Fret Ends NY Winter - Strat Content

[hbombgraphics]

Just pulled my old Strat out of storage where it had sat through a few china trips
Doing set up work this weekend and noticed that for the first time ever you could feel the fret ends a bit
nothing major
still playable just not buttery smooth
I know that NY winters dry out guitars wood shrinks metal doesn't
should I wait till spring and see if it comes back a little?
humidify???
File em down a bit? (how would I do that?)

also the action seems high and at first I was going to try to lower it a ton but after playing it sunday live I really liked the fight on it
intonation is good so that is not an issue
think I played better with the higher action
is that odd?

[CyaNitrate]

Is the fretboard rosewood or maple? I'm not sure if it makes a difference in the issue, or rate of drying/hydrating, but both my tele and strat are maple boards, and I live in AZ, were it's dry as hell allllll the time, except for 1-2 months during the monsoon. I did a lot of reading on it and I know a lot of guys do the humidifying thing first, because its the easiest and lowest chance of damaging the guit. So to that end, either lock it in a smallish room with a humidifier for a few days, or get some sort of case humidifier. Doesn't have to be fancy, either...I read about putting a damp sponge (not soaked) in a baggy with holes in it, and leave it in the case for a bit and check progress.

I skipped this for two reasons
-I'm impatient
-AZ doesn't have seasonal dryness so much as seasonal humidity

So I figured anything gained by humidifying would be quickly lost unless i humidify all the damn time.
...so I went to the file!!! It actually wasn't too bad. They make specialized files for the job, but I just used a three-sided file i had on hand and took my time. I laid it across the fret ends parallel to the neck, so it was always touching at least 4-5 frets. That helps ensure a little evenness. Then I finished with a sanding sponge. Yes, I did scuff the neck a touch, but no major damage and nothing I'm concerned about. Now they both feel buttery smooth.

Basically, just take your time and you'll be fine. You can even use masking tape between frets as a safeguard. But, if humidifying doesn't do the trick and you're not comfortable filing yourself, you can always take it to a tech. I just like to do as much DIY as possible.

Good Luck, and keep us posted!

[hbombgraphics]

Thanks, that is wicked helpful.
Yeah I would rather DIY it as well
everything else on the guitar is DIY
the only thing I haven't touched is the fretboard
I should get some pics up
it is a rosewood board.

The other thing I noticed was that I had a slightly loose screw on the bolt on neck, tightened it snug and have had no issues

The storage thing was frustrating, had it stored in a friends studio, which he said he maintained temp and humidity, looks like he just pulled the plug on everything while I was out of town.
No clue why but I came back to an ice cold super dry guitar.

I will use it for practice thursday and see how it shakes out

[CyaNitrate]

Is it MIM or MIA? I've never had a USA model, but MiMs are known for sizing the neck bolt holes on the body a size too small, so the threads grip the body and neck, which isn't good. If you haven't done it, it's common practice to bore them out so the screw threads pass cleanly through the body. This allows the neck to be drawn into the body tightly without any gaps in between. I think the bit size is 11/64, but don't quote that, its been a while. It wont take much either, it's really just one or two sizes to small. And on re-assembly, don't do one screw at a time..do each in turn a little at a time so pressure is even across them, like you would lugnuts on a wheel.

[hbombgraphics]

It's MIM
from around 1999 I think

I will have to check on the screw holes

I didn't realize that at all.

[CyaNitrate]

Something else I just thought of...because it's rosewood, you might try oiling it. A quick google search will point you in the right direction of what to use.