Fret sprout on SE SAS yet?? Anyone...

You're not an idiot. You're fine, it's not a big deal really. I really do love both SE guitars, as well as the Squier Sonic. No worries!!!
No, that's not how I roll. It IS a big deal to me. I treated you like you might be trolling because 30 years of experience with the brand told me you were wrong. But you were right and it is a recent issue on some models. I apologized to you in private but will in public as well, because based on my experience, you were trolling. But based on recent issues with new models, what you said was right and I promise you that if I had known that, I wouldn't have questioned your motives or thought you were trolling. I am sorry!
 
Does anyone think GC gets the “B” stock for PRS? Only a thought.

Do I need to duck?:oops:
This has been brought up many times over the years. Not necessarily B stock, but... maybe the "not as nice" models. There was a LONG thread at TGP about 10 years ago, about GC getting the same models but with the not as nice tops. People saying the Brians, and John Mann's and other top PRS dealers got the "good and great" ones and GC got the rest, and it was even suggested that they were OK with that for a reduction in price, but none of that could ever be confirmed.
 
mine came with it. I wasn't thrilled. But I also didn't love the sounds I got out of the guitar. I was so excited to get it but the hype didn't meet my expectations. I opted to resell it rather than correct it.
 
mine came with it. I wasn't thrilled. But I also didn't love the sounds I got out of the guitar. I was so excited to get it but the hype didn't meet my expectations. I opted to resell it rather than correct it.
My experience was the opposite.

I got my Santana SE that came with it but I took it to a local shop where they fixed if professionally, they also set it up, floated the bridge (which came fixed), and installed the Peter Frampton pickups. It plays and sounds like a dream. I don't mark the fret sprout against it.

Silver Sky SE just recently unboxed and it also has the fret sprout BUT it stays in tune great, looks and sounds amazing. Full set up needed and I think it will be golden. Probably the first guitar that I own that I truly don't feel the need modify it in any way (anesthetically or sound wise).

They both be keepers :)
 
It may not be the guitar or the process. It may be from the fact that they are made in Indonesia, and they are shipped, in the winter, to Maryland.

So a story first. I found an amazing 95 CE22 and brought that baby home a dozen years ago now. I hadn't noticed it when I bought it but playing it at home I felt the fret sprout. I gave the whole neck a good rub down with lemon oil every day for about 3 days and the fret sprout went away and hasn't returned. The problem was that the wood had been exposed to very dry air and had shrunk. The lemon oil moisturized the neck.

Even though the necks are dried to about 8% humidity, in very dry air they can shrink even more. It's humid in Indonesia and dry in Maryland in the winter. Just rub in a few rounds of lemon oil or neck conditioner, and watch the neck swell back to original size.
 
It may not be the guitar or the process. It may be from the fact that they are made in Indonesia, and they are shipped, in the winter, to Maryland.

So a story first. I found an amazing 95 CE22 and brought that baby home a dozen years ago now. I hadn't noticed it when I bought it but playing it at home I felt the fret sprout. I gave the whole neck a good rub down with lemon oil every day for about 3 days and the fret sprout went away and hasn't returned. The problem was that the wood had been exposed to very dry air and had shrunk. The lemon oil moisturized the neck.

Even though the necks are dried to about 8% humidity, in very dry air they can shrink even more. It's humid in Indonesia and dry in Maryland in the winter. Just rub in a few rounds of lemon oil or neck conditioner, and watch the neck swell back to original size.
I came to the same conclusion.

From my limited experience with the SE line I definately see issues and more variance to instrument quality than I am used to with my core instruments. Those were more structural in nature (offset neck in a set neck guitar) and less of these issues. I think this is simply a local conditions issue. Wood is wood and natural products vary with conditions. That is why we have truss rods, although in moderate climates and well dried wood there is usually not much to adjust (maybe 1/8 turns between winter and summer).
 
I’ve got a SS SE that had fret sprout so bad the high E string would get stuck under the sprout. It’s all taken care of now but it was unplayable for a bit. And the pickup selector wasn’t giving me position 1 so I had to change that too…
 
Plus how long do these guitars spend on a boat, in the container. Cardboard box, gig bag. No real protection from temp/humidity changes.

