UDPATED POST: Worst Probs than Sharp Frets Now!!! HELP!!! DEPRESSED!

[unclrob]

By the way this isn't just a Larrivee problem,I've touched up many other guitars as well.

[Denis]

By the way this isn't just a Larrivee problem,I've touched up many other guitars as well.

I used to teach in a crappy local shop, not even a solid top acoustic in store (all Jay Tursers and Jasmines), and every guitar on the wall had sharp fret ends.  This is what happens when you have heat with no humidfier.  A complete set up with my tech costs some $75-80 CDN.  This includes all materials and labour for installation of a bone saddle, fret leveling and dressing, new strings, action set up...etc.  Once the fret ends are filed, they will more than likely never need to be filed again.  I don't think it's worth getting upset or thinking Larrivee quality control is lacking over something that's an easy and fairly permanent fix.

[WorksInTheory]

I used to teach in a crappy local shop, not even a solid top acoustic in store (all Jay Tursers and Jasmines), and every guitar on the wall had sharp fret ends.  This is what happens when you have heat with no humidfier.  A complete set up with my tech costs some $75-80 CDN.  This includes all materials and labour for installation of a bone saddle, fret leveling and dressing, new strings, action set up...etc.  Once the fret ends are filed, they will more than likely never need to be filed again.  I don't think it's worth getting upset or thinking Larrivee quality control is lacking over something that's an easy and fairly permanent fix.

Denis - actually I think it's quite the contrary - I am impressed despite this everyone who has chimed in for the most people are still solid Larrivee fans. Don't think anyone's getting too upset. But yes there are some theories on more recent Larrivees and fret ends.

[SongMan]

I used to teach in a crappy local shop, not even a solid top acoustic in store (all Jay Tursers and Jasmines), and every guitar on the wall had sharp fret ends.  This is what happens when you have heat with no humidfier.  A complete set up with my tech costs some $75-80 CDN.  This includes all materials and labour for installation of a bone saddle, fret leveling and dressing, new strings, action set up...etc.  Once the fret ends are filed, they will more than likely never need to be filed again.  I don't think it's worth getting upset or thinking Larrivee quality control is lacking over something that's an easy and fairly permanent fix.

Larrivee 05 and 09 series models sell for street price of around $1200-$1500 New. Honestly, if I am paying $1500 or more for a new guitar I would like the frets to be smooth and shouln't have to pay extra for the fret job regardless of how the fret job costs.

[C-10-4-me]

My C-10 has always had sharp fret ends as well, so it's not just the lower end series guitars. A few of them will actually slice your fingertip if you didn't know where they were. Unfortunately I live a long ways out in the boonies where guitar tech is not exactly a common household word.So I've basically lived with it mostly since I never play the guitar. Just recently I purchased one of the Stew-Mac files thinking I would try to smooth the ends a bit. Well, actually it was several months ago and I still haven't tried it but like I said I never play this guitar.
Funny though that my OM-50 doesn't have any issues at all with the frets. I guess there's no rhyme or reason to it. I figure these things are bound to happen and no two of em are the same anyway.
Cheers

[WorksInTheory]

Yeah I don't know if mine will slice my finger but it does give  you a sort of shock when you forget and you hit just right with your finger tips. I think it's worse when you are trying to slide between barre chords up and down the neck fast.

[danijoe]

Makes me glad I live in an urban area with so many good luthiers and repair people nearby - Southern Ontario near the GTA -_-

Joe

PS Sorry Edmonton fans - maybe next year!

[Trent in WA]

Just to play devil's advocate, though: How do you know it's not a humidity problem?

I ask because I had the same problem on my OM-03R shortly after I got it a few months ago and was convinced I needed to take it back for service.  I decided to give humidifying it a try first, though, and noticed a real improvement after a week.  After a couple of months of using a soundhole humidifier most of the time and an additional case humidifier occasionally, the problem's gone away. 

