Sharp Fret Edges Any Quick Fixes Recording King RP-06

[Realbluesman]

If you need to file, Stew Mac has a specialty tool just for that. I have used it extensively with great results:

http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools...sing_File.html

the crystal glass files that a guitarist might have for keeping their nails in shape do the job admirably. I have a 3-pack I got off amazon : Cliganic Crystal Glass Nail File 3-Set cost $13 delivered. the file edges are smooth.

[maxtheaxe]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

I just received a Recording King RP-06 parlor guitar. I own several high end guitars and wanted a cheap parlor. Musicians Friend had a crazy deal that bought the price of the guitar down to $125 shipped! At those prices I had to get this especially I have a 45 day return policy.

When I received the guitar visually it was very beautiful. However the frets are very sharp on the edges. I would like to smooth the edges and wanted to know are there any quick fixes short of bringing it to my luther for a set up?

The guitar sounds good for what it is...see clip below.

https://youtu.be/2h5IujQY8EE

https://youtu.be/-zsxAg-NQl8

Stewmac has a file that's perfect for easing those edges down without gouging the fretboard or binding. It has a rounded, smooth edge that doesn't cut into anything but lets you get the cutting surface down on those snaggy edges.

Other than that, if you're worried about scuffing binding or board, mask around the offending fret before you file it.

Cheers!

[Earl49]

I'm a fairly handy guy. When I run across this (usually with a student's guitar or ukulele) I mask off the body with two layers of painter's masking tape to protect it from nicks, then hand file the fret ends at about 60° from vertical, file moving horizontally along the length of the fret board, and being careful to just take off the sharp ends and to avoid removing any wood from the fret board edges. The file just "floats" lightly on the fret ends until they feel smooth.

I actually do this before humidifying, and thus never have to do it again. If the fret ends poke out, the neck wood has shrunk (metal doesn't shrink with humidity) and the instrument is crying out for moisture.

A further caution -- do NOT put the guitar in the steamy bathroom with you! Too much moisture, too soon. That can shock a dry guitar and cause problems. If you want, leave the empty case open in the bathroom to get it nicely saturated, then put some damp sponges in the case along with the instrument. After a couple of weeks it should be back to optimum. If you don't pre-load the case with moisture, the first few days will likely require daily re-wetting of the sponges as the plywood case and the fur lining / pads quickly absorbs dampness from your sponge.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

I just received a Recording King RP-06 parlor guitar. I own several high end guitars and wanted a cheap parlor. Musicians Friend had a crazy deal that bought the price of the guitar down to $125 shipped! At those prices I had to get this especially I have a 45 day return policy.

When I received the guitar visually it was very beautiful. However the frets are very sharp on the edges. I would like to smooth the edges and wanted to know are there any quick fixes short of bringing it to my luther for a set up?

Yes, but it takes a bit of skill. What works for me is a diamond (dust) nail file. My original Revlon diamond file has smooth sides so it only files on the flat side. Revlon is now making these which are not quite as good becausee the edges are sharper, but you can use it if you're careful. https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/re...t?reactjs=trueYou can probably do the same thing with a proper needle file.

The best way to approach it is to mask off the neck to in case you slip you won't mar the wood. Then take the file and round off the corners. You have to be super careful. I like the fingernail file because it's fine enough that I don't have to do any further polishing.

Below is a photo of my '96 MIM Tele which I rounded the fret ends and rolled the fingerboard edges. And no, I didn't file the fingerboard edges. Only the fret ends. I use a different method entirely. It now feels as good as any custom shop guitar that I've ever played.

[Wade Hampton]

Grant, I've had this problem arise on two or three Larrivée guitars and a couple of other instruments. As others have already mentioned, it's generally a sign that the guitar has been exposed to lower humidity than it should have been.

While trying to store the guitar in a room with better humidity levels is a good idea, unlike some of the other folks who've chimed in on this thread, I have less confidence that increasing the humidification can or will fully restore things. In my experience, when the wood of the fingerboard has shrunk enough that the fret ends become sharp enough to snag your fingers, it's not usually possible to get it to expand back to its original dimensions.

I mean, sure, maybe if you were to submerge it in an aquarium for a few weeks, the wood would swell, but somehow I don't see that as the best possible strategy!

Guitar humidifying aquarium operating instructions:
Lift lid, then insert guitar neck first.




Self-humidifying guitar

Seriously, Grant, the restorative powers of rehumidifying a dried out guitar tend to be somewhat exaggerated and overrated in terms of the results that can realistically be expected. Recommending rehumidification tends to be one of the main online guitar forum default settings for any number of guitar problems that arise: "Humidify it!" At times this kind of reminds me of the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," whose solution to any minor ache or pain was to try to spray Windex on it:

Just put some Windex on it!!

As for filing (or "dressing") the fret ends yourself, yes, you can do that, but if that isn't the sort of instrument repair work that you routinely do yourself, it might be a better idea to take the guitar to a pro. It's a quick and thus inexpensive repair when done by someone who's done that work before. Since the geometry of the dressed fret ends does matter, that will be easier for someone with the right tools and shop setup to do the work correctly than it will be for you.

