Sharp fret ends have often proven to be fret sprout in my experience. Dried out, shrunken fretboards that feel like a saw blade, usually don't feel that way a couple of days after I set up(which includes a fretboard clean, and oil). With ebony, sometimes it may take a week...the first time around. Most of my unbound rosewood, and ebony boarded guitars have either started with sprout, or have developed it after a cold dry New England winter...a little bore oil, and like magic, it's gone.
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Sharp fret ends have often proven to be fret sprout in my experience. Dried out, shrunken fretboards that feel like a saw blade, usually don't feel that way a couple of days after I set up(which includes a fretboard clean, and oil). With ebony, sometimes it may take a week...the first time around. Most of my unbound rosewood, and ebony boarded guitars have either started with sprout, or have developed it after a cold dry New England winter...a little bore oil, and like magic, it's gone.
Yes, even a couple of the "new" off the wall ones have had a little bit of sprout... who knows how long they sit around, in what conditions? The giveaway(for me) is that the sawblade feel is pretty consistent, and not beyond reason.
The only unbound fretboard that Have not had to oil down at all is the one on my Martin. It's a Richlite board
Life happens, so does the wether...there's no stopping it sometimes.
Best of luck!
I agree with this except to the extent that it implies that oiling the neck/board and proper humidification is a sure thing to eradicate fret sprout, or that if it does this, that it necessarily happens this quickly. It is possible that hydrating the neck may still leave some protruding ends. It is also a gamble that a dry neck is the cause when deciding whether to buy a guitar or keep a newly purchased guitar. Since the original question was if this is to be expected or tolerated on a new guitar, I maintain that it should not and if you fund this and are asked to pay anything close to full price, you should run for the hills.Sharp fret ends have often proven to be fret sprout in my experience. Dried out, shrunken fretboards that feel like a saw blade, usually don't feel that way a couple of days after I set up(which includes a fretboard clean, and oil). With ebony, sometimes it may take a week...the first time around. Most of my unbound rosewood, and ebony boarded guitars have either started with sprout, or have developed it after a cold dry New England winter...a little bore oil, and like magic, it's gone.
Yes, even a couple of the "new" off the wall ones have had a little bit of sprout... who knows how long they sit around, in what conditions? The giveaway(for me) is that the sawblade feel is pretty consistent, and not beyond reason.
The only unbound fretboard that Have not had to oil down at all is the one on my Martin. It's a Richlite board
Life happens, so does the wether...there's no stopping it sometimes.
Best of luck!
So would you purchase a guitar, at full price, that exhibited fret sprout?
I have, twice. the first time it was obvious the fret board was very dry. It was a new Gibson SG in a store. The demo guitar didn't feel right so I asked them to open a new one. It felt great but it did have a little fret sprout. I took it home, oiled it, and set the action. Two weeks later it was perfect, no sharp frets. It was still perfect when I sold it two years later. The other guitar was a Taylor GS Mini. Again it was new in the box in the store. It had very minimal fret sprout on the high frets. The salesman noticed it and said they would have their guy look at it. It was the weekend and he wasn't there. I took it back Monday and left it over night. I've used the luthier they use before. He is really good. He did a full setup and cleaned up the sharp frets. It is still my number one acoustic. Now whenever I get a new guitar it spends some time with Paul, the luthier. I can get a setup very close to his but he knows what I like. Every guitar I've had him work is better than when it went in.
My only significant experience with fret sprout was with SS frets, and it did not easily resolve. I have bought less expensive guitars which has a bit of sprout and which hydrated more quickly, probably for the same reason they dehydrated in the first place, a porous, unfinished neck. Based on you and TBdon's opinion, I am encouraged that if I confront it again I should not be as concerned. That said, I still would tell the average consumer to pass unless it was one of a kind, which I think is your view also.
I have never returned to that tech, not even to correct that problem. Hell no. 