How are they stored when they arrive in country of purchase?

Still sad to hear. Come on PRS.

Glad to see you two boys have kissed and made up. Let there be love.
I believe you're right on all accounts, Rueben. Mine didn't occur until it had been in the house for a few weeks.
 
The frets are sized to the neck at the time of assembly. The width of the neck is dependent on the moisture content of the wood and the humidity level. Wood expands noticeably across the grain as moisture increases, and shrinks as wood dries. Expansion in line with the grain is very minimal but does happen which is why we have the truss rod adjustment. Growth of the length of the neck adds tension to the strings, making the strings sharp, and causing the neck relief to increase. Added moisture during/after shipping can swell the neck width which isn’t a problem. Fret sprout occurs when the humidity in our homes is more dry in comparison as to when the neck was built. If there is a high percentage of SE necks having fret sprout leads me to conclude the neck wood and humidity level in the factory was too high compared to where these guitars were delivered. People in very dry regions may experience excessive fret sprout. Once the frets are filed down the problem shouldn’t repeat.
 
This has been brought up many times over the years. Not necessarily B stock, but... maybe the "not as nice" models. There was a LONG thread at TGP about 10 years ago, about GC getting the same models but with the not as nice tops. People saying the Brians, and John Mann's and other top PRS dealers got the "good and great" ones and GC got the rest, and it was even suggested that they were OK with that for a reduction in price, but none of that could ever be confirmed.
My younger son was in management at GC. They are not supposed to either fix or set up a new or used instrument when it comes in, no matter what they find. They are only supposed to make minor adjustments after sale. I remember several years ago, the Gibson rep came in and spent the afternoon making several LP’s playable.
 
I've got some experience with the SE Silver Sky Maple and the fret work is abysmal in my experience. The first SE Silver Sky Maple I received had severe fret sprout, rough frets, and dead spots. After sending that one back and getting a replacement, I was greeted with more fret poke, but at least the frets themselves were smooth and there were no dead spots. Fast forward to yesterday when I pulled all of the strings to do a springtime setup and also smooth out some more pokey frets, and the nut falls off. Luckily I know how to fix that, but at the end of the day, the current crop of Maple SE Silver Sky guitars are absolute garbage on the QC front in my experience. It's really disappointing to see that it isn't an unusual occurrence either.
 
The first SE Silver Sky Maple I received had severe fret sprout, rough frets, and dead spots. After sending that one back and getting a replacement, I was greeted with more fret poke,

This is the issue. It wouldn't be any big deal if we were talking environment change and/or a guitar settling. Sadly, the issue is more.

A good example is that I've recently got another place in another state with a music room. Of course all my guitars are acclimating to the new environment and season. I'm going through each one as they settle. There is a clear difference between my fret ends of my PRS and early partscasters. The fret sprout on my PRS, including se, feel more like fret bumps from the wood changes. They all still feel great and are very very playable. Some of my lower to mid tier guitars feel like fret bumps and maybe a little poke. Still all playable. My early partscaster builds, when I didn't really know how to do fretwork, have fret sprout more like fret spike. A clear difference.

The spike, sharp ends, that feel like a fret was snipped, set, and shipped are the se issues I talk about fret sprout for some of these se. Not environmental changes and settling. It's very unPRS.

the current crop of Maple SE Silver Sky guitars are absolute garbage on the QC front in my experience. It's really disappointing to see that it isn't an unusual occurrence either.
I couldn't agree more. The maple seSS has been the worst offender.
 
I just got a new SE Custom 24 and it had bad fret sprout. First PRS I've ever encountered fret sprout on, and this was my 10th SE (all brand new 2018-2024 models from various dealers, and mostly Custom 24s - a few MIK). Googled the issue and this thread was one of the first search results. I don't trust myself to fix it, so I guess I'll have to pay my luthier to do it. I know it's not the most expensive guitar, but $850 + tax isn't dirt cheap either. Either the retailer or PRS had to have noticed it, because there were small pieces of cloth that got snared in the corners of about 5 frets.
 
Back
Top