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refretting

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 EMT
(@emt)
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Joined: 15 years ago
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Topic starter  

the guitar I'm using is kinda old and the frets are grooved. to someone who can play they don't seem to be a problem but to me getting a clear note is difficult enough. so i asked a local place about refretting, was told it isn't something a guy can do at home as it requires a host of specialized tools. he also said it would cost about 500 bucks. this sound right?

red meat doesn't kill you, fuzzy green meat does.


   
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(@joehempel)
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Joined: 16 years ago
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Yeah, re-fretting is pretty involved, I don't and can't do it, but unless the guitar is near and dear to you I would almost say buy a new guitar, it would be cheaper depending on what you're looking for.

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(@katmetal)
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Joined: 17 years ago
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That price sounds like a quote for all of the frets. Did you have the guitar looked at? It may only need a partial re-fret job. Stew-Mac & others sell tools/fret wire for doing a re-fret. I would say that it is a pretty advanced job to undertake.

I am in the middle of a re-fret job right now on an Ibanez, & I am growing tired of the hassle. The filing can be very tedious work, I may take it in for the final dressing of the frets. This job is taking a bit more time than I anticipated, but I am also scalloping the fretboard at the same time.

I purchased a fret press kit which fits in my drill press & does a good job. I made a fret bender tool which also works fairly well. Patience is a factor with this type of work, so if you get agitated easily, it may not be something you want to tackle.

I would suggest having yours looked at; they may be able to simply dress/crown them so you can get some more mileage out of them for awhile.


   
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(@dogbite)
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www.stewmac.com

are you positive you need a refret. my old start has incredibly low action. the frets are dishing and yet I have no buzz or string blurring.

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(@gnease)
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Joined: 20 years ago
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http://www.stewmac.com

are you positive you need a refret. my old start has incredibly low action. the frets are dishing and yet I have no buzz or string blurring.

+1 had the same thought when I read "to someone who can play they don't seem to be a problem " .

-=tension & release=-


   
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(@unimogbert)
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Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 174
 

If the frets aren't deeply grooved a "fret dressing" job can level them and give you extended life on the guitar before refretting is needed.

I had this done to my high school guitar and it came out pretty well. It takes special skill and probably special files to do this well but it's much, much less expensive than fret replacement.

My most recent guitars have stainless steel frets so they'll never need refretting :-)

Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)


   
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(@coolnama)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 590
 

That price sounds like a quote for all of the frets. Did you have the guitar looked at? It may only need a partial re-fret job. Stew-Mac & others sell tools/fret wire for doing a re-fret. I would say that it is a pretty advanced job to undertake.

I am in the middle of a re-fret job right now on an Ibanez, & I am growing tired of the hassle. The filing can be very tedious work, I may take it in for the final dressing of the frets. This job is taking a bit more time than I anticipated, but I am also scalloping the fretboard at the same time.

I purchased a fret press kit which fits in my drill press & does a good job. I made a fret bender tool which also works fairly well. Patience is a factor with this type of work, so if you get agitated easily, it may not be something you want to tackle.

I would suggest having yours looked at; they may be able to simply dress/crown them so you can get some more mileage out of them for awhile.
Why do people scallop the fretboard ?? Never understood that

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(@trguitar)
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I believe it gives a feel of extra tall frets. I have read they can be touchy to play cause you can bend the strings sharp by applying too much pressure over the scallops. I guess the object is to play faster with a lighter touch.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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(@blue-jay)
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Joined: 15 years ago
Posts: 1630
 

That price sounds like a quote for all of the frets. Did you have the guitar looked at? It may only need a partial re-fret job. Stew-Mac & others sell tools/fret wire for doing a re-fret. I would say that it is a pretty advanced job to undertake.

I would suggest having yours looked at; they may be able to simply dress/crown them so you can get some more mileage out of them for awhile.

I second that. I also spent some time last night looking at the map of your area and checking out guitar shops and luthiers.

You'll come up with something. :wink:

Like a bird on the wire,
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free.


   
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(@katmetal)
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Why do people scallop the fretboard ?? Never understood thatJust ask Yngwie! :lol:

Actually, I have two other guitars with a scalloped fretboard, & I love them. The main reason for doing it is the incredible bends that can be achieved, and vibrato is easier as well.
I believe it gives a feel of extra tall frets. I have read they can be touchy to play cause you can bend the strings sharp by applying too much pressure over the scallops. I guess the object is to play faster with a lighter touch.

You can play faster, no doubt. As far as being touchy/playing sharp, etc.? I have read those concerns for years, & maybe some folks have a different touch that causes those problems, but I just don't experience that at all.

If I had my way, all my guitars would be scalloped! :mrgreen: But, I simply don't have the time & energy to do all of them. Maybe I should try to knock out one or two scallop jobs per year...even at that rate, it would take a lifetime! :roll:


   
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 EMT
(@emt)
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Joined: 15 years ago
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Topic starter  

no matter what i do i cannot get a decent sound when i strum. i'm either not getting one enough or i'm mashing the others to get one clear string.

red meat doesn't kill you, fuzzy green meat does.


   
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(@trguitar)
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This is a plus for a strat style guitar. A new neck is cheaper than a fret job but you need that mass produced bolt on neck to make it easy to do.

"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --


   
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 EMT
(@emt)
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Topic starter  

lowered the action. i can get decent sounds alot easier now. the guy at the guitar shop was looking at it and pointed it out. i could fit a couple nickles between the strings and the board. guy said it was pretty high. the piece of wood he removed was over an 1/8th thick.
it's easier to play as i can get cords without hitting the other strings now.
this makes woody happy. :D

red meat doesn't kill you, fuzzy green meat does.


   
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(@lethargytartare)
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Joined: 14 years ago
Posts: 14
 

lowered the action. i can get decent sounds alot easier now. the guy at the guitar shop was looking at it and pointed it out. i could fit a couple nickles between the strings and the board. guy said it was pretty high. the piece of wood he removed was over an 1/8th thick.
it's easier to play as i can get cords without hitting the other strings now.
this makes woody happy.

A couple of nickels is VERY high -- most guys aim for business-card-thickness between strings and the frets. But what do you mean by "the piece of wood he removed"?? Where did he remove any wood? Was this an acoustic guitar, or was it something he found in the neck pocket?

all that said, you should be able to dress the frets a couple of times in the life of your guitar to address significant pitting and divots in the frets -- and a fret dressing should only cost you 40-70 bucks (or so, depending on your area).

But 500 for a refret sounds really really high -- I think 250-350 is a more reasonable range (that seems to be the range here in the Chicago area).

cheers!

ltt


   
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 EMT
(@emt)
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Topic starter  

it was under the nut.
dunno why but that's how grandad like his guitar.

mostly i think everyones over charging to avoid working on it. one guy even suggested i just send it back to martin.
it's a 57 year old acoustic so no one around here wants to touch it. with the action lowered i can muddle through with the grooved frets.

i've only been at this for a months and i'm already looking at other guitars, is that wrong?

a fella in another thread just snagged one from a pawn shop and is redoing it. i may take that approach as i think i would learn a great deal about them this way. think this is advisable for a rookie or could this quickly become a minor disaster?

red meat doesn't kill you, fuzzy green meat does.


   
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