# Scratching/scraping when I bend a string.



## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

So I'm finally able to play some guitar last night-and I'm playing my Iceman.
I bend a string and I feel a scratching against the string. I look down and can't see anything obvious that makes the scratch. So I try it again while watching--no scratch. I try the frets on either side of it, nothing. I keep playing. It happens at a different fret-on a different string. These are normal half & full step bends--nothing acrobatic. It happened on all 4 interior strings at different frets between the 9th & 14th frets. It didn't keep doing it though--just 2 or 3 times. The strings are fairly new. There are no grooves or marks on the frets, no frayed edges, or anything else visible. The fingerboard is not scraped.

But it was a definite scraping/scratching noise and feel.

Any ideas?

Being an old Ibanez it has fairly large frets. (Although they're smaller than they used to be--I had a fret job done about 27 years ago after my brother used it to emulate Tommy Chong playing slide with a monkey wrench-he didn't know you WEREN'T supposed to grind the wrench into the guitar--so he created grooves in the higher frets of the unwound strings.)

I realize you can't diagnose it over the internet like this, but I'm thinking it might need a set-up, and maybe another fret job. Or have any of you experienced this happening for another reason? Overall it's playable--it's in tune as well--it's just the occasional scrape.

Thanks for any input.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

if the strings are new it sounds like worn or rough frets- try running your fingers up and down the strings to make sure theres no crud on them at all, if not, then probably your frets are a bit worn, they may just need polished, like with fine grit sandpaper, or re-crowned.
if it didnt keep doing it though, and stopped with a little playing, then you likely just had some dirt and stuff on the frets and strings-


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Hopefully it's dirt & stuff--except I did clean the fingerboard.

I'll take a better look at the frets, but they didn't look worn to me.

Thanks.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

Sometimes metal can flake of the ( especially the wound ) strings. Look on the fretboard for small metal pecks. 

I clean my guitar strings after each use by grabbing them with a clean dry cloth thats between my fingers and thumb. I lift the entire string up a little to wrap completely around the string's surface. I run the cloth up to the nut and down to the bridge a couple of times. At the same time the cloth is against the fretboard cleaning it aswell. 

I use Dunlop 65 string cleaner or fast fret to keep my strings feeling "new". It's an option and not a requirement. 

Craig


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I think you have a Lee Valley Tools in Calgary. Go there and get yourself a sheet of that superfine plastic-backed sanding sheet they carry. I don't see it on their website, but they carry it. I got some 800 grit (a white plastic sheet) and some 2200 grit (a dark green sheet that looks like a sheet of plastic with a shiny and a dull side; the "dull" part is an abrasive surface).

Put some adhesive tape over the fingerboard to protect it, and buff first with the coparser grit, then polish/buff with the finer grit. You can bring those babies up to a mirror shine, and make bending an absolute breeze.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Thanks for the additional answers guys.

I'm starting to think it isn't dirt. After all I've had the guitar for almost 28 years and I've cleaned it the same way for almost all of that time. I've used a variety of strings, but for most of those years the same brand & gauge. I'll look for metal specks--but I didn't see any when it was happening--I was looking pretty closely.

There's no obvious imperfections on the frets--but I may try the buffing of them--it's been awhile since they were worked on, so they may be pitted or rough or worn in spots.


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## buddroyce (Feb 12, 2008)

What's likely to have happened is that the top of your frets are no longer as smooth as it should be. Try buffing your frets with some 0000 steel wool, it should polish and buff out your frets for you. If that doesn't work, you may want to bring it to a tech to have it looked at. After 28 years, I'm pretty sure you want a good fret job done.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Well it's been less than 28 years since they were done, but it's still been a while--
Since the last post it hasn't happened again--maybe it was gunk from my lemon oil...


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I'm sitting here playing it while I read posts--and no scraping--but I think I try buffing the frets anyways.

thanks, everybody.


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## violation (Aug 20, 2006)

KHINGPYNN said:


> I clean my guitar strings after each use by grabbing them with a clean dry cloth thats between my fingers and thumb. I lift the entire string up a little to wrap completely around the string's surface. I run the cloth up to the nut and down to the bridge a couple of times. At the same time the cloth is against the fretboard cleaning it aswell.


I _have_ to do this. If I don't do it the next day my strings are rusted. My sweat is like acid, it's rusted up my tremolo too. Yet my step dad can play for weeks without them rusting. Craziness. 

Usually if I feel the scratch I just clean the fretwire and it's solved... sometimes I forget to do that.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

zontar said:


> Well it's been less than 28 years since they were done, but it's still been a while--
> Since the last post it hasn't happened again--maybe it was gunk from my lemon oil...


Probably gunk lifted by the lemon oil that was deposited and hardened on the frets.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Hamm Guitars said:


> Probably gunk lifted by the lemon oil that was deposited and hardened on the frets.


Probably, but I've been cleaning my necks the same way for the whole time I've had the guitar and never had this before. So I either I'm slipping, I was distracted, or my lemon oil is gunking up. But I just cleaned my Mustang's neck--and no scraping on it. So it's probably my fault in how I cleaned the Iceman.


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