Ok, more questions, sorry. So if the fret gets real low, is there a tonal difference, or is it just a feel preference? Personally, I'm fine with low frets for low action, but I'm wondering just how low I can go before I "hear" the difference. Thoughts?
@SiCF1ST You mean heating the frets for removal with flush ground end nips as shown here. It will work on any fretted instrument where the frets have tangs to go into the fretslots… in other words, everything except USA Parker guitars.
my acoustic guitar frets are approximately 0.090" x 0.031" can they still be replaced despite their minuscule depth? How much will it cost for it to be done by a professional?
Nice work. Love the soldering tool. I have a guitar with a couple of frets that are lifting off of the fretboard at one end. is it possible to re-seat them? Thanx.
@kammhron Yeah fret ends can definitely be reseated, sometimes all that's required is a fretting hammer. But, more often than not I find that when you attempt to just smack 'em back home with your hammer they won't stay. What I do is typically clamp the loose ends with a radius block or fretting caul and run some water thin superglue into the slot. A shot of accelerator cures it instantly and you're good to go.
You may wish to lightly wax around the area you'll be floating the glue into, so that any which cures on the surface will be more easily removed. After the ends are secure, you may or may not find it necessary to do a light fret leveling. Hope that helps.
You said that you'll set your soldering iron as high as 5? Only 5 watts? The soldering iron I have has 15W and 30W settings... would that high heat over heat a volume pot while installing pickups and causing it to get scratchy?
I recently replaced the volume pot and it doesn't make any noise now.
What is the best wattage for volume pot soldering and what is the best for removing frets? Thanks these vids are awesome- I can do this!
@StratMatt777 Not 5 watts, the level 5 setting on the temp control. And if fact, 5 is as high as it goes. So you're fine to run it wide open if you know how to get on and off the part quick before you burn something up. Also, getting the part too hot while soldering doesn't cause a pot to sound scratchy, dirt does. If your pot is scratchy, shoot it with contact cleaner.
Wattage doesn't really matter, run your iron on the 30w setting and you'll be fine.
@supersnipah08 It probably would sound the same inlaying wood a I do in the videos here. I wouldn't do it this way, you're going to notice a lot of porosity in the cured epoxy when you level it off and it will look amateurish unless you take the time to carefully fill and resand. Also there's the color factor, you'll want to mix in some colorant to the epoxy so it will give enough contrast so that you can see where you're at. Just use wood, it's the professional way to do the job.
@dejavu00strat I'm pretty sure I stated this very clearly in the video but I'll say it again. The customer played a guitar I owned with the Dunlop 6000 extra jumbo fret wire. He wanted the same frets in his guitar.
@Thirdgen83 That is correct ONLY if they were originally installed sideways the way Fender USED to do it? Where did you hear that frets should be removed sideways. Try it sometime on a guitar like this one where the frets were installed from the top... You'll spend the next hour or so filling the chips you blew out the side of the fingerboard.
May have been stated before as I didn't have the time to read all the comments.. But if the glue is burning your eyes.. It's definitely Cyanoacrylate glue. (Super Glue) that was used to adhere the frets. I'm a big RC airplane nut and I know firsthand how that stuff gives off some nasty, eye burning fumes when coming under heat.
Great work and I was amazed how quickly those frets popped right out!
You are truly an artisan, I have been playing guitar professionally for 40 years, and this is quite an education for me. Although I will never attempt repair at this level myself, this video will at least give me some knowledge on what I need done in order for my guitars to sound and feel correct.
Hi there, superb, informative video! I want your advice, if possible. I want to replace the disappearing pyramid inlays on a Ibanez Universe with different coloured ones. What would be the best way to do this? Also, you mentioned in your video that removing fret wire can be more problematic if the neck has binding, which my neck has. What sort of things should i be looking out for while i carry out this procedure? Many thanks, and keep up the excellent work! :o)
@BruceKelley I assume you're concerned about the heat affecting the glue that holds the inlay work down? It's unlikely, but possible if you hang around too long with the heat. BUT... if the inlay is actually plastic and not pearl, there is a definite possibility of scorching. Again though, as long as you don't hang around long with the heat, things should be fine.
What is the worst wood to get frets out? My guess would be ebony or really really dense hard wood. Also what is it like refretting carbon fiber fingerboard?
@azfryguy They're all easy to get the frets out of. However, I've had the worst luck in the past with ebony and maple regarding chip-out. I'll usually pull one or two and if it looks like there's going to be a problem I stop and dampen the fingerboard to help create steam and the fret heats, this tends to reduce the chipping since the steam softens the wood somewhat.
I've never had to refret a carbon fiber fingerboard, I have done a few phenolic and one of the micarta Matrin fingerboards.
@flashpadxxx I thought I mentioned it in the video, but the solder aids in heat transfer from the tip of the iron to the fret. It's not absolutely necessary, but it makes things goes faster such that you can be on and off the fret much sooner. This is very useful on finished maple fingerboards and instruments with binding so that you don't burn anything up.
@smbstressfest You did mention it in the video. It's just there are more dumbass YouTube jackasses then ever before, and they don't friggin listen. Great job. I am an aspiring luthier and I love watching talented folks work on the best instrument man has invented (with inspiration from God). Your brave to tin your iron over the top of the fretboard! Soldering is my weakest skill, and my hands, wrist and forearms look as though I have measles :)
Hey man great video's. Were are you stationed at? I'm looking at possibly sending My Ibanez to you for a re fret with Dunlop 6000's. Please message me with more info
about the fret glue. i seen the making off the fender and it seems they use a clear glue in a bootle with a super thin nozzle and its applied in each fret hole and then frets are installed and pressed in using a machine.
Hello - look, I've got a Fender Stratocaster Eric Clapton signature series '1989' model ok, but this guitar has a "Fifth" hole on the metal plate that is bolted on with the other 4 screws. What is this Fifth hole for?? Plus it does have the "Fender" logo engraved on it. Is that original or what?? - Thanks
hi, i don't know anything about refretting, but i've decided to learn and attempt it on my old squier when i got quoted 4x the value of the guitar for a refret. i have a question.
from thermodynamics, i would have thought that if frets are not glued in, it would make more sense to cool down the frets than heating them up. this would cause the wood around the fret to shrink, as with the fret material itself (although very very marginally compared to the wood). what do you think?
Also, is there any reason you are pulling the undamaged frets? Can they be salvaged or is it ust better to pull them all and start from scratch? One more thing, your grind and polish on the Warmoth Strat turned out AWESOME, I see patience and taking it slow are virtues that need to be followed when doing a grind and polish. Outstanding my friend.
@592220 The customer wanted new Dunlop 6000 frets, that's why I pulled all of them. He played a strat of mine with the 6000s and decided that's what he wanted in his guitar.
Jason: I just finished watching your Warmoth guitar build and a BIG profound thanks for putting together such a nice complete video. I've always wanted to build my own, I build my own computers, I ust have always been overwhelmed by not knowing what tools I needed. I would like to refret my Ibanez so here I am. I read that EVH said he pulls his frets from the side as opposed to pulling them out. Have you tried this or is it unnecessary? It seems the tang does not grab at all coming out.
At the 3: to 4:00 mark, you addressed the issue as to what type of glue night be used, as it made your eyes burn. Dare I be so bold, and just assume it is super glue, which is an isocyinate, and that you SHOULD use a full face, fresh air system filtration system, as ones EYES are one of the most subceptible organs that gather the toxins.
Being as you do a fine job as a living, consider your Health first, THEN the great talent you have, so you can keep doing it forever! :) Just a hint
cant wait to you do a refret on a ginson that sounds tough. You are a legend making everything open my god are guys precious about this info in scotland you dont mind showing people, we're not worthy.
