Need advice on my 17 LP Classic

Hey all! I'm a new member here and I certainly love Les Pauls! Anyways, I just bought a 2017 LP classic in heritage cherry on a c-list deal. After playing it for a little while, I noticed a lot of buzz and some dead notes at and above the 17th fret. I took it to a local tech and he stated that there's a hump in the fretboard at the neck joint causing the problems. He doesn't want to do a fret level job on it because he tried it on another les paul a while back with the same problem and it turned out badly. So I have no idea what to do...he recommended selling it but I'd hate to sell it knowing that it has problems. What do ya'll think I can do?

Find another luthier. This is within the daily realm of the typical luthier if hes any good. He admitted he failed on his first attempt at leveling a fretboard. He should have learned a lot from his 1st attempt yet instead he just threw up the white flag.

Yeah I just picked the guitar up and it plays even worse. Just dead notes at the 17th fret and up on the e and b string. Dang...he got me good. I'll try another tech. You guys think the frets can just get leveled?

In extreme cases the frets may need removing and the fretboard sanded level but this is the decision of the luthier

Figured I should at least share a photo!

Here's a pic of the neck joint

Thartman06 said:

Here's a pic of the neck joint

Click to expand...

I have to ask: do you normally prefer your guitar to be set up with super low action?

No actually...my other guitars are higher. This is how the tech gave it back to me. I actually just raised it up some but it's still fretting out at the high frets on the e and b string

A little update...I took a drive today to a reputable repair shop and he laughed at everything I told him about what the first tech told me. He says it's not a big problem and that he should be able to fix it with a fret level. I'm pretty excited...I'll update yall again once I get the guitar back! In the mean time, rock on!

Thartman06 said:

Figured I should at least share a photo!

Click to expand...

Is that Heritage Cherry? It looks like a 1960 reissue.

Yep, it's heritage cherry! It's got a really good top...that's why I was hoping to get it to play as good as it looks

Your action looks VERY low. Super lower action is overrated, are you sure that wasnt the source of your problem? Strings need room to move and vibrate.

tommersjay said:

Your action looks VERY low. Super lower action is overrated, are you sure that wasnt the source of your problem? Strings need room to move and vibrate.

Click to expand...

Yeah...after I got it back the first time, I kept raising and raising the action with no improvement. There's definitely a slight raise in the fretboard on the treble side...a fret level should fix the problem

It's SUMMER!! I find high humidity has that effect on necks. Especially goofy thin necks. TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT is the first thing followed by a realistic action adjustment/bridge height and set up. That is all you should need. Fret leveling should NOT be needed.

Winter, with low/dry humidity will also effect the neck and require a new set up.

Just now seeing this somewhat older (1 year) thread - as a new member.

So, did the new guitar tech you visited fix the problem with the slight hump in the fret board?

I am interested in your experience. A while back I bought a brand new 2012 LP Classic +Top 50's (thick neck) in HCSB that looks almost identical to yours. Love the guitar but the fret board had a slight rise in it from somewhat beyond the neck joint to the end of the neck toward the pickup. Took it to my regular guitar tech and he said no problem - "it's a piece of wood made by a guy and none of them are perfect". He did a slight fret level and it's like the problem never existed. Plays great and I love it.

Now I wrestle with this: As it is a 2012 and built during the rosewood debacle at Gibson, it has a nice (proper) looking dark baked maple fret board. In fact, it is so dark that I recently had to review the specs on it to ensure it was in fact baked maple instead of rosewood (even though rosewood has more pronounced grains and some color striations), because I could not remember what it had from when I bought it in 2012 (I have 30 guitars, total. I'm not a young guy anymore). The guitar plays great. I wound up not liking the Classic hot pickups (which I put Gibson nickel covers on and wax potted. This toned the "crunch" down some also, which I didn't mind) but ultimately swapped them for 57 Classic PAF pickups which I love, so everything is fine...EXCEPT I keep thinking it has a maple fret board instead of a rosewood fret board, like my 3 other LP's.

Since I can't really tell the difference in playing it, hearing it, or even looking at it from any distance other than trying to count the grain structure or number of slight color striations in the fret board, does it matter that it has a baked maple fret board? Am I just being a guitar snob to consider/question the value of owning/accepting it because it doesn't have a rosewood fret board?

So, back to the point. In summary, I ask the following questions:
1) Did your new tech fix the buzz/fret-out issue with a fret level on your Classic LP that had a hump in the fret board at the neck joint?
2) Does yours have the maple or rosewood fret board?
3) Does it really matter if a newer mid-range cost LP has a maple fret board if the maple board is not detracting from the guitar because it is not readily noticeable one way or the other - cosmetically or play-ability? I would like to forget about the fret board and enjoy the guitar and accept it into the fold as a proper member of the family, now that everything else is the way I want it.