fret work

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

didnt know wher else to ask this and I know some of you know alot about guitars.

I'm wondering if any of you have some expereince with having fret work done on your guitars?

I have a 79 strat with some badly "pitted" frets.
This was my first real guitar bought from fullerton music in fullerton, CA in 1979 and I am a bit hesitant to let anyone monkey around with it. I know to most these 70's strats are junkers, but this is my baby. I had a luthier who has done alot of great work for me in the past do some fret work on an old explorer and i didnt like the way he left the frets rounded on the top instead of the flat edged top they used to have. Is this common for a fretjob?

I dunno..I'm scared it will change the guitar in a way I dont like.
Anyone have any insight on this subject?
Thanks

Bill Hatcher · From: Atlanta Ga. USA

I have refretted well over a thousand guitars. When the luthier crowned your frets, that is the way they are supposed to be in order to play in tune. If you have flat frets the strings will be making contact with the frets in different positions and will cause intonation problems.
A refret should put the guitar in the the best possible playing condition.

Sounds more like you have been used to playing a guitar with worn frets instead of the way they should be.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ben,Bill speaks the truth.I finally got my Strat re-fretted I was at the point here I was playing on totally flat frets that buzzed like a sitar because I didn't trust anyone with my baby.We now actually have a young guy named Mike Fleck who worked for Collings guitars and went to one of those schools to learn how to build guitars and he can do a perfect fret job.I have to tell you a quick story...I went to Nashville in 2001 with a male country artist from Alaska.I went to a small local store where some famous guitar players have their guitars worked on,I picked out the fret wire that I wanted and paid up front about $300.00,I prefer a slightly higher fret so I can get under the strings and bend a couple of strings at the same time,Anyway the guitar arrived back home a few weeks later and the only thing the repairman did was re-crown and polish my frets,they we're so low that I could barely play the guitar...It was bad when I brought it in,worse when it came home...just shinier,I was hosed I had paid for a complete fret job.Stu Whoa!

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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ben,I've heard that Mike Lull is good?
Stu
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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Ben Jones · From: Seattle, Washington, USA

Ive never played a new guitar with round frets like this fret-jobbed explorer. But when I google image crowned frets..sure enough they are round. Maybe on my explorer they didnt refret but just polished the frets down to the round nubs that they are now. Like Stu's guitar, i find the frets too low. maybe I'd be happier with a full on re-fretting?

Maybe I better talk to a luthier. I feel kinda like an idiot telling a luthier i prefer flat frets when they are supposed to be round tho.

man, I've ben playing for thirty years now, in fact, Ive been playing THIS strat for thirty years now. How could it be that ive never encountered, even on new guitars round frets?

Stu, Mike Lull is a good call. should I make an *ss of myself and tell him i want my frets flattened? Laughing

this is weird...ya know it would be just like me play for so long and not know my nut from my bridge so to speak.

Stu Schulman · From: Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)

Ben,I just bought a new Malden guitar,Japanese and the frets are crowned to a subtle triangle which in theory should make it play in tune much better because the string lands exactly on the middle of the fret,I notice bending is a lot easier,Don't be embarrassed to tell a Lull what your comfortable with,it's gotta feel good to you.My friend Alice Stuart lives in Olympia and has some great guitars.If you go to her gigs she'll probably let you check the frets on her guitars...Mention me.Stu Winking

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Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952.

Dave Harmonson · From: Seattle, Wa

Ben, my old friend Gene Nygaard does excellent guitar work. He's down in Kent, but he also does work out of Emerald Guitars downtown. He makes Zero guitars. Check out his website zeroguitars.com
Makes some really cool lap steels as well. He has done frets on my Tele and one of my Martins. He does maticulous work at a reasonable cost.
He has contact info on his site.
Dave

William Fraser · From: New York, USA

Ben ,you didn't mention whether you have a maple or rosewood fingerboard , but maple is a lot more work. Why not buy a new neck for $150 or so ,& have the original re-fretted when you find a suitable luthier. You can call Fender & they will point you towards a suitable shop . I did that recently & was treated very well . Your 79 is no junker . I reccomend buying Stew-Mac's book on re-fretting ,& educate yourself , if you have 1 or 2 bad frets & rosewood ,consider a partial re-fret , I replace the 1st & 3rd a lot & leave the others alone . Razz

Bill
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Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc.

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