some gorilla pounded in my frets

chunger · #1 02-01-2010, 06:45 PM

I just took delivery of a maple SX P-bass neck from a forum member, and it looks like a gorilla pounded in one of the frets. I was measuring and getting ready to level/dress the neck when I noticed one of them is crooked, and it looks like the finish has been indented along the fret (a little cracking there also in the finish). It's also .007" lower than the surrounding frets. It has a height of .040" while the rest are ~.047"-.052" depending on the particular fret.

I'm wondering if I'm better off replacing that single fret prior to leveling. . . other option would be to just take all of them down to its level, but that might be asking to re-fret the entire thing if it doesn't work.

Do I risk a major blowout on the finish if i pull it out? Also, I've purchased fret leveling tools. . . not fret replacement tools, so it would be an investment to ramp up to this job.

mcapote · #2 02-02-2010, 08:22 AM

did they say this problem existed before you bought it? sounds like its not really worth the value of that neck imho. anyways I wouldnt scrap down 23 frets to fix 1

chunger · #3 02-02-2010, 08:47 PM

I inquired with the seller here on forum, and he has issued a complete refund. He never ran the neck so was unaware of the problem.

No harm done. . . I will still try to salvage the neck, but now have some budget to buy a fret puller and some properly tall fret wire.