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Thread: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

  1. #1
    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I had some buzzing around the 15th fret when doing bends.

    I had this "fixed" by a local repair shop.

    I know the owner.

    He needed the business, and it would be a good boost for his business if he could show that they are capable of working on fine vintage guitars.

    My guitar is a 68 telecaster with factory bigsby. The frets came back very low. It is now a fretless wonder.

    I'm getting some better pictures taken next week.

    Please post your opinion on the condition of the fret board.

    Do you feel this new condition would in any way de-value the guitar?

    Your thoughts on the quality of work done?

    Thanks for your time and consideration!

    Best regards,

    Brian














    These are deep scratches in the fretboard.

    The Great White North. Home of the Dancing Beavers.

  2. #2
    Forum Member D'Mule's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Maybe he's not used to working on maple boards? Much easier to sand those marks out of rosewood...

    Obviously the guitar is a player if the frets are that low (I assume he didn't grind down high frets for no good reason). So if the guitar has plenty of wear elsewhere, I would worry to much about this affecting value.

    On the other hand, if it were near mint I would be really upset.

  3. #3
    Forum Member Mesotech's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I wouldn't be pleased with that work. Since the board appears to be lacquered, the fix isn't too horrible. You could moisten a Q-tip in acetone (fingernail polish remover) and lightly swab over the scratches to flow the lacquer into the scratch (be careful not to have the Q-tip soaking wet or it'll take the finish off). You could reshoot a new coat of lacquer over the entire board (but that may devalue it even more), or you could drop fill the scratches with lacquer and sand out the scratches (not easy to do with frets in there at the same time).

    The frets do look low now, but it's easy to still see the dimples in them from before, so it appears he had to take quite a bit off just to get them as smooth as they are. If they were dimpled that bad to begin with, it might have been more prudent to do a refret instead.

    If the guitar still plays well, and you can live with it a little while, then let it go and when you do get a refret in the future, have the entire thing addressed at the same time.
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I agree with Meso..
    If he was even an aprentice he should have known to tape
    off the finger board...
    Also a fret filing is not easy,I have junked many a cheap guitar,
    because of trial and error.

  5. #5
    Forum Member rockntommy's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    That is unacceptable for any guitar.
    Vintage or not.
    You would think they would take extra pride on working such a fine piece.
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    Forum Member Wilko's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    That's BS. No excuse. Period.

    Looks like they cut their masking with a knife, freehand-in a hurry.

    Total BS.

    Thats a free fret job.

  7. #7
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Yuck.

    If they were still using lacquer on necks in '68, you can minimize the scarring as Mesotech suggests.
    "Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
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  8. #8
    Forum Member hudpucker's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Quote Originally Posted by 68 maple cap View Post
    He needed the business, and it would be a good boost for his business if he could show that they are capable of working on fine vintage guitars.

    Unfortunately, it seems to me that he has clearly demonstrated the opposite...
    Tone is in the fingers, eh? Let's hear your Vox, Marshall and Fender fingerings then...

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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I hate to be a downer but that fretboard is wrecked. I did better than that on my first go round.
    Like it or not you are dealing w/a vintage guiar & that means it is worth quite a bit of $$$$. I wouldn't touch it w/a q-tip or anything but send it off to a bonafide restoration artist like Gord Miller (GM Restorations), orRS Guitarworks.
    Lay's in Ohio or Terry Mueller (don't know where he is, though) both get raves over at the LPF for their restoration work also.
    W/all respect to other posters' advice, You try to fix that w/any acetone or lacquer thinner & you run the risk of REALLY screwing it up.

  10. #10
    Forum Member melody's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I would be pissed off big time.. I think if the person who did the work would pay a bit more attention to detail and not the haphazard work displayed above they would not need the business ..I hope you did not pay for that shoddy work...

  11. #11
    Forum Member Stonefreefuzz1's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I agree with Wilco, You should get you rmoney back, thats unacceptable, vintage or not!
    RIP Lacey Cat 1992-2009

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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I agree with all above. Whoever did that work should be ashamed of themselves for giving it back to you in that condition.

  13. #13
    Forum Member frank thomson's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    wow!

    money back??!!??!!??!!.....fo'real
    i'd ask for my money back PLUS half the value of the piece BEFORE he touched it.

    ...maybe get a lawyer to write him a little letter

    what a way to eff-up a good friendship.




    ....jmo
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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Get a lawyer!

    And spread the word......the cupcake who did that should be wearing a head-set at the drive-up window of the nearest McBurger stand.

    He should be forbidden from ever putting his dick-beaters on another guitar -- EVER!


  15. #15
    Forum Member melody's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(


  16. #16
    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I spoke to the shop owner today. Conversation is a little tense.

    I told him what the situation is (the guitar is damage/devalued and I am seeking to recover my loss).

    I then sent him an email with the pictures of the damage.

    The ball is now in his court.

    Hopefully he will step up and do the right thing. Either file an insurance claim or pay for the damages out of pocket.

    I need to get better pictures taken and get a damage estimate from Gruhn Guitars.

    There's also a very good vintage guitar shop here in town. My insurance broker suggested I get them to appraise the damage as well.


    I really am grateful for all the support from the Fender forum members!

    Please continue to post your thoughts on this.

    It's possible I may direct the shop owner to this thread to read your comments.

    I get the feeling that he believes that he has done nothing wrong to my guitar.

    If he reads your posts he may realize that that is not true.


    Again, my thanks for your time and consideration.

    Best regards,

    Brian

    PS

    I have been advised not to play my guitar until this situation is resolved. To leave the guitar in the condition it was when it left his shop..........................which sucks.

    I wanna play my tele....not just look at it.



    B
    The Great White North. Home of the Dancing Beavers.

