Basic refret question

[blauserk]

I have a 1970s Tele with an all-maple board which is overdue for a refret. This is my first refret on a maple fingerboard, so I'm a bit puzzled on what to do. Because the finish was sprayed on over the frets, it seems inevitable that there's gotta be a fair amount of finish work on the fretboard. Is it best to just have the whole fretboard refinished (probably in nitro, while I'm at it), or do people usually just do touch-up wherever the finish has been damaged in the refretting process?

Muchimas gracias.

Edited because I can't type.

[GuitarJonz]

If you find a good tech, you may not need a refinish of the neck. I had a '68 Thinline Tele, with original vintage frets, worn to nothing. My tech was able to refret it with vintage 6230's, and did not have to refinish the neck. If you chose a wider fret, like a 6150 (medium jumbo) it would seemingly be even easier for a good guitar tech to refret without refin. The key is to find a good tech. My guy did it for $250, 3-4 years ago.

[Rob DiStefano]

Ah, the dreaded catalyzed epoxy "skin" finish, perhaps ... ? One of the Fender blights of the 70's, IMO.

If there's a large fillet of finish that webs the fretboard and the sides of the frets, and IF that's sprayed catalyzed epoxy, you'll defnitely wind up having to refinish the fretboard. That stuff is hard and brittle and will crack and flake off as you score the web prior to heating and pulling the old frets. After the frets are pulled, the entire fretboard will need to be sanded, starting off with some heavy production grit that'll start the epoxy removal - this is NOT a fun job and is very time consuming, particularly in preserving the fretboard radius. Once yer down to the wood, and the fret slots have been cleaned, the refret can begin. Afterwards, the board and frets get sprayed - we all have our personal likes and I'd always go with sprayed polyU over lacquer - YMMV.

For an online refret tutorial on a Tele maple fretboard, click HERE

[Jerry J]

I too am from Alexandria (well, actually from Fairfax and not the City). Welcome!

Another approach people recommend here is buying a replacement neck. I just bought one from USACG, and there are plenty of other vendors around too, I had it custom made, and it only cost me $175, though it's unfinished! My neck is so much more beautiful than most "standard" Fender necks. That way you can save your original neck.

Just a thought!