Replaced frets

[Ace]

Last week I had a local luthier replace the most worn frets which were 5 and he dressed another. All was good until I got home and started to play. It appears his tool for pressing the frets in the slots which was a real fret press that looked similar to a pair of upscale vice grips with adapters to hold the different size frets, has actually made little indentions on the bottom of the neck. Mine is a 2003 Gibson F5G with a flat fret board and "V" back neck. You can't see the dents unless you REALLY look for them but you can sure feel them when playing! What can be done to correct this problem? He thinks from just talking to him on the phone that it may be able to be filled in with lacquer. I think the wood itself is dented! He is off on vacation and said he will look at it when he returns! He also said he has never had that happen before on any of the instruments he builds or repairs!
HELP........

[lovethemf5s]

Something happened that the luthier didn't anticipate. I guess you can sue if he won't make it good.

[otterly2k]

Agreed that something happened that the luthier didn't anticipate. It doesn't matter if it didn't ever happen before... it has happened this time, and it wasn't your instrument's fault. The tool he was using is a commonly used tool for pressing frets, but perhaps he hasn't used it on a V shaped neck before... or maybe he should have used some sort of caul to protect the neck.

At any rate, give him a chance to examine it and offer you some solutions. Don't panic. Even if the wood is dented, sometimes it can be steamed out. Another option might be to strip the neck, and sand it smooth...would affect the shape a little, but probably very little. Or it may be fillable with lacquer. Maybe there are other strategies too. If you're not satisfied with the strategies he offers, you might ask him to pay for someone else to do the work. Whatever it takes, he should endeavor to make it right and any work it takes should be on his dime.

If he denies causing the damage and/or refuses to make it right...only then should you consider legal strategies...in my opinion. Try to work it out first.

[sunburst]

Those dents, if you can't easily see them, can almost certainly be heated out. Hopefully, it's a learning experience for your luthier, but it's too bad for you he/she learned the lesson on your mandolin. It will all be OK if a little judiciously applied heat does the trick, as I think it will.

[BlueMountain]

When I was just starting out on mandolin and only knew three chords, I bought a spring-operated mandolin capo. To my dismay, it left dents in the back of the neck! I switched to a Paige capo, which didn't do that. I haven't used a capo in a long time, but I shudder to think of using one on my mandolin with a V neck.

"Before his young manhood had reached its sad end,
He'd knotched on his pistol for twenty-one men."

My mandolin neck would look like Billy the Kid's pistol.

[otterly2k]

Ace-- please let us know what happens.

[Philip Halcomb]

Ace,

I've had several luthiers work on my instruments over the years, and it's true that sometimes things happen. Try to work it out with the guy first. Also, a player's instrument is eventually going to experience some wear from being played and secondly from being worked on due to maintenance like frets/nuts and so on. So if it's not horribly bad and you can get used to it that might be the way to go too and just chalk it up to the fact that the instrument is aging. But if it's ridiculously bad and really hinders the way the instrument plays then I'd do something about it. I had someone do a re-fret once too on a mandolin of mine and it came back with minor dents on the bottom of the neck as you describe. I found that after a week or so I didn't really notice them anymore and just moved on. Everyone's different too, so if you personally cannot live with it then that's your right too. Take care...