4003 fret advice needed.

[lumgimfong]

My low E string frets at F and G are sounding a little weird. Like not as defined fundamental and slightly out of tune, even though intonation and tuning is perfect.

I looked at them and they show some wear and a little narrowing of the crown surface but nothing drastic. Other frets up the E string are broad and fine.

Does this mean I need them refretted, or just dressed?
Is dressing easy to do if one is handy with some light fret work?
I once fixed my Gibson's fret sprout easily with tools from stew Mac.
Is dressing ok to do one self or luthier needed definitely?



Maybe I should leave it alone and see if it changes?
Thanks for any info.

[cheyenne]

Those frets look fine to me. How old are the strings?

[PrairieThunder]

The frets do look fine to me too. The most pronounced effect of worn out frets is buzzing, but they have to be munched in deep enough to do so. If you feel your frets could use a level, though, it's not hard to do if you understand the principles of it. For tools, your truss rod wrench, the appropriate radius block (or a sanding beam), some adhesive sandpaper, a crowning file, a sharpie, some wet/dry sandpaper with grits 800 through 2000, a little metal polish and some painter's tape (and maybe some reading glasses if you need them) are all you need to do a good job. That being said, i would advise against grinding away at your frets if they don't need it and/or if you don't feel comfortable doing it. Make sure you spend some time watching someone do it well before you try anything, and before you try it on something you care about, practice on something you don't!

Now, the problem you're describing has happened to me when i have had my pickups too close to the strings. The magnetic pull messes with the intonation and can generate a funny sounding chorus effect down low. Try dunking your pickups a bit (especially the one in the neck position) and see if it helps. "Normal specs" will usually have the pickups somewhere in the neighbourhood of 1/8" (or more) away from the bottom of the low E when fretting the last fret and about 3/32" (or more) away on the G side. Another thing to check out is your nut height - too high and you can pull yourself sharp down in the "money zone". You should have a nut height ("first fret string height") of about 0.020" +/- 0.002". The last thing i can think of is dented up strings. If you feel they need a change, give them a go and see if that helps.

Hopefully that solves it! Best of luck.

[Dirk]

Wow maybe I'm looking at different pictures, but those frets are in serious need of recrowning.
If the rest of the frets looks similar a good levelling might be needed too.

It's a great thing to be able to do yourself, but proper tools and good procedure are mandatory.
I like the stew mac files, and their fingerboard protectors are handy too.

Using a sharpie on the fret, it will become easier to see what you're taking off the fret.

If you're not confident in your own skills take it elsewhere unless you want to learn it on your Ric.
Sometimes learning on your favorite axe will force you to go slow and careful, and do it right.

But there's always risk.
Good luck,
Dirk

[lumgimfong]

Thanks, Y’all!
Strings are three weeks old.
Pups were too close.
I reinstalled the old strings and adjusted pups.
80% better.
Still not sure if fret issue so I will try tweaking the trods next. I hear any funny business on the low E and a tweak can help.
If I need fret work I will take it to a guy I know. But hoping it doesn’t come to that cuz I only have one Ric and don’t wanna have to stop playing it.

[Dirk]

Sorry to say, but you no doubt need a recrown.

To me that looks like they have a crazy amount of Roundwound string damage, see the lines parallel with the frets?

Or it could be someone used the wrong size files. Notice the damage is beyond the crown area.

If the open E string is the problem, it's your nut not the fret.

A proper fret job should be smooth as glass and nice and shiny.

Good luck,
Dirk

[lumgimfong]

I only used rounds the first two weeks and the latest 6 months of this 5 year old 4003’s life. Flats for the years in between. Original owner. So rounds only 6.5 months of its life. That says something about the damage that can be caused by SS rounds I guess.
I am back to flats and nothing but flats from now on.

It is the first and third fret only where I hear the problem on the low E string. Open E is fine.

[Dirk]

That short of a time period wouldn't cause that, it would have to be many years of rounds.

Unless they were diamond studded flats, that shouldn't happen.
I think a lot of folks worry more than needed about rounds eating their frets.
I'm going with my guess somebody used thinner than needed crowning files on it then.

If it's only the first couple frets, then work on those and get it nice and smooth and polished and you'll be back in business.

If you're not comfortable doing it yourself take it to someone you trust, if it's only the first couple frets, it should be a cheap and quick fix.
Good luck,
Dirk

[lumgimfong]

I'm the only owner so only Ric factory has worked on those frets. Bought new in 2016.

I might hit them with a sharpie and try to use my super-fine grit sanding pads to see if that helps and the super fine pads will restrain me from removing too much material. Or I will take it to the repair guy I use.

Thanks for the info!

[Dirk]

Cool yeah the bottom line is you want to leave a nice even crown, the sharpie helps show where you're taking stuff off from the edges.
You want it dead center and a clean contact point. It shouldn't take much to get it back since it's only 1 or 2 frets that a troublesome.
Tape off your fingerboard if you don't have protectors before you start.

I like the stew mac files since they force the centering and go pretty quickly.

Good luck,
Dirk

[lumgimfong]

I think the large size file of this should do it:
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... -fret-file

[Dirk]

That would certainly get you there, that style has it's fans.

These are the ones I like, the double sided is handy for different purposes.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... -fret-file

I've never tried the one you mention, I'm just more comfortable with the ones above.

Also these are life savers if you're not a fan of tape.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... rd-guards/