Worn frets - advice, please?

[AndyR]

Braver man than me tom! :lol:

In principle I know it's not beyond me, but I'd be terrified of messing it up - I'll screw around with truss-rods, electrics, all hardware, I'll even lower nuts by filing down the underside, I've taken the finish off of necks/bodies... I'll do almost anything to a guitar except mess with the frets. Still there's a few years in me yet, I might start one day :lol:

Lovely looking guitar there Martin :D

[38thBeatle]

Actually my old Strat is in a similar state which is hardly surprising given that it has had 30 years of regular usage though more so in the last 10 years or so.

[MartinS]

Lovely looking guitar there Martin :D

Thanks. I love it. It's got understated mojo. I know a lot of 335s have been converted to stop-tail, but I really think the trapeze makes it look like more of an instrument with the extra string length. The Mules made a world of difference, too. The stock pickups were alnico v, and really hot. It was like riding a wild bronco sometimes trying to avoid excessive feedback. Now it's crisp and clear, sweet and surly when it needs to be.

I still wonder about those Mississippi Queens, though.

[tomjackson]

Braver man than me tom! :lol:

In principle I know it's not beyond me, but I'd be terrified of messing it up - I'll screw around with truss-rods, electrics, all hardware, I'll even lower nuts by filing down the underside, I've taken the finish off of necks/bodies... I'll do almost anything to a guitar except mess with the frets. Still there's a few years in me yet, I might start one day :lol:

Lovely looking guitar there Martin :D

I've just read the original post, I did it on my 90's strat which although I like if it had gone wrong I'd have upgraded to an allparts chunky neck (never loved the thin C AM standard necks anyway).  I'd be terrified of messing it up myself on a 1979 335!

[MartinS]

Do you think I'd notice much difference if I had the fret dress done?

[WezV]

hell yeah!!   

[MartinS]

Really? Like, that much?

[WezV]

that wear affects how far you  have to push to fret strings so first off you may get slight tuning inconsistencies because of it.  especially when the wear is un-even along the neck.    Also generally once frets are at that stage they start to feel rough and probably have some sever string marks  and any bending is hindered

get the buggers level, get them shiny and smooth and get the guitar appropriately set up... then the guitar will feel a hell of a lot better. 

[AndyR]

Yeah, definitely. I find that as long as there's no serious fret-buzz etc, you can play a guitar with frets like that, but you "learn" how to get round the uneven feels and so on. You've also got a slight insecure feeling of "my frets are wearing out, don't know whether this terminal..." at the back of your mind.

Get the frets done, and I find the conscious difference isn't huge, but suddenly the thing feels nicer, and the sub-conscious doubts are gone. eg. I've just switched to JUMBO on a tele - it should feel like a different guitar, but it doesn't, it just feels a whole lot more reliable now that there's decent crowned and polished frets on there.

It increases the proportion of "good days" in the "my playing is good/bad" scheme of things :D

[MartinS]

Cheers. The guitar buzzes like buggeree when it's played acoustically, but I seem to remember reading somewhere that 335s are like that. However, I was having another look at the guitar last night, and there are dents in just about every fret on the B and G strings, and some on the E and D strings. The tops of the frets are also slightly flat, and also look grazed, which I guess is the string marks WezV is referring to.

Anyway, I've booked it in!

[MartinS]

Looks like it needs a careful fret dress.
Next time after that you'll want to consider a refret


This guy seems good  - not too far from Brum if you drive
http://www.leicestershire-luthier.co.uk/

Hi. Took my guitar to this guy just before Christmas and picked it up yesterday. Certainly very enthusiastic and knows his stuff. He talks in millimeters, and tenths thereof. Very precise. It had a fret dress, slip-stone nut, a new Gotoh bridge, as the original has sagged slightly, service and set-up. Not bad for £100.

The guitar feels fantastic. (And my wife commented several times on its shine. Ahem.) All the buzz has gone, the sustain's extended, and I'm not sure what's gone on with the bridge pickup but it sounds far better than it did before. I suspect he may have lowered the pickups a little.

The frets are schmoooove. The action's a little lower than it was, and although I don't like a too-low action, it works fine for me. Other than that there's just a general change in how it feels. Maybe it's just that bit more inspiring.

He was very complimentary about it, too. One of the better 335s he's come across - which surprised me as I thought 79 wasn't one of the best years. He said it feels as good as a 72 he's had, only sounds better, and also comparible to a 60-something. Far better than the new one he has in.

Certainly a recommendation from me to go to this guy if you're in the area. Obviously takes great pride in his work. I feel like my guitar's had a fornight in a health spar, where it's been massaged and soothed and spent time in the Jacuzzi!

Thanks for the tip!

[AndyR]

Nice one - glad it worked out well :D

[gwEm]

He said it feels as good as a 72 he's had, only sounds better, and also comparible to a 60-something. Far better than the new one he has in.

ah... the joys of BKPS :)

[FELINEGUITARS]

Really glad it worked out nicely.

It's one of the joys of having a network of "friends" on a forum like this who can point you in the right direction.

[Canadian Steve]

Sounds good!  Anybody know any good luthiers near Belfast?