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Has Anyone Ever Refretted An Acoustic With Electric Frets?
Posted on 10/26/24 at 8:31 am
Posted on 10/26/24 at 8:31 am
To hopefully make it easier to fret with the slightly taller profile.
What would be the potential cons of doing so? TIA
What would be the potential cons of doing so? TIA
3
Posted on 10/26/24 at 10:47 am to Mizz-SEC
Swear to God, you and LSUwannabee need to trade phone numbers and email addys.
y'all can probably figure out the easy way together.
y'all can probably figure out the easy way together.
Posted on 10/26/24 at 11:34 am to Mizz-SEC
There are no instrument-specific frets. Frets are all made of similar alloys of copper, nickel and zinc, or stainless steel. The variants are crown height, crown width and tang (root) width and depth.
What you need to ask about are "jumbo frets." That's the general term to describe big frets. There are about a half-dozen fret sizes that fall in that category. I deal in about three dozen fret sizes in my shop, ranging from very tiny "vintage" frets to jumbos that feel like railroad crossties on a fingerboard, plus all the in-between sizes. Most modern acoustics use what I'd describe as medium to medium jumbo.
"Easier to fret" is more of a characteristic of a well-set-up guitar - as in proper relief, proper action, proper nut slot depths - mixed with the size of the string. The height and width of the actual fret crowns is not as big of a contributing factor.
A properly set-up acoustic with light-gauge strings will play great with vintage frets. A poorly set-up acoustic and/or one with giant strings will be hard to fret regardless of the fret size. Before you start asking about jumbo refrets, you need to first invest in a pro set-up. It will not only be much cheaper and less intrusive, it will very likely fix your issue from a player's perspective.
Jumbo cons ... if you use a capo, it better both match the exact radius of the guitar's fingerboard AND have adjustable clamping tension. Otherwise you will have to re-tune the guitar every time you put the capo on and again when the capo is removed.
What you need to ask about are "jumbo frets." That's the general term to describe big frets. There are about a half-dozen fret sizes that fall in that category. I deal in about three dozen fret sizes in my shop, ranging from very tiny "vintage" frets to jumbos that feel like railroad crossties on a fingerboard, plus all the in-between sizes. Most modern acoustics use what I'd describe as medium to medium jumbo.
"Easier to fret" is more of a characteristic of a well-set-up guitar - as in proper relief, proper action, proper nut slot depths - mixed with the size of the string. The height and width of the actual fret crowns is not as big of a contributing factor.
A properly set-up acoustic with light-gauge strings will play great with vintage frets. A poorly set-up acoustic and/or one with giant strings will be hard to fret regardless of the fret size. Before you start asking about jumbo refrets, you need to first invest in a pro set-up. It will not only be much cheaper and less intrusive, it will very likely fix your issue from a player's perspective.
Jumbo cons ... if you use a capo, it better both match the exact radius of the guitar's fingerboard AND have adjustable clamping tension. Otherwise you will have to re-tune the guitar every time you put the capo on and again when the capo is removed.
Posted on 10/26/24 at 1:36 pm to TheFretShack
Thank you for the detailed, well thought out repsonse. It was a general information quesiton. I watched a review video on a model I'm interested in and the reviewer wondered why most acoustics have vintage frets, so I thought I'd toss it out there to see what folks (like you actually) had to say about it.
I play with a luthier who does great set-ups, but doubt I'd ever ask him to refret something for me.
I play with a luthier who does great set-ups, but doubt I'd ever ask him to refret something for me.
Posted on 10/26/24 at 2:08 pm to TheFretShack
quote:
Before you start asking about jumbo refrets, you need to first invest in a pro set-up.
They never do.
They would rather spend money on new shite, instead of paying a pro a little bit of labor to get something right.
Then they end up back in the same place, unhappy with the instrument that they have.
I'm pretty good at working on guitars, but I will still be taking 1 of mine by Joe Glaser's shop next week, to pay for his opinion about what to do. ( Gonna put a trem on my LP jr. Going to get his opinion about the best way to proceed)
A great luthier, is the best money you can spend.
This post was edited on 10/26/24 at 2:17 pm
Posted on 10/26/24 at 3:50 pm to Mizz-SEC
quote:
the reviewer wondered why most acoustics have vintage frets
The capo thing. And for the same reason, the abundance of heavy fingered players in the market. Big frets mixed with vice grip fretting fingers = tuning and intonation problems.
And to a lesser degree, jumbos create airspace for the fingers under the strings between the frets, that facilitates easier string bending. Most acoustic players don't play acoustics in that way, and subsequently don't need the extra leverage.
Posted on 10/27/24 at 9:33 am to TheFretShack
Bar frets.
Is the one I've tried on an 40's Martin. Owner loved the feel but I didn't bond with them at all. Not to discourage your search. The one use that caught my attention was on vintage non-truss rod guitars. Seems wider frets can be added as a strategy to help straighten out a bowed neck.
Is the one I've tried on an 40's Martin. Owner loved the feel but I didn't bond with them at all. Not to discourage your search. The one use that caught my attention was on vintage non-truss rod guitars. Seems wider frets can be added as a strategy to help straighten out a bowed neck.
Posted on 10/27/24 at 10:23 am to awestruck
It's wider fret tangs, not the crown size, that can correct backbow ...
Posted on 10/27/24 at 11:24 am to TheFretShack
compression
True bar frets the way I understand don't even have the T-tangs, they also take lots of extra care and hence cost way more. Was just pointing out (to op) that wider and/or taller frets are a thing that favored by some and possibly sought out.
True bar frets the way I understand don't even have the T-tangs, they also take lots of extra care and hence cost way more. Was just pointing out (to op) that wider and/or taller frets are a thing that favored by some and possibly sought out.
Posted on 10/27/24 at 5:21 pm to Mizz-SEC
Having fretted an acoustic I built I’d advise against it. I only “refretted” one botched placement of those frets. There was tear out. Make sure you have some rosewood dust handy.
You don’t want YOUR guitar to be your first refret.
You need to know if they were glued in place or not. Fret maybe able to give you some standard answers like “Brand X always glues Y does not”
I’ve never had a proper set up. Fret lives too damn far so I just do it myself. I don’t know if I trust guitar center guys. That said I’d love to have a proper set up and see what the fuss is about and see if I am any good at it.
You don’t want YOUR guitar to be your first refret.
You need to know if they were glued in place or not. Fret maybe able to give you some standard answers like “Brand X always glues Y does not”
I’ve never had a proper set up. Fret lives too damn far so I just do it myself. I don’t know if I trust guitar center guys. That said I’d love to have a proper set up and see what the fuss is about and see if I am any good at it.
Posted on 10/27/24 at 5:23 pm to auggie
quote:
y'all can probably figure out the easy way together.
I think easy way it apprentice under a guy and use his equipment. Fret press, jigs, and clamps.
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