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I have been asked to look at a Selmer type guitar which has a bit of a problem. The guitar is a Gallato Angelo Debarre and when I received it a week ago I suspected it was an easy enough fix - the guitar was not playable past the 12th fret so I suspected a raised fret. I have checked the frets were seated properly and level and made small adjustments to the truss rod over the last few days. Last night I had the time to spend a few hours trying to figure out the problem. I laid my straight edge on and tried to get the neck straight to no avail - the straight edge touches the first few and the frets past the 12th and I cant seem to get it to touch any in between?
The neck is walnut and the client has informed me the guitar has been kept in his house and that he is conscious of humidity and keeps an eye on it - I think he has a moiss humidity controller.
Anyone have any ideas? I am leaning towards telling him I would need to pop the frets and level the fingerboard with a slight fall away past the 14th as I do on my own guitars

Even when you really crank on the truss rod you cannot get it level or even some back bow? If so sounds like something is wrong with the truss rod or perhaps along with the truss rod there is steel or carbon bars that might prevent the adjustment, I've always wondered about that.

IF you can't move it then the refret sounds like a good idea to me. Then you can just take the hump out and set the proper relief.

You have one of two things
A over humidified top that bowed up and made the top rise causing the fret board to rise with it. If you have this at the proper RH and it is still like this then your other option is correct. Pull the frets and level the board.
Since the truss rod works the neck from the heel up the fret extension is where the problem lies.

You should check the upper part of the neck to assure proper rod adjustment.

I would suggest
A verify the rod is working
B check that the neck extension is what is out of kilter.
C Now you can use the shorter straight edge that covers the first 12 to 14 frets and walk this up from 2 to 15 3 to 16 etc and you should see the rise off the frets in the middle.
if that is what is happening you have to decide to reset the plane of the fret board by leveling or resetting the neck. Pictures would be good so we could see what your dealing with.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it