Getting a fret job on my Paul

sooperunkn

sooperunkn

New member
Well I finally bit the bullit and decided to get the fret job done on my Les Paul. It's a 1978 and has needed one for a while now. I've been hesitant and freaked out because I'm afraid that the guitar will be completely different when I get it back. This is my baby... I've played it exclusively for the last 13 years! So now I'm telling myself that when I get it back it will be like a brand new guitar!!!

I'm dropping it off next week, and advice on what kind of frets to put on her? The ones on their now are stock... low profile. The Les Paul Custom's nickname is the "fretless wonder" and I love the way it plays so I'm leaning towards keeping it stock. I was looking at stainless but I don't want to brighten... or alter the tone.

Can I sit in the operating room while he does this??
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

Hi.

When I got my '87 LP Custom, it had had a fret job. They used jumbo frets, which I love. Go with what you're comfortable with as far as frets. If you have a good tech (& hoprfully you do) he should be aboe to suggest the best type of wire and if he's not too busy, maybe let you watch (I don't blame you. I would want ot be there too).

Be sure he preserves the nibs on the end of the frets. When I got mine they were gone. I took it to a luthier to get it set up and he had a cow because they were gone. I didn't particualrly care, because it doesn't effect anything, but it was a big deal to him.

Good luck,

Jeff
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

Some guys might let you watch, but most probably won't, simply because the repair guy doesn't know exactly when he'll get around to it. I would suggest going with a set of medium jumbo frets, although that means different things to different people. Sometimes frets that are classified as medium jumbo have a crown that's .05" high, other times people will refer to .036" as medium jumbo...that's a big difference. I personally don't understand how anyone can play on small frets, unless they play strictly rhythm...but that's just me. I do my own fretwork, but if I were taking it in to someone, I would buy the wire ahead of time to make sure I got exactly the size I wanted. My advice is to play some newer guitars in the shop and compare fret sizes. See if there's one particular size that you really like. Always err on the side of larger frets, rather than smaller. If they're too large, they can be easily filed down during installation. If you go too small and you don't like them, you're out of luck unless you pay for another refret.

I wouldn't advise going with stainless steel. Having played both, I don't believe there is a significant difference in tone between stainless and nickel silver. But stainless is a bit harder to work with, so it is more expensive to have them installed. Many luthiers won't even do it. The main advantage of stainless steel frets is that they are extremely smooth and great for heavy benders. I love stainless frets, but if you like small frets, you won't really benefit that much from stainless steel, and wearing them out too soon isn't really a concern if it took you this long to wear out the original frets. Finally, a good luthier can recreate the original binding nubs, but he may charge more for it. I actually prefer bound necks without the nubs, so it wouldn't be a big deal to me. But if you want the nubs preserved, be sure to tell him.

Ryan
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

Hey thanks for the replies guys. I feel embarrased to ask this but what the hell are "binding nubs"??? Are you talking about the actuall binding material? Or they fret markers on the binding material??
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

sooperunkn said:
Hey thanks for the replies guys. I feel embarrased to ask this but what the hell are "binding nubs"??? Are you talking about the actuall binding material? Or they fret markers on the binding material??
Click to expand...

http://www.fretnot.ws/Fretting3.htm

Check out the binding nub pics on that page. It's also a good reference if you're interested in how a refret is done.

Binding nubs are simply the area in which the binding on the side of the neck overlaps the fret ends. If you don't care about preserving them, the luthier will probably just install the wire so that the fret ends sit on top of the binding, rather than underneath it.

Ryan
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

rspst14 said:
http://www.fretnot.ws/Fretting3.htm

Check out the binding nub pics on that page. It's also a good reference if you're interested in how a refret is done.

Binding nubs are simply the area in which the binding on the side of the neck overlaps the fret ends. If you don't care about preserving them, the luthier will probably just install the wire so that the fret ends sit on top of the binding, rather than underneath it.

Ryan
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link... I never realized the nubs before. I can't see myself really caring if they're there or not... unless I can feel a difference. But he did assure me it will look the same except with new fret wire.
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

Go with what you feel comfortable with. If it had lower and smaller frets before then go ahead and have that type put in.

I had my 73' Deluxe refretted about a year ago and I'd never been able to stand the smaller frets. I told the luthier to go with "big honkin' mothers" and he did exactly that. The frets are huge but they feel fantastic to me. It's alot of work to play but it sounds and feels fantastic.

Thew downside is that it makes pretty much anything else I wrap my mitts around feel like a toy!
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

I don't care for the binding nubs on my Les Paul Custom, I've had the high E string get caught in it during bends
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

Skarekrough said:
Go with what you feel comfortable with. If it had lower and smaller frets before then go ahead and have that type put in.

I had my 73' Deluxe refretted about a year ago and I'd never been able to stand the smaller frets. I told the luthier to go with "big honkin' mothers" and he did exactly that. The frets are huge but they feel fantastic to me. It's alot of work to play but it sounds and feels fantastic.

Thew downside is that it makes pretty much anything else I wrap my mitts around feel like a toy!
Click to expand...

For me, I find the opposite to be true. Playing on smaller frets is more work for me, I'm always trying to alter my touch to avoid dragging against the fretboard when bending or sliding. I learned to play guitar on jumbo frets, so that probably explains why anything else feels wrong. The only bad thing about moving from small to large frets is that it's easy to use too much presure and fret the strings too hard, causing the notes to go sharp. By learning on jumbos, I also learned to use a more controlled picking and fretting motion to prevent that from happening.

One other thing, in addition to height, the width is also important. Narrow frets are slightly better for intonation, but they feel kind of like speed bumps to me. Wider frets wear longer, and they make sliding a bit easier.

Ryan
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

I had my '73 refretted with Dunlop 6105 (my favorite), and it cost me over $300.
 
Re: Getting a fret job on my Paul

rspst14 said:
For me, I find the opposite to be true. Playing on smaller frets is more work for me, I'm always trying to alter my touch to avoid dragging against the fretboard when bending or sliding. I learned to play guitar on jumbo frets, so that probably explains why anything else feels wrong.
Click to expand...

On tiny frets (a la "fretless wonder") it's a ton of work for me as well, but in a different way like you said. I have to be very careful of strings slipping under my fingers when I bend, etc.

I think I kind of self-regulate unconsciously pretty well on larger frets. I'm at least conscious of it being more work and I think the extra pressure and pain it puts on my fingers makes me really aware of what's going on.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top