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  #31  
Old 04-19-2018, 08:38 AM
Seadra Seadra is offline
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If you like the guitar, I'd say put a little more money in and enjoy it. It should be very nice if you have a good luthier.

Best of luck!
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  #32  
Old 04-19-2018, 09:28 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Ok next question......

Luthier said 4 or 5 frets were high. Should I get the Flek machine treatment
for $225 or go to a different luthier for the old fashioned manual fret leveling and crowing (probably about $150) or attempt to fix the offending frets myself?
I've never attempted a fret filing but it doesn't look too difficult...just tedious.

Sie note: I will get a fret rocker and check up and down the neck myself later tonite to verify that there are in fact several high frets.
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  #33  
Old 04-19-2018, 09:50 AM
mickthemiller mickthemiller is offline
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Send it back and ask for, no demand, a full refund. If you bought it on an auction site complain like hell to them too. Honesty is becoming a very rare commodity in some quarters nowadays.
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  #34  
Old 04-19-2018, 10:30 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mickthemiller View Post
Send it back and ask for, no demand, a full refund. If you bought it on an auction site complain like hell to them too. Honesty is becoming a very rare commodity in some quarters nowadays.
Honestly I don't think the seller purposely hid any info from me. I think he's just naïve when it comes to guitars. The high frets probably happened over time due to improper humidity control and he probably didn't notice the spotty buzzing on the neck. It's not terrible but you will notice it if you are observant and especially of you adjust the relief to where it should be (around .010). If you increase relief to around .015 it gets better, but it's still there.

I think I am going to keep it and get it fixed since everything else about the guitar is fine. I got a pretty good deal on it an even with the extra cost to fix the neck, it will still be a few hundred what a new one would cost. Now I just have to decide what route to go for the fret issue.....Plek machine ($225), regular manual luthier ($150 or so) or attempt a DIY fix. First thing I am going to do is check up and down the neck with a fret rocker.
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Last edited by JackB1; 04-19-2018 at 11:31 AM.
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  #35  
Old 04-19-2018, 10:47 AM
Mycroft Mycroft is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JackB1 View Post
Honestly I don't think the seller purposely hid any info from me. I think he's just naïve when it comes to guitars. The high frets probably happened over time due to improper humidity control and he probably didn't notice the spotty buzzing on the neck. It's not terrible but you will notice it if you are observant and especially of you adjust the relief to where it should be (around .010). If you increase relief to around .015 it gets better, but it's still there.

I think I am going to keep it and get it fixed since everything else about the guitar is fine. I got a pretty good deal on it an even with the extra cost to fix the neck, it will still be a few hundred what a new one would cost. Now I just have to decide what route to go for the fret issue.....Flek machine ($225), regular manula luthier ($150 or so) or attempt a DIY fix. First thing I am going to do is check up and down the neck with a fret rocker.
Since the shop with the Plek (not Flek... http://www.plek.com/en_US/home/ )has said that, since they did a setup without first telling you about the fret issue, which they should have done, they will replace the nut gratis if needed, you do have a reason to use them. Does the manual tech's quote include a replacement nut? On the other hand, the Plek shop did a setup either knowing that the guitar hat a fret-height issue, or they did a setup without first checking the frets. That, in my book, is a strike against them.
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  #36  
Old 04-19-2018, 11:31 AM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mycroft View Post
Since the shop with the Plek (not Flek... http://www.plek.com/en_US/home/ )has said that, since they did a setup without first telling you about the fret issue, which they should have done, they will replace the nut gratis if needed, you do have a reason to use them. Does the manual tech's quote include a replacement nut? On the other hand, the Plek shop did a setup either knowing that the guitar hat a fret-height issue, or they did a setup without first checking the frets. That, in my book, is a strike against them.
They did the setup first. The buzzing issue wasn't that obvious and he thought he could get rid of the buzz by doing a usual setup. While that helped, it didn't eliminate it completely. Some folks would probably be Ok with the guitar as is, but I am somewhat of a perfectionist and the slight buzzing here and there bugs me. They will count what I paid for the setup (80) towards the Plek treatment, so I would only have to pay the balance of $145 (225-80=145).
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  #37  
Old 04-19-2018, 12:38 PM
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky is offline
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The one thing going for a used guitar that requires new frets is that you get to choose the type of frets that you want. I'd choose the Jescar EVO Gold wire, either a 45100, 47104 or 55090, if you like the frets tall. I'd angle for some rebate from the seller.

I won't go for the Plek as I am an old-fashioned fella who would rather trust a good old-fashioned fret replacing, levelling and crowning. This is also a good time to check if the neck is straight and warp free and playable and if the fretboard requires planing. Compression fretting can do wonders for a neck that is a little bit out of whack as can a fretboard levelling.

I'd seek the opinion of another tech who does things the old-fashioned way. I just get the feeling your current tech is pushing you to use the Plek machine. Well, the Plek machine has to be paid for...

Just being cynical old me, if you'd excuse me, please.
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  #38  
Old 04-19-2018, 01:18 PM
JackB1 JackB1 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jabberwocky View Post
The one thing going for a used guitar that requires new frets is that you get to choose the type of frets that you want. I'd choose the Jescar EVO Gold wire, either a 45100, 47104 or 55090, if you like the frets tall. I'd angle for some rebate from the seller.

I won't go for the Plek as I am an old-fashioned fella who would rather trust a good old-fashioned fret replacing, levelling and crowning. This is also a good time to check if the neck is straight and warp free and playable and if the fretboard requires planing. Compression fretting can do wonders for a neck that is a little bit out of whack as can a fretboard levelling.

I'd seek the opinion of another tech who does things the old-fashioned way. I just get the feeling your current tech is pushing you to use the Plek machine. Well, the Plek machine has to be paid for...

Just being cynical old me, if you'd excuse me, please.
Its not a bad idea.....a second opinion. But at this point it would only cost me another 140 to have the machine do it and it's more precise than any human can be. An old fashioned fret leveling and crowning would probably not be too much less. I am going to check later myself with a fret rocker to see how many high frets I find.
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