Fret ends

[zircon encrusted tweezers]

(I felt like I was attempting to hijack 62Strat's Paul Allender mods thread so I've begun this instead.)

I really like to play on maple fretboards.
I like to play on a bright maple colored fretboard as opposed to a dark rosewood.
All of my pricier guitars have maple fretboards with exposed fret ends that are catchy at times.
All of my less pricey guitars are rosewood fretboards, bound and never catchy at the fret ends, though I can see some small cracking marks on the plastic binding at the fret locations.

Do I need to embrace the dark woods to get that smooth bound feel?
Are any maple necks bound?
Does all binding eventually crack and if so how long should it last?
I'm certain there are options that I don't know of.

Here's some info I had posted on Strat62's thread:

"I've got a Paul Allender, blood red. It was my first electric and I put mine in a coffin case as well. I just thought it was hilarious to be walking out of the guitar store with a guitar themed so distant from anything I will ever play or spend much time listening to. (Is Buddy Guy into goth?) Upgraded the nut, the jack, pots, some wiring and I presently have the trem blocked. I've owned some guitars that I've sold for various reasons, but I still have the Paul Allender. I also have a G&L ASAT Special Deluxe and an Elite Strat. I am shopping for a 594.

I am truly surprised at how nice this PRS plays. Surprised at how great this guitar feels as compared to guitars at several times the price point. The play-ability is so quick and easy. The neck is just dreamy to move my palm over, it is bound and finished the same as the body. The fretting is so smooth, there is no sharpness catching at the ends of the frets, even if I wanted it to, it's like warm butter at the fret ends. The G&L is Pleked and the while quite a dreamy feel as well (although much beefier, rounder neck), the frets ends are sharp and catchy at different times of the year, and I have had them redressed (polished.) The Strat neck (not as beefy and has the compound radius frets) act very similar to the ASAT neck, catchy at times, redressed (polished.) I live up in the mountains at about 6500 ft. in a rather dry Northern California - so weather variations are significant.

The Paul Allender has binding on the finished maple neck, rosewood fretboard.
The ASAT and the Strat are both one piece (?) maple neck/fretboards, unfinished though coated."

So... I'm a new(ish) guy here. Been reading for a while.
I'd love to get a conversation going about frets and learn what I can!
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[AP515]

Rough fret ends are the result of two things (at least two that I'm thinking of right now):

1. The frets were never properly rounded in the first place.
2. The wood has dried out and shrunk which leaves the fret ends exposed.

It isn't a rosewood/maple issue though you might have had maple fretboards that dried out more and in doing so left the ends exposed. PRS frets are usually formed very well so #1 isn't so much of an issue with this company. I've bought a used CE22 in the past that had the #2 issue. I had to condition the rosewood fretboard for a few weeks to get it back in a condition that was easily playable. I almost had to send it to the PTC to have the frets redone to fix it but the conditioners brought the wood back to it's original shape.

 

[László]

Rosewood is a naturally oily wood, and is less prone to having the fretboard shrink like some maple fretboards do, because of the oils. Shrinkage of a fretboard due to dry weather is the cause of most sharp fret ends.

PRS does dry out its woods before assembly longer than Fenders, for example. A properly dried fretboard and other woods usually prevent these types of problems, even with maple fretboards.

I’ve had several US made PRSes with maple fretboards, in the days before I humidified my guitars in winter, and they never shrank or had sharp fret ends, despite Michigan’s very dry winters.

However, I have no idea whether the maple on overseas-built PRSes has been dried properly the same way.

Nonetheless, ANY fretboard exposed to dry conditions for long enough can sometimes shrink a little and expose the fret ends. A binding helps, of course. If it happens, it’s one of the easiest things a guitar repair person can fix. The fret ends are gently filed and end of story.

PRS will fix sharp fret ends under warranty to the original purchaser.

 

[zircon encrusted tweezers]

Thanks for the replies!

My guitars are most certainly exposed to a fair degree of weather variation due to my location, but some of my neighbors have guitars also? It’s not that uncommon.

I think, maybe, weather conditions presently are leading to shrinking wood and hanging frets. It’s not that unusual in that it sometimes happens several times a year. That said - I am feeling the desire to condition all my fretboards.
Does binding cover some of the fret?
If yes, is it likely that these frets could be sticking out past the wood, but under the plastic binding?
What are some of the variables of binding vs. unbound?
What causes those little crack marks on the binding at the frets?

I wasn’t really wanting to discuss my frets, more I am hoping to dig up info about and discuss binding vs. not. Both from a historic "why" curiosity point-of-view as well as shopping in the future.
I find myself attracted to the 594 maple fretboard, of which there are very, very few.
So then the question becomes why?
I’ve played a 594 bound neck only.

 

[zircon encrusted tweezers]

Maybe I should go back the drawing board...

Additional research has revealed that 594 maple necks/fingerboards seems to be bound.
I need to reevaluate my thinking.
Neither of my present maple necks are bound.

 

[László]

Maybe I should go back the drawing board...

Additional research has revealed that 594 maple necks/fingerboards seems to be bound.
I need to reevaluate my thinking.
Neither of my present maple necks are bound.

The binding does help with fret ends a bit, probably why it was used centuries ago.

I do have a suggestion that may help with your guitars and temp/humidity swings that result in sharp frets and various other things that require seasonal tweaking.