Faster, too.

So while I agree you should get the guitar into a properly humidified room and give it a week or two to acclimate and absorb some of that moisture, that's unlikely to correct the problem entirely. I recommend that you do what I've done the times it's been necessary, and simply take it in to a professional guitar repair tech.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

Grant, I've had this problem arise on two or three Larrivée guitars and a couple of other instruments. As others have already mentioned, it's generally a sign that the guitar has been exposed to lower humidity than it should have been.

While trying to store the guitar in a room with better humidity levels is a good idea, unlike some of the other folks who've chimed in on this thread, I have less confidence that increasing the humidification can or will fully restore things. In my experience, when the wood of the fingerboard has shrunk enough that the fret ends become sharp enough to snag your fingers, it's not usually possible to get it to expand back to its original dimensions.

I mean, sure, maybe if you were to submerge it in an aquarium for a few weeks, the wood would swell, but somehow I don't see that as the best possible strategy!

Guitar humidifying aquarium operating instructions:
Lift lid, then insert guitar neck first.




Self-humidifying guitar

Seriously, Grant, the restorative powers of rehumidifying a dried out guitar tend to be somewhat exaggerated and overrated in terms of the results that can realistically be expected. Recommending rehumidification tends to be one of the main online guitar forum default settings for any number of guitar problems that arise: "Humidify it!" At times this kind of reminds me of the father in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," whose solution to any minor ache or pain was to try to spray Windex on it:

Just put some Windex on it!!

As for filing (or "dressing") the fret ends yourself, yes, you can do that, but if that isn't the sort of instrument repair work that you routinely do yourself, it might be a better idea to take the guitar to a pro. It's a quick and thus inexpensive repair when done by someone who's done that work before. Since the geometry of the dressed fret ends does matter, that will be easier for someone with the right tools and shop setup to do the work correctly than it will be for you.

Faster, too.

So while I agree you should get the guitar into a properly humidified room and give it a week or two to acclimate and absorb some of that moisture, that's unlikely to correct the problem entirely. I recommend that you do what I've done the times it's been necessary, and simply take it in to a professional guitar repair tech.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

Thank you for a well though out and thorough response. Folks, I ended up taking it to the guitar tech yesterday. The problem bothered me so much that I know I didn't have the patience to wait around 2 to 3 weeks and rehumdify and see what turned out.

My tech didn't several things. First he adjusted the truss rod. Then he took some blue tape and placed it on the edge of the guitar neck and along the top of the soundboard to protect the finish. Then he appeared to use one of those filing edges and meticulously worked his magic along the sharp edges. I wanted to watch the process and was fascinated by it.

After he was done with the process I played the guitar which played flawlessly. The intonation was spot on. I ran my fingers along the edge and there was no razor like feel and NO sharp edges. He made some additional truss rod adjustments based on my request and it played like butter.

What I find fascinating is that this process took less than an hour and did not cost an arm and a leg. It did not look like it was hard. However, he is a master guitar tech who has built guitars and works on many of the Boston pro players as well as guitar faculty instruments in the neighboring areas. There is absolutely no way I could have achieved a similar result without some painful lessons. I say this because he made it look so easy working on that guitar. A former professor in college once said to me an art form is when someone makes a difficult task look easy and natural.

The moral of this lesson to me is that every guitar needs to be properly set up preferably by a pro. If you have the skills to do it yourself that is even better.

This guitar won't ever sound like my Taylor or Martin but wow what a difference a proper set up makes.

[fitness1]

Oops - after I typed this I saw your last post- problem resolved.



Sharp fret ends doesn't necessarily mean the whole guitar is under humidified - many times the ebony (or whatever wood is used for the board) isn't dried out enough before use. The guitar is built and the fingerboard dries and shrinks, leaving the ends exposed.

In that situation, I normally give the fingerboard a big "drink" of Lizard Spit and let it sink in (maybe a couple applications if it looks like it seeped in quickly) Then wait a couple days to see if it expands a bit.

I would tell you to just get a set of inexpensive needle files and tape off around the sharp fret ends that are left. I use electrical tape and the file that is tapered to a point and flat on 3 sides. If you use the very end of it, you can be pretty accurate with placement. It may take a while if there are several of them, but patience will pay off in the end..

[Grantgreen42]

Originally Posted by fitness1

Oops - after I typed this I saw your last post- problem resolved.



Sharp fret ends doesn't necessarily mean the whole guitar is under humidified - many times the ebony (or whatever wood is used for the board) isn't dried out enough before use. The guitar is built and the fingerboard dries and shrinks, leaving the ends exposed.

In that situation, I normally give the fingerboard a big "drink" of Lizard Spit and let it sink in (maybe a couple applications if it looks like it seeped in quickly) Then wait a couple days to see if it expands a bit.

I would tell you to just get a set of inexpensive needle files and tape off around the sharp fret ends that are left. I use electrical tape and the file that is tapered to a point and flat on 3 sides. If you use the very end of it, you can be pretty accurate with placement. It may take a while if there are several of them, but patience will pay off in the end..

