NGD: EVH Wolfgang Special

If you can move the Dtuna in and out without the trem moving how are the other strings not staying in tune? Make sure the bridge rests on the top and you can do this.
Maybe I wrote something wrong: all the other strings stay in tune. It’s only the D-Tuna that doesn’t go down to D but somewhere between D and D sharp. The bridge is perfectly flat on the body.
 
Ok set the guitar up in D. The fine tuners should be all in the middle of there travel apart from the low E and this needs to be almost all the way out. Tune up with the nut unlocked and the Dtuna out (for D) lock the nut TIGHT and then fine tune. It should hardly move at all when you lock the nut or actually not at all (if the string retainer is fitted correctly). Now push in the Dtuna and tune to E using only the grub screw on the Dtuna DON'T touch anything else. When you pull it back out it should return to D perfectly and vice versa.
 
Ok set the guitar up in D. The fine tuners should be all in the middle of there travel apart from the low E and this needs to be almost all the way out. Tune up with the nut unlocked and the Dtuna out (for D) lock the nut TIGHT and then fine tune. It should hardly move at all when you lock the nut or actually not at all (if the string retainer is fitted correctly). Now push in the Dtuna and tune to E using only the grub screw on the Dtuna DON'T touch anything else. When you pull it back out it should return to D perfectly and vice versa.
Thanks Andy, I'm going to set it later tonight!
 
One thing i'll add regarding the D-Tuna make sure your strings are really well stretched out, like no variation of pitch. I found this out when I 1st got my D-tuna and it would not stay in tune, it drove me nuts. Now I have no issues with it.
Thanks Rich! I'll do!
 
That is crazy that for a custom shop guitar the frets are not done properly. I have a standard and the fretwork is great, yours should be just as good or better. Do you have a picture of the tang being bent? I am curious to see what it looks like. Do you like the vintage stainless steel frets on it? I have heard some people say that they don't like the size of them and prefer the jumbo frets of the special and standard.
@Colin Young - yes it surprised me too - I expected an upgrade if anything and was slow to complain but in fairness Fender are now looking at this and I'm very interested to see what they say. We have got to hope this is just a rogue example that didn't get much of a QC inspection for whatever reason but I'll have to see what their take is on this and what they intend to do about it. I don't have the guitar as it is with Fender right now and it's not easy to photograph the fretboard to properly describe how poorly levelled the frets are but the attached gives you an idea and you can probably just make out there's a few frets (7, 12 &13) where the tangs appear bent. Many frets are not properly seated and particularly bad 12 blocks 13. 9 has a nice chip out of it that should have at least been filled? What is really clear is the ridiculous overcut of each fret slot - all of them - I've never seen anything quite so poor and totally agree this is not seen on the MIM's - I had 2 (one standard hardtail and one Special) they were fine.
Anyway, it's with Fender to identify a QC failure or try to explain that this is OK from the Custom Shop.... :(

The narrow and shallow SS frets were a major plus for me - I ain't keen on the tall jumbos that get fitted to a lot of "shredder style" guitars and I definitely prefer SS so they were a major reason I "upgraded" to a USA build - rather ironic as it has turned out.

It's a great guitar design but as always the FR can be a bit tricky to setup (mine set to dive only and doesn't float) but I already have one of those trem blocks in the post (@Andy Eagle) for a recent other FR equipped purchase - good inexpensive way to stabilize if you don't need to pull up.tangs crop.jpg
 
@Colin Young - yes it surprised me too - I expected an upgrade if anything and was slow to complain but in fairness Fender are now looking at this and I'm very interested to see what they say. We have got to hope this is just a rogue example that didn't get much of a QC inspection for whatever reason but I'll have to see what their take is on this and what they intend to do about it. I don't have the guitar as it is with Fender right now and it's not easy to photograph the fretboard to properly describe how poorly levelled the frets are but the attached gives you an idea and you can probably just make out there's a few frets (7, 12 &13) where the tangs appear bent. Many frets are not properly seated and particularly bad 12 blocks 13. 9 has a nice chip out of it that should have at least been filled? What is really clear is the ridiculous overcut of each fret slot - all of them - I've never seen anything quite so poor and totally agree this is not seen on the MIM's - I had 2 (one standard hardtail and one Special) they were fine.
Anyway, it's with Fender to identify a QC failure or try to explain that this is OK from the Custom Shop.... :(

The narrow and shallow SS frets were a major plus for me - I ain't keen on the tall jumbos that get fitted to a lot of "shredder style" guitars and I definitely prefer SS so they were a major reason I "upgraded" to a USA build - rather ironic as it has turned out.

