A Kiesel Zeus headless came in for a setup and checkup after extended storage. The frets had developed sharp edges from humidity loss, a textbook dry-storage symptom we see constantly in Upstate New York.
What Came In
A red Kiesel Zeus headless electric. The owner had the guitar stored for a while and wanted it checked out and set up before playing it regularly again.
What We Found
The guitar was generally in good shape mechanically, but the fret ends were noticeably sharp to the touch. We see this constantly on guitars that have been sitting, especially through a dry Upstate winter. When humidity drops and the fingerboard shrinks slightly, the fret tangs stay put and the edges start protruding past the board. You feel it immediately running your hand up and down the neck.
What We Did
Full setup: action, intonation, truss rod, pickup height all checked and dialed in. Confirmed all electronics and hardware were functioning correctly. We recommended a fret edge dress to address the sharp ends, but the customer declined, hoping summer humidity would swell the fingerboard back enough to improve the feel on its own.
Result
Guitar set up and plays well, though the sharp fret edges are still there until the customer's ready for the dress. Worst case, if the feel doesn't improve by midsummer, that's the next step.
Worth Knowing
Sharp fret ends from humidity loss are arguably the single most common issue we see on guitars that have been stored without climate control. It's a 9 out of 10 on our frequency scale at the bench in Glens Falls. The fingerboard, typically rosewood or ebony, is an unfinished piece of wood that responds directly to ambient moisture. When it dries out and shrinks, the metal frets don't shrink with it. The result is fret ends that stick out past the edge of the board, sometimes enough to catch skin as you play.
Some players wait for summer humidity to push the wood back, and sometimes that helps. But if the guitar was stored dry long enough, the wood may not fully recover on its own, and the fret ends may need to be filed and rounded. If you store guitars for any length of time in the Northeast, a case humidifier is cheap insurance. It won't prevent every issue, but it prevents this one almost entirely.
Bring It In
Guitar has sharp fret ends or hasn't been played in a while? Bring it in. Standard setup is $79 and we'll get it back in your hands as soon as possible.
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- When to Take Your Guitar to a Tech vs. Fix It Yourself
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If stairs are difficult or you're bringing in something you don't want to carry up, call or text us and we'll arrange access.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5 PM
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com