
Zaphod B
Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
I think I mentioned that my cheap Guitar Fetish XV-850 had a couple of slightly high frets, around frets 15 - 18. So last night I decided to make sure that the upper frets were seated correctly. I grabbed my 3-pound drilling hammer....ha, ha, just kidding....my small lightweight double-plastic-headed mallet, loosened up the 5th and 6th strings to get access to that side of those frets (only place I'd noticed any problem), pulled the strings out of the way, and gave all the upper frets a few moderate whacks.
Unfortunately, at some point during this 2-minute process I did not have the B string retracted and struck the frets with the B string in between the mallet and the frets. It left me with 3 very nicely defined divots - one each in the 15th, 16th, and 17th frets.
Damn.
Fortunately, out in the garage I had an abrasive pad that isn't too aggressive, and was able to dress out the divots, and at the same time dress all those upper frets down just a bit. No harm, no foul.
And it does fret out better up there.
I'm glad this was a cheap guitar. If it had been one of my expensive ones I would have obsessed about it, been afraid to do anything about it, and probably lost sleep over it. (And, need I say, taken it to a qualified luthier.
)
I'm sure Light and Muttley are rolling their eyes at me as they're reading this.

Unfortunately, at some point during this 2-minute process I did not have the B string retracted and struck the frets with the B string in between the mallet and the frets. It left me with 3 very nicely defined divots - one each in the 15th, 16th, and 17th frets.
Damn.

Fortunately, out in the garage I had an abrasive pad that isn't too aggressive, and was able to dress out the divots, and at the same time dress all those upper frets down just a bit. No harm, no foul.

I'm glad this was a cheap guitar. If it had been one of my expensive ones I would have obsessed about it, been afraid to do anything about it, and probably lost sleep over it. (And, need I say, taken it to a qualified luthier.

I'm sure Light and Muttley are rolling their eyes at me as they're reading this.


