soft frets on a 50's classic?

soul-o · January 29th, 2007, 10:30 PM

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their 50's classic. I bought the guitar new 3 years ago and have played it for about 150 gigs (most of them 4 hours). I had the frets dressed about a year ago and the repairman was really surprised by how worn they were. I just took it in again as I have a few weeks off and they've been looking pretty flattened. He says he really would recommend a complete fret job, that they're really beyond filing. I've never experienced this with any other guitar I've owned. the tech in question is highly reputable and I've been going to him for years, and I really can see that they're trashed. Are those frets some soft alloy or something? Maybe I just got a dodgy neck. Of course, now we get into the question of new frets or a new neck. It's about the same price, but I really like the guitar as it so I opted for new frets.

Caper · January 29th, 2007, 10:41 PM

I don't have a 50's Tele but I would also go with a re fret. Btw, will the neck require refinishing?

Colo Springs E · January 29th, 2007, 10:54 PM

Assuming you do any other playing on it (at home, a few hours a day or week or whatever) I don't know that it's that wierd that it's to the point of needing a re-fret.

Sounds like to me you've gotten a pretty good bit of use out of them, maybe I'm wrong...

mellecaster · January 29th, 2007, 11:02 PM

If you have a Tech, who will do a complete refret on a Maple neck for the same price as a Mexican Classic neck on E-bay...he must really need the work ??

aznrambo481 · January 29th, 2007, 11:05 PM

Colo Springs, if you think about that, it really isn't that much. 600 hours equates to an hour a day for 2 years, more or less(excuse the bad math). Considering that's how much an avid player would play, it is somewhat short of a life-span.

Colo Springs E · January 29th, 2007, 11:21 PM

...I never keep a guitar long enough to need fretwork!

soul-o · January 30th, 2007, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellecaster

If you have a Tech, who will do a complete refret on a Maple neck for the same price as a Mexican Classic neck on E-bay...he must really need the work ??

Nah, he's booked solid through late May, but I've been going to him for years so he squeezed my fret job in. Honestly, I was kind of just guessing on a price- I've never replaced the neck on a Fender guitar before. The fret job is just a little over $250 and I wasn't sure about what kind of neck to explore. I know there are a lot of Fender licensed ones available, but I would want a comparable neck on there. Maybe I'm just believing Fender's marketing about the classic being "Custom shop designed, assembled in Mexico". Maybe any good neck would do, but I really love playing this guitar and I figure there's only so many parts on a Tele and the neck is a big factor, so I was afraid to go that route.

jfp · January 30th, 2007, 07:50 PM

er. . . I think it's the Baja Tele that's "Custom Shop designed, assembled in Mexico" not the 50's Classic

BritishBluesBoy · January 30th, 2007, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfp

er. . . I think it's the Baja Tele that's "Custom Shop designed, assembled in Mexico" not the 50's Classic

Yep... That's true...

RomanS · January 30th, 2007, 08:11 PM

Get it refretted with stainless steel frets and be done with it forever!

Usually it takes me 3 to 4 months before the first marks show on the lower frets on a new guitar, that's why I'll never buy a guitar without SS frets again.

And for 250$ you could easily get an unfinished Warmoth neck with all the extras you want, then finish it with TruOil or another oil-based finish (feels much better than a lacquered neck and is easy to do), an live happily ever after...

soul-o · January 30th, 2007, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfp

er. . . I think it's the Baja Tele that's "Custom Shop designed, assembled in Mexico" not the 50's Classic

Maybe you're right about that. What's the deal with the Classic 50's and Classic 60's teles, then? I just bought it because it played a lot better than other Mexican teles I tried, but it was also more expensive. Are they different parts than a "regular" Mexican Tele or something?

mellecaster · January 30th, 2007, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soul-o

Maybe you're right about that. What's the deal with the Classic 50's and Classic 60's teles, then? I just bought it because it played a lot better than other Mexican teles I tried, but it was also more expensive. Are they different parts than a "regular" Mexican Tele or something?

Well many here think (and I agree) they are a cut above the std. MIM Tele...both are really nice Guitars...and the necks should be all over e-bay for about $215.00 or so....finished, and ready to screw on.

Mark Davis · January 30th, 2007, 08:40 PM

I played my 50's Classic everyday for 2 years and it had only the slightest marks of fretwear after that.