Thank you and everyone else for their input. I played the guitar this morning and it is playing well. I don't want to start another thread for this but had a couple of other questions related to improvement of sound. I know the biggest factor in sound outside of the player skill is wood type and grade (solid, AA, AAA, versus laminate, rosewood versus mahogany etc.)

However, once a guitar has been built and it's properly set up which has the greater impact of good sound production.

1. String. Gauge and brand
2. Nut material (bone, tusk, other)
3. Saddle material
4. End pin?

I reference the above items because I am interested in knowing which one (other than string) has the greatest affect on sound specifically on this Recording King RP-06. The reason I am asking is that I believe the nut, saddle and end pin are ALL cheap plastic. Would upgrading have a discernible affect on sound? And if so recommendations...

Here is another vid of the guitar recorded this morning after getting the sharp fret edges issue addressed.

https://youtu.be/6iSeRySOfGE

[Edgar Poe]

Originally Posted by jazzguy

It also may be dry. Get the humidity to 45-55% first for a week or so, then file if needed.

I agree, do this first.

Ed

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

.....Folks, I ended up taking it to the guitar tech yesterday......

Before the repair suggestions continue for three more pages, he already got the fret ends fixed, per post #22.

Grant, for your next question you listed the factors in the correct order. Strings definitely, then likely saddle material, then maybe nut material. I cannot imagaine how an end pin can affect the tone, but if you prefer something other than plastic, that is purely cosmetic -- and your choice. It is your guitar.....

[Rockysdad]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

Thank you and everyone else for their input. I played the guitar this morning and it is playing well. I don't want to start another thread for this but had a couple of other questions related to improvement of sound. I know the biggest factor in sound outside of the player skill is wood type and grade (solid, AA, AAA, versus laminate, rosewood versus mahogany etc.)

However, once a guitar has been built and it's properly set up which has the greater impact of good sound production.

1. String. Gauge and brand
2. Nut material (bone, tusk, other)
3. Saddle material
4. End pin?

I reference the above items because I am interested in knowing which one (other than string) has the greatest affect on sound specifically on this Recording King RP-06. The reason I am asking is that I believe the nut, saddle and end pin are ALL cheap plastic. Would upgrading have a discernible affect on sound? And if so recommendations...

Here is another vid of the guitar recorded this morning after getting the sharp fret edges issue addressed.

https://youtu.be/6iSeRySOfGE

The nut & saddle on that guitar are bone, not cheap plastic.

[Grantgreen42]

You are right I just read the specs on this and they are indeed bone!

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Grantgreen42

Thank you for a well though out and thorough response. Folks, I ended up taking it to the guitar tech yesterday. The problem bothered me so much that I know I didn't have the patience to wait around 2 to 3 weeks and rehumdify and see what turned out.

My tech didn't several things. First he adjusted the truss rod. Then he took some blue tape and placed it on the edge of the guitar neck and along the top of the soundboard to protect the finish. Then he appeared to use one of those filing edges and meticulously worked his magic along the sharp edges. I wanted to watch the process and was fascinated by it.

After he was done with the process I played the guitar which played flawlessly. The intonation was spot on. I ran my fingers along the edge and there was no razor like feel and NO sharp edges. He made some additional truss rod adjustments based on my request and it played like butter.

What I find fascinating is that this process took less than an hour and did not cost an arm and a leg. It did not look like it was hard. However, he is a master guitar tech who has built guitars and works on many of the Boston pro players as well as guitar faculty instruments in the neighboring areas. There is absolutely no way I could have achieved a similar result without some painful lessons. I say this because he made it look so easy working on that guitar. A former professor in college once said to me an art form is when someone makes a difficult task look easy and natural.

The moral of this lesson to me is that every guitar needs to be properly set up preferably by a pro. If you have the skills to do it yourself that is even better.

This guitar won't ever sound like my Taylor or Martin but wow what a difference a proper set up makes.

I'm glad things worked out for you. Yeah, doing it yourself is daunting and you don't want to learn on your prized guitar. But it's really not hard if you have any DIY talent, some patience and know what you want the result to look like. If you watched the tech do it, you could probably do the next one yourself. The good thing about doing the fret work when the guitar is dry, is that you'll never have sharp edges in any condition. If you rehumidify it, that's great, but if it ever dries out again the same problem will re-emerge.

And yes, every guitar needs to be set up properly, even expensive ones. My Taylor 614ce (which I bought used) required a neck reset to bring the string action into spec (I love that system!). And my NEW 814ceDLX (retailing for $4000) required fret leveling (what do you expect these days for $4k?)! While many guitars do come set up and well finished, it is simply not an assumption one can make.

Again, I'm glad things worked out for the OP.

[TNO]

My RP-06 showed up in the same condition. I used it as an opportunity to pick up another tool- a $25 fret end dressing file with 35 degree angle. Then did a level crown and polish.

I vote for dressing the ends while it's dry. Deal with it now and never have sharp fret ends again.