Dreading Replacing Frets:

chilipeppermaniac said:
Now to the point of leaving the job to a pro. Good advice if your first refret job is on an expensive 2, 3, 4, 5+ thousand dollar guitar.
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I agree completely with you, Chili, as it would not seem to make much sense to invest upwards of 250 dlls Canadian in having a luthier refret any guitar that costs less than $1000.

But the alternate option also implies paying at least that much, with the only perceived benefit of becoming the proud owner of a set of fretting tools... which you can still use later and maybe even make some extra GAS money on the side.

So, IMHO it's a matter of deciding whether:

A) you place sentimental value over market value, damn the torpedoes,

B) the investment in tools represents a good opportunity to develop and hone a new and maybe profitable tech skill or,

C) you feel pragmatic and ferengi enough and decide to just forget about the refretting, sell the guitar to someone else and avoid the bigger "headache" while getting some liquidity.

And as Kuiil would say... "I have spoken".
 
SIx String Chef said:
I agree completely with you, Chili, as it would not seem to make much sense to invest upwards of 250 dlls Canadian in having a luthier refret any guitar that costs less than $1000.

But the alternate option also implies paying at least that much, with the only perceived benefit of becoming the proud owner of a set of fretting tools... which you can still use later and maybe even make some extra GAS money on the side.

So, IMHO it's a matter of deciding whether:

A) you place sentimental value over market value, damn the torpedoes,

B) the investment in tools represents a good opportunity to develop and hone a new and maybe profitable tech skill or,

C) you feel pragmatic and ferengi enough and decide to just forget about the refretting, sell the guitar to someone else and avoid the bigger "headache" while getting some liquidity.

And as Kuiil would say... "I have spoken".
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Which glue method do you like???
 
Robert Herndon said:
Which glue method do you like???
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I haven't really tried any yet in fretting. As I have done NO fret work whatsoever at all. But I'm preparing to start taking a dive in that area of knowledge as part of my quest to absorb and obtain guitar-tech-luthieriness knowledge...

They all seem to make some degree of sense to me. I mean, the fish glue seems like the more traditional method, so it may be good to keep things vintage-y. And it's water-soluble just like regular wood glue, so any excess or spill can be wiped away easily. But the super glue (judiciously applied, of course) seems to me that it would offer the greatest endurance and maybe performance. But requires some prep and more experience plus a steady hand, to not smear it all over the place or flood the slot.

I guess I'll have to practice both.
 
BTW and talking about fret installation and maintenance, if you're able to slide a feeler gauge under the fretwire, especially at either end does that mean that the fret ends are sticking out or the fret is not properly seated?

I'm looking at possible alternative causes for the weird 5th-6th fret note-out on the low strings of my schecter... Don't want to try to do a fret level and then find out that the problem was loose fretwire...
 
SIx String Chef said:
BTW and talking about fret installation and maintenance, if you're able to slide a feeler gauge under the fretwire, especially at either end does that mean that the fret ends are sticking out or the fret is not properly seated?

I'm looking at possible alternative causes for the weird 5th-6th fret note-out on the low strings of my schecter... Don't want to try to do a fret level and then find out that the problem was loose fretwire...
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What's your fret height at the 12th fret???

What's your neck relief???
 
Robert Herndon said:
What's your fret height at the 12th fret???

What's your neck relief???
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Haven't measured them yet. I'll do that tomorrow for sure, now that you mention it. But loosening the truss rid surely helped to solve it. However, I'd like to also check the frets for proper seating, so that whatever leveling I have to do (if necessary at all) will end up giving a more accurate and permanent result. I just got in the mail a few tools that may help but I'll post about that tomorrow. I will be looking for your guidance for sure! :thanx:
 
SIx String Chef said:
Haven't measured them yet. I'll do that tomorrow for sure, now that you mention it. But loosening the truss rid surely helped to solve it. However, I'd like to also check the frets for proper seating, so that whatever leveling I have to do (if necessary at all) will end up giving a more accurate and permanent result. I just got in the mail a few tools that may help but I'll post about that tomorrow. I will be looking for your guidance for sure! :thanx:
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Sounds like a neck relief issue...I'm yet to see bad frets on a Schecter.
 
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Robert Herndon said:
What's your fret height at the 12th fret???

What's your neck relief???
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OK, the fret height at the 12th is about .05" and the relief at the 7th fret (standard capo at 1st and pressing at 17th) is more than .025", more likely pushing .030" by stacking a few gauges. It is definitely deeper than std. But it's pretty much the way I had to go in order to remove that 5-6th fret note-out by just increasing the relief. Now, the bottom of the fret at that area (7th fret) is not flush with the fretboard. I can slide a feeler gauge (about .005") in a little gap there without problems. Maybe loose fret ends-ish problem?
 
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SIx String Chef said:
OK, the fret height at the 12th is about .05" and the relief at the 7th fret (standard capo at 1st and pressing at 17th) is more than .025", more likely pushing .030" by stacking a few gauges. It is definitely deeper than std. But it's pretty much the way I had to go in order to remove that 5-6th fret note-out by just increasing the relief. Now, the bottom of the fret at that area (7th fret) is not flush with the fretboard. I can slide a feeler gauge (about .005") in a little gap there without problems. Maybe loose fret ends-ish problem?
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If the fret is up.005", then you would only have to increase the action height only about that much, and you are new way, way past that.

Can you push down on that fret with a wooden spoon or dowel and have an assistant verify if the gap closes under pressure???
 
Robert Herndon said:
I'm killing the frets on my guitars.

Wore the frets down flat on my Gibson Les Paul 50's Tribute in just about 3 months. Not only do bends "grab and drag" but the flat profiles screws with intonation.

View attachment 75573

Look at this...even killing the 20th and up:

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Even my Schecter C1FR. I'm on my 3rd level and crown since new in 2019.

Zoom in and look at the brass shavings.

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More wear on the Schecter...

View attachment 75574

View attachment 75575

I'm dreading re-fretting 4 guitars...

Ugh!!!!
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Are you practicing this much????
 
gball said:
Not me. I love nibs. I realize they serve no functional purpose whatsoever but I friggin' love the way the look and my own corksniffing self feels like any Tech that pushes the "lose-the-nib" rhetoric when you are getting your guitar refretted is just lazy, so there!

Also, since I learned to play guitar on a benibbed instrument I learned early on to never pull the strings off the edge of the fretboard and into them so that has never been an issue for me.
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Gball, I learned on a Benibbed guitar too. However, the nibs were the properly done small ones where the fret board wood is wider, the binding is thinner and the fret ends extend partly over the inside edge of the bindings with the nibs blended in nicely.

There are many people who like the nibs, including me if done right. BUT my cork sniffery comment is only from the side of me that would rather drive a reliable beat up 70's or 80's Honda, or Ford Truck vs a 2000's drive by wire all electronically controlled vehicle like my old Saturn or our new Hyundai on a daily basis. The OLD cars just work. Similarly to choosing a Fret OVER binding GIB/EPI style guitar OR OLD Model Nibbed LP/SG/Explorer vs the modern Gib guitars with thick binding, frets chopped off square right at the edge of the fret board wood and leave noticeable gaps to have strings get caught in, scenario.

Yep, the old Nibs argument.
 
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