If you use stainless steel strings your frets will wear out quick.

soul-o · January 30th, 2007, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mellecaster

Well many here think (and I agree) they are a cut above the std. MIM Tele...both are really nice Guitars...and the necks should be all over e-bay for about $215.00 or so....finished, and ready to screw on.

I have done a search on the topic and I'm pleased to see so mnay people saying nice things about the 50's Classic, but what do you think makes them a notch above? I could feel the difference in a big way when trying out guitars so I didn't mind paying a little extra, but I can't really explain what makes it a little nicer. Some of my Gibson playing friends scoff as if all I accomplished was paying too much for a Mexican tele. You know how they can be.

And I really do wonder why on earth I burned through these frets so quickly. I wonder if I'm just fretting too hard. I'm really a bass player who has stumbled into making a living playing guitar, so maybe I'm just giving the neck too much of a workout with my big, dumb bear claw. Doesn't seem possible, but I have no other explanation.

mellecaster · January 30th, 2007, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soul-o

I have done a search on the topic and I'm pleased to see so mnay people saying nice things about the 50's Classic, but what do you think makes them a notch above? I could feel the difference in a big way when trying out guitars so I didn't mind paying a little extra, but I can't really explain what makes it a little nicer. Some of my Gibson playing friends scoff as if all I accomplished was paying too much for a Mexican tele. You know how they can be.

And I really do wonder why on earth I burned through these frets so quickly. I wonder if I'm just fretting too hard. I'm really a bass player who has stumbled into making a living playing guitar, so maybe I'm just giving the neck too much of a workout with my big, dumb bear claw. Doesn't seem possible, but I have no other explanation.

I'm not really sure...but that is a lot of hours in a performing situation..what kinda Strings, and Gauge are you using ?

sidneystreet · January 31st, 2007, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soul-o

...I really do wonder why on earth I burned through these frets so quickly. I wonder if I'm just fretting too hard...

I can only offer my own experiences. I played the same guitar constantly for about 10 years, practice and gigging. It still has what I would consider moderate fret wear. I must have a really light fretting hand touch, as I just don't seem to wear out frets as quickly as other players. Of course, I also play all over the neck, not spending much more time at the first fret then at the middle and upper frets. Maybe this has a lot to do with it also.

crawdad · January 31st, 2007, 03:55 AM

If your action is set super low, it is going to cause more collision between the frets and the strings. That can cause the frets to wear down faster.

I'm just in my third month of my MIM Esquire and there is no wear yet. I play a lot too. I'll have to get back with you after two years.

Twang Tone · January 31st, 2007, 06:19 AM

I never kept my '50's Classic Tele long enough to wear the frets, but my '99 AV52RI has frets that are just starting to wear.

So, I wonder if Fender uses cheaper fret material on the Classic series to keep the costs down?

Also, I guess if you can play with a lighter touch your frets might last longer. My mate's MIJ 62 Strat frets wore out pretty quick - when I watched him play the thing one time, I found out why!!

Thanks,

GUITARmole · January 31st, 2007, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanS

Get it refretted with stainless steel frets and be done with it forever!

Usually it takes me 3 to 4 months before the first marks show on the lower frets on a new guitar, that's why I'll never buy a guitar without SS frets again.

And for 250$ you could easily get an unfinished Warmoth neck with all the extras you want, then finish it with TruOil or another oil-based finish (feels much better than a lacquered neck and is easy to do), an live happily ever after...

X2 on the SS frets. After almost chickening out from ordering stainless steel frets (due to several posts on how they make the guitar overly bright or buzzy sounding) I went ahead and pulled the trigger and ordered my latest Tele neck with them. I probably won't go back to regular fret material other than on the guitars I build from scratch (since I already have a bulk supply of the regular fret stock and it's easier on my tools when I have to do the intitial dressing of my less than perfect fret jobs) but will always order them on the necks I have premade.

You could probably buy a finished Musikraft neck w/ the stainless frets for about the same price as a maple neck fret job and it would be a MUCH better neck IMO.

Axis29 · January 31st, 2007, 08:32 AM

Sometimes I think Fender just uses softer fret material... I had an early RI strat (don't remind me too much that I let this one slip out of my hands). WHen I bought it it was in good almost new shape. Within a couple of years I had worn the frets down to the board between the 9th and 15th frets on the lower four strings.

