for Pro Mods?

[jeff5]

I posted this in another thread but it was just a reply to someone else and I wanted to get some opinions here.

I got my Pro Mod last week, San Dimas style 2 in white. Got it for $700 and I think for the price it's a great guitar so far. I honestly don't expect it to play or feel like a $2500 guitar (heck some $2500 guitars don't play or feel like a $2500 guitar...) but for the money it's definitely worth it.

Two things I have questions about and I want to see if others have these on their Pro mods.

The first is when I roll my fingers over the top of fret board where the fret is, I can feel the fret edges. Almost like they pop out, but by a very very small amount. (same thing with the bottom of the fret board)

Second, I can feel the edges of the racing stripe on the back of the fret board.

Neither of these affects playability what so ever and they may just be a result of the unfinished nature of the fret board. But I wanted to see if anyone else has experienced these things with their Pro Mods, or if what I'm experiencing is uncommon.

Thanks!

Jeff

[Rich#6]

I have had 3 promod necks and never had this happen. the skunk stripe no biggie, but the teles have been sitting around, and the temperature changes on oiled necks can shrink the wood and have the fret ends stick out.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

What you are experiencing is lack of humidity... The guitar didn't leave the factory like that.

[toejam]

I can feel the top edge of the skunk stripe on my '01 USA Fender Strat, and its neck has a matte satin finish.

[ekalb09]

I can feel my fret edges as well but that should clear up a bit once spring comes in full swing. It's dry as hell here in NY.

[Grandturk]

The skunk stripe can be dealt with by sanding down the back of the neck vey slightly. Hit it with some 0000 steel wool.

The fret edges wouldn't bother me so much because my finger don't contact them. The fret tangs however, do come in contact with my hand. However, it appears they trim the tangs on these so they won't pop out. My two strats had this problem this winter. One needed to be filed.

[jeff5]

Thanks guys. It seems that this is all pretty normal then. It's super dry here in Chicago too, but with spring coming that will turn around. Then it will be super humid lol. I thought about the steel wool for the skunk stripe and I may do that. My wife was afraid I'd ruin it, but I don't think I will if I'm careful.

Grandturk can you describe what you mean about the fret tangs or what your referring to?

At any rate, neither of these affects playability for me at all on the instrument. The neck plays really well.

[vondran]

.... I thought about the steel wool for the skunk stripe and I may do that. My wife was afraid I'd ruin it, but I don't think I will if I'm careful.

I've rubbed my pro-mod neck down with 0000 steel wool and it made it as smooth as glass. It's nearly imposible to ruin it by rubbing it down with steel wool.

[Newc]

Grandturk can you describe what you mean about the fret tangs or what your referring to?

The ends of the frets at the edge of the board are the tangs. The edges run across the fretboard. It's semantics, basically.

[Grandturk]

The ends of the frets at the edge of the board are the tangs. The edges run across the fretboard. It's semantics, basically.

Not exactly right. A fret looks like a T. The top of it is the rounded part that sits about the fretboard. The bottom part, the tang, is what sits in the wood.

There's a couple different ways to install a fret. Most times, they just cut the fret to size and hammer them in. Other times, after cutting the fret to size, a luthier can clip back the tang underneath the furthest edges of the fret. Doing so will prevent the tang from protruding on the sides of the neck. Otherwise, the tang needs to be filed flush with the edge of the fretboard - but even if it is, if the wood shrinks, the tang will stick out.

Here you can see the tangs flush with the edge of the fretboard:



Here you can see where the fret tang has been clipped back and the slot filled in with fretboard wood dust:

[dannyr]

What you are experiencing is lack of humidity... The guitar didn't leave the factory like that.

Yep, I suggest you go buy a humidifier and it will probably make a big difference.

[steviekool]

If you havent yet, I would take the guitar to a good luthier. The guitar most probably needs a setup right out of the box, and any respectable luthier will file down the sharp edges for you in the setup. At least mine does. If your in NY and need a good luthier, send me a PM and Ill get you in touch with a great Luthier out on Long Island, if your not too far from there.

Haha, never mind Jeff, your in Chicago

[jeff5]

Thanks anyway Stevie! I have a really good luthier not too far from me that I use for my other axes. I'm going to take it to him in a bit. I may install a big brass block and a tremol-no, and then have him set it up after that. I haven't even changed the strings yet as I'm going to install some new pups before I do that. Just been dorking around with it really, fun guitar!

[jmh151]

I'm in NY. After years of having the same problem on my guitars during the winter I bought a humidifier- and this year I've been lucky to have no problems.

[slowhand66]

I'm in NY. After years of having the same problem on my guitars during the winter I bought a humidifier- and this year I've been lucky to have no problems.

Yeah, same here. Try to keep humidity in the 40-50% range. Wood contracts when it dries out, which causes the fret ends to pertrude. I've even experienced tuners becoming loose. When there is moisture in the air, the wood absorbs it which causes the wood to expand.

I've noticed this in hardwood floors, where in the winter gaps appear between the boards, but by summer the boards abut closely.