Refretting a Strat '54 Reissue, Maple Neck

[jrfrond]

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

I suppose that TECHNICALLY a reissue is a copy unless every single process was duplicated verbatim, and the original company owners and personnel were still intact. However, these are manufacturing processes that have evolved. The sideways fretting was actually a very inaccurate, hand-guided process that made for lots of uneven frets. It was all dependent on pressure exerted on the guide block by the operator. The current process of pressing frets in is more accurate, and requires less post-fretting manicuring than the former process.

The basic woodworking back in the day was accomplished mainly by pin routers, followed by subsequent, highly-variable hand-guided sanding processes. Not a BAD way to produce guitars (G & L still does), but it is slower, and less accurate at higher production levels, so Fender is now all CNC.

Some people say that all of this machine work makes for a guitar with less mojo. THAT I agree with to a large extent. I have my own custom drum business, and there is DEFINITELY something about hand-built gear. I just built a Strat clone that blows away everything I've picked up in a music store in a LONG time. However, to call a 2008 RI Fender Strat a COPY of it's 1954 former self? Man, I think we are just splitting hairs. Hey, if it's Custom Shop, chances are Abigail Ybarra, who wound pickups at Fender in the 60's, probably wound the CS pickups. Now THERE is a genuine attachment to the past.

[David Schwab]

Yeah, a hand made guitar has greater attention to detail. I'd sure like a CNC setup though...

Like with winding pickups. It's not a hard thing to do, and they always sound better than the factory stuff. The tricky part is getting your formulas.

But even with CNC, you have to do a lot of finishing work. Look at the Gibson BFG. That's a VERY rough finish on the top, and that was sanded a bit.

I use patterns and routers as much as possible, but some stuff you have to do by hand if you don't have CNC, like carving a neck. That's my favorite part.

I think "mojo" is a big myth.. it comes down to skill.

[greenfingers]

Pulling the frets out from the side is a good way to prevent spoiling the finish of the fret board, Eddie Van Halen said he messed up lots of maple neck's refretting untill someone told him he was doing it wrong, and this necks didn't have any finish on them, He pulled bit's of wood out the neck along with the fret's the way he did it

[Steve Conner]

I'm pretty sure the fret job would have been done at the factory.

I have a similar Strat with a maple neck, except it's only an American Standard. But the frets look the same as what you describe, as if they were levelled and then they didn't try particularly hard to recrown them afterwards. The fingerboard has some sort of shiny epoxy coating, too.

I noticed the same, the action is low and it plays great, and sounds as near as damn to my idea of what a Strat should sound like. It makes me want to play Hank Marvin licks and laugh out loud, my neighbours must think I'm crazy.

I always used to like a high action and heavy strings, but this guitar made me rethink that.

Finally, since Strats have bolt-on necks, what's stopping you from buying a whole new neck with the kind of frets you like? You could have a luthier fit it and set it up, and stash the old neck away for when you want to sell the guitar.

[jrfrond]

Finally, since Strats have bolt-on necks, what's stopping you from buying a whole new neck with the kind of frets you like? You could have a luthier fit it and set it up, and stash the old neck away for when you want to sell the guitar.

I agree. Down the line, some nut is going to want to see it with all original frets, even if they are worn, and you will get max $$$ for it. Get yourself a GOOD neck and proceed from there. I personally recommend Musikraft because they have a lot of profiles to choose from, and if you measure your neck thickness and width, it will come REAL close. They will even do total custome profiles. Combine that with some crafty relicing, and you will never miss the original neck.