Bourgeois - Flat frets on newly acquired guitar
 

Hello all, I've been in the market for a Bourgeois for a while now and finally found what I was looking for.

Upon arrival, I can't help but notice that all of the frets seem to have been leveled but not recrowned... can anyone take a peek and let me know what you think?

Guitar isn't buzzing.. that is good. I'm not sure how to tell if there is enough material to be able to crown the frets still or if it needs a full re-fret.

I have a 7 day return window, will be hard to see a luthier in that time. Re-fret would be a couple hundred bucks and not something I would want to do with a new (to me) guitar.

CG[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...567476bf_k.jpgIMG_1607 by drabbagphoto, on Flickr[/IMG]

It certainly does look pretty flat to me. Should not at all be like that.

a thought
 

I think OP either visits a luthier, as difficult as that is, or returns the instrument.

There's more to the story, i. e., a private sale? a dealer? assurances as to condition?

By eyeball on your picture they appear to have a reasonable amount left to crown but what is the actual height and width so it can be compared to new fret wire?

Are all the frets like that?

I called my luthier and will be able to make it to see him tomorrow.

Not much more to the story, I bought it off Reverb, sent the seller a quick note about what I've noticed. He was surprised, said he's owned it 4 years and hasn't had any fretwork done. Guitar was built in 2014 so hard to say what was done before.

I called Bourgeois just to make sure they wouldn't intentionally send a guitar out like that, they confirmed it would have been shipped (originally) with crowned frets.

I guess I just notice details that other people don't?

Apparently it's the original nut as well... but I measure a decent gap between the D and G strings that I wouldn't have expected to be shipped out of Bourgeois. goes from .252 string spacing between A and D Strings... to .295 between the D and G. Noticeable from my eye, so used a mic to check. The slots seem pretty large too...

Am I just being too picky?

[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...53e2329c_k.jpgIMG_1617 by drabbagphoto, on Flickr[/IMG]

Both are legit concerns. The nut is really bad.
If the frets are currently not too low, they can be crowned. Assuming they are level, crowning does not reduce the overall height.
Buzzing on the flat top of a fret is subtle, and is usually only audible on the two plain strings.

I just wonder what is up with this guitar. Someone other than the makers messed with it. Whether the seller knew or not. Just makes me suspicious. Good thing the Luthier can look at it. Low threshold to send back.

That nut looks lousy to me, crudely faceted on top. I'd bet lunch on somebody post-Bourgeois having had a go at messing with the nut as well as the frets. See what the luthier says, but I guess that a refret, new nut, and we haven't gotten to the saddle yet.

I thought so as well, slots seem too big, and that string spacing isn't something I would expect out of Bourgeois.

Saddle doesn't look too bad, but it'll need taken down as the action on the treble side is around 2.5mm where I prefer 1.5mm

All that said, very pretty guitar, sounds great, just suprised by some of these details...

[IMG]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...f21fe372_k.jpgIMG_1611 by drabbagphoto, on Flickr[/IMG]

a thought
 

OP: please let us inquiring (nosy?) folks learn what the luthier has to say.

Thanks!

Someone is lying to you.

The frets have been crowned and the nut has been replaced, both are what I would say "poorly executed" not a deal breaker if you got it for a good price, disappointing none the less

Steve

Agreed with you and others, the nut spacing is clearly off.

When you see stuff like this it makes you wonder what is it that you cannot see that is wrong. Since what you can see is so wrong then what is going on under the hood?

a thought
 

Might be just fine under the hood. Nothing to tamper with, unless the hacker(s) who filed the frets and made that poor nut got energetic.

This would be a return for me. Pretty sure the seller is being dishonest, and pretending not to know about the obvious issues.

I guess it depends on how badly you want the guitar. If it checks out with the Luthier and is good except a fret recrown and a new nut, maybe just a discount and keep it.