Dress the frets on my "blem"?

B

Barmy

Supporting Member
Jan 15, 2021
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#1
Hey everyone --

Apologies if this has been addressed but it's sort of a cost-effectiveness question. I bought a new "blem" Squier J-bass from Guitar Center for 20% off and the blem turns out to be fret ends that are sticking out. I've read up on how to smooth these and I've already got some low-tack tape and sandpapering blocks in my Home Depot shopping cart. I've even practiced on my ukelele frets and I feel confident that I could eventually get these smooth -- but ukelele or not, I'd be learning as I go. I have no reason to think the result would be professional level; I'd just be aiming for "usable." My question: should I bother trying this, or just buy a new non-blem version of the bass for an extra $90 and know that a pro worked on it (I know new basses are also a crapshoot, but I have another Squier that came with beautifully dressed frets). I can afford the extra $90, and I kind of feel like a fretboard that has been been done correctly at the factory will always beat a home repair job. Anyone got an opinion? Thanks!
 
#2
We can give you all the opinions you want, but of course at the end of the day they're just opinions. It is absolutely possible to do a great job of this type of repair at home, and it's not an extremely difficult repair. But, of course, there's a lot that depends on your skill set (which is hard to self-evaluate when you're new) and your confidence. If you get the process wrong, it's easy to make a mess of the bass, which could leave you with an even less playable instrument and one that will be hard to sell in the future. Repair prices vary quite a bit, but the $90 you saved is probably not quite enough to pay someone to do this right, so if you're not going to try it yourself, you should probably consider a return and swapping for the "actually new" bass. But on that note, rough fret ends are not unheard of even on factory fresh instruments that pass QC, so you never know...

Can you share a photo or two? How much do the fret ends stick out and how rough are they?

Also - this type of defect is fairly dependent on the environment (both in which the instrument was made, and where it's being kept now). It's winter in the northern hemisphere. Most places get very dry in winter. If your relative humidity is low right now, you may find that the problem fixes itself in summer when humidity goes back up. If your humidity is less than 30 or 40% or so, you might want to consider just storing the instrument in a climate controlled room (or keeping a case humidifier inside the case).

If you do consider doing the repair yourself, you may want to weigh the different techniques presented carefully before buying tools or practicing. The fact that you're considering doing it with sandpaper and tape gives me concern. The easiest way to do a clean job at this is to use a very fine single cut file and no tape. The file glides along the fret ends, shaving them down, and once they're flush it will just gently kiss the finish, which you then buff out. The key is to work the file lengthwise, along the neck (the same way it's done when installing new frets and filing the ends flush). People who try to tape off around the fret ends and then file up and down usually end up making a mess of things. And sandpaper will be harder to clean up after than a fine cut file. Just some things to keep in mind.

And finally I have to comment - as a lover of ukuleles - I hope your uke survives the practice! :D
 
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#4
dwizum said:
We can give you all the opinions you want, but of course at the end of the day they're just opinions....

And finally I have to comment - as a lover of ukuleles - I hope your uke survives the practice! :D
Click to expand...

Hahahaha. Actually I think you talked me into just getting a new one. I did know I'd probably have to use a file, but I was in denial. And I know it could just be a humidity issue, but if I return the bass I'd have to do it before it would have time to properly hydrate.

The frets are sticking out or at least noticeable all up and down the neck, but the worst offenders are the couple of frets closest to the PUPs on the G string side -- right where you'd rest your index finger when you're slapping, and my slapping is bad enough without that problem. I'm attaching a pic, but I don' t know how much you can see. Thanks for your thorough response!
IMG_3772.jpg
 
#6
That definitely looks bad enough to be annoying. On a favorite or valuable bass, no problem, fix it. In your situation, especially given that you're not skilled at this kind of repair already, I would have a hard time arguing against returning it.
 
#7
every fret looks/feels like it's "sprouting" to me, but those pics make the ends look like weapons! wow! :wideyed:

i think dwizum has your back, OP. as much as i like to do 'bass things' myself, why bother if you're able to just pay the cost of repair and get a new one, anyway. good luck! :thumbsup:
 
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