Refret a '76 Tele Custom - What size frets?

Spudrok · July 27th, 2005, 10:05 PM

I've decided to refret my '76 Tele Custom. I love the way it sounds but I hate the way it plays with those original small frets. I hate the drag from that polyurethane finish on the fretboard when stretching strings.

My i-dear is this: a bigger fret will keep some of my finger flesh from dragging on the poly because the string will be slightly higher from the fretboard. Also, when stretching strings my finger flesh will get under the adjacent string and that string will ride up on my flesh rather than trying to sneak under my fretting finger to get with with the note that I am actually bending.

My reason for this post - I don't want a fret that is too big, because then I will have to watch my fingering pressure or else I could pull chords sharp from the bend of pressing the strings down to the fretboard. On the other hand I want a fret that will make a solid change in the way my 'Custom plays. Does anybody have a good suggestion which brand or model of fretwire will give me what I'm after?

I'm aware that a refret may detract from collectability, but I didn't buy the guitar to collect, I bought it to play. I want it to play as good as it can.

Thanks in advance.

Joe-Bob · July 27th, 2005, 11:32 PM

I have a Muddy Waters tele, and I really like its medium jumbo frets. Check into which models have them, like at the Fender site, and go play a few. As far as the fingerboard stickiness, on my strat, I wax it good at string changes, so it's smooth and not sticky.

Nick Fanis · July 28th, 2005, 02:01 AM

Dunlop 6150 just a bit larger than medium jumbo,my all time favorite fret size!
Killer sustain & playability

gls500 · July 28th, 2005, 05:56 AM

My favorite by far is the 6105. It's a somewhat tall yet medium-width fret. Works great for everything.

Robert H. · July 28th, 2005, 09:53 AM

Why not just changer the neck and keep this one as is? Get the neck you really want on there.

mellecaster · July 28th, 2005, 10:27 AM

Ditto, on the Dunlop 6150 s....I think they will fit what you describe...and just keep a fairly flat neck...with just a tad of relief.

Jean-Baptiste · July 28th, 2005, 10:38 AM

Spudrok, if those frets aren't completely worn down, you should probably just replace the neck. Those 70s teles are constantly going up in value, so I'd just put away the original neck in case I ever needed to sell the guitar.

Regardless of fretwire size, most luthiers remove the fretboard finish when replacing the frets, so make sure that you specify nitro- not poly- for the refinishing if you do decide to have the work done.

I just had my 52RI refretted with 6105s- a nice compromise between the narrow vintage and jumbos- and the thin nitro finish does feel alot nicer under my fingertips than the original thick, shiny finish.

Bluesdude · July 28th, 2005, 11:03 AM

i've found that with a lot of jumbo frets, when you slide up the fretboard, it feels like a railroad track. Try to get the old gibson style large frets, and have them leveled to a bit of a compound radius. They're low enough that there's no problem with sliding, but they're nice and wide so bends are pretty much effortless

Spudrok · July 28th, 2005, 04:30 PM

Thanks a bunch guys! It's really hard to choose unless you can play a neck just like the one you intend to refret with the fret candidates.

I appreciate the suggestion of replacing the neck, but I will never sell or trade this guitar because #1: I dearly love the instrument and #2: I got it from a dear friend who somewhat recently had surgery for prostate cancer. I'm glad to say that so far everything looks good on his cancer treatment. It would just destroy me if I sold this guitar and then his cancer reared its ugly head again (I'm not nutz enough to think that reappearance of his cancer would be caused by me selling his guitar, but I would no longer own that proud momento). So collector's value means little to me because I never intend to sell it. I would never do anything as far out as putting a Floyd Rose wang bar on it, but frets wear out and require replacement just like tires or fan belts on a car. I consider the selection of replacement frets an opportunity to enhance the great instrument that it is.

Nick Fanis · July 29th, 2005, 01:22 AM

Refreting a "vintage" fret is PERFECTLY normal (like changing your car tyres,you DO change the car tyres on 59 Cadillac if you want to take her for a spin,don't you?

).
Also if you decide to refret and the luthier knows what he is doing there may be no need for a re-laquer,I have refreted three 70's teles w/ maple necks and my tech managed to keep the original finish (which btw is POLY and NOT nitro

)

Nick Fanis · July 29th, 2005, 01:23 AM

Refreting a "vintage" fret is PERFECTLY normal (like changing your car tyres,you DO change the car tyres on 59 Cadillac if you want to take her for a spin,don't you?

).
Also if you decide to refret and the luthier knows what he is doing there may be no need for a re-laquer,I have refreted three 70's teles w/ maple necks and my tech managed to keep the original finish (which btw is POLY and NOT nitro

)
In my book,nothing plays better than a refreted vintage neck. (especialy the thick 70's necks that are my faves...)

