Refretting a Strat '54 Reissue, Maple Neck

[Chevy]

Hi Guys,

First time on this site. Thanks in advance for your ideas and info!

I have an as-new 2004 Strat, 50th Anniversary, Ash body, Tobacco, '54 Custom Shop pickups, Maple neck. Sweet guitar.

This guitar, although mint in all other aspects, has had its frets somewhat levelled/dressed somewhere between the factory, first buyer of the guitar and myself. I love the guitar, but didn't know it had levelled frets when I bought it on Ebay.

Thing is, I like tall / meaty frets. Fender Medium Jumbo as a minimum. Being a maple board, can anyone suggest where to possibly get it refretted? The thing is mint*, and to get it refetted can be touchy, and expensive. It may be scarred up when finished.... I can sell it as is for a good price and start again, but except for the frets, this is a great axe..... ?
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

[spud1950]

It may be scarred up when finished.... I can sell it as is for a good price and start again, but except for the frets, this is a great axe..... ?

A properly done refret on a maple neck done by a tech who knows what he's doing will also include refinishing the fret board and not putting any dings or scratches on any other part of the neck. If properly done,it will look as good as new. The key is to ask around and find a compentent tech to work on it.

[Sweetfinger]

the frets probably NEEDED leveling for the guitar to play well. Most do, so even if you'd bought a brand new one, you'd still be right where you are now. Its up to you to decide whether to refret what you've got, or sell it and look for another Strat with really worn or boogered frets. There's no reason to be afraid of buying a Mex Strat, either...especially if you're going to rework it. The primary difference between a Mex neck and USA is the fretwire.

[Rob Mercure]

I know nothing about reisues but the original models had the frets forced into the slots from the side - not pressed in from the top - and these type frets must be pushed out in the direction they were installed. If they are simply removed with end nippers, etc., big chunks of the fretboard my come with them. The rosewood boards are worse for large chunks - the maple ones create more frequent smaller chips.

Dunno if the reissue were fretted that way - I suspect not (another reason the "reissues' aren't anything of the sort but instead another "copy). In any case any fret comes out more easily if its heated - especially newer one that are often glued - sometimes epoxy - in which requires heat (soldering iron).

Rob

[Chevy]

refretting a Strat with Maple Neck

Thanks for the responses, guys....
If this guitar wasn't collectable (it apparently is, due to being mint), I'd get the refret job done and use it as my daily player. As soon as I do something to it, or create some wear, it's collectability is in question, and value drops lots. So I'm sitting on the fence about even touching it yet.

And yes, it plays very well, very low action with no buzzing, so the fret leveling did accomplish it's purpose. Would Fender have possibly done this at the factory? This guitar was purchased with the frets already dressed, while brand spanky new from a big music store.... would the store have done the dressing?

As I live in the sticks, I have access to only one decent luthier, but who no longer has a spray booth. Can you refer me to someone reputable who can refret a maple neck and do an as-new job? I don't want to pay the moon, either... I can ship the neck anywhere.

Thanks much!

[David Schwab]

the frets probably NEEDED leveling for the guitar to play well. Most do, so even if you'd bought a brand new one, you'd still be right where you are now. Its up to you to decide whether to refret what you've got, or sell it and look for another Strat with really worn or boogered frets. There's no reason to be afraid of buying a Mex Strat, either...especially if you're going to rework it. The primary difference between a Mex neck and USA is the fretwire.

I was just going to say this. I've seen some brand new US Fenders with no so great fretwork. They have gotten better, but it's still hit-or-miss. Must depend on who was doing the work.

To do a proper job on a maple neck, the finish either needs to be touched up, or the fingerboard will need to be refinished. Often the touch ups are done with CA (super) glue.

If the frets come out cleanly, jumbo frets can often cover up where the edge of the finish is, and when all is said and done, you don't need much touch up, and it looks and plays great.

[bulldogguitars]

I was a Fender service tech for sometime, and the new ones that use to come out of the factory, use to what seemed consistently, have flat frets. Which in turn always caused buzzing. They knew it but didnt want to at the time have any of us techs put much time into them.