I would like to say that you are a legend a great guy I went to get my guitar refretted the dude wanted 180 pounds. I could buy a new neck for that, its cool that you can do this, what would you say is good wire to buy and where can you get new fret wire on the net. your agood player also, what guitarists do you like, your clever i like that.
How well would the soldiering iron method work with a neck with binding? I am getting ready to do a re-fret on a Flying V I built a few years ago, and I'm worried about the heat melting the binding. I want to minimize tear-out as much as possible. Will the heat be okay for the binding?
@matt420740 You should be fine. Stay in the middle with the soldering iron at first and gradually move out towards the edge being careful not to hang on top of or near the binding with the heat.
Hi Jason...quick question for you...I was thinking about going with the roller nut and I noticed you disliked them....any particular reason why? Also, what would you charge to do an Ernie Ball style neck (birds eye maple) in stainless fret wire with a 12 radius? And would you be interested in doing the job if I sent the neck to you?
@sav7152 Yeah, many reasons. Primarily, they don't allow for height adjustments to the individual strings. For a guitar tech as finicky about such small details like this as I am, that's more than enough to detest those things. However, If you don't care much about the action and radius at the nut, don't mind the shims, and can deal with those small screws that are SO easy to break plus keeping extra ball bearings around for when you lose them from time to time... The LSR might be fine :-)
@tubetwang BEWARE WHEN USING A HEAT GUN TO REMOVE PAINT FROM A NECK! A guitar neck is under stresses even when not strung up, and very likely held together in some fashion with glue. Heat from that gun can soften any glues joints present, allowing things to flex and move in whatever direction they want, which is probably NOT the way we need them to move to be useful as a guitar neck.
To anyone wanting to use this technique, proceed with caution and make sure the neck is dead straight first.
Jesus, what a bunch of wankers. Having a hissy fit over a word.. Just call it welding with lead and be done with it. Dude sounds like a know it all wannabee, "oh look Margret, my tool is worn out".. Just my two pence worth!!
Thanks for the help here. I am starting to learn this process on some cheap necks so this is very helpful. By the way, I have my M.A. in English and I was still able to learn quite a bit. If I corrected my friends for every English violation, I would be drinking alone all of the time. Thanks for your posts.
question: i'm going to start playing guitar, wondering if you can recommend a brand or exact guitar, can spend up to 2k. love humbucker sound, and fender style, help! great video, thanks, it's cool to see how this is done
@sluterry You are correct if we're talking about British English pronunciation. I am however American, and the word is pronounced [sod-er-ing] in our dialect.
dude, its written "soldering" hence there is an L in there and a quite promenant one at that, that is like saying you dont say the "f" in "fridge" so as to sound like this, "yeah hold up i gotta put this soda back in the "ridge"! its solder, the process is soldering, it is by all definitions a solering iron therefore it is soldering not soddering, and it would require the double "D" in order to be pronounced "sod-er-ing" with a single "D" iw ould be pronounced "soad-er-ing"
@sluterry If you're going to come on here and sharp shoot people on words, perhaps you should spell all yours correctly, no? You wrote "promenant" when I think you meant "prominent".
To borrow your phrase, no offense intended really, just look at it as a pointer on how not to look like an illeterate online.
@abergreg You pronunciation trolls are something else LOL! Who cares how I say the word?! Did you learn something from the video? That's all I'm really concerned about.
@smbstressfest I only commented because you insisted you were correct and on this occasion you are not, you can now pass on the correct pronunciation to others in your area similarly mistaken. the refret video is very good ive been a luthier 31 years and have seen some awful messes made by people doing their own refret.
@abergreg I didn't insist I was correct. I did however look the word up to verify it's pronunciation and etymology. Here's what I found, please note the phonetic spelling.
solder |ˈsädər|
noun
a low-melting alloy, esp. one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals.
ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French soudure, from the verb souder, from Latin solidare ‘fasten together,’ from solidus ‘solid.’
just trying to make you aware of how much your country keeps from you in a way of a correct education is all, no offense really intended more look at it as a pointer on how to not look like an illiterate online,
@sluterry The only thing you've made me aware of is that you're being pedantic and probably just trolling. I couldn't help but notice that you have no uploads on YouTube, so you're not really contributing here. Perhaps you should make some videos demonstrating "proper" pronunciation of words since you're clearly so passionate about that.
(continued) What about loosening the trussrod completely (giving you a somewhat more flexible neck) where you could exert some backbow pressure to help the frets come out easier? Wouldn't heating the frets and pulling them AFTER they cool (allowing the expanded fret metal to contract to its original thickness) be "easier" on the fret slots AND the pulling of said frets? Sorry for the LONG posts and multiple questions! Thank you so much for these videos! \m/
@givemeafuknbreak111 NO, Pull 'em hot! The moisture content of the wood will flash off as steam while your heating the frets (the heat also breaks the bond of any glue that might be present) the steam will soften the slots ever so slightly allowing you to remove them with little to no chip out most of the time.
If you wait for things to cool off, the moisture is gone and the slot will probably be more dry and brittle, almost guaranteeing major chip out.
Hi Jason! I'd like to ask you the following: Before you pull frets, do you adjust the trussrod (without string tension) to get the neck perfectly straight or do you leave it as it was adjusted with string tension? Would it be wise to tighten it into a bit of backbow beforehand - it seems to me this would release some pressure between the fret tangs and the slots; at least on the bottom 1/2 of the fretboard, reducing the chances of chipout? (continues)
@givemeafuknbreak111 I tend not to adjust the neck before I remove frets, unless I'm curious as to how much compression they were introducing into the equation.
Whether the neck is back bowed, forward bowed, or straight really shouldn't make that big of a difference. The straightness of the neck for fret removal isn't really very critical.
@markkessels Solder on the tip of the iron does protect and prolong the life of the tip, but in this case the main advantage is heat transfer. When you tin the tip, some of that solder transfers to the fret as you heat it and lets you work faster as well as reducing the chance that you could scorch a maple fingerboard. We're trying to get it HOT, FAST and then get outta there equally fast.
Tinning the iron is a good idea, helps the iron move across the fret. Jason
is moving the iron and leaving it on the fret just long enough fret to break the glue bond. Tinning the iron or solder on the fret? They are the same thing. I guess we will all miss bohs1984 and his lovely language and lack of decorum. PS. You said master builder and Fender in the same sentence. Ooops!
Yeah, your right. I only sat there with a senior master builder from the Fender custom shop as he explained exactly what I told you. He was commenting on how all you retards out there constantly burn the board and overheat it because you do not put down a small amount of solder first Pick up a fret after removing and it is cool. Thats because the heat QUICKLY dissapates away. Pick one up after putting a little solder down and it will remain hot for minutes.
@bohs1984 I really don't care if you sat on his lap and told him what you wanted for christmas. Don't come on here poo-pooing my work and name calling.
Does this fingerboard look burnt to you sir? And just so we're clear here, are you even a guitar repair tech at all? I AM putting a little solder down first, but on the soldering iron, WHERE IT GOES! It seems to me that you've misunderstood this "senior master builder", and now you're arguing against a position that I'm not even taking.
@smbstressfest OK, youre a fucking idiot and I would not let you repair my kazoo, let alone one of my guitars. You WILL try the technique I taught you and you WILL use it in the future because it works much better. You dont have to thank me. Just knowing that you will no longer be butchering other peoples guitars is thanks enough. YOUR WELCOME.
@bohs1984 Alright homey, that's all you had to say. I suspect that you're just trying to troll at this point, so you're done wasting our time. YOU ARE BLOCKED.