And mind you, I live in Seattle, where we've had an unusually cool, cloudy, and wet spring.

Trent

[pg60]

just to throw in my 2 cents,

my OM-03MT from Dave at GA had sharp fret ends right out of the box.  he keeps his guitars in humidity controlled environment and the guitar was shipped to Florida.  so if  the guitar got dried out it was probably up in Canada before it was shipped.

it is not that big a deal, can be fixed, but it was a little annoying.  why all the defensiveness?  larrivee is not perfect and is they do read this forum then maybe they will take a closer look at this.

[WorksInTheory]

One way to tell it's not humidity I think is to look for the other symptoms to be present too. Humidity would affect the guitar as a whole. Usually the fret ends wouldn't just be sharp - they would extend past the binding or border. Mine doesn't. The action is fine with the neck being right - it doesn't bow. Etc. The guitar is pretty much in great shape except for sharp frets. But in the end who knows exactly right - so you have to look at a numbers games. So let's say you own more than one guitar - what is happening with the other guitars. It may still be a humidty thing but maybe the Larrivee is more sensitive? Or it may be the frets period.

[Trent in WA]

One way to tell it's not humidity I think is to look for the other symptoms to be present too. Humidity would affect the guitar as a whole. Usually the fret ends wouldn't just be sharp - they would extend past the binding or border. Mine doesn't. The action is fine with the neck being right - it doesn't bow. Etc. The guitar is pretty much in great shape except for sharp frets. But in the end who knows exactly right - so you have to look at a numbers games. So let's say you own more than one guitar - what is happening with the other guitars. It may still be a humidty thing but maybe the Larrivee is more sensitive? Or it may be the frets period.

This is interesting.  I didn't notice any of those other classic dry guitar symptoms you mention (though I don't remember if the neck had a bowing problem), though I did notice that the guitar sounded somewhat nasal (for want of a better word) and lacked sparkle before I humidified it.

The Larrivee does seem really sensitive, for whatever reason. 

Good luck getting it sorted out!

Trent

[Michael K]

Do you guys experience sharp frets on the Larrivees? I contacted Larrivee and insisted that it wasn't a humidity problem as I took care of all that and keep it humidified and even tried over doing it to let it come back.  No luck - Plus now it's summer and it's not like I live in the desert.- Larrivee said there is only one way for them to have sharp frets and that's the humidty problem and I guess that's that. I read around for awhile but did anyone ever have success with addressing this issue especially on their own?

Thanks.

Had the same problem with my Parlor.  If it was a humidity issue it was my dealer's humidity issue.  I took it back the day after I got it and they dressed them for me.  The luthier in the service department did make the comment that sometimes Larrivee's are a little sharp on the edges, and they sell lots of Larrivee's there.

[Michael K]

By the way this isn't just a Larrivee problem,I've touched up many other guitars as well.

True, my Morgan had the same issue.

[WorksInTheory]

Had the same problem with my Parlor.  If it was a humidity issue it was my dealer's humidity issue.  I took it back the day after I got it and they dressed them for me.  The luthier in the service department did make the comment that sometimes Larrivee's are a little sharp on the edges, and they sell lots of Larrivee's there.

Actually you reminded me - when I took my Larrivee in for string and set up - I pointed it out too and they said the same thing - that they other Larrivees they sell have the same issue including the ones they owned personally. The funny thing is that people like Larrivees so much most times the response yeah I have that too but I just deal with it because I love the tone.

[drmar120]

I posted about sharp fret ends a while ago here and was told a fret dressing was probably all I needed. Well, I took my OM01 in for that and a bone saddle and was told, with amazement on the repair guy's part, how "dessicated" the ebony had gotten. This, despite following humidity directions this spring.  ("Keep humidfying until the trees bud out, then you're clear." I waited even a few weeks longer.) You can slip your fingernail under most of the frets.The guitar repair guy smoothed out the sharp corners, so the guitar is playable. But he said I should consider a refret job on it. I'll probably do that, but I'm still annoyed that this happened despite my efforts to humidify.