It's a great guitar design but as always the FR can be a bit tricky to setup (mine set to dive only and doesn't float) but I already have one of those trem blocks in the post (@Andy Eagle) for a recent other FR equipped purchase - good inexpensive way to stabilize if you don't need to pull up.View attachment 109330
Well I hope they fix it for you. They really are great guitars! If it makes you feel better I just got a stainless refret on a Charvel San Dimas, and the fret tang is bent a lot worse than yours. The luthier said that it is glued in and he doesn't recommend taking it out, so I just have to live with it. I am very weary of refret's now. At least your lucky that they are standing behind and fixing it for you. It should hopefully be a great guitar when you get it back.
 

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Well I hope they fix it for you. They really are great guitars! If it makes you feel better I just got a stainless refret on a Charvel San Dimas, and the fret tang is bent a lot worse than yours. The luthier said that it is glued in and he doesn't recommend taking it out, so I just have to live with it. I am very weary of refret's now. At least your lucky that they are standing behind and fixing it for you. It should hopefully be a great guitar when you get it back.
Your sure he said Luthier not plumber?
That's a terrible job, non of those are seated properly either.
The tang will be straight all but at the end and he will of bent it using pliers that are not up to cutting stainless frets;
Here is a stainless fret job I did;
IMG_2309.jpg
You really need different cutters and not be in a position where you are in danger of bending the fret when you'r cutting it. Bolt cutter style are best. Also he over radiused the fret like you would with nickel, hence the gap under the bead in the middle. With SS you should really radius it to almost exactly match with only a hair of over bend . Get your money back and find someone competent with stainless because it's a lot different to work with and a lot harder to do.
 
What I am really saying here is don't pick a job by the price go by reputation and ask to see a example. In fairness to techs stainless is slow and hard to do and the pressure to price it closer to a nickel job is high. If the price seems too good to be true , it is. An SS job should cost 1.75 to 2 times as much. Often that's uneconomic for the guitar . In fact on a Fender style it is often as much or more than a Warmoth/ Musikraft neck with SS on it.
 
Your sure he said Luthier not plumber?
That's a terrible job, non of those are seated properly either.
The tang will be straight all but at the end and he will of bent it using pliers that are not up to cutting stainless frets;
Here is a stainless fret job I did;
View attachment 109381
You really need different cutters and not be in a position where you are in danger of bending the fret when you'r cutting it. Bolt cutter style are best. Also he over radiused the fret like you would with nickel, hence the gap under the bead in the middle. With SS you should really radius it to almost exactly match with only a hair of over bend . Get your money back and find someone competent with stainless because it's a lot different to work with and a lot harder to do.
Thanks @Andy Eagle I very much appreciate your input here - and that is what I thought. I showed the same photo to a local luthier and he was similarly unimpressed. I am not a luthier but I am an engineer and I can at least suss out a bodge when I see one. I can however fight my way through an FR setup and basic intonation and any electronics but I won't touch a fret file. Period.
The Wolfgangs are special order so I didn't get to see it first and in hindsight I should have immediately rejected that one. Rose-tinted specs and another 10 month wait got the better of me. Then there was this pandemic thing and a return to work that definitely wasn't on my radar so I wrongly shelved it.
It's with Fender right now and I am not accepting such a compromised instrument back. I'll let you know what they say.

Plumber.... 🤣 - dunno - maybe I will ask.....