These videos are for people trying to learn fretwork, not individuals with some sort of axe to grind.
Once you lose your cool and reach for the ad hominem attacks, you've definitely lost the debate. All that shows is that you're out of logic and reason, so you default to a more primitive and ineffective style of argument.
You need to put a very little amount of solder ON THE FRET. It keeps the heat from dissapating to quickly and you dont have to scorch the board. You know that steam and smell your getting. That aint glue, thats the rosewood boiling off its moisture.
@bohs1984 How would the fret accept solder if you didn't heat it first? And what do we do to our soldering iron when we're waiting for it to heat up?
On this job, there was a glue smell in addition to the typical moisture that comes from the wood when you heat it in this way. I've been at this long enough to know the difference.
Don't come on here and try to prove how smart you are to all of us by sharpshooting my work. If you have info to share about fretwork, make a few videos for us.
That is low, and highly unusual to boot. Just heat them with a soldering iron, and then cafefully walk them out with a small pair of flush ground end nips.
I have a standard strat with extremely low frets, lower than 6230 frets, thats makes it hard to get hold of them with the tonge/plier, is there any other way?
Unless we're dealing with a "sideways Fender fretjob", flush ground end nippers should be the only tool you'll ever need. In the past I've pulled frets where the crown was a mere .020" tall using this method.
Are your end nips flush ground? And how tall are the frets you're trying to pull?
A bound fingerboard is a fingerboard like you would find on a Gibson Les Paul. Rather than being able to see the tang of the fret (that part of the fret embedded in the fingerboard) when viewing it from the side, you see a plastic strip or "binding" It makes for a very tidy-looking fingerboard but a real pain to re-fret as you have to be careful not to damage it when removing/installing frets. It also means the new frets have to be prepared more precisely before installation. Hope this helps
It can, especially on maple if you're moving too slow. Even if it does slightly, it won't do any real harm. Pulling the frets cold and causing massive chipping is a much bigger problem. NEVER PULL FRETS COLD!
That's sometimes the general consensus among repair techs, but it's not necessarily true ALL the time. I've found certain rosewood fingerboards that were just horrible regarding the chip-factor. But even maple can be a bitch too sometimes. Every single piece of wood is different.
LOL that sounds like a jive answer, but it's the truth. My experience often varies on different species of wood from job to job...
Just a quick "thanks" for taking the time to make this in depth video. Youtube is an amazing thing on its own and talented guys like you elevate it to a powerful tool for folks who want to learn.
So I have a Gibson Les Paul with an Ebony fretboard. So far I haven't had any fret buzzing, I think it was dressed soon before I bought it about 5 months ago, but the frets are really low. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the original frets from 1992. I was just wondering what my options are when the time comes that fret buzzing.etc happens, could I get it re fretted with the same type of frets and nut? and how much would that cost? because I don't think it could handle another fret dressing.
It came with the soldering iron, or I bought it at a place like Lowe's or Sears. I had to file the groove in it myself, they're just copper usually, so it's easy to do.
You have to undercut the tang and make sure it's flush with the bottom of the fingerboard so that the crown overhangs the binding. You can either accomplish this with end nippers and finish up with needle files, or there are specialty tools available from guitar supply shops that do this all for you in one step. Even though they're not cheap, buy the tang nippers! :-)
why is your customer reftretting? as you said, those frets down even look worn down. I am thinking I need to reftret my sheraton ii, the are very worn down Probably will be difficult to get a purchase with the pliars. How much in general for reftret job?
He liked the xtra-jumbo Dunlop 6000 frets on my hardtail strat, and wanted the fret buzz to go away in his guitar. When I told him that his frets would be lower after we took care of the buzzing (it needed a leveling) he made the call to just refret with the big 6000 wire. Regarding your super low frets and removing them, it's no problem. I've never found any so low that I couldn't get the out with using the method shown in the video. I've PMed you regarding the cost of a refret.
I work with with electronic and use soldering irons constantly and just heating up the solder creates smoke because of the flux. There may still be glue holding them in, not sure.
I have a cheap harmony strat copy I'd like to remove the frets from, will deffinitely use your video as a model. Just wondering, what kind of sodering iron are you using? I just bought one that is 25 watts, should that work fine? Also, how will I know when the frets are ready to be pulled? Thanks very much for these insightful videos!
Many guys who play that stuff like big frets, play some guitars with jumbos and see what you think. If you like 'em, have your own guitar refretted with the same.
Hello Jason. I will gonna refret two of my guitars, one of them it´s a cheapy strat and the another a real american strat. I have saw all of your videos and think i can do it, starting with the cheaper one. The problem is that the cheaper one it´s a maple fingerboard and i don´t know how to deal with the finishing, lacquer and the other things not present in the rosewood work you did.
Fender to my understanding does use super glue, the same glue you use, the only exception is they apply the glue before pressing in the fret because the frets have little crimps in the tang to bite into the wood. The glue is assurance due to rosewood drawing moisture. Maple fretboards are typically done the same way, except Fender applies finish right over the frets and then scrape the finish off when leveling...I hope this helps.
I have an ibanez rg and some of the frets have got like little dint in where i have played the guitar, i play the guiat daily for lots of hours and would i need some new frest in them ones?
If you're noticing a fret buzz in the frets where you have the visible wear it may be time for a leveling. Usually we can get at least two fret levelings out of a set of frets before an entire refret is required. I recommend taking your guitar to a competent repair tech or luthier and getting their opinion on what if any action is necessary at this time. Hope that helps.
They're end nippers, but these are flush ground to eliminate the bevel from the top. This makes them much more effective for fret removal. I don't recommend trying it with standard end nips.
The way it bothers the eyes I'd believe it! Once you use a soldering iron (just be sure to file a groove in the tip) you'll never go back to pulling them cold again!
hey mate! nice work and great video. culd u plz tell me how i could remove the frets from my bass and make it a fretless? as in what shuld use to replace the frets? what kind of wood? keep up the good work
Do the notes around the 12th fret also sound flat? You need to set intonation on the guitar most likely. I haven't done a video on it, but I'll probably do one eventually covering this topic. I'm sure there's a vid somewhere here you can find in the mean time though. It's not too complicated, but a word to the wise... when strings get really old the intonation can waver, so make sure this isn't your problem first. Also, you'll never get it perfect. It's good to keep that in mind as well.
If you're going to be refretting, you probably should level the fingerboard yes. You want the neck as straight as you can get it when the board is leveled. I'm aware that there are replacement logos out there if you know where to look. I am not a fan of the compound radius FB, nut many love them. Traditionally, strats were 7.25", the new modern standard is 9.5" but I've seen many MIJ fender strats that were much flatter, more like a 14". I just refretted a MIJ strat and it was a 14" radius.
Great work! My '85 Jap Strat hasn't got any glue under-frets and the neck has always had relief even more with frets removed. Is it time to level the f-board with frets gone and truss rod real tight? The maple is 'dark' where there was chips in the laquer :( The guitar is pretty beat-up but sounds great. If I remove the Logo do you know if I can get another one? Do you like compound radius and what radius are strats?
Hey thanks! Yeah, just as soon as one shows up here for work... I'll do a few vids showing the different considerations associated with fetting bound fingerboards.
It's probably the string nut. If you have somebody local who could verify that the nut is cut properly and not hanging up anywhere that would be first thing to check. You might also try putting some kind of lubricant in the nut slots and see if that happens. Are you hearing any pinging and you bend, tune, or use the trem?
