Do I need my frets... fixed? Scrape-y when I vibrato.

kevorkazito · January 2013

Thanks Hemert and Michael. The many perspectives are helpful.

Jeff Moore · January 2013

I'm pretty sure its not your frets. It's the wood of the fretboard. It perhaps has open grain, can't see a thing in the vid but the sound doesn't sound like rough frets. If you see they're smooth, there's no illusions, they're smooth.
The vid demonstrates for sure at least that you've got "Scrape-y" issues.
If it is the wood, nothing comes to mind. I'll bet there's an answer but I've never wavered from naked ebony or rosewood fretboards and can' stand the ones that have finish (teles, and some harmony's).
Somebody here may have a good enough fix for open grained wood.
Can't imagine you've got an un-sanded fretboard? So can't imagine that sanding would help, but you'll see it if its open grain or un-sanded.

kevorkazito · January 2013

Jeff Moore wrote:

I'm pretty sure its not your frets. It's the wood of the fretboard. It perhaps has open grain, can't see a thing in the vid but the sound doesn't sound like rough frets. If you see they're smooth, there's no illusions, they're smooth.

Jeff, it's definitely the frets. I just tried to articulate the string to scrape the wood and I don't have the power to do it. I have always pressed just a hair above the fret to get the proper intonation.

I'm hoping that a new set of strings and some fret polishing will help. I would expect a bit of it to be natural but this is a bit much. I have a cheapie acoustic and the strings glide over the frets nicely.

I am wondering if that since this is my first time playing with GJ strings, if they aren't a bit like the wound classical guitar strings?

Jeff Moore · January 2013

I'll have to take your word that your not touching the fretboard much, but I'm hitting it every note, and always have.
"I have always pressed just a hair above the fret" I'm thinking you are saying that you don't play between the frets but close to them and so don't hit the fretboard with your strings-fingers. Not sure I'm understanding what your saying cause I think everybody is hitting the wood and sliding their fingers and strings on the wood. But I'm just guessing here. There's only wood and frets to think about? no?

I'm sitting here with a mid, a low, and a high priced Selmac, (ebony, rosewood, and "Cigano wood" fretboards) the ones I regularly play, and I can't produce the sound in your vid, or anything much at all besides bent notes (the good kind). Besides the bent notes there's scarcely any a sound but a faint whisper of the sound your getting. The cheap and the not cheap sound the same... nothing. I don't have a new guitar to try this on. These are played in and that's maybe all you need to do............just wait?
You might just have to carry it to the local luthier or guitar tech and demonstrate it like the vid. He or she will steer you right.

kevorkazito · April 2013

Well, I finally used my fret erasers.

My M01 feels like a whole new guitar. They really did the trick!

I used the set from course to fine, then I polished them with 0000 steel wool.

Before I used them I did mask the fret board. There was some really fine grit so I was glad I did that.

All I can say is wow.

Thanks for the tip.

Jeff Moore · April 2013

Glad you figured it out, and thanks for sharing your problem - solution.
Your not the only one, but I've never heard Schzzzz as bad as you had it.

kevorkazito · April 2013

The playability is so amazing, it really is indescribable.

Frets really get overlooked. I've been strummin' for a long time and never considered doing this.