Maple neck refret: concerns?

[fet]

My '83 maple-neck Tokai "Goldstar Sound" (Strat clone) needs new frets; the old ones are notched beyond redemption. I've had a rosewood-board guitar refretted, never a maple. I know that the maple refret is more pricey, and that maybe a spot refinish on the fingerboard would be necessary. Still haven't contacted local luthiers...

 

Anyone had a maple board refretted? Typical prices? Any other concerns or thoughts?

 

Thanks to all in this opinionated, likable crew who reply.

[Sir Bob]

As you have guessed, pulling the old frets from a maple neck risks damaging the neck around the fret. On a rosewood fretboard, you can always sand down the problems.

 

I don't think you should have any problems on your first refret. Your tech might like to see you pick a fatter fret maybe to cover up any errors. I put in tall frets so I have many years to go before another refret job.

 

I doubt if the cost is any higher. Make sure the tech dresses your new frets.

[DC]

The secret to refretting a maple board is in using a soldering iron on the frets to unseat them. This seperates them from the lacquer and glue if it was used. It's also a good idea to scribe around the frets themselves to insure no lacquer cracks. I personally would never spot refinish any board.

 

Your best bet is to ask your tech what his technique is. If he just pulls em and hammers in new ones, you might look for a better tech i.e. consider sending your guitar off to someone nationally recognized.

[dave251]

Levelling the neck on ANY refret is always recommended, particularly on the first refret. Any kind of "attitude" the neck has developed can be taken care of. This of course means a FB refin...no big deal, even with toner involved.

 

My shop charges about $225 for a maple board, due to the refin. This includes a complete guitar setup(some shops quote this in addition to the refret...but it has to be done anyway). More often than not, a new nut will have to be fit; there is a reduced charge for this when done in conjunction with the refret.

 

Another option is a new neck, can be done at about the same price. Import necks are quite good these days. For example Stewart-MacDonald has a finished neck at about $90 or so.

 

Dave

 

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Ozark Instrument

[Rick Turner]

You have to understand that lacquered-over fretboards, as with Rickenbacker or Fender, are just a bad idea if the longevity of the guitar is a consideration. It's strictly a manufacturing short cut. Years ago if you sent a maple 'board guitar back to Fender for a refret, what you got was a new neck. Leo thought of the necks as disposable! How very Detroit of him....

 

Heating frets is indeed the best way to remove them, but many Fenders had frets inserted from the side...a great way to lock in the fret, but Hell on the unsuspecting repairer who tries to pull them out in the usual fashion! I'm not sure of the years on the side fret method, but I saw it in action at the Fender plant in about 1977. On these, you have to tap the fret out the way it went in....not a trick for first timers.

 

I use a resistance soldering station with electrodes which I apply to the frets. A low voltage, high current surges through the fret, and the fret itself heats up evenly all across its length, making removal with ground end nippers quite easy (conventionally inserted frets).

 

One possibility is to refinish a maple 'board before fretting. I know it's not "original", but it's a much better way to deal with the issue. I'd use a urethane/oil combo on the bare maple (trued up, of course), then a urethane sealer topped with polyester. You then recut the fret slots

and refret in the normal manner. This gives you a fingerboard without those ugly little lacquer fillets on each side of every fret (Rics are especially horrible that way), and it is re-frettable in the future.