However, I've have a 1968 Gibson hollow body that I bought the very same day and played just as much and since (now fifteen plus years) and you can barely tell it's even been played. The frets stilll look perfect?

I just recently got a MIM Nashville Tele and I see fret wear on it already... Maybe it's just wearing the lacquer off, but I don't see these bad boys lasting too long.

Now, because I didn't have the money to replace the frets, I ended up selling that strat... and I cry to this day about it. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made in life was selling that guitar!

So, get it refretted or buya new neck with hard fretwire. BUT DO NOT GET RID OF THAT GUITAR IF YOU LIKE PLAYING IT! Am I clear on that one? LOL

Good luck and let us know what you end up doing.

stantheman · January 31st, 2007, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by soul-o

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their 50's classic. I bought the guitar new 3 years ago and have played it for about 150 gigs (most of them 4 hours). I had the frets dressed about a year ago and the repairman was really surprised by how worn they were. I just took it in again as I have a few weeks off and they've been looking pretty flattened. He says he really would recommend a complete fret job, that they're really beyond filing. I've never experienced this with any other guitar I've owned. the tech in question is highly reputable and I've been going to him for years, and I really can see that they're trashed. Are those frets some soft alloy or something? Maybe I just got a dodgy neck. Of course, now we get into the question of new frets or a new neck. It's about the same price, but I really like the guitar as it so I opted for new frets.

I'll take a wild leap of faith here and assume that You brought it to Jimmy.
I've seen the problem before too but this is the first instance I've heard of
it happening with a Tele or Strat.
I saw it on many Reissue Jaguars, some that were only months old.
Every once in a great wild a distributor gets skunked by a vendor or the vendor by his/her manufacturer. It happens in every Industry.
My guess is the Fret Wire wasn't "cooled" properly hence "the softness".

soul-o · January 31st, 2007, 09:33 PM

You guessed correct, sir. You can understand why I was willing to take his word for it.

BillyC · February 1st, 2007, 04:20 AM

I played over a thousand gigs with mine before I had to have it refretted

Bluesbob · February 1st, 2007, 03:10 PM

Lotta bread tho.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-50s-RI-F...em200072194728
Then again, it's just about new, so... Also, there's other folks that sell 'em. Maybe cheaper.

January 29th, 2007, 10:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
soul-o TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Boston Age: 40 Posts: 88	soft frets on a 50's classic? Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this with their 50's classic. I bought the guitar new 3 years ago and have played it for about 150 gigs (most of them 4 hours). I had the frets dressed about a year ago and the repairman was really surprised by how worn they were. I just took it in again as I have a few weeks off and they've been looking pretty flattened. He says he really would recommend a complete fret job, that they're really beyond filing. I've never experienced this with any other guitar I've owned. the tech in question is highly reputable and I've been going to him for years, and I really can see that they're trashed. Are those frets some soft alloy or something? Maybe I just got a dodgy neck. Of course, now we get into the question of new frets or a new neck. It's about the same price, but I really like the guitar as it so I opted for new frets.

January 29th, 2007, 10:54 PM	#3 (permalink)
Colo Springs E Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,204 5 Photos	Holy cow! Assuming you do any other playing on it (at home, a few hours a day or week or whatever) I don't know that it's that wierd that it's to the point of needing a re-fret. Sounds like to me you've gotten a pretty good bit of use out of them, maybe I'm wrong... __________________ Think I'll pack it in and Buy a pickup Take it down to LA...

January 29th, 2007, 11:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
mellecaster Friend of Leo's Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 4,774 17 Photos	If you have a Tech, who will do a complete refret on a Maple neck for the same price as a Mexican Classic neck on E-bay...he must really need the work ?? __________________ I have never owned an Ipod or Blackberry..and doubt that I ever will......

January 29th, 2007, 11:05 PM	#5 (permalink)
aznrambo481 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla, California Age: 17 Posts: 2,868 6 Photos	Colo Springs, if you think about that, it really isn't that much. 600 hours equates to an hour a day for 2 years, more or less(excuse the bad math). Considering that's how much an avid player would play, it is somewhat short of a life-span. __________________ Check out my bands, and feel free to PM me comments on them! The Eclectics (guitar/vocals) SLIP (bass)

January 29th, 2007, 11:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Colo Springs E Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 5,204 5 Photos	Ya maybe you're right... ...I never keep a guitar long enough to need fretwork! __________________ Think I'll pack it in and Buy a pickup Take it down to LA...

