Dead spot on my stainless steel fret

[Ud Reks]

I have a dead spot, D string, 9th fret. The fret is stainless steel.

I brought a similar problem on a regular nickel fret to my tech a few years ago, and he said it was a bear of a job fixing it.

Can anyone speak to this problem on a stainless steel fret? Is it more difficult? Is it almost not worth banging out the fret? Is a replacement better?

[Rosewood]

Sounds like the frets are just not level. Take a small straight edge and see if it rocks on a high fret in that area. If your talking about just a deadening of the note it could be the resonance in the neck, loose fret, or bad string. Try the same B note on another string, that will eliminate resonance, and don't forget to try another string. Straight edge to find a high fret. You'll find it. BTW, if the fret is level but loose you could shoot a little glue under it but loose frets are usually more of a problem on the ends.

[walterw]

Sounds like the frets are just not level. Take a small straight edge and see if it rocks on a high fret in that area. If your talking about just a deadening of the note it could be the resonance in the neck, loose fret, or bad string. Try the same B note on another string, that will eliminate resonance, and don't forget to try another string. Straight edge to find a high fret. You'll find it. BTW, if the fret is level but loose you could shoot a little glue under it but loose frets are usually more of a problem on the ends.

+1
is it a choked or buzzing string sound, or does it ring clear but just not have any sustain? the former would be a fixable fret-leveling issue (and an appalling situation if someone went through the hassle of using stainless fretwire without learning how to install and level them properly), but the latter could be a resonance problem with the guitar itself, harder if not impossible to fix.

[Ud Reks]

The fret was a bit loose. But the lower strings were resonating just fine. Weird. I actually held the fret down with my thumb while picking at the same spot.

Before there was a choked string sound, and I finally got something out of it by holding the fret down at the top. You can feel the fret give just a little bit if you press it.

By the way, this is a guitar made by a very reputable and popular boutique shop. The frets are plekked too. I just bought it, it's brand new, though it has been in the store for a few months.

Thanks for your advice.

[walterw]

The fret was a bit loose. But the lower strings were resonating just fine. Weird. I actually held the fret down with my thumb while picking at the same spot.

Before there was a choked string sound, and I finally got something out of it by holding the fret down at the top. You can feel the fret give just a little bit if you press it.

By the way, this is a guitar made by a very reputable and popular boutique shop. The frets are plekked too. I just bought it, it's brand new, though it has been in the store for a few months.

Thanks for your advice.

bingo! just take it back to them, i'm sure they will be happy, in fact eager to fix it. (if they're serious enough to have a 6-figure $$ plek machine, i'm sure they want to have all examples of their craft leave their shop perfect.)

[Ud Reks]

I checked with the store this morning. They called the maker. They said as per the warranty, I would pay shipping there, and the maker would pay for the return. The store offered to pay for my shipping.

I called my luthier, he said it would be an easy fix. Less than the cost of shipping. I'm going that route... and yeah, I know what this can do to the warranty, but no one has to know.

Thanks

[walterw]

I checked with the store this morning. They called the maker. They said as per the warranty, I would pay shipping there, and the maker would pay for the return. The store offered to pay for my shipping.

I called my luthier, he said it would be an easy fix. Less than the cost of shipping. I'm going that route... and yeah, I know what this can do to the warranty, but no one has to know.

Thanks

oh, ok, i misunderstood. the builder had the plek machine, it wasn't made at the place you bought it. yes, it would be best if the builder fixed it, but avoiding the time and hazards of shipping is a good thing too. and it is in fact an easy fix.