Fretboard... lifting?

[Drazden]

Hey guys,

I've got an issue with my new(esque) Charvel Model 475. I bought it as-is from a pawn shop a little while ago, fixed up the wiring and cleaned it up, getting it ready to sell. While I was doing that, I noticed that the binding on either side of the neck doesn't quite reach to the nut. I didn't think much of it, though--just figured the guitar had a refret at some point and the guy didn't put the binding back properly--and didn't really worry about it.
The action was pretty low at the first fret--and we couldn't really dial it out with the truss rod, so I just kind of set it so it was comfortable and left it. Anyway, after a few weeks, I wasn't playing it, so I arranged a trade for a pretty cool parts Tele, and the guy had it for a few hours and brought it back, saying that his tech said that the fretboard had lifted a bit at the first fret, and it was essentially unfixable, and he didn't want to trade anymore.

So he brought it back--no big deal, it plays really well, and sounds phenomenal, way better than the Tele he traded me--and the binding still doesn't quite match, but it plays even better than when it left. Is this a common problem on Charvel Model series guitars? Is it, in fact, unfixable?

thanks!

[DonP]

If your first fret is too low or high, I'd check the nut myself.

Don't know anything about the rest. Not very many model series came with binding. My 750XL is perfect.

[Drazden]

Well, I'm playing it right now. Waiting for pics to upload, but I'm honestly not seeing a problem... except that it was returned downtuned. I'm taking it in so my tech and I can go over it a little today, but I'm very confused about it. Maybe the trader just changed his mind.

[Drazden]

Well, here's a couple of pictures of the patient.

Sideways...





I mean, it's not pretty, but is there an issue?

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

You don't remove binding to refret a guitar.

The nut should be shimmed if the action is too low at the 1st fret.

I would be surprised if a real luthier said it was "unfixable." I'd have to see what is actually wrong (and I'm not a real luthier) but it isn't an uncommon repair.

[RobRR]

LOL thats a simple case of binding shrinkage. Alot of the older guitars I have have that, VERY common. The fretboard hasnt lifted from the fretboard at all, the binding simply shrunk over the past 16 or so years.

[DonP]

Look, that's a nice guitar.

You got lucky that the trade for the stupid tele didn't go through.

Don't let it happen again.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Yup looks like binding shrinkage. If there is an issue with playability at the first fret. Simply shim the nut. No biggie
Gil

[Drazden]

Thanks for the replies, guys! The binding is indeed shrunken; my tech went over it and said, "Yeah, and?" when I told him about this two-hour-owner's complaints. As soon as I told the tech that the guy had apparently krazy-glued the binding back on (and told me I should thank him) his face went pale and he started swearing. He pulled the binding on the treble side of the neck (which had been loose) and found that the guy had apparently used some sort of rubber glue stuff to stick it back on, stuff which definitely should not be used on a guitar at any rate.

So, we're mixing up a new batch of hide glue on Thursday, haha. As well, he helped me to understand that the only thing the two-hour-owner could've had even remotely as an issue, is that there's apparently a flat spot on the neck between the 3rd and 7th frets or so, where the neck's straight. It's got some bow in it down towards the butt, and can be adjusted towards the headstock, but it's settled into that shape somehow in the middle of the fretboard.

At least, that's what he said. He told me there'd be absolutely no issues getting this thing as playable as my USA Soloist. I gotta admit, I'm glad to have it back. The mid-boost circuit on this guitar is unreal. I kind of want to get one to retrofit into the Soloist.

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

Mmmm.... Hide glue is not what I'd use to glue plastic binding to wood. Hide glue is for wood-to-wood joints. :dunno:

Krazy glue is fine (but you have to be careful.) I don't know what "rubber glue stuff" the guy used but if it actually was Krazy Glue (cyanoacrilate) then it's IMO a better choice than hide glue for plastic binding.

[tonemonster]

#1 I dont think the fretboard is lifting. I agree with these guys, its fine. just cosmetic.

#2 your better off having that 475 than a tele. count your lucky stars the guy didnt want to trade.

[Drazden]

Hmm, I'll talk to him about the hide glue thing. We're definitely regluing a neck tomorrow morning, so maybe we'll just use something else on mine and I misunderstood.

[DrDestruction]

The only way the fretboard would lift off the neck would be if it got pranged really bad at the headstock at some point.

A friend of mine gave me his Ibanez RG-somethingorother that looked like it had been dropped off a truck or something. Among the things wrong with it was a lifted fretboard from the first to seventh fret- at some point during its travels, the headstock impacted something, which caused the neck to flex enough from shock to cause the fretboard to separate. Why the headstock didn't just snap instead, I'll never know.

I've heard cases of the truss rod being set too tightly being another cause of separating fretboards as well. It's a main reason why guitar companies shouldn't enclose things like allen keys with their guitars- you'll get every little fourteen year-old kid out there wrenching on truss rods like they were torquing down cylinder heads in a vain attempt to make their guitars play "better".

[Drazden]

Well, just got back from the tech. We reglued the binding (with some sort of krazy glue dabber-pen he had just for that purpose) and checked the neck and tightened the truss a little bit--it was a lot looser than I had thought, and we brought the action down, nice and low and even across the whole neck, when I noticed that the two E strings were a lot higher than the other strings. Does it make sense that this bridge would have staggered-height saddles? Because these are definitely staggered-height saddles, and the guy informed me he had to take it all apart to 'fix' it... looks like he put them back on backwards.

[toejam]

Does it make sense that this bridge would have staggered-height saddles? Because these are definitely staggered-height saddles, and the guy informed me he had to take it all apart to 'fix' it... looks like he put them back on backwards.

Yes, the saddles are three different heights... the low E and high E are lowest, the A and B are higher, and the D and G are highest. Someone probably got them mixed up or maybe shimmed a couple so they would be more even in height.