I live in Michigan, and we get crazy temperature extremes (today it’s 16 degrees in mid-November) which means central heat is blasting, and dry conditions prevail. But my guitars almost never need seasonal adjustments because I keep them in the cases when not in use, and inside the cases (even the electrics) I use D’Addario Humidipaks. The humidipaks contain a water-based chemical that keeps the inside of the cases at 45% relative humidity (same as the PRS factory; being paranoid, I checked). I use the recommended three-pack for my acoustic, and simply keep a single pack in each case for the electrics. The packets absorb moisture when the humidity is over 45%, and release moisture when it’s below 45%.

The chemical is in a very tough, water-vapor-permeable membrane packet, and they supply cloth envelopes to cover the packets. I toss one in each case. They never leak, they don’t smell no matter how long they’re in the case, and they just work.

My guess is they need to be in hard cases, not gig bags.

Here’s a shot of a packet in the case of one of my guitars; it’s in the pocket near the headstock (there’s no other place to put it in a French-fit case, but it certainly works). I’ve had this guitar for 4 years. It’s needed only one setup during that entire time, and that only because I’m pretty fussy about my guitars.

 

[László]

This is kind of interesting and you therefore may want to disregard my recommendation in my earlier post. I just told a friend who collects rare guitars about these, and he contacted D’Addario to see how safe it is.

One of the D’Addario Customer Service folks says they don’t really recommend using the humidipaks in electric guitar cases because usually the cases are small, the worry is that the guitars could somehow puncture the bag.

I dunno how I feel about this. I’ve had no problems for 5 years, but then I’m only storing them at home, where they’re gently handled.

So there you have it. I’m obviously an idiot who knows nothing, feel free (as always) to disregard my advice. On the other hand, I’m going to still do this because it works for me.

I like to live dangerously.

[Cue the James Bond theme music] [Cue Holly Goodhead video].

 

[Black Plaid]

This is kind of interesting and you therefore may want to disregard my recommendation in my earlier post. I just told a friend who collects rare guitars about these, and he contacted D’Addario to see how safe it is.

One of the D’Addario Customer Service folks says they don’t really recommend using the humidipaks in electric guitar cases because usually the cases are small, the worry is that the guitars could somehow puncture the bag.

I dunno how I feel about this. I’ve had no problems for 5 years, but then I’m only storing them at home, where they’re gently handled.

So there you have it. I’m obviously an idiot who knows nothing, feel free (as always) to disregard my advice. On the other hand, I’m going to still do this because it works for me.

I like to live dangerously.

[Cue the James Bond theme music] [Cue Holly Goodhead video].

None of that makes any sense. Acoustics have a lot less free space in them than your standard box electric case.

Why would an electric guitar have any more chance of puncturing? Is everyone carrying their Pointy Guitars of Doom in cases that are way too big for them and the bags fly about when they throw them in the back of the van?

Sorry Les, but you should probably hold off on buying the lighter that turns into a gun and that watch that has the explosive detonator in it.

 

[László]

Sorry Les, but you should probably hold off on buying the lighter that turns into a gun and that watch that has the explosive detonator in it.

Aw, man. I’m less interested in the lighter/gun and explosive watch than the DB5 and P. Galore.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Do you expect me to talk Dr? No I expect you to humidify!

 

[László]

So my friend had another talk with the D’Addario people, and evidently their big worry was indeed having the humidifier packet smashed in a tight fitting case.

With PRS’ rectangular cases with neck supports, there’s plenty of room, so I’m not worried.

“Famous last words, Les.”

“Yeah. Where’s my Alfred E. Newman GIF when I need it, huh? What, me worry?”

 

[John Beef]

I wish I'd thought to name our band ***** Galore. What a great name. Actually, my wife is the bass player, she's probably reject that idea.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I wish I'd thought to name our band ***** Galore. What a great name. Actually, my wife is the bass player, she's probably reject that idea.

Would she object to Gold Finger ?

 

[bodia]

Would she object to Gold Finger ?

Our maybe “The Man With The “GOLDEN GUN””?

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Our maybe “The Man With The “GOLDEN GUN””?

Stifled amusement

 

[László]

Let me know when you guys get to Thunderball...

BTW, my friend spoke to someone else at D’Addario, who said putting a humidipak with an electric guitar is fine, but if the case is small, check it frequently.

 

[dmatthews]

I wish I'd thought to name our band ***** Galore. What a great name. Actually, my wife is the bass player, she's probably reject that idea.

My old band had a female drummer and female bass player.
I wanted to call us the Chicksie Dicks.
For some reason I couldn't sell that name.

 

[alantig]

Would she object to Gold Finger ?

Maybe she’d be happier with Gold Fingered.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

Maybe she’d be happier with Gold Fingered.

Or maybe keep it subtle with Midas Touch

 

[zircon encrusted tweezers]

Let me know when you guys get to Thunderball...

BTW, my friend spoke to someone else at D’Addario, who said putting a humidipak with an electric guitar is fine, but if the case is small, check it frequently.

Super healthy looking 30th Anniversary acoustic neck.

I’ve picked up that you place your guitars into their hard cases when not in use, from previous posts of yours. I had not realized that they are accompanied with the D’Addario Humidipaks. We are all interested in caring for our gear.

How do you deal with the logistics of casing your guitars?
I can see a large room with glass cased guitars spread all over, some hanging on the walls, some on fancy wood stands, from which you can visually choose, ala Hard Rock Cafe.
Or… are they filed like books, just the spine exposed, perhaps a small picture or nickname for quick reference? A table to hold said selected case, like the book stands at the isle ends of a nice library.

I think I read somewhere that you case all your guitars. You don’t have a beater, maybe short scale, that you leave leaning against the coffee table or bedstand for muse visitations? (In the world of snow skiing we call them “rock skis” but the moniker isn’t going to work in this context.)