Guitar Craftsmanship and Necks

[fett]

The guitar body is what it is. But the neck and the work that goes into it is a whole other thing. Why do I have necks that are 10 to 20 years old where you can't even see or feel the fret ends? I have an '04 Strat that feels like I'm going up a file. Check out your old guitars and you will know what I mean. I hope that the new guitars you are buying can match it.

[quakana]

Fret filing day....the mexicans must have taken that day off too

[sully]

do you mean when they cut the fret tang short and put filler on the fretboard edge? i love that.

[St.James]

I've never had cheese grater frets on any on my guitars until I bought a newer Jackson. My oldest Jackson I bought around '91 has never had a file anywhere near the frets and is still an amazing player.

Yet every new Jackson I've bought I had to get fixed before I ever really play it. Of course contacting fucking Fender about it it's your fault for not knowing how to properly maintain a guitar!

My newest Jackson, an SL2H was the same damned way and already needs a fret leveling!

[zeegler]

The worst guitar I ever played for that was my buddy's KV Pro. I had to file the shit out of the fret ends to make it playable.

[j2379]

maybe they dont cure & dry out the woods as well as they used to.

[St.James]

maybe they dont cure & dry out the woods as well as they used to.

That's what I've been thinking. I guess Fender has a quantity over quality mindset.

[toejam]

Maybe it's because of the climate you live in? Wood does shrink and expand with weather change, you know?

[DonP]

I don't think it's just Jackson. I see Ibanez and Fenders and others with these problems. I just slide my hand up and down the neck, my fingers/thumb touching the ends of the frets to see these issues.

Regarding if it's a new issue of the times or has alway been like that, remember that unless you bought the axe new 20 years ago, the neck on that old axe might have been serviced sometime during it's life. And as you play a neck with fret ends that are rough, you'll slowly wear away the ends of the frets over 20 years (as well as your hands LOL!).

[sully]

keep in mind that many guitar companies just install the frets and don't take the time to dress them. i know that jackson does, and not just the us ones. that said, whenever i get a neck that has the tangs cut short and has the slots filled, i certainly appreciate it.

[Bengal65]

This is why I bought a Dremel years ago and discovered StewMac's compound wheels. With a flex extension attached to the Dremel and those compound wheels (come in 2 grits) on the arbor, you can make the fret ends like a 10, 20 or 40 year old guitar in a flash. One of the best inventions for guitars in years!

[Joe_Steeler]

This is why I bought a Dremel years ago and discovered StewMac's compound wheels. With a flex extension attached to the Dremel and those compound wheels (come in 2 grits) on the arbor, you can make the fret ends like a 10, 20 or 40 year old guitar in a flash. One of the best inventions for guitars in years!

+1

I've polished my frets using the same set up.
The only thing I have done recently, outside of my shop , is to have a serious file down on both sides of the neck of a CS axe that had a SERIOUS fret sprout problem. Way out of my boundaries.