  17. #17
    Forum Member Vintage62's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I really understand what you're going thru. I had some problems with my repairman. He's was the only one in town so I let him "fix" my guitar. Anyways... the guitar was there for a couple of weeks and he didn't do sh*t!
    Later I heard that he needed to replace a guy's pot in a Tele, he ripped the old one out, and broke the new one...
    He was making a bass for his friend for 4 damn years!
    And he calls himself a guitar repairman...

    Thank God I found someone else, this new guy doesn't live in my town, but it's worth driving.
    Oh, and btw those frets don't look nice at all...

  18. #18
    Forum Member rockntommy's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I am interested in what the shop owner had to say.
    Did he agree at all?
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  19. #19
    Forum Member frank thomson's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    "It's possible I may direct the shop owner to this thread to read your comments."

    uh, no, it's mandatory! do it now!
    and send the link to the guy who's calling himself the *luthier*, too.


    this is the EXACT reason i'd just rather buy a new neck instead of having it refretted
    ....because anyone can call themselves a *luthier*.

    ya know, you can prob get a decent MIM neck for $100-150 to bold right up so u can still temporarily play your axe.....and add it to your bill/loss
    Last edited by frank thomson; 03-14-2008 at 09:33 AM.
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  20. #20
    Forum Member melody's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Well if the person that did this so called repair is giving you fits do as your insurance person suggested add it to the damage claim dig the hole a bit deeper for him if that's what he wants give it to em..

  21. #21
    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Udate:

    High quality pictures of the damage:







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    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    More:






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    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    More:



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    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Latest Info:

    I spoke to the owner of the store that did the "repairs" last Friday. To his credit he has admitted that his shop has made a mistake. He asked if I would allow his shop to "fill the scrapes and buff the neck".

    He did not ask if the neck was poly or nitro.......he just wanted to buff out the damage. I told him that I was not interested in any type of repair effort from his shop.

    The next day I took the guitar Edmonton's best guitar store. The owner had agreed to view the damage and give his appraisal of the amount of damage done.

    He looked it over carefully, took notes and asked for some time to do some homework on this.

    My next step was trying to get some quality pictures done. This happened today

    My thanks to Evan and the staff at McBain Camera in Sherwood Park for their help!

    I will now send these pics to Gruhn Guitars for their estimate of the damage done.


    Now that I have some good pictures up I would welcome your comments. How much do you think this has devalued the guitar?

    Best regards,

    Brian





    The Great White North. Home of the Dancing Beavers.

  25. #25
    Forum Member 68 maple cap's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    A bit more info:

    The shop owner believes the damage was caused by a knife used to remove tape after they had finished working on the frets.

    There is damage as pictured at the 2,4,7,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21 fret positions.

    Best regards,

    Brian
    The Great White North. Home of the Dancing Beavers.

  26. #26
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I just noticed the fret edges. Yikes!

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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Quote Originally Posted by 68 maple cap View Post
    Now that I have some good pictures up I would welcome your comments. How much do you think this has devalued the guitar?
    Unless someone else w/more experience than George Gruhn can speak up, I think that appraisal is best left to him.
    I'd just say, "a lot".

  28. #28
    Forum Member Mesotech's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    I would suggest that the damage is at least the cost of a fret job. It will most likely take that to be able to get at the cut marks closest to the frets, they'd need to come out in order to even buff the mark. So, the question is, how much will a refret devalue the guitar?

    According to some collectors, a refret doesn't devalue a guitar very much at all (if they want a "player"). If they want a pristine unmolested piece, a refret would kill the deal and they wouldn't even consider making an offer. On the other hand, someone who isn't a collector (let's say someone like the original owner) and wants a playable guitar, they wouldn't bat an eye at a refret and might even consider it an upgrade of sorts.

    Aside from the cuts in the wood from the knife, the frets themselves appear to be filed rather thin (low). Provided that wasn't 'required' in order to level the board because the frets were in such poor condition to begin with, then a refret would still be in order.

    This all takes me back to my original suggestion aht, if the guitar is still playable and you can stand the marks for a while - then do nothing until a fret job is required, then fix it all at that time.

    That doesn't mean that you aren't entitled to some form of compensation, and I would at least start your calculations with the cost of a refret and add whatever additional you think is fair for the inconvience and devaluation as a result of a refret.
    POO DAT!!!

  29. #29
    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Quote Originally Posted by Mesotech View Post
    This all takes me back to my original suggestion aht, if the guitar is still playable and you can stand the marks for a while - then do nothing until a fret job is required, then fix it all at that time.

    That doesn't mean that you aren't entitled to some form of compensation, and I would at least start your calculations with the cost of a refret and add whatever additional you think is fair for the inconvience and devaluation as a result of a refret.
    This seems equitable to me, given the circumstances......reparations should be (at a minimum) the cost of a quality re-fret job, plus a like amount for your "pain and suffering".

    Your Tele has been violated -- I hope you see some justice.

  30. #30
    Forum Member NeoFauve's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Just by the uniform distance and how parallel the lines are to the frets, I think it looks more like the fret file did that.

    If a sane person needed to use a knife that agressively just to remove masking tape, he ought to have stopped and come up with another approach after slicing the finish the first time it happened.
    Whoever did that never had the "oh shit!" moment that nearly anyone else would have had.
    "Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
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  31. #31
    Forum Member rockntommy's Avatar
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    Re: Check out the fret board on my 68 tele :(

    Quote Originally Posted by hippiebob01 View Post
    I just noticed the fret edges. Yikes!
    Some look more rounded and some look more like a pyramid?
    Not sure if that is from the angle of the photo but they just
    do not look correct to me.

    Wishing you the best on this.

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