Jason, you are a great teacher, and thank you very much! You make me want to be a guitar tech, craftsman! ;) I deal with hazardous waste and stuff, so I'm self conscious about what I, and others are exposed too. Do you use a fan to blow away the smoke? I couldn't tell by the video, but if not, I'd like to see your eyes and lungs protected from that smoke:) Thanks again for taking the time and energy to make these videos. Your knowledge and wisdom is very much appreciated!! :)
I don't use a fan normally, unless I'm going to be around the stuff for an extended period of time. I've been known to just take the neck and my soldering iron outside and pull frets on my front porch if there really was a lot of superglue used on the frets. Rick Turner wrote a column for Bass Player years ago where he talked about superglue fumes and the general idea I took away from it was that superglue fumes are an irritant but don't cause real harm unless you're around them all the time.
I ran out of text... I was also going to say I appreciate your concern and thank you for your kind words. I've been getting a bit of business from doing these videos and that's fine, but in fact my main objective was to share information and possibly entertain a few detail orientated guitar types out there as well.
Right on! Thanks again for the vids, and I'm glad that it's helping with some leads! How long were you a pipefitter for? How did you learn all of this stuff? Awhile ago I bought a guitar that ended up being the worst buy ever for me. The frets on that thing feel like buck teeth on my hand:( I will not sell it, nor even give it away. I find your vids very helpful, even if it's just a drop in the pan for knowledge. At least I see what happens and what it's like:)
Also, most of your tools come from stewmac? Man, I'm thinking that their tools got to be gold plated.. or their pockets! Well, at least we know that their putting out solid, dependable items:)
I just used a very small rat tail file to make the half round shape that allows it to glide easily on the tops of the frets. There is different shape ground into each side for different sized frets.
I see...I would be interested to know if you are planning to do a fret level video. I know you cover this breifly at the end of this series, but I think a video of you leveling existing frets would be great....If you do a youtube search for "fret level", the only videos that come up on the subject have a man in a dark room grinding and fumbling about on a make shift fret board....Its scary.
P.S. I shared your videos with the guys at Reranch...good responses!
Safety glasses won't completely protect your eyes from superglue vapors. That would take a full face organic respirator mask. If the fumes are what you're worried about, you could always just turn a fan on to blow it away from you while you work. It's not harmful, just an irritant.
fantastic video. the camera angle during fret removal was perfect. i sent my acoustic in to my local shop to get a full refret, so its nice to see what the procedure actually looks like.
i've heard that you should completely relieve the truss rod when you remove the strings altogether so that it doesn't warp the neck. is this true or not?
If the instrument is to be stored for an extended period of time with no strings (more than a few days perhaps) then you probably should adjust the rod so that the neck is straight.
Ok, more questions, sorry. So if the fret gets real low, is there a tonal difference, or is it just a feel preference? Personally, I'm fine with low frets for low action, but I'm wondering just how low I can go before I "hear" the difference. Thoughts?
AxekickerDotCom 1 month ago
One other question: Should I just start by replacing suspect frets (say, from 12 to 22) or should I refret the whole neck?
AxekickerDotCom 1 month ago
Where did you get that iron bit?
AxekickerDotCom 1 month ago
@AxekickerDotCom I just took a standard soldering iron tip and filed it so it would ride on the fret and then retinned. It works like a charm.
smbstressfest 1 month ago
try goggles if your eyes are bothering you
wellyes 2 months ago
will it work for acoustics?
SiCF1ST 2 months ago
@SiCF1ST You mean heating the frets for removal with flush ground end nips as shown here. It will work on any fretted instrument where the frets have tangs to go into the fretslots… in other words, everything except USA Parker guitars.
smbstressfest 2 months ago
my acoustic guitar frets are approximately 0.090" x 0.031" can they still be replaced despite their minuscule depth? How much will it cost for it to be done by a professional?
mycahman 3 months ago
@mycahman I'll send you a PM with some pricing info.
smbstressfest 3 months ago
Nice work. Love the soldering tool. I have a guitar with a couple of frets that are lifting off of the fretboard at one end. is it possible to re-seat them? Thanx.
kammhron 3 months ago
@kammhron Yeah fret ends can definitely be reseated, sometimes all that's required is a fretting hammer. But, more often than not I find that when you attempt to just smack 'em back home with your hammer they won't stay. What I do is typically clamp the loose ends with a radius block or fretting caul and run some water thin superglue into the slot. A shot of accelerator cures it instantly and you're good to go.
smbstressfest 3 months ago
You may wish to lightly wax around the area you'll be floating the glue into, so that any which cures on the surface will be more easily removed. After the ends are secure, you may or may not find it necessary to do a light fret leveling. Hope that helps.
smbstressfest 3 months ago
@smbstressfest Thanks for the tips. I will give it a try. Does the super glue stain the rosewood ?
kammhron 3 months ago
You said that you'll set your soldering iron as high as 5? Only 5 watts? The soldering iron I have has 15W and 30W settings... would that high heat over heat a volume pot while installing pickups and causing it to get scratchy?
I recently replaced the volume pot and it doesn't make any noise now.
What is the best wattage for volume pot soldering and what is the best for removing frets? Thanks these vids are awesome- I can do this!
StratMatt777 4 months ago
@StratMatt777 Not 5 watts, the level 5 setting on the temp control. And if fact, 5 is as high as it goes. So you're fine to run it wide open if you know how to get on and off the part quick before you burn something up. Also, getting the part too hot while soldering doesn't cause a pot to sound scratchy, dirt does. If your pot is scratchy, shoot it with contact cleaner.
Wattage doesn't really matter, run your iron on the 30w setting and you'll be fine.
smbstressfest 4 months ago
@supersnipah08 It probably would sound the same inlaying wood a I do in the videos here. I wouldn't do it this way, you're going to notice a lot of porosity in the cured epoxy when you level it off and it will look amateurish unless you take the time to carefully fill and resand. Also there's the color factor, you'll want to mix in some colorant to the epoxy so it will give enough contrast so that you can see where you're at. Just use wood, it's the professional way to do the job.
smbstressfest 5 months ago
just curious, if the frets weren''t worn out, why did you replace them??? thanks!
dejavu00strat 5 months ago
@dejavu00strat I'm pretty sure I stated this very clearly in the video but I'll say it again. The customer played a guitar I owned with the Dunlop 6000 extra jumbo fret wire. He wanted the same frets in his guitar.
smbstressfest 5 months ago
@smbstressfest SORRY, I watched only part 3 and heard no mention of this. I wasnt aware the kind of fret mattered so much. . thank you
dejavu00strat 5 months ago
You really should slide the frets out, instead of pulling straight up...
Thirdgen83 6 months ago
@Thirdgen83 That is correct ONLY if they were originally installed sideways the way Fender USED to do it? Where did you hear that frets should be removed sideways. Try it sometime on a guitar like this one where the frets were installed from the top... You'll spend the next hour or so filling the chips you blew out the side of the fingerboard.
smbstressfest 6 months ago
@smbstressfest Wow, I didn't know they changed to installing from the top. It looked like they would slide out with even less chip-out...
Thirdgen83 6 months ago
I'm not 100% positive, but I'm pretty sure fender uses lacquer. I know thats what they used on the older strats and teles
cdemanelis 8 months ago
May have been stated before as I didn't have the time to read all the comments.. But if the glue is burning your eyes.. It's definitely Cyanoacrylate glue. (Super Glue) that was used to adhere the frets. I'm a big RC airplane nut and I know firsthand how that stuff gives off some nasty, eye burning fumes when coming under heat.