[Chevy]

flat frets?

Thanks guys!

Bulldogguitars: when you say they came out of the factory with flat frets, you mean they were dressed/leveled at the factory, right?

[bulldogguitars]

Thats what they looked like to me. They were leveled and not crowned very well. I never got a clear answer on how things were done there. Please dont think Im knocking Fender, I do love my strat, Im not. But it would seem to me that if a person is spending the money they are on these instruments the quality would be a little better coming out of the factory. Just my two cents. Danny

[David Schwab]

It's a factory guitar. They don't spend the time a luthier would on the frets, and they have pretty much unskilled labor doing the work. I agree that the more expensive models should have well crowned frets, but that costs them money. And money is what they are interested in. It's not the same spirit that Leo had, and Fender (and Gibson) are more like they were when CBS (and Norlin) owed them. Big corporations. Between the two of them they own most of their competition. Fender just bought Kaman Music Corporation, which owns Ovation, Takamine, Hamer, and a bunch of other things.

Look at the $25,000 EVH Frankenstein guitar they sell! $25,000! That's what hand labor is worth to them I guess.

Fender and Gibson want to make money. Many of their guitars are over priced for what you get. The cheaper Epiphone and Squire brands are priced better, but the quality can be iffy. Gibson said not long ago that Gibsons are for collectors, and Epis are for players. That's insulting.

$25,000 will get you one hell of an Alembic guitar that will have the best fretwork you ever saw.

It's still way too much money!

But you should always take a new factory guitar to a good luthier and have it set up.

[jrfrond]

Maple boards pose no problem to repairman who knows what he/she is doing, especially on something that new, where the likelihood of needing to level the fingerboard is close to zero.

FYI- Fender no longer installs the frets sideways. That process left with the CBS era.

[Gtr_tech]

ITo do a proper job on a maple neck, the finish either needs to be touched up, or the fingerboard will need to be refinished. Often the touch ups are done with CA (super) glue.

If the frets come out cleanly, jumbo frets can often cover up where the edge of the finish is, and when all is said and done, you don't need much touch up, and it looks and plays great.

To do it right (maple or no maple) the fingerboard must be planed to insure its level...a problem with strats and bolt on guitars in general...especially if the neck has been shimmed at the heel.

I don't think its realistic to even try to refret maple without refinishing. If wider fretwire is installed over the old finish thats asking for trouble. If the tech/luthier is attentive to detail they'll even match the tint of the lacquer to match the rest of the neck.

[David Schwab]

To do it right (maple or no maple) the fingerboard must be planed to insure its level...a problem with strats and bolt on guitars in general...especially if the neck has been shimmed at the heel.

Yeah, you at least want to check if it's level. Often they are. More often than not the hump is small enough to remove during fret leveling, but I have also done partial refrets, leveling the hump down, but obviously that's on rosewood boards.

I've had brand new rosewood neck US Strats in my shop that needed the fingerboard leveled, but I've also had a lot that don't, including my '72 Mustang. Original frets and all, and it plays like butter with nary a buzz.

I'll agree that the proper way to refret a maple fingerboard is to refinish it, but it can be done. I've also refretted both my '73 Ric 4001's without refinishing the bubinga and tulipwood boards.

[Rob Mercure]

Jrfrond,

This is why I referred to the guitar as a "copy" and not a true "reissue." If is were a reissue then the fretting would as originally used. In general I find that the term is being used very "fast and loose." At least the same company - no matter how many times the ownership has changed - is manufacturing the guitar.

Rob

[David Schwab]

Jrfrond,

This is why I referred to the guitar as a "copy" and not a true "reissue." If is were a reissue then the fretting would as originally used. In general I find that the term is being used very "fast and loose." At least the same company - no matter how many times the ownership has changed - is manufacturing the guitar.

Rob

They don't put the frets in sideways on the reissues either... if that's what you were referring to.