vintage refret - do I have to refinish??

Hey everyone, I've got an original 1967 tele with a maple neck and a lot of wear. the neck is the nicest thing i've ever felt in my life, and I don't want anything about it to change. unfortunately the frets are worn out and need replacing. i live in NYC and have called a few very respectable places, and some have told me that I will have to have the neck sanded down and refinished. as you can imagine, this sits very uneasy with me. is there any way around this? I hate to have a "like new" neck with all of the wear and character gone from it. all i want is fresh leveled frets and the rest of the neck to stay the same. Is this possible? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Jon

The finish will suffer when the old frets are removed. It won't be the same, no matter how careful your tech is. Sorry for the news, but those things have been in there for a long time.

Try to get somebody that knows how to match and age a finish to do the work- not some shop that just sands and shoots a new coat on it. You can find a reputable shop where they understand how to make the finish look right, but be prepared to spend some extra $$$.

… good luck

First, I thought of my experience ( http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/312330-60%92s-fender-fret-discussion.html ) … then I thought Mr. Rice absolutely know what he’s talking about … my guitar was 10 years old … I guess there is a big difference between frets that have been there for 10 years and frets that have been there for 45 years

again, good luck and please let us know what happens

I guess in theory you could drop fill the entire areas left bare alongside where the old frets were removed. There will be voids - it could end up looking awful and then you'd be trying to remove finish with new frets in place. No knowing what might happen.

Part of the trouble is, old finishes can be various formulae, in various states of decomposition. There's no way to predict what might happen unless you did a couple dozen other '67 necks first - and how is that gonna happen (it isn't).

Just pushing those things out sideways can really tear it up, no matter if you score the finish, heat 'em up, whatever.. They have been there through heat/cold/time/contamination.. God only knows.. We mere mortals can give ourselves as good a prep job possible and take all the precautions, but a stubborn one or a tear-out and it's "Game Over". Drop filling into an unknown ancient finish is a total crapshoot, and there isn't anyplace to test it out where it won't come back to haunt ya. Even on the heel, inside the pocket, ya don't want to disturb the lacquer on an old one. The only other option that comes to mind would be to have a replacement neck built and aged to the same specs and keep the original intact. It will likely hold more value as an all original than as a refret.

Hey guys,

I've got some hopefully news I wanted to keep you posted with. I brought my tele in for a second opinion to a local store in Brooklyn that does great work, and he said there's plenty for meat left on the frets! He said it's in need of a new nut, fret leveling and dressing, and a good setup, but that he should get it back to normal playing condition. I should have it back in a week or so, I'll keep you all posted. *fingers crossed*

Jon

Hey guys,

I've got some hopefully news I wanted to keep you posted with. I brought my tele in for a second opinion to a local store in Brooklyn that does great work, and he said there's plenty for meat left on the frets! He said it's in need of a new nut, fret leveling and dressing, and a good setup, but that he should get it back to normal playing condition. I should have it back in a week or so, I'll keep you all posted. *fingers crossed*

Jon

Where did you take it? Main Drag?

My neck was so badly worn at the edges, that a complete neck refin with the refret was necessary. A (very) careful luthier might be able to remove the frets without too much damage to the finish. And, if you use slightly larger frets, you might be OK, but it's tough to predict. Some luthiers will recommend just refinishing the fretboard, others might try to go without any refinish. You might want to show it to a couple luthiers and see what they say.

145744

My neck was so badly worn at the edges, that a complete neck refin with the refret was necessary. A (very) careful luthier might be able to remove the frets without too much damage to the finish. And, if you use slightly larger frets, you might be OK, but it's tough to predict. Some luthiers will recommend just refinishing the fretboard, others might try to go without any refinish. You might want to show it to a couple luthiers and see what they say.

145744


I had an Ibanez that was so worn along the edges that it made the playing
harder. A great tech re-built up the worn edges with superglue and then
refinished. Amazing job he did.

I bit the bullet on my 69 and had it refreted. I got a guy that I was told by a legendary player that he was the best so I took his advice and went all the way.

Maybe a level, crown and polish will work for you.

The fretboard edges were re-shaped on my '70 and the neck doesn't feel at all different from stock, after the job was completed. Most of the wood was there, but no finish and the wood had begun to slpinter. So, on a vintage Fender, that wasn't a good thing to leave as it was. The luthier did a terrific job, although it sure was in his shop a long while.

I'm in this same boat with my 74- cept it's a poly finish and even harder to do. The frets have already been dressed and leveled once before in the 90's so...

I worked a LONG time with lots of blood and sweat to get that wear - wearing thru that thick poly was no easy task - it would sicken me to refinish it. I just bought a spare neck til I decide. It's not that the neck is all that great - I've just been playing this tele since I was 16 - bought it at a pawnshop in 1985. just so many good times I'd like to keep playing it.

South Side Guitars, BBB

My '70 was also poly. I had to find a luthier who had done Fender necks in poly. He did a nice job. But, he admitted, poly is a little tougher a job.

Hey guys,

I forgot to share with you that once I got my Tele back, the fret leveling and new nut fixed the problem! No sanding was needed. The neck is still the same, just in working condition. Moral of the story, get second or third opinions.

Hey guys,

I forgot to share with you that once I got my Tele back, the fret leveling and new nut fixed the problem! No sanding was needed. The neck is still the same, just in working condition. Moral of the story, get second or third opinions.

Congrats!!!

Hey everyone, I've got an original 1967 tele with a maple neck and a lot of wear. the neck is the nicest thing i've ever felt in my life, and I don't want anything about it to change. unfortunately the frets are worn out and need replacing. i live in NYC and have called a few very respectable places, and some have told me that I will have to have the neck sanded down and refinished. as you can imagine, this sits very uneasy with me. is there any way around this? I hate to have a "like new" neck with all of the wear and character gone from it. all i want is fresh leveled frets and the rest of the neck to stay the same. Is this possible? Any suggestions?

Thanks

Jon

Why not just buy a new neck (a reliced one)? The cost is probably about the same as a refret, your '67 Tele will still be original, you'll avoid sanding and refinishing the original neck, and you'll end up a playable neck with character, and you'll also have the original neck that you can use whenever you want.

for the most part, i can refret a maple fingerboard without a need to refinish the board top - the sides WILL need some refinishing as they will get filed/sanded during the fret end dressing. however, all bets are off for most 70's fender necks that were liberally slathered with catalyzed epoxy - i will not work on such necks, a waste of my time. about 95% of all maple board refrets that i work on are completed without requiring a board refinish.

the "sideways fret push out" is not an easy row to hoe, more than often impossible, and something i no longer bother attempting.

i have a method that works very well and one i devised during the "nyc greenwich village guitar dayze" when jonathon would send me beat to crap 50's tele necks and tell me to refret 'em "but don't touch the fretboard! that's where the mojo lives!". the key is in the fret removal, fret slot preparation, and pressing in the new frets.