Great work and I was amazed how quickly those frets popped right out!
rcflybry 8 months ago
How do you extract frets when working a bound fretboard? Would the heat damage the binding?
curbowman 9 months ago
You are truly an artisan, I have been playing guitar professionally for 40 years, and this is quite an education for me. Although I will never attempt repair at this level myself, this video will at least give me some knowledge on what I need done in order for my guitars to sound and feel correct.
Thanx
rjmprod 9 months ago
Hi there, superb, informative video! I want your advice, if possible. I want to replace the disappearing pyramid inlays on a Ibanez Universe with different coloured ones. What would be the best way to do this? Also, you mentioned in your video that removing fret wire can be more problematic if the neck has binding, which my neck has. What sort of things should i be looking out for while i carry out this procedure? Many thanks, and keep up the excellent work! :o)
neilsystem32 10 months ago
Can the soldering iron affect the pearl inlays?.. especially on guitar with large inlays that are close to the frets..
BruceKelley 10 months ago
@BruceKelley I assume you're concerned about the heat affecting the glue that holds the inlay work down? It's unlikely, but possible if you hang around too long with the heat. BUT... if the inlay is actually plastic and not pearl, there is a definite possibility of scorching. Again though, as long as you don't hang around long with the heat, things should be fine.
smbstressfest 10 months ago
Where did you get the tip of your soldering iron?
mickthemarvel 11 months ago
@mickthemarvel The tip is the same one that came with the iron. I just filed the grooves with needle files.
smbstressfest 11 months ago
Looks good, How much does a fret job cost
47Wolfgang 1 year ago
What is the worst wood to get frets out? My guess would be ebony or really really dense hard wood. Also what is it like refretting carbon fiber fingerboard?
azfryguy 1 year ago
@azfryguy They're all easy to get the frets out of. However, I've had the worst luck in the past with ebony and maple regarding chip-out. I'll usually pull one or two and if it looks like there's going to be a problem I stop and dampen the fingerboard to help create steam and the fret heats, this tends to reduce the chipping since the steam softens the wood somewhat.
I've never had to refret a carbon fiber fingerboard, I have done a few phenolic and one of the micarta Matrin fingerboards.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
"I'm gunna have to re-grind those" - bro, is there anything you can not fix?
6Vital6Remains6 1 year ago 5
Why do you put solder on the iron??is it necessary??
flashpadxxx 1 year ago
@flashpadxxx I thought I mentioned it in the video, but the solder aids in heat transfer from the tip of the iron to the fret. It's not absolutely necessary, but it makes things goes faster such that you can be on and off the fret much sooner. This is very useful on finished maple fingerboards and instruments with binding so that you don't burn anything up.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest You did mention it in the video. It's just there are more dumbass YouTube jackasses then ever before, and they don't friggin listen. Great job. I am an aspiring luthier and I love watching talented folks work on the best instrument man has invented (with inspiration from God). Your brave to tin your iron over the top of the fretboard! Soldering is my weakest skill, and my hands, wrist and forearms look as though I have measles :)
HEADBANGBALLER 1 year ago
Hey man great video's. Were are you stationed at? I'm looking at possibly sending My Ibanez to you for a re fret with Dunlop 6000's. Please message me with more info
Thanks
NemesisxLead 1 year ago
about the fret glue. i seen the making off the fender and it seems they use a clear glue in a bootle with a super thin nozzle and its applied in each fret hole and then frets are installed and pressed in using a machine.
who8allthepies 1 year ago
Hello - look, I've got a Fender Stratocaster Eric Clapton signature series '1989' model ok, but this guitar has a "Fifth" hole on the metal plate that is bolted on with the other 4 screws. What is this Fifth hole for?? Plus it does have the "Fender" logo engraved on it. Is that original or what?? - Thanks
jimzzy49 1 year ago
@jimzzy49 The "5th hole" is for the micro-tilt adjustment. It allows you to adjust neck geometry slightly.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Oh okay, right thanks!
jimzzy49 1 year ago
hi, i don't know anything about refretting, but i've decided to learn and attempt it on my old squier when i got quoted 4x the value of the guitar for a refret. i have a question.
from thermodynamics, i would have thought that if frets are not glued in, it would make more sense to cool down the frets than heating them up. this would cause the wood around the fret to shrink, as with the fret material itself (although very very marginally compared to the wood). what do you think?
thanks
jonomakepeace 1 year ago
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jonomakepeace 1 year ago
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jonomakepeace 1 year ago
Also, is there any reason you are pulling the undamaged frets? Can they be salvaged or is it ust better to pull them all and start from scratch? One more thing, your grind and polish on the Warmoth Strat turned out AWESOME, I see patience and taking it slow are virtues that need to be followed when doing a grind and polish. Outstanding my friend.
592220 1 year ago
@592220 The customer wanted new Dunlop 6000 frets, that's why I pulled all of them. He played a strat of mine with the 6000s and decided that's what he wanted in his guitar.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Jason: I just finished watching your Warmoth guitar build and a BIG profound thanks for putting together such a nice complete video. I've always wanted to build my own, I build my own computers, I ust have always been overwhelmed by not knowing what tools I needed. I would like to refret my Ibanez so here I am. I read that EVH said he pulls his frets from the side as opposed to pulling them out. Have you tried this or is it unnecessary? It seems the tang does not grab at all coming out.
592220 1 year ago
@592220 Fender used to install frets from the side. That is the only situation where you'd want to drive them out sideways.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
At the 3: to 4:00 mark, you addressed the issue as to what type of glue night be used, as it made your eyes burn. Dare I be so bold, and just assume it is super glue, which is an isocyinate, and that you SHOULD use a full face, fresh air system filtration system, as ones EYES are one of the most subceptible organs that gather the toxins.
Being as you do a fine job as a living, consider your Health first, THEN the great talent you have, so you can keep doing it forever! :) Just a hint
panhead1219 1 year ago
Thanks for the concern, and you're not the first to point this out. I do appreciate people looking out for the needs of others, especially ME :-)
I usually run the fan to keep the vapors from bothering me, but it's a little loud on camera.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
cant wait to you do a refret on a ginson that sounds tough. You are a legend making everything open my god are guys precious about this info in scotland you dont mind showing people, we're not worthy.
JADABNIXON 1 year ago
I would like to say that you are a legend a great guy I went to get my guitar refretted the dude wanted 180 pounds. I could buy a new neck for that, its cool that you can do this, what would you say is good wire to buy and where can you get new fret wire on the net. your agood player also, what guitarists do you like, your clever i like that.
JADABNIXON 1 year ago
How well would the soldiering iron method work with a neck with binding? I am getting ready to do a re-fret on a Flying V I built a few years ago, and I'm worried about the heat melting the binding. I want to minimize tear-out as much as possible. Will the heat be okay for the binding?
matt420740 1 year ago
@matt420740 You should be fine. Stay in the middle with the soldering iron at first and gradually move out towards the edge being careful not to hang on top of or near the binding with the heat.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Hi Jason...quick question for you...I was thinking about going with the roller nut and I noticed you disliked them....any particular reason why? Also, what would you charge to do an Ernie Ball style neck (birds eye maple) in stainless fret wire with a 12 radius? And would you be interested in doing the job if I sent the neck to you?
sav7152 1 year ago
@sav7152 Yeah, many reasons. Primarily, they don't allow for height adjustments to the individual strings. For a guitar tech as finicky about such small details like this as I am, that's more than enough to detest those things. However, If you don't care much about the action and radius at the nut, don't mind the shims, and can deal with those small screws that are SO easy to break plus keeping extra ball bearings around for when you lose them from time to time... The LSR might be fine :-)
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest I'll PM you with some pricing info about the work you're considering.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
it was a maple neck with a skunk stripe...
i`ll never use a heat gun again...
learned my lesson well...
in any case...thanks again for the great videos Jason...i've watched them all last night and learned a lot from them...
well done lad!
tubetwang 1 year ago
great video series Jason...
thanks for posting...
i removed the Poly on a guitar using a heatgun and will have to refret the thing...
always tweaking and learning!
tubetwang 1 year ago
@tubetwang BEWARE WHEN USING A HEAT GUN TO REMOVE PAINT FROM A NECK! A guitar neck is under stresses even when not strung up, and very likely held together in some fashion with glue. Heat from that gun can soften any glues joints present, allowing things to flex and move in whatever direction they want, which is probably NOT the way we need them to move to be useful as a guitar neck.