July 27th, 2005, 10:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Spudrok TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mid-TN Posts: 90	Refret a '76 Tele Custom - What size frets? I've decided to refret my '76 Tele Custom. I love the way it sounds but I hate the way it plays with those original small frets. I hate the drag from that polyurethane finish on the fretboard when stretching strings. My i-dear is this: a bigger fret will keep some of my finger flesh from dragging on the poly because the string will be slightly higher from the fretboard. Also, when stretching strings my finger flesh will get under the adjacent string and that string will ride up on my flesh rather than trying to sneak under my fretting finger to get with with the note that I am actually bending. My reason for this post - I don't want a fret that is too big, because then I will have to watch my fingering pressure or else I could pull chords sharp from the bend of pressing the strings down to the fretboard. On the other hand I want a fret that will make a solid change in the way my 'Custom plays. Does anybody have a good suggestion which brand or model of fretwire will give me what I'm after? I'm aware that a refret may detract from collectability, but I didn't buy the guitar to collect, I bought it to play. I want it to play as good as it can. Thanks in advance.

July 27th, 2005, 11:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
Joe-Bob Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 3,533	I have a Muddy Waters tele, and I really like its medium jumbo frets. Check into which models have them, like at the Fender site, and go play a few. As far as the fingerboard stickiness, on my strat, I wax it good at string changes, so it's smooth and not sticky. __________________ "Oh God, I am the American Dream! I do not think I'm too extreme." - FZ

July 28th, 2005, 02:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
Nick Fanis Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Athens-GREECE Posts: 1,740 13 Photos	Dunlop 6150 just a bit larger than medium jumbo,my all time favorite fret size! Killer sustain & playability __________________ "Hit him again Jack,he is crazy!" Hunter S.Thompson www.myspace.com/nickfanis

July 28th, 2005, 10:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
mellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,816 17 Photos	I'm with Nick ! Ditto, on the Dunlop 6150 s....I think they will fit what you describe...and just keep a fairly flat neck...with just a tad of relief. __________________ Let's Not Forget the Other 75% of The Tone Equation...It's Called an AMP

July 28th, 2005, 11:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
Bluesdude Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 114	i've found that with a lot of jumbo frets, when you slide up the fretboard, it feels like a railroad track. Try to get the old gibson style large frets, and have them leveled to a bit of a compound radius. They're low enough that there's no problem with sliding, but they're nice and wide so bends are pretty much effortless __________________ So much rythm, grace, and debonair from one man?

July 28th, 2005, 05:56 AM	#4 (permalink)
gls500 Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 894	My favorite by far is the 6105. It's a somewhat tall yet medium-width fret. Works great for everything.

July 28th, 2005, 09:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
Robert H. Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: San Francisco Age: 54 Posts: 721 7 Photos	Why not just changer the neck and keep this one as is? Get the neck you really want on there.

July 28th, 2005, 10:38 AM	#7 (permalink)
Jean-Baptiste Tele-Holic Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 633	Spudrok, if those frets aren't completely worn down, you should probably just replace the neck. Those 70s teles are constantly going up in value, so I'd just put away the original neck in case I ever needed to sell the guitar. Regardless of fretwire size, most luthiers remove the fretboard finish when replacing the frets, so make sure that you specify nitro- not poly- for the refinishing if you do decide to have the work done. I just had my 52RI refretted with 6105s- a nice compromise between the narrow vintage and jumbos- and the thin nitro finish does feel alot nicer under my fingertips than the original thick, shiny finish.

July 28th, 2005, 04:30 PM	#9 (permalink)
Spudrok TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Mid-TN Posts: 90	Thanks a bunch guys! It's really hard to choose unless you can play a neck just like the one you intend to refret with the fret candidates. I appreciate the suggestion of replacing the neck, but I will never sell or trade this guitar because #1: I dearly love the instrument and #2: I got it from a dear friend who somewhat recently had surgery for prostate cancer. I'm glad to say that so far everything looks good on his cancer treatment. It would just destroy me if I sold this guitar and then his cancer reared its ugly head again (I'm not nutz enough to think that reappearance of his cancer would be caused by me selling his guitar, but I would no longer own that proud momento). So collector's value means little to me because I never intend to sell it. I would never do anything as far out as putting a Floyd Rose wang bar on it, but frets wear out and require replacement just like tires or fan belts on a car. I consider the selection of replacement frets an opportunity to enhance the great instrument that it is.

July 29th, 2005, 01:22 AM	#10 (permalink)
Nick Fanis Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Athens-GREECE Posts: 1,740 13 Photos	Refreting a "vintage" fret is PERFECTLY normal (like changing your car tyres,you DO change the car tyres on 59 Cadillac if you want to take her for a spin,don't you? ). Also if you decide to refret and the luthier knows what he is doing there may be no need for a re-laquer,I have refreted three 70's teles w/ maple necks and my tech managed to keep the original finish (which btw is POLY and NOT nitro ) __________________ "Hit him again Jack,he is crazy!" Hunter S.Thompson www.myspace.com/nickfanis

July 29th, 2005, 01:23 AM	#11 (permalink)
Nick Fanis Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Athens-GREECE Posts: 1,740 13 Photos	Refreting a "vintage" fret is PERFECTLY normal (like changing your car tyres,you DO change the car tyres on 59 Cadillac if you want to take her for a spin,don't you? ). Also if you decide to refret and the luthier knows what he is doing there may be no need for a re-laquer,I have refreted three 70's teles w/ maple necks and my tech managed to keep the original finish (which btw is POLY and NOT nitro ) In my book,nothing plays better than a refreted vintage neck. (especialy the thick 70's necks that are my faves...) __________________ "Hit him again Jack,he is crazy!" Hunter S.Thompson www.myspace.com/nickfanis