How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

[MetalManiac]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

No. Here's why:

That might work if fret buzz wore down frets but it doesn't. It just sounds like crap. Frets wear where you fret the string, not where strings buzz. Consequently, as you continue to play, the places you generally fret the string wear down more. Since they're even lower relative to the frets where the buzz occurs, the buzzing probably gets even worse.

Physics is a *****.

Brilliant!!

[MetalManiac]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I

Steve Morse for example has had his number 1 Musicman refretted close to a dozen times...and that guitar is only 25 years old...Mike Campbell has never had his Broadcaster fully refretted, he did have the first 5 frets replaced a year or so ago because they guitar simply wouldn't play anymore below the 6th fret...it's over 60 years old.

This is brilliant!
Of course, Mr. Micheal Campbell has acsses to the best guitar techs in the world.I'm sure thats not a stretch.
So then, did Mike have periodic levels and crownings before his refret, and did he sort of "wear his guitar in" before it became unplayable?
Morse OTOH likes new frets to get the action he needs off of the board.

[Mr 9finger]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I usually notice the crowns starting to flatten out in spots within a month or two of playing a brand new guitar an average of 20 or 30 minutes a day. That doesn't mean the frets won't work fine, however. The only time I recrown is after I have the frets leveled. Otherwise you get nicely crowned frets that aren't level. As for leveling, I usually just do it to the higher frets, which I don't play that often. I don't care about dents, but the higher frets sticking up more than the lower ones can make setting up the guitar the way I like it near impossible.

I like to have my guitars fret's "sloped" from the about the 9 or 10 fret down. It's a pain in the butt and time consuming, but if it's done right, it makes the guitar play effortlessly in the higher registers.

[MetalManiac]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I like to have my guitars fret's "sloped" from the about the 9 or 10 fret down. It's a pain in the butt and time consuming, but if it's done right, it makes the guitar play effortlessly in the higher registers.

Gotta hand it to you...Brilliant!
What is "sloping"?

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

[Gearjoneser]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

You can always use a method I've done quite a bit. Play a guitar till the frets are almost worn out, then sell it and buy a new one. No luthier cost. No self inflicted botch jobs.
Pretty new guitar with fresh frets.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I like to have my guitars fret's "sloped" from the about the 9 or 10 fret down. It's a pain in the butt and time consuming, but if it's done right, it makes the guitar play effortlessly in the higher registers.

I feel the same way, although my opinion is 12th-14th frets ramping down towards the heel end of the neck. A friend of mine who was a superb guitar builder, and who always got great playability with his setups, worked on this principle ... the fretboard would have what i called an 'S' curve .... the neck's natural relief between the nut and 12th fret, and then sloping down from the 12th, 13th or 14th fret to the end of the board. That configuration always led to fantastic playability that was more consistent all over the board.

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

It's a personal thing: I find it amazing that Brian May's guitar has never been refretted - it's nearly 50 years old and has been played hard! Well, except for the zero fret, which was done in 2005 or thereabouts because the strings were binding and tuning suffered.

But then, the guitar is 24", and the man uses 9s (used to be 8s), making for an axe that requires a really light touch, thus minimizing the rate of wear.

You can always use a method I've done quite a bit. Play a guitar till the frets are almost worn out, then sell it and buy a new one. No luthier cost. No self inflicted botch jobs.
Pretty new guitar with fresh frets.

[ItsaBass]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I like to have my guitars fret's "sloped" from the about the 9 or 10 fret down. It's a pain in the butt and time consuming, but if it's done right, it makes the guitar play effortlessly in the higher registers.

Over time, leveling mostly just the higher frets when needed, that's exactly what you end up with. I prefer my guitars after they've needed that partial leveling a time or two. I've never needed a full-on refret. Probably because I have several guitars, so the wear gets distributed among them. But my '68 SG and my '85 Strat are getting close to needing frets.

[JOLLY]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

You can always use a method I've done quite a bit. Play a guitar till the frets are almost worn out, then sell it and buy a new one. No luthier cost. No self inflicted botch jobs.
Pretty new guitar with fresh frets.

Brilliant!

[aleclee]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

Gotta hand it to you...Brilliant!
What is "sloping"?

It's more often referred to as "fall away", it's applying a very slight "slope" to the fret level on the upper frets to ensure that the upper registers are buzz-free. Properly done, it's subtle but definitely noticeable as playing is buzz-free and bends don't choke out.

[crusty philtrum]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

Ya know what i've wondered ? When you open a guitar case and see the inside of the lid ... the impression of the strings in the velour lining, and sometimes the frets too ......

If some guitar cases cause the strings to be pressed against the frets, even gently, and then you put that guitar/case into a car and drive .... the vibrations may cause the strings to move slightly on the frets whilst being kept in contact by the case lid. (thus .... possible fret wear).

With that in mind, i now put strips of thick soft fabric between the fretboard and the strings when i put a guitar into a case to be transported anywhere. I'll never know what happens inside the closed guitar case, but the fabric will stop the strings from touching the frets, even if vibration/ lid pressure is an issue.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

I just eliminate need for fret jobs by having so many guitars that none of them gets enough playing time to wear down the frets.

So if you play a lot and play hard, you just need more guitars.

[aleclee]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

Ya know what i've wondered ? When you open a guitar case and see the inside of the lid ... the impression of the strings in the velour lining, and sometimes the frets too ......

If some guitar cases cause the strings to be pressed against the frets, even gently, and then you put that guitar/case into a car and drive .... the vibrations may cause the strings to move slightly on the frets whilst being kept in contact by the case lid. (thus .... possible fret wear).

With that in mind, i now put strips of thick soft fabric between the fretboard and the strings when i put a guitar into a case to be transported anywhere. I'll never know what happens inside the closed guitar case, but the fabric will stop the strings from touching the frets, even if vibration/ lid pressure is an issue.

That's why I got one of these:

[King IzzO)))]

Re: How Long does a Fret Crown Last?

Have we really come to this? Just play the damn thing till it won't intonate/buzzes/can't handle bends/frets fall off.

Then sell it, like GJ said.