<----- I have a Jazz and a Stingray. I like the Stingray a lot more but the Jazz grown on my daily. Both have TI flats. I've only had both a few months. Definitely try a Stingray Special, they are exquisite. Can't be compared to Sterlings.
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I visited a GC today….
- Thread starter eastcoasteddie
- Start date
Sometimes it takes a while. Sometimes nobody gets it.
Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
Here's what I saw in my local GC the other day. You know what? I won't post it - it could get flagged. It was a tiny set of the "family jewels" you see hanging from trailer hitches, on the floor. Also - None of the amps worked on one island because the cord to the power strip was cut! I did buy a bass, though.
True, also:
Take time with a wounded finger
'Cause it likes to heal
Take time with a wounded finger
'Cause I like to steal...
STP
[Pictured: the vertical smile.]
Is frett sprout the result of shrinking wood?
Obviously, assuming that it left the builders hands in ideal condition…
Obviously, assuming that it left the builders hands in ideal condition…
I tested a Warwick Rockbass fiver a handful of years ago at GC. It spent the entire 4 months it had been there up on the top row right under those big, bright ceiling lights getting dried out. The sprout was atrocious, the worst I had ever seen, and my hands got pretty scraped up like op's. That poor bass.
Production Guitar makers are using younger and younger cuts of wood, with less time in the drying stage. A few weeks under in-store lighting will do nothing. If that bass had been in a dark cool room the same thing would have happened.
Easily fixed, thankfully.
I've been seriously considering ordering a Sire M5 for a while, but the fret sprout issue scares me a bit. A while back, there was a TB review of an M5 with major fret sprout issues.
I know it happens - due to humidity changes, etc. And it's correctable. But none of my guitars and basses have ever suffered from it. And some of are pretty old.
So, why does it happen to some guitars and not others?
A lot of guitars have fingerboards that haven't been dried/seasoned long enough before they're worked on.
Same experience as OP at a local GC.
A Sterling Ray drew blood with sharp fret ends, leaving an array of small slices across the pads of my fingers.
A reminder that the people crafting our instruments face similar hazards in their construction.
A Sterling Ray drew blood with sharp fret ends, leaving an array of small slices across the pads of my fingers.
A reminder that the people crafting our instruments face similar hazards in their construction.
In all fairness, My fretted US Stingray 5 had razor sharp fret ends direct from the MM factory in 2001. Some things never change.
Wood shrinks when the air is dry. Fret sprout has really nothing to do with GC.
I've had plenty of rosewood boards dry out and get fret sprout. Glad it's working for ya
I've been through the same situation about fret sprout, in my case, it was caused by totally different weather conditions ( very cold and dry location ). Since it was just for two months, when I returned back to my home town, I was skeptical to solve the problem in that very moment, cause I was told by a renowed luthier it could be the case of "self-fixing".
Less than two weeks after my arrival back to home, the fret sprout just vanished. No intervention from me. And yes, it was a maple neck/fretboard. My other bass, maple and rosewood combo,My nothing happened at all, same apartment, same gig bag, same weather.
Less than two weeks after my arrival back to home, the fret sprout just vanished. No intervention from me. And yes, it was a maple neck/fretboard. My other bass, maple and rosewood combo,My nothing happened at all, same apartment, same gig bag, same weather.
But if GC had proper humidity, the chances are that it might not have happened or have been less aggressive. The music store I worked at had three different humidifiers, not counting the one in the acoustic room, to combat sprout in our stock. And this time of the year, "fixing" sprouted ends was staple work in the repair shop.
My response to just the thread title was going to be "I'm sorry"
But in this case it is true.
Fret spout is the absolute worst buzzkill. When I bought my EBMM Axis I left it in a too-dry environment for a month and fret spout happened... they fixed it under warranty gratis, which was nice.
But in this case it is true.
Fret spout is the absolute worst buzzkill. When I bought my EBMM Axis I left it in a too-dry environment for a month and fret spout happened... they fixed it under warranty gratis, which was nice.
@Bob Coldwell I own a Sire V7 2nd Gen never had a issue with this bass whatsoever. All vendors will have instruments with fret end issues. I bought squire contemporary 5HH needed the fret ends touched up also a Charvel PJ IV that also need the fret ends worked on. Hearing that a bass needed the fret ends dress would not stop me from looking at any vendor considering its such a easy fix. Sire makes great basses test drive if you can.