Some beautiful looking fret work in those photos there - awesome. 👍 👍 👍



Thanks again. 👍
 
Your sure he said Luthier not plumber?
That's a terrible job, non of those are seated properly either.
The tang will be straight all but at the end and he will of bent it using pliers that are not up to cutting stainless frets;
Here is a stainless fret job I did;
View attachment 109381
You really need different cutters and not be in a position where you are in danger of bending the fret when you'r cutting it. Bolt cutter style are best. Also he over radiused the fret like you would with nickel, hence the gap under the bead in the middle. With SS you should really radius it to almost exactly match with only a hair of over bend . Get your money back and find someone competent with stainless because it's a lot different to work with and a lot harder to do.
Thanks for the input. According to the luthier the fret wire was bent and he had to make due with what he was given, which I think is BS. I purchased Jescar wire and when I received it looked ok, and dropped it off to him. Currently he is trying to fix the guitar, and said that the reason it was bad was it needed to sit, and the frets move based on weather. He is refusing to take any of the frets out and fix them, saying it will cause more damage. He said the fret ends got sharp from the weather. There was also a dent on the back of the neck when I got it back, and black grime everywhere. When I got the guitar back the frets were all scratchy when you bend. The frets also look like they were not crowned properly.
IMG_3182.jpg

Do you guys the neck is beyond repair? Should I just purchase a new neck? The job cost about $470 with the fret wire.

I don't really know how to handle this, this is at a guitar shop. So I don't know if I should speak to the manager, or do credit card refund. I am 21 and people don't take me seriously because of my age and how old I look. They kind of talk down to me because of my age.

So what would you guys do?

Thanks for all your comments! I know this thread has gotten off topic. Sorry @Diego
 
It needs a refret . He has never done SS before. Jescar wire doesn't ship like that and if it did he should have cut around it . The truth is he bent it while trying to cut the ends flush with cutters that are not suitable for SS. Get it back get your money back and start again with someone who isn't lying to you and knowns how to do it.
 
It needs a refret . He has never done SS before. Jescar wire doesn't ship like that and if it did he should have cut around it . The truth is he bent it while trying to cut the ends flush with cutters that are not suitable for SS. Get it back get your money back and start again with someone who isn't lying to you and knowns how to do it.
Thanks Andy! I will ask to speak to a manager when I go back to see what he has done to fix it. How much of a gap should there realistically be between the fretboard and the bottom of the fret? Should you be able to stick a piece of paper in between? He said that he leaves about .10mm between them. Which I thought seemed kind of high. For the money I spent, the job should be done the right way. He told me on the phone that during his 2nd attempt, he has had to take more material off the frets then he expected. There shouldn't be that much leveling when doing a refret right? The buzzing was horrendous when I got it back the first time. When I dropped off the guitar the action was at 1.5mm. When I picked it put he set the action to almost 3mm. He was just trying to cover it up. It is such a bad situation. I will use all this info to explain to manager why this is a bad job. I appreciate your help.
 
@Colin Young I had a fret job done last year that looked way worse than what you've pictured. The work was atrocious. The guitar came back to me with huge sections of fret board torn out, dead notes from improperly leveled frets, burn marks on the back of the neck from where the soldering iron had touched, numerous new dents in the top of the guitar, and there was glue all over the place. When I took it home I realized that this guy had also damaged the under saddle piezo pickup as it had lost a proper ground and was producing a hum. Inspection of the pickup revealed that this was caused by a tear in the ground foil on the pickup body. That could only have been caused by mishandling the element and is not something that would could have just happened on its own.

When I came by the shop to pick up the instrument I immediately noticed the issues and pointed them out to the "luthier." He made excuses about the frets being difficult to pull and how it was impossible that he had caused the dents because he had covered the top in tape before working on the guitar (as if you can't dent a top with a heavy tool so long as it is covered in a layer of tape). I realized at that moment that I didn't want him to attempt to fix what he had done because he didn't have the skill necessary to do the job correctly. Leaving my instrument with him again was certain to lead to additional damage. I paid the bill in full and then found an actual luthier to fix it. The price to restore the guitar to a playable condition was 3x what I paid the first guy to mangle it.

I agree with @Andy Eagle. Cut your losses and find someone who knows what they're doing. Hopefully this "luthier" has a boss to whom you can appeal for a refund.
 
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The guy is lying to you, there should be no gap at all and 1.5mm/ 1.7mm should be perfectly fine. You need your guitar back and the money. Then get a fret job done by someone with a track record of working with SS fret wire. Jescar fretwire is some of the best available and he should have been able to radius it. If what you gave him was unusable he should have told you this BEFORE damaging your guitar. On the bright side any QUALITY actual Luthier will be able to fix it with a refret.
 
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