[Camalex]

I own 3 larry's and the 03 series guitar both ahd sharp frets. One has been fixed and the Martin Service Center tolfd me the frets were not really "long" or protruding off the fretboard it was simply a matter of smoothing off the end cut of the fret.  After working on the guitar he didn't beleive it as a matter of humidity but a matter of a rough fret trim.  My second 03 series will go in some time -- unless I sell it first.

[WorksInTheory]

 :<> :<> :<>... Depressed as I said. I love guitars for the works of art I think they are - such craftmanship and delicate woods and tones. And I love my DV-03E, was waiting to talk to unclrob to file the frets down. And honestly was about to sell or trade it to upgrate to another cutaway Larrivee that was fancier and if I was lucky a Koa. And then...

It was a beautiful day yesterday and I actually didn't have to mow or do yard work so what do you think about? Guitar Playing out on the deck!!! I came into the room where my guitars are. Intuitively went for the Larrivee. Took it out of the case carefully after putting the dehumidifiers aside. But then... (holding back the tears)... I didn't how close I was to the door way and turned around to walk out with my guitar side ways!!!

The good news is it didn't put a single dent into the guitar - which I wish did happen. Because what happened was really weird - maybe it was the speed of the way I was walk or the exact strength of the motion forward but what I gather is that the doorway pushed the side of the guitar (lower bout below side) and it seems the curvature there was flexible and it pushed in and then back out. Which caused I want to say a crack in the side. I am pretty sure it is but its back to normal form immediately and the crack is tight so it looks more scratchy. I think it caused a small crack on top too but again there are really tight together.

Can I fix this or will this be an issue if left alone? I've only finally been able to talk about this today. As you can imagine how I felt all day - it's like Guitar cruelty and I always wondered to myself what person let's a nice guitar get cracks - do they not take care of them, etc. Now I know. It's idiots like me and freak accidents like this one... Well I guess this one is also a keeper as I won't be able to sell it or trade to upgrade now I don't think either. I think someone up there is trying to tell me to stop buying guitars!
:<> :<> :<>

[unclrob]

Any way you can post a pix?If you can get your hand inside of the guitar anf feel around and maybe LIGHTLY push on that area and check for movement.CALL ME EST at 850-545-7795 Monday 9-6.

[WorksInTheory]

Any way you can post a pix?If you can get your hand inside of the guitar anf feel around and maybe LIGHTLY push on that area and check for movement.CALL ME EST at 850-545-7795 Monday 9-6.

It's hard to see - in the side picture you can sort of see it - it's whiter... um maybe cos' I tried to smear some woodglue into it to stabilize it but before it dried I wiped it off so I don't know if I did better or worse. Then on the top pic you can hardly see the hairline in person but you can't get it on pic.

Thanks for the contact info - I haven't called you yet even for the fret redress because I have been in training for a new job role and man do they keep you busy all day long during work hours and I am one hour behind you CST. As soon as I have a chance to breathe I will call - hey do you have a website up yet? I recall you saying you were looking into that.

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[rwnyc]

 :<> I'm sorry to hear about this.  I'd feel the same way.  We've ALL - well maybe not all, but you can count me as one - done stuff like that, even when we try to be careful, and are just happy when it turns out not so bad.  I don't think it undoes or makes any less important being careful - we'd have even more mishaps otherwise. . . . But life happens and we go on . . .

Most importantly, I am glad to see that unclrob is already in touch with you.

I'd probaby not do any more ad hoc repairs (e.g., adding glue) . . . and I'd get a professional to check it out locally unless you are sending to unclrob.   But I don't have anything expert to say on this. I imagine it's repairable, whatever it turns out to be - even, worst case, a crack should be repairable - plenty of guitars out there sounding and playing just fine with crack repairs.   They just have extra character. 

I hope it all works out . . .