To anyone wanting to use this technique, proceed with caution and make sure the neck is dead straight first.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Jesus, what a bunch of wankers. Having a hissy fit over a word.. Just call it welding with lead and be done with it. Dude sounds like a know it all wannabee, "oh look Margret, my tool is worn out".. Just my two pence worth!!
100lilfeller 1 year ago
Thanks for the help here. I am starting to learn this process on some cheap necks so this is very helpful. By the way, I have my M.A. in English and I was still able to learn quite a bit. If I corrected my friends for every English violation, I would be drinking alone all of the time. Thanks for your posts.
bcal02 1 year ago
question: i'm going to start playing guitar, wondering if you can recommend a brand or exact guitar, can spend up to 2k. love humbucker sound, and fender style, help! great video, thanks, it's cool to see how this is done
starassist1977 1 year ago
@starassist1977 Ibanez Jem :) its the one steve vai uses
HilkeHilke 1 year ago
soldering- pronounced "soul-der-ing" not "sodd-er-ing" ffs
sluterry 1 year ago
@sluterry You are correct if we're talking about British English pronunciation. I am however American, and the word is pronounced [sod-er-ing] in our dialect.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest
dude, its written "soldering" hence there is an L in there and a quite promenant one at that, that is like saying you dont say the "f" in "fridge" so as to sound like this, "yeah hold up i gotta put this soda back in the "ridge"! its solder, the process is soldering, it is by all definitions a solering iron therefore it is soldering not soddering, and it would require the double "D" in order to be pronounced "sod-er-ing" with a single "D" iw ould be pronounced "soad-er-ing"
sluterry 1 year ago
@sluterry If you're going to come on here and sharp shoot people on words, perhaps you should spell all yours correctly, no? You wrote "promenant" when I think you meant "prominent".
To borrow your phrase, no offense intended really, just look at it as a pointer on how not to look like an illeterate online.
P.S. - Sentences end with periods, not commas.
smbstressfest 1 year ago 7
@smbstressfest Its spelled soldering and pronounced sol-der-ing, anything else is a colloquialism.
abergreg 1 year ago
@abergreg You pronunciation trolls are something else LOL! Who cares how I say the word?! Did you learn something from the video? That's all I'm really concerned about.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest I only commented because you insisted you were correct and on this occasion you are not, you can now pass on the correct pronunciation to others in your area similarly mistaken. the refret video is very good ive been a luthier 31 years and have seen some awful messes made by people doing their own refret.
abergreg 1 year ago
@abergreg I didn't insist I was correct. I did however look the word up to verify it's pronunciation and etymology. Here's what I found, please note the phonetic spelling.
solder |ˈsädər|
noun
a low-melting alloy, esp. one based on lead and tin or (for higher temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals.
ORIGIN Middle English : from Old French soudure, from the verb souder, from Latin solidare ‘fasten together,’ from solidus ‘solid.’
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest I dont know where you looked this up but its flat wrong. my daughter has a PHD in English, its SOL-DER
abergreg 1 year ago
@abergreg Duly noted, and thank you.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Everyone knows you pronounce and spell words differently, seems to me he's the one that needs educating on that fact.
7byseven 1 year ago
@sluterry
just trying to make you aware of how much your country keeps from you in a way of a correct education is all, no offense really intended more look at it as a pointer on how to not look like an illiterate online,
sluterry 1 year ago
@sluterry The only thing you've made me aware of is that you're being pedantic and probably just trolling. I couldn't help but notice that you have no uploads on YouTube, so you're not really contributing here. Perhaps you should make some videos demonstrating "proper" pronunciation of words since you're clearly so passionate about that.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
(continued) What about loosening the trussrod completely (giving you a somewhat more flexible neck) where you could exert some backbow pressure to help the frets come out easier? Wouldn't heating the frets and pulling them AFTER they cool (allowing the expanded fret metal to contract to its original thickness) be "easier" on the fret slots AND the pulling of said frets? Sorry for the LONG posts and multiple questions! Thank you so much for these videos! \m/
givemeafuknbreak111 1 year ago
@givemeafuknbreak111 NO, Pull 'em hot! The moisture content of the wood will flash off as steam while your heating the frets (the heat also breaks the bond of any glue that might be present) the steam will soften the slots ever so slightly allowing you to remove them with little to no chip out most of the time.
If you wait for things to cool off, the moisture is gone and the slot will probably be more dry and brittle, almost guaranteeing major chip out.
Pull 'em hot!
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Hi Jason! I'd like to ask you the following: Before you pull frets, do you adjust the trussrod (without string tension) to get the neck perfectly straight or do you leave it as it was adjusted with string tension? Would it be wise to tighten it into a bit of backbow beforehand - it seems to me this would release some pressure between the fret tangs and the slots; at least on the bottom 1/2 of the fretboard, reducing the chances of chipout? (continues)
givemeafuknbreak111 1 year ago
@givemeafuknbreak111 I tend not to adjust the neck before I remove frets, unless I'm curious as to how much compression they were introducing into the equation.
Whether the neck is back bowed, forward bowed, or straight really shouldn't make that big of a difference. The straightness of the neck for fret removal isn't really very critical.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Where are you using the soldering tin for? heat transfer of protection or what?
markkessels 1 year ago
@markkessels Solder on the tip of the iron does protect and prolong the life of the tip, but in this case the main advantage is heat transfer. When you tin the tip, some of that solder transfers to the fret as you heat it and lets you work faster as well as reducing the chance that you could scorch a maple fingerboard. We're trying to get it HOT, FAST and then get outta there equally fast.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Tinning the iron is a good idea, helps the iron move across the fret. Jason
is moving the iron and leaving it on the fret just long enough fret to break the glue bond. Tinning the iron or solder on the fret? They are the same thing. I guess we will all miss bohs1984 and his lovely language and lack of decorum. PS. You said master builder and Fender in the same sentence. Ooops!
mxsound7 1 year ago
Yeah, your right. I only sat there with a senior master builder from the Fender custom shop as he explained exactly what I told you. He was commenting on how all you retards out there constantly burn the board and overheat it because you do not put down a small amount of solder first Pick up a fret after removing and it is cool. Thats because the heat QUICKLY dissapates away. Pick one up after putting a little solder down and it will remain hot for minutes.
bohs1984 1 year ago
@bohs1984 I really don't care if you sat on his lap and told him what you wanted for christmas. Don't come on here poo-pooing my work and name calling.
Does this fingerboard look burnt to you sir? And just so we're clear here, are you even a guitar repair tech at all? I AM putting a little solder down first, but on the soldering iron, WHERE IT GOES! It seems to me that you've misunderstood this "senior master builder", and now you're arguing against a position that I'm not even taking.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest OK, youre a fucking idiot and I would not let you repair my kazoo, let alone one of my guitars. You WILL try the technique I taught you and you WILL use it in the future because it works much better. You dont have to thank me. Just knowing that you will no longer be butchering other peoples guitars is thanks enough. YOUR WELCOME.
bohs1984 1 year ago
@bohs1984 Alright homey, that's all you had to say. I suspect that you're just trying to troll at this point, so you're done wasting our time. YOU ARE BLOCKED.