January 29th, 2007, 10:41 PM	#2 (permalink)
Caper Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,169 7 Photos	I don't have a 50's Tele but I would also go with a re fret. Btw, will the neck require refinishing?

January 30th, 2007, 07:50 PM	#8 (permalink)
jfp Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 272 3 Photos	er. . . I think it's the Baja Tele that's "Custom Shop designed, assembled in Mexico" not the 50's Classic

January 30th, 2007, 08:11 PM	#10 (permalink)
RomanS Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Vienna, Austria Age: 37 Posts: 2,890 14 Photos	Get it refretted with stainless steel frets and be done with it forever! Usually it takes me 3 to 4 months before the first marks show on the lower frets on a new guitar, that's why I'll never buy a guitar without SS frets again. And for 250$ you could easily get an unfinished Warmoth neck with all the extras you want, then finish it with TruOil or another oil-based finish (feels much better than a lacquered neck and is easy to do), an live happily ever after...

January 30th, 2007, 08:40 PM	#13 (permalink)
Mark Davis Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Bakersfield Ca. Age: 58 Posts: 12,863	I played my 50's Classic everyday for 2 years and it had only the slightest marks of fretwear after that. If you use stainless steel strings your frets will wear out quick. __________________ I'm so blind my seeing eye dog needs glasses.

January 31st, 2007, 03:55 AM	#17 (permalink)
crawdad Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,297	If your action is set super low, it is going to cause more collision between the frets and the strings. That can cause the frets to wear down faster. I'm just in my third month of my MIM Esquire and there is no wear yet. I play a lot too. I'll have to get back with you after two years. __________________ "The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and that could be again. Oh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come."

January 31st, 2007, 06:19 AM	#18 (permalink)
Twang Tone Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: London, England Age: 36 Posts: 849	I never kept my '50's Classic Tele long enough to wear the frets, but my '99 AV52RI has frets that are just starting to wear. So, I wonder if Fender uses cheaper fret material on the Classic series to keep the costs down? Also, I guess if you can play with a lighter touch your frets might last longer. My mate's MIJ 62 Strat frets wore out pretty quick - when I watched him play the thing one time, I found out why!! Thanks, __________________ TT Ridicule is nothing to be scared of!

January 31st, 2007, 08:32 AM	#20 (permalink)
Axis29 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Virginia, USA Age: 40 Posts: 1,066 1 Photos	Sometimes I think Fender just uses softer fret material... I had an early RI strat (don't remind me too much that I let this one slip out of my hands). WHen I bought it it was in good almost new shape. Within a couple of years I had worn the frets down to the board between the 9th and 15th frets on the lower four strings. However, I've have a 1968 Gibson hollow body that I bought the very same day and played just as much and since (now fifteen plus years) and you can barely tell it's even been played. The frets stilll look perfect? I just recently got a MIM Nashville Tele and I see fret wear on it already... Maybe it's just wearing the lacquer off, but I don't see these bad boys lasting too long. Now, because I didn't have the money to replace the frets, I ended up selling that strat... and I cry to this day about it. One of the biggest mistakes I ever made in life was selling that guitar! So, get it refretted or buya new neck with hard fretwire. BUT DO NOT GET RID OF THAT GUITAR IF YOU LIKE PLAYING IT! Am I clear on that one? LOL Good luck and let us know what you end up doing. __________________ John F. TDPRI # 1764

January 31st, 2007, 09:33 PM	#22 (permalink)
soul-o TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Boston Age: 40 Posts: 88	You guessed correct, sir. You can understand why I was willing to take his word for it.

February 1st, 2007, 04:20 AM	#23 (permalink)
BillyC Tele-Meister Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NC Age: 60 Posts: 275	I played over a thousand gigs with mine before I had to have it refretted

February 1st, 2007, 03:10 PM	#24 (permalink)
Bluesbob Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: East Suffolk L.I. Posts: 1,054 20 Photos	Here's what you need... Lotta bread tho. http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-50s-RI-F...em200072194728 Then again, it's just about new, so... Also, there's other folks that sell 'em. Maybe cheaper. __________________ What, me worry?