NGD Am Pro II Strat, but...

Canada310 · #1 10-16-2020, 05:22 PM

I just picked up a new Am Pro II Strat in Miami blue with a rosewood fretboard. Looks great and mostly feels great. But, I’m surprised to realize tonight that there is fret sprout. I can feel the bottom of the frets have come out past the side of the fingerboard and feel a bit sharp. If I take my nail and run it along the side of the fretboard where the dot markers are, it gets hung up on most of the frets. It’s not something you can see to look at, but you can feel it. I checked my lesser American special fenders for the same and didn’t have the same problem. Now I guess I have to take it back and see if the shop with file these for me or if I need to get a different one...surprised to see it from fender. Seems cut and dry to me but, any advice?

Dru Edwards · #2 10-17-2020, 03:24 PM

Either your Strat came with sharp fret ends from the factory or somewhere along the line the guitar became dry and the fretboard shrunk a little, which isn't uncommon.

I'd talk to the shop and get their input on sharp fret ends. If it were me and I could pick out a guitar just as good as the one in your hands I'd make the swap. If you picked the best of the bunch I wouldn't want to let it go.

... and congrats on the American Pro II Strat!

Canada310 · #3 10-17-2020, 05:49 PM

Thanks! It really is nice. Colour is different in person, in a good way. Definitely I think it dried out along its journey. I did bring it back and we took out another because they had two in stock. The second one had the same issue though not quite as bad, although the neck had a slight figuring on my original so I decided to keep that. The tech is going to take a look next week and see what we can come up with. They assure me they’ll get me satisfied one way or another and that’s good enough for me.

Dru Edwards · #4 10-18-2020, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canada310

Thanks! It really is nice. Colour is different in person, in a good way. Definitely I think it dried out along its journey. I did bring it back and we took out another because they had two in stock. The second one had the same issue though not quite as bad, although the neck had a slight figuring on my original so I decided to keep that. The tech is going to take a look next week and see what we can come up with. They assure me they’ll get me satisfied one way or another and that’s good enough for me.

Sounds like you're getting good service. Guessing they'll smooth out the fret ends for you. Sharp fret ends are not fun.

rmp · #5 10-19-2020, 04:42 AM

it is an easy fix, just need a finishing file and a bit of patience, but it begs the question is fender not finishing the fret jobs on these? These are the new "flagship" models...

ChrisN · #6 10-19-2020, 09:45 AM

Sometimes it's due to using wood that hasn't dried sufficiently before manufacture. That's why lower-end Asian guitars have more sprout. Really humid conditions, wood used too early, and, even with a nice end finish at the end of the QC line, the wood shrinks after arrival in the drier US, resulting in sprout. I've got an Epi 339 from 2016 with sprouts that I really need to knock down one of these days.

Fender's excuse? That, I don't know.

jonfields45 · #7 10-19-2020, 10:40 AM

Fret sprout on new Fenders is something I've witnessed a little too often. I used to wonder if the flat sawn neck blank makes them less stable in the direction of the fretwire, but the OP's guitar has a rosewood board.

Luckily it is a once and done, cheap and invisible (if done right), fix.