These videos are for people trying to learn fretwork, not individuals with some sort of axe to grind.
Once you lose your cool and reach for the ad hominem attacks, you've definitely lost the debate. All that shows is that you're out of logic and reason, so you default to a more primitive and ineffective style of argument.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
You need to put a very little amount of solder ON THE FRET. It keeps the heat from dissapating to quickly and you dont have to scorch the board. You know that steam and smell your getting. That aint glue, thats the rosewood boiling off its moisture.
bohs1984 1 year ago
@bohs1984 How would the fret accept solder if you didn't heat it first? And what do we do to our soldering iron when we're waiting for it to heat up?
On this job, there was a glue smell in addition to the typical moisture that comes from the wood when you heat it in this way. I've been at this long enough to know the difference.
Don't come on here and try to prove how smart you are to all of us by sharpshooting my work. If you have info to share about fretwork, make a few videos for us.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Does the fretboard itself have a radius?
Ziggyflavel1 1 year ago
@Ziggyflavel1 Definitely, this one's about a 9.5" or a 10"
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Theyr just under 0.5mm/.02". I think they are very filed down, poorly done with sharp edges and weird cavitys, luckly no harm done to the wood.
Xstractor 2 years ago
That is low, and highly unusual to boot. Just heat them with a soldering iron, and then cafefully walk them out with a small pair of flush ground end nips.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
I have a standard strat with extremely low frets, lower than 6230 frets, thats makes it hard to get hold of them with the tonge/plier, is there any other way?
Xstractor 2 years ago
Unless we're dealing with a "sideways Fender fretjob", flush ground end nippers should be the only tool you'll ever need. In the past I've pulled frets where the crown was a mere .020" tall using this method.
Are your end nips flush ground? And how tall are the frets you're trying to pull?
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Great videos mate. Can you please give an example of a bound fingerboard?
wimba 2 years ago
A bound fingerboard is a fingerboard like you would find on a Gibson Les Paul. Rather than being able to see the tang of the fret (that part of the fret embedded in the fingerboard) when viewing it from the side, you see a plastic strip or "binding" It makes for a very tidy-looking fingerboard but a real pain to re-fret as you have to be careful not to damage it when removing/installing frets. It also means the new frets have to be prepared more precisely before installation. Hope this helps
AvidTrainer 2 years ago
Please see my "half of a Les Paul refret" series, I refret a bound Les Paul in those videos.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Doesn't heating like that burn the wood in the slots a little?
plytagalvis 2 years ago
It can, especially on maple if you're moving too slow. Even if it does slightly, it won't do any real harm. Pulling the frets cold and causing massive chipping is a much bigger problem. NEVER PULL FRETS COLD!
smbstressfest 2 years ago
wow! jus' like butta'.
rocknrolldaddio 2 years ago
so, is ebony easier to chip compared to rose wood?
cobraman115 2 years ago
That's sometimes the general consensus among repair techs, but it's not necessarily true ALL the time. I've found certain rosewood fingerboards that were just horrible regarding the chip-factor. But even maple can be a bitch too sometimes. Every single piece of wood is different.
LOL that sounds like a jive answer, but it's the truth. My experience often varies on different species of wood from job to job...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Thanks man.
cobraman115 2 years ago
@smbstressfest
Just a quick "thanks" for taking the time to make this in depth video. Youtube is an amazing thing on its own and talented guys like you elevate it to a powerful tool for folks who want to learn.
chaosIsTheOnlyPower 2 years ago
So I have a Gibson Les Paul with an Ebony fretboard. So far I haven't had any fret buzzing, I think it was dressed soon before I bought it about 5 months ago, but the frets are really low. I wouldn't be surprised if they are the original frets from 1992. I was just wondering what my options are when the time comes that fret buzzing.etc happens, could I get it re fretted with the same type of frets and nut? and how much would that cost? because I don't think it could handle another fret dressing.
callthemall 2 years ago
I have replied in a private message.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
sorry another Q: where did you get the solder tip?
avhcbeaver1 2 years ago
It came with the soldering iron, or I bought it at a place like Lowe's or Sears. I had to file the groove in it myself, they're just copper usually, so it's easy to do.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
you rule!
I've done alot of re-crowning and even had to file down the ends of the frets but I dont have a fret press so I've tried a refret.
Q: what do you do about necks that have binding?
avhcbeaver1 2 years ago
You have to undercut the tang and make sure it's flush with the bottom of the fingerboard so that the crown overhangs the binding. You can either accomplish this with end nippers and finish up with needle files, or there are specialty tools available from guitar supply shops that do this all for you in one step. Even though they're not cheap, buy the tang nippers! :-)
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Q: Is the soldering iron touching the fingerboard?
POLYAL0899 2 years ago
No, there is a groove filed in the tip of the iron that lets it "ride" on the fret while you heat it.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
why is your customer reftretting? as you said, those frets down even look worn down. I am thinking I need to reftret my sheraton ii, the are very worn down Probably will be difficult to get a purchase with the pliars. How much in general for reftret job?
zetterberg 2 years ago
He liked the xtra-jumbo Dunlop 6000 frets on my hardtail strat, and wanted the fret buzz to go away in his guitar. When I told him that his frets would be lower after we took care of the buzzing (it needed a leveling) he made the call to just refret with the big 6000 wire. Regarding your super low frets and removing them, it's no problem. I've never found any so low that I couldn't get the out with using the method shown in the video. I've PMed you regarding the cost of a refret.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
I see. Must be a very particular guitarist who wants more robust frets. Thanks for reply regarding pricing. Great video and great craft.
zetterberg 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
also, could be epoxy....
ckfootballman 2 years ago
Board looks like it needs to be oiled.
ckfootballman 2 years ago
There's no good reason for "oiling" a fingerboard right before you level it...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
I work with with electronic and use soldering irons constantly and just heating up the solder creates smoke because of the flux. There may still be glue holding them in, not sure.
Ripboarder16 2 years ago
There was definitely glue present. I could smell it, also I could tell when cleaning out the fret slots later on.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Hey, great video! This is really cool
I have a cheap harmony strat copy I'd like to remove the frets from, will deffinitely use your video as a model. Just wondering, what kind of sodering iron are you using? I just bought one that is 25 watts, should that work fine? Also, how will I know when the frets are ready to be pulled? Thanks very much for these insightful videos!
ledzep148 2 years ago
you are very helpful.i have a strat deluxe but i want tu put high jumbo frets cause i am playing shred stuff.what is your opinion?
trianta33 2 years ago
Many guys who play that stuff like big frets, play some guitars with jumbos and see what you think. If you like 'em, have your own guitar refretted with the same.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Hello Jason. I will gonna refret two of my guitars, one of them it´s a cheapy strat and the another a real american strat. I have saw all of your videos and think i can do it, starting with the cheaper one. The problem is that the cheaper one it´s a maple fingerboard and i don´t know how to deal with the finishing, lacquer and the other things not present in the rosewood work you did.
jeandove 2 years ago
Fender to my understanding does use super glue, the same glue you use, the only exception is they apply the glue before pressing in the fret because the frets have little crimps in the tang to bite into the wood. The glue is assurance due to rosewood drawing moisture. Maple fretboards are typically done the same way, except Fender applies finish right over the frets and then scrape the finish off when leveling...I hope this helps.
longwhip 2 years ago
I have an ibanez rg and some of the frets have got like little dint in where i have played the guitar, i play the guiat daily for lots of hours and would i need some new frest in them ones?
ryansjem 2 years ago
If you're noticing a fret buzz in the frets where you have the visible wear it may be time for a leveling. Usually we can get at least two fret levelings out of a set of frets before an entire refret is required. I recommend taking your guitar to a competent repair tech or luthier and getting their opinion on what if any action is necessary at this time. Hope that helps.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
what are the type of pliers you use called?
musiccleardragon 2 years ago
They're end nippers, but these are flush ground to eliminate the bevel from the top. This makes them much more effective for fret removal. I don't recommend trying it with standard end nips.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
the easiest part to do for sure...i wonder what the radius on an rickenbacker 325 v 58 3/4 scale guitar?
dasenuff 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
hahahahahaha 254 "its bothering my eyes"
One more time..
