Assuage my re-fret fears

For help with setups and other technical issues.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jonesie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4047
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Massachusetts

Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Jonesie » Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:37 am

I got my Yamaha Studio Lord almost 9 years ago now and even when I got it it had been played hard. There's a (very well done) headstock repair with some overspray, a poorly cut nut, and there were some deep grooves in the cowboy chord frets.

I brought it to my tech this past weekend for a nut job and fret leveling and he told me that there wasn't enough fret left to do a level so I'd be looking at a re-fret. He quoted me what I thought was a reasonable price, especially for doing it on a bound fretboard, so I decided to go for it. Just sticking with medium-jumbo Gibson style frets, nothing fancy and I'm not changing anything huge.

The tech does incredible work and has worked with several internationally touring bands, so I trust him, I just have a general re-fret worry. It's the first guitar I've had it done on, and is the first "big" repair I've had done on any of my guitars, so it's just uncharted territory for me.

Just looking for some reassurance from people who have had re-frets done, really.

Here's a picture of the guitar being worked on (right).

Image

User avatar
Steadyriot.
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1262
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 2:16 pm
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Steadyriot. » Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:15 am

Had my JM Jaguar refretted a while ago. Tech did a great job and the guitar is fine. If you trust your tech, you’ve got nothing to worry about!
"If someone duetted with a Bald Eagle, they could rule the Country charts from here to eternity." ~shadowplay

User avatar
Maggieo
Expat
Expat
Posts: 13446
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2006 10:36 am
Location: Nebraska, USA
Contact:

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Maggieo » Tue Aug 03, 2021 9:41 am

Rosewood re-frets are dead easy for a good tech. Maple refrets require more experience, but my guy did a great job on Blackstrat.
“Now I am quietly waiting for/ the catastrophe of my personality/ to seem beautiful again.”- Frank O'Hara
I am not an attorney and this post is for entertainment purposes only. Please consult a licensed attorney in your state for legal advice.

User avatar
j mascis
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 289
Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 10:28 pm

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by j mascis » Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:00 pm

I'd call it an upper intermediate job. If he has a good reputation, he should be able to handle it.

User avatar
andy_tchp
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 8010
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:36 am
Location: Brisbane

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by andy_tchp » Tue Aug 03, 2021 5:36 pm

You'll love it even more afterwards.
"I don't know why we asked him to join the band 'cause the rest of us don't like country music all that much; we just like Graham Lee."
David McComb, 1987.

User avatar
Ursa Minor
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 5892
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 8:26 am
Location: Chicago

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Ursa Minor » Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:05 pm

I really fretted :whistle: :D about getting my old Jag refretted. I probably waited too long tbh - it had some big divots and was much too worn for a level and crown. I was sorta worried about the originality and the fact that its vintage but I'm a player and wanted it to be better. In the end it turned out great and was no big deal. Took it to someone with tons of experience and had it done right. Now it plays great and sounds even better. People have compared it to getting tired replaced and I think its a fitting comparison. You won't regret it.
The artist formerly known as kosmonautmayhem.

User avatar
seenoevil II
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2019 12:59 pm

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by seenoevil II » Wed Aug 04, 2021 8:24 am

Gee IDK... my uncle got his 59 LP refreted one time. The tech said everything was gonna be fine, but he botched it. He put 22 new frets on the back of the neck. Now you just hear my uncle strumming out of tune chords on the smooth board... He hasn't been the same since.

I'm pretty sure a bad refret is what happened to Meg Ryan.

Edit: but kidding aside, that board doesn't even appear to have nubs. The only refret that could be easier would be an unbound rosewood board. It's not going to play totally the same as before. For instance, it'll also have a new nut with all that extra crown height. But as long as they undercut the tang and don't put in a super thick tanged wire that would put back bow tension on the neck (something they'd need to go out of their way to do), it'll be fine. It'll play easier.
If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments.

User avatar
pacemaker
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2860
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 6:44 am
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Contact:

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by pacemaker » Thu Aug 05, 2021 7:24 am

I'm in the same boat and posted a similar thread recently – got some great feedback here. I haven't pulled the trigger yet because of finances, but I'm going to do it as soon as I can.

Is that a 1446 I spy of to the left side of your photo?

User avatar
Jonesie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4047
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Jonesie » Thu Aug 05, 2021 8:37 am

Thanks all for the reassurance! Should have the guitar back in a few weeks, I'll post an update.
pacemaker wrote:
Thu Aug 05, 2021 7:24 am
Is that a 1446 I spy of to the left side of your photo?
It is! I got it from one of my friends for almost nothing, and it sounds and plays amazing. I put an aluminum Compton bridge on it and it really came to life.

User avatar
pacemaker
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 2860
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 6:44 am
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Contact:

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by pacemaker » Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:20 pm

That's awesome! They're such cool guitars, and even better if you can get one for a decent price! I put Comptons on all my Harmony/Silvertones too, and it does make a difference.

User avatar
Jonesie
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 4047
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 7:00 am
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by Jonesie » Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:02 pm

I got the guitar back a couple of weeks ago, and after adjusting the setup a bit more to my liking (I think my tech is pretty conservative in regard to acceptable sustain and buzzing) it's playing great. Bends are definitely smoother. I do have to adjust my playing a bit to not press down too hard now that the frets are higher.

Sounds as good as ever though, no changes there.

User avatar
seenoevil II
PAT. # 2.972.923
PAT. # 2.972.923
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2019 12:59 pm

Re: Assuage my re-fret fears

Post by seenoevil II » Fri Sep 17, 2021 2:50 pm

Jonesie wrote:
Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:02 pm
I got the guitar back a couple of weeks ago, and after adjusting the setup a bit more to my liking (I think my tech is pretty conservative in regard to acceptable sustain and buzzing) it's playing great. Bends are definitely smoother. I do have to adjust my playing a bit to not press down too hard now that the frets are higher.

Sounds as good as ever though, no changes there.
Cool! It's always so cool to press reset on an old guitar and nash the frets without any worry again. That's one of the drawbacks of old guitars, so often you ration your playing time on them for fear of wearing the frets out.
If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments.

Post Reply