sharp edges on frets on treble side in upper register

[Benjo]

Noticed that the edges of the frets on the treble side past the 15th fret are pretty sharp, like maybe they are lifting up or coming loose at the ends. Havent noticed this until I started playing some artificial harmonics up there and my nail catches on the sharp edges of a fee frets.

This is a Lowden and AFAIK there aren't any authorized repair folks near me. Though I will call Lowden to see who.might be near me (Raleigh Durham NC).

What's the typical fix for an issue like this?

Its pretty minor since otherwise its playing well.

Unrelated question - I have a humidifier going but my humidity is still under 40. Its around 30-35 or so. Without the humidifier it would be around 19. I usually keep my guitar in the case w two Oasis humidifiers in the sound hole but I have it out at least 5-7 hours a day to play. Wondering if its getting enough humidty. Its about 4 feet from the humidifier, as is my hydrometer.

I keep my humidifier on the floor...is it more effective to elevate it?

Thanks

[jim1960]

When the fret edges start to peek out over the edge, it's almost always a humidity issue. Perhaps whatever is measuring the humidity isn't very accurate (that's a fairly typical issue with those devices). You can always file down those edges but I'd give that guitar a solid two weeks of proper humidification (in the 45-50 range) and see if the problem corrects itself.

[zmf]

Sharp frets might be due to dehydration.

Do you also have a source of humidity inside the guitar case?

In other words, your two questions might be related.

[MarkLee]

Seems like you've pinpointed the likely culprit - humidity (or lack of it, thereof). Elevating the humidifier should result in more even distribution through the room - moisture is heavier than air and has a tendency to sink, so when it's lower to the ground there is less room to fall and disperse. You might also want to try oiling the fretboard, which can cause dry wood to swell a little.

[Benjo]

Thanks folks.

I'll raise up the humidifier then.

I don't have a humidifier inside the guitar case, just the two Oasis that keep in the sound hole when the guitar is either out on the stand or in the case. I do have an older guitar humidifier sponge I could keep inside the case, do you suggest I do that as well?

I was wondering about filing down the edges but don't have experience maintaining guitars and would want to damage anything. But it does seem like a very minor repair or alteration. And if I do a very mold job it couldn't damage the frets could it?

What kind of oil do you recommend for the fretboard?

[jdinco]

Sounds like you need a larger humidifier for your room. It's an easy job to file your fret edges if it comes to that. If you can't do it, or don't want to, any guitar tech can. I bought my file from Stew-Mac and found it an easy task.

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Benjo

What kind of oil do you recommend for the fretboard?

Oil is not a substitute for proper humidification so I'd skip that. The correct way to address this is to raise the moisture level in the wood through proper humidification. You can own a guitar your entire life, never oil the fretboards, and the guitars will be just fine ...I'm an example of that. I run a whole house humidifier all winter long which keeps the level in the 40-45 range. Never does a fret end peek out. Proper humidification is all you need to correct this and prevent it from happening again.

I also wouldn't touch the fret ends for now. You don't want them looking short once the guitar is properly humidified.

[sinistral]

Before you do (or a guitar tech does) any filing, you want to try to rehumidify the guitar first. The problem is that the fretboard won’t expand 100% back to it’s original width, but you want to restore as much humidity as you can. Is the Oasis device the thing you put water in with a little syringe? If so, that’s a humidifier, but it really only works inside a guitar case (and you should leave it in the case when you take the guitar out). You want to get the guitar to 40-45% humidity for several weeks.

Oiling the fretboard is a separate issue, but beware that some products that are marketed as oils actually have drying agents (read abut McNight’s Fretboard Revival here: McKnight’s Fretboard Revival).

Longer term, a good room humidifier and in-case humidifiers will prevent fret sprout, cracks, etc. You should also check to make sure your hygrometer is reading accurately. You can get a calibration kit, or perform a “salt test.”

[zmf]

Originally Posted by Benjo

I don't have a humidifier inside the guitar case, just the two Oasis that keep in the sound hole when the guitar is either out on the stand or in the case. I do have an older guitar humidifier sponge I could keep inside the case, do you suggest I do that as well?

Sounds like you have enough humidity in the case with two Oasis sticks. I've got a chronic low humidity problem, so I have one Oasis stick plus a damp sponge in an open ziplock at the headstock.

The in-case hygrometer reads 45-55%.

I don't keep a guitar out of its humidified case longer than 3 hours when room humidity is low (25-30%) which might be overkill. Also careful to close the case when the guitar is out.

[Benjo]

Thanks folks

Related question. I have another Lowden that I don't play every often these days. It has been in its case for about 6 months now, havent opened it. Do I need to be periodically refilling a humidifier in that case as well?

[jim1960]

Originally Posted by Benjo

Thanks folks

Related question. I have another Lowden that I don't play every often these days. It has been in its case for about 6 months now, havent opened it. Do I need to be periodically refilling a humidifier in that case as well?

A case doesn't protect your guitar from drying out in the winter. You really need to step up your humidifying game in a big way before you cause damage that rehumidification cannot fix.

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by jim1960

A case doesn't protect your guitar from drying out in the winter. You really need to step up your humidifying game in a big way before you cause damage that rehumidification cannot fix.

Exactly, although I would add “on its own.” Think of a guitar case like your house. The air outside the house is colder than the air inside the house. While the relative humidity of the outside air may be 50% or more, the absolute moisture content is lower so, as the outside air is naturally exchanged with the inside air, the relative humidity inside ends up lower. You are in a constant battle keeping the inside air at a higher RH (with cooking, showers, humidifiers, breathing, etc.).

Your case is like a house for your guitar—without any treatment, the air inside the case will be the same as the air outside the case. When you add humidification to the inside of the case, you have a microcosm of the battle that you have between the inside of your house and the outdoors. Since the case isn’t perfectly sealed, and you open it up from time to time to take the guitar out, etc., the air inside the case struggles to stay at a higher RH than the RH of the room it is in. Add to that that a wooden case absorbs (and gives off) moisture, so in effect you need to humidify both the guitar and the case.

[Steve DeRosa]

Unfortunately a common problem in our present era of kiln-dried woods...

If you have a little woodworking experience, mask off the guitar body and sides of the neck (below the fingerboard) and carefully sand the edges of the fingerboard with progressively finer sponge sanding blocks (available at Lowe's, Home Depot, etc. - I generally use 150-220-320 grit for a first job, 220 and/or 320 for touch-up if necessary) - done it on many of my instruments, and it not only takes care of the sharp fret ends but, if done correctly, provides a rolled edge (a popular feature among electric guitarists BTW) that gives the neck a nice "broken-in" feel...

[Benjo]

In my case with the guitar I play a lot, I now have two Oasis humidifiers in the sound hole and another soundhole humidifier with the top off at the head of the case. I put a hydrometer in the case and closed it overnight. The reading this morning is 31. I know that is too low but what more can I do inside the case since I have 3 humidifiers in there?


Also is there a consensus on the most effective soundhole humidifers? I have the Oasis ones but need to buy a few more.

[tadol]

If its only the frets above the 15th fret, I'd just get them filed down and smoothed. I'd not use that as evidence of a whole house humidity problem -