Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster | Part Two

◀ Part One

Partial Refret

As promised in Part One, here's why and how I carried out a partial refret on Fizan's Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster. You see, Fizan was having a hard time with his high E string. On certain songs, it would get trapped under the fret ends of the last two frets; forcing him to stop playing immediately. 

After looking closely, I realized that the high E fret ends of both the 21st and 22nd frets had become unseated from the fret edge, creating a string-trapping gap. Compounding the issue were 45 degree fret end bevels, making it very easy for the high E string to "slide off" the frets.

Now, I do appreciate the advantages of undercutting fret tangs and sealing off the ends with filler: neater appearance, smoother feel; and less work (no need to file the fret tangs flush with the fretboard edge). I mean, I have used this technique myself on numerous refret jobs. However, if not done with the utmost care, the lack of a fret tang gripping the fingerboard edge tight may very well cause it to lift.

I first tried hammering the fret ends back in, but to no avail. As such, the only option left was to pull those two frets and install new ones; ie a partial refret. I did not have any of Fender's "narrow-tall" fretwire on hand, so I used the smallest size I had; namely StewMac #149.

No, I did not employ the undercut fret tang/filler method on this partial refret. I did not want to see history repeat itself. It was safer to use the tried-and-true approach of filing the fret tangs flush with the fretboard edge. Yes, there would be minor finish chipping which would need to be touched up, and the fret ends would not match the others; they'd stand out like a sore thumb upon closer inspection. 

I would also bevel the fret ends at around 10 degrees only, creating a wider playing surface and minimizing the risk of the high E string sliding off the frets. I discussed my game plan with Fizan, and thankfully, he was okay with it; as long as the problem was solved.

And so I proceeded with the partial refret, as shown in the pictures below. The hardest part was leveling, radiusing, and creating "fall-away" on just those two fret tops without scratching their neighbors. I basically employed various thicknesses of tape, a 9.5" radius block, and fret rocker for the task. Guess what? I still ended up lightly scuffing the top of the 20th fret. No worries, I was able to polish out those pesky scuff marks. Whew, what a relief!

Once the partial refret was complete, the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster was set up with D'Addario 9-42s; as per Fizan's instructions. He came to pick it up in the afternoon, tried it out for awhile; and gave me the thumbs-up. That night, I happened to be at HM Studio; and passed by the rehearsal room where Whizzer was practising. Through the glass door, I caught a brief glimpse of Fizan. He was wearing a face mask; but I could detect a twinkle in his eyes :)

Late 70s Fender Jazz Bass Neck Straightening Challenge

According to The Guitar Dater Project, this Fender Jazz Bass "was made at the Fullerton Plant (Fender - CBS Era), USA in 1977 - 1978." That's the good news. The bad news is that it was submerged during the great flood of 2013, and damaged beyond repair (so thought the original owner). Rather than let this beauty go to waste, he gifted it to the current owner; pro bass player Albert Yap. Albert, in turn, wasted no time in sending the bass to a luthier friend in Jakarta.

That luthier did an awesome job of restoring this vintage Jazz Bass, I must say. As the original sunburst finish was a goner, he stripped the body and refinished it natural. The neck was also refretted with jumbo frets and refinished in a very impressive vintage tint. One critical point: the luthier did warn Albert that the truss rod was maxed out, and could snap if anyone ever tried to tighten it further.

Everything was roses until the day when the neck started to develop excessive upbow, resulting in overly high action that made the bass unplayable. Remembering that the truss rod was already maxed out, Albert brought it to me in the hope that I had an alternative solution.

Flexing the neck told me that the truss rod was still intact and doing its job. I inserted a 1/8" hex wrench into the bullet nut, and it was frozen solid -- I couldn't even loosen it! After a few days of heat/cold treatment and lots of lube, I managed to loosen and remove the nut completely. There was lots of gunk to be removed from the inside threads of the nut and threaded portion of the truss rod, that I can tell you.

After taking measurements, I realized that it wasn't the truss rod that was maxed out; but rather the nut itself. The threaded end of the truss rod had reached the end of the threaded channel of the bullet nut, and that's why the nut could not be tightened any further. So now, I had to find a way to create more space in the threaded channel of the nut. 

Based on this understanding, I fashioned a couple of truss rod washers that would be slid onto the truss rod before threading on the nut. If all went well, I'd then be able to tighten the truss rod even further. But first, I had to clamp the neck and use heat treatment to gradually force it into a backbow, exposing more of the threaded portion of the truss rod; thereby creating space for the washers. This approach was effective, thankfully; and I was finally able to tighten the truss rod until the fretboard was dead flat.

This being achieved, it was time to do a fret dress. The frets were leveled and recrowned in the usual way, and the bass restrung and tuned to pitch. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing. It was a happy day when Albert came to pick up his beloved bass. Understandably so, for he'd not seen his baby for close to two months.

Then, about two weeks later, he called me to say that the bass had become unplayable once more. History had repeated itself! I was sorely disappointed, to say the least; and told myself that I had better settle this matter once and for all. This time round I repeated what I'd done earlier, albeit going a little more aggressively on the heat treatment. After a month or so, I managed to get the neck to behave itself under tension. Final adjustments were made by Albert himself (he normally does his own setup); who declared the bass playable.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the neck stays this way for many years to come, and gives its owner countless hours of bass-playing pleasure. 

 
 

1995 Fender Squier Series Stratocaster Refret

This Made-In-Mexico "Black Decal" Fender Squier Series Stratocaster [Serial Number MN542224] came in for a refret and lots of TLC. For more information on this Strat, please click HERE.

 

Fender Japan ST-357V Stratocaster

The Japanese Fender Strat featured here came in for fret leveling and recrowning. According to the Guitar Dater Project, it was "made at the Fuji-gen Plant (for Fender Japan), Japan in the Year(s): 1985 - 1986." This guitar was originally Vintage White, as can clearly be seen with the pickguard removed. Hmmm ... it does look good au naturel @ nekkid like this, don't you think? The neck is a solid hunk of maple (that feels like a baseball bat) with a 7.25" fingerboard radius, skunk stripe, 21 frets, a truss rod adjustment screw at the heel end (the pickguard features a corresponding scoop), and "ST-357V" stamped on the heel. The bridge looks a bit too shiny and rust-free to be stock, while the pickups bear a remarkable resemblance to the stock pups on Blackie, my Squier California Series Strat. The pickup covers look the part, though. Last but not least, the pots and 5-way switch appear to be stock, while the headstock sports Gotoh tuning machines. In conclusion, based on observable characteristics and research, I dare say that this guitar could have started out as a Japanese 50s vintage reissue Strat. In any case, feel free to check out the references cited, and draw your own conclusions.

Reference List
The Guitar Dater Project - Fender Serial Number Decoder
FENDER JAPAN STRATOCASTER '87, MODEL ST357V PRO SET

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