"its bothering my eyes" LOLOL
idokokaine 2 years ago
I'm just not getting the humor here, you think it's funny that the fumes hurt his eyes?
4050redluvr 2 years ago
Yup, definately super glue. Also it`s not very healthy to breathe in or for the eyes, listen to your body.
I´d use protection if i`d have to do this on a regular basis.
Keskin1975 2 years ago
ITS SUPER GLUE!!!,l haha ONCE IT EVAPORATES ITS TEAR GAS BRO....
WATCH OUT...
I GOTTA TRY THAT SOLDERING GUN TRICK ON THE FRETS...
MoonBoy1200 2 years ago
The way it bothers the eyes I'd believe it! Once you use a soldering iron (just be sure to file a groove in the tip) you'll never go back to pulling them cold again!
smbstressfest 2 years ago
hey mate! nice work and great video. culd u plz tell me how i could remove the frets from my bass and make it a fretless? as in what shuld use to replace the frets? what kind of wood? keep up the good work
standyourground1 2 years ago
I have an entire series of videos that details a fretless bass conversion, you should check it out.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
im having trouble with my 12th fret
ive tried adjusting the action but it doesnt seem to help
when i play the open strings EADGBE the octave note at the 12th fret sounds flat
just wondering how to fix this... thnx
pyrocycle786 2 years ago
Do the notes around the 12th fret also sound flat? You need to set intonation on the guitar most likely. I haven't done a video on it, but I'll probably do one eventually covering this topic. I'm sure there's a vid somewhere here you can find in the mean time though. It's not too complicated, but a word to the wise... when strings get really old the intonation can waver, so make sure this isn't your problem first. Also, you'll never get it perfect. It's good to keep that in mind as well.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
thanks i tried readjusting the action after cleaning my strings a bit
i probably need to replace the old ones cause i havent found the time to do so
pyrocycle786 2 years ago
If you're going to be refretting, you probably should level the fingerboard yes. You want the neck as straight as you can get it when the board is leveled. I'm aware that there are replacement logos out there if you know where to look. I am not a fan of the compound radius FB, nut many love them. Traditionally, strats were 7.25", the new modern standard is 9.5" but I've seen many MIJ fender strats that were much flatter, more like a 14". I just refretted a MIJ strat and it was a 14" radius.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Great work! My '85 Jap Strat hasn't got any glue under-frets and the neck has always had relief even more with frets removed. Is it time to level the f-board with frets gone and truss rod real tight? The maple is 'dark' where there was chips in the laquer :( The guitar is pretty beat-up but sounds great. If I remove the Logo do you know if I can get another one? Do you like compound radius and what radius are strats?
Thanks in advance
kerrytheman 2 years ago
You are the man. Can't wait to see a fret level video without the refret. What about a few videos on bound boards? Thanks a mil and keep um coming.
mikep6967 3 years ago
Hey thanks! Yeah, just as soon as one shows up here for work... I'll do a few vids showing the different considerations associated with fetting bound fingerboards.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
It's probably the string nut. If you have somebody local who could verify that the nut is cut properly and not hanging up anywhere that would be first thing to check. You might also try putting some kind of lubricant in the nut slots and see if that happens. Are you hearing any pinging and you bend, tune, or use the trem?
smbstressfest 3 years ago
I may have spoke too soon.
Now the "b" keeps going out of tune on my american delux strat. Like in a minute, old strings? HELP! I just bought the dang thing.
workt 3 years ago
Jason, you are a great teacher, and thank you very much! You make me want to be a guitar tech, craftsman! ;) I deal with hazardous waste and stuff, so I'm self conscious about what I, and others are exposed too. Do you use a fan to blow away the smoke? I couldn't tell by the video, but if not, I'd like to see your eyes and lungs protected from that smoke:) Thanks again for taking the time and energy to make these videos. Your knowledge and wisdom is very much appreciated!! :)
NorWes01 3 years ago
I don't use a fan normally, unless I'm going to be around the stuff for an extended period of time. I've been known to just take the neck and my soldering iron outside and pull frets on my front porch if there really was a lot of superglue used on the frets. Rick Turner wrote a column for Bass Player years ago where he talked about superglue fumes and the general idea I took away from it was that superglue fumes are an irritant but don't cause real harm unless you're around them all the time.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
I ran out of text... I was also going to say I appreciate your concern and thank you for your kind words. I've been getting a bit of business from doing these videos and that's fine, but in fact my main objective was to share information and possibly entertain a few detail orientated guitar types out there as well.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
Right on! Thanks again for the vids, and I'm glad that it's helping with some leads! How long were you a pipefitter for? How did you learn all of this stuff? Awhile ago I bought a guitar that ended up being the worst buy ever for me. The frets on that thing feel like buck teeth on my hand:( I will not sell it, nor even give it away. I find your vids very helpful, even if it's just a drop in the pan for knowledge. At least I see what happens and what it's like:)
NorWes01 2 years ago
Also, most of your tools come from stewmac? Man, I'm thinking that their tools got to be gold plated.. or their pockets! Well, at least we know that their putting out solid, dependable items:)
NorWes01 2 years ago
this is the best defretting vid i've found on youtube, good job
teleport87 3 years ago
How did you cut your solder tip? Keep the videos coming!
jefflovell 3 years ago
I just used a very small rat tail file to make the half round shape that allows it to glide easily on the tops of the frets. There is different shape ground into each side for different sized frets.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
I see...I would be interested to know if you are planning to do a fret level video. I know you cover this breifly at the end of this series, but I think a video of you leveling existing frets would be great....If you do a youtube search for "fret level", the only videos that come up on the subject have a man in a dark room grinding and fumbling about on a make shift fret board....Its scary.
P.S. I shared your videos with the guys at Reranch...good responses!
jefflovell 3 years ago
I work with a guy who plays a Les Paul who's long overdue for a fret leveling. That might be coming up in the near future.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
Thanks for the great insight, Sir!
:-)
PanTastx 3 years ago
you're very welcome
smbstressfest 3 years ago
i think if i do this ill use safety glasses.
dickdogginit 3 years ago
Safety glasses won't completely protect your eyes from superglue vapors. That would take a full face organic respirator mask. If the fumes are what you're worried about, you could always just turn a fan on to blow it away from you while you work. It's not harmful, just an irritant.
smbstressfest 3 years ago
fantastic video. the camera angle during fret removal was perfect. i sent my acoustic in to my local shop to get a full refret, so its nice to see what the procedure actually looks like.
great video! thanks.
bauerb2 3 years ago
i've heard that you should completely relieve the truss rod when you remove the strings altogether so that it doesn't warp the neck. is this true or not?
MilkAndThreeCookies 3 years ago
If the instrument is to be stored for an extended period of time with no strings (more than a few days perhaps) then you probably should adjust the rod so that the neck is straight.
smbstressfest 3 years ago