Worn freTs or needing fret job?

[timewave]

Hey all!
Having never worn out frets or needed a fret job I have a quetion or two.
Is it the metal frets or the wood that goes? I know this sounds a bit silly, but I play very lightly I guess, and really when I bend I dont dig in to anything that hard as to ware out these things . I have a friend who needs fret jobs always and I seem not to .Why?
Any Help would be a great , as I am buying a G&L Legacy Spec. this week,What should I look for with the fret thing ?( only thing I"M not that familiar with)
Thanks Again
Steve

[louis cyfer]

if you play a lot, you still wear the frets that you need a fret dressing at least every couple of years, and that is at the minimum. unless you use stainless steel or evo gold frets. those last a lot longer. by default i take every guitar i get for a fret level/dressing. you should take it to a tech to have the frets checked out, as it is obvious you don't have the experience to know what to look for.

[timewave]

Thanks Louis!
Been playing long but never needed(I guess) a fret job. I have my gtrs set up by paul unk ,who works w/eddie VH and prs in his younger yrs ,look up paul unkert or unk gtrs.
Thanks Again!
Steve

[louis cyfer]

Thanks Louis!
Been playing long but never needed(I guess) a fret job. I have my gtrs set up by paul unk ,who works w/eddie VH and prs in his younger yrs ,look up paul unkert or unk gtrs.
Thanks Again!
Steve

i can believe not needing a fretjob, but can't believe not needing a fret level and dress, you can live without it, but you only don't need it of you don't know what you are missing. the top of the frets flatten, changing intonation, and some frets get more use than other creating low and high frets. those need to be leveled and crowned and polished. now a tech would ask, are you ok with your frets? if you say yes, they don't do it. also, if you have high action, you wouldn't notice it much, although how a freshly polished fret feels, nothing compares to that. i polish my frets at each string change, i like the feeling so much.

paul unkert built some guitars for eddie, but his techs are form cali as he lives here. close by me actually.
i have listened to some of what unkert says about his headstock design, and he states some seriously flawed things. like "anything that is a curve is a spring, anything that is a spring is under tension, and anything that is under tension creates tone".

[timewave]

Thanks Louis!
Been playing long but never needed(I guess) a fret job. I have my gtrs set up by paul unk ,who works w/eddie VH and prs in his younger yrs ,look up paul unkert or unk gtrs.
Thanks Again!
Steve

i can believe not needing a fretjob, but can't believe not needing a fret level and dress, you can live without it, but you only don't need it of you don't know what you are missing. the top of the frets flatten, changing intonation, and some frets get more use than other creating low and high frets. those need to be leveled and crowned and polished. now a tech would ask, are you ok with your frets? if you say yes, they don't do it. also, if you have high action, you wouldn't notice it much, although how a freshly polished fret feels, nothing compares to that. i polish my frets at each string change, i like the feeling so much.

paul unkert built some guitars for eddie, but his techs are form cali as he lives here. close by me actually.
i have listened to some of what unkert says about his headstock design, and he states some seriously flawed things. like "anything that is a curve is a spring, anything that is a spring is under tension, and anything that is under tension creates tone".

I was over Paul Unks last week here in N.J.or does EVH live near you ? I will ask paul if mt gtrs need a fret job next time I get set up. I just wondered if you can tell by looking as I am buying used Legacy spec this week and You ans. that I will look for worn areas of metal and wood
As for Unk gtrs I did"nt like em that much, small frets! not enough room for me anyway! He lost his ass w/them gtrs ,let some corp. in and they busted it out .He now works out of his home,I know he did work for Kramer in Cali right?
Thanks!
Steve

[louis cyfer]

th4e wear is on the frets, not the wood. but if there is wear marks on the wood, that would mean tremendous pressure on the part of the player, which would certainly lead to excessive fret wear.

evh lives near me.

[timewave]

th4e wear is on the frets, not the wood. but if there is wear marks on the wood, that would mean tremendous pressure on the part of the player, which would certainly lead to excessive fret wear.

evh lives near me.

Have you ever seen him ! Tell em I said HI !
I looked at all my gtrs and almost no wear on frets,but can see it starting around E area(12th) and up top 5 frets(open E area(scale) and ,G and A areas most on the G string but you have to look at it under a light ,almost cant see it but now I know what to look for and what it would look like if it was worse. I"ll deff check every gtr I buy now ,I often plug em in and play them check intonation (open to 12th) My pal says it cost him 250.00 for a fret job! That seemed like alot,is it ? I also talked to paul and he says he dresses my frets @ every set-up.
Thanks for your knowledge in this matter
Steve

[louis cyfer]

th4e wear is on the frets, not the wood. but if there is wear marks on the wood, that would mean tremendous pressure on the part of the player, which would certainly lead to excessive fret wear.

evh lives near me.

Have you ever seen him ! Tell em I said HI !
I looked at all my gtrs and almost no wear on frets,but can see it starting around E area(12th) and up top 5 frets(open E area(scale) and ,G and A areas most on the G string but you have to look at it under a light ,almost cant see it but now I know what to look for and what it would look like if it was worse. I"ll deff check every gtr I buy now ,I often plug em in and play them check intonation (open to 12th) My pal says it cost him 250.00 for a fret job! That seemed like alot,is it ? I also talked to paul and he says he dresses my frets @ every set-up.
Thanks for your knowledge in this matter
Steve

if you had them dressed every set up, that is why you do not notice the wear. does he crown and polish, or level, crown and polish as part of dressing?
250 is about average for a fretjob, but usually a level, crown, polsih will take care of it, unless there is not enough fret left. i prefer the jescar evo frets, and that costs 500 for a fretjob, but no dressing or refret is required, so you actually save money.

[timewave]

th4e wear is on the frets, not the wood. but if there is wear marks on the wood, that would mean tremendous pressure on the part of the player, which would certainly lead to excessive fret wear.

evh lives near me.

Have you ever seen him ! Tell em I said HI !
I looked at all my gtrs and almost no wear on frets,but can see it starting around E area(12th) and up top 5 frets(open E area(scale) and ,G and A areas most on the G string but you have to look at it under a light ,almost cant see it but now I know what to look for and what it would look like if it was worse. I"ll deff check every gtr I buy now ,I often plug em in and play them check intonation (open to 12th) My pal says it cost him 250.00 for a fret job! That seemed like alot,is it ? I also talked to paul and he says he dresses my frets @ every set-up.
Thanks for your knowledge in this matter
Steve

if you had them dressed every set up, that is why you do not notice the wear. does he crown and polish, or level, crown and polish as part of dressing?
250 is about average for a fretjob, but usually a level, crown, polsih will take care of it, unless there is not enough fret left. i prefer the jescar evo frets, and that costs 500 for a fretjob, but no dressing or refret is required, so you actually save money.

Thanks again!! Lou
Well I finaly get to see the new.... used Legacy Spec,on Sat! Now I need to know nothing more about frets and thier jobs ,just hoping this gtr not grooved like Jimmy Brown !!!
Steve

[louis cyfer]

good luck, hope it all works out.

[Graeme]

I collect guitars from the late 70's early 80's and the first thing I do is put them in for a fret dress. I wish I could do it myself but some jobs should be left to those who know what they are doing; trust me it is worth it. I am pretty confident at setting up a guitar and appreciate the benefits level frets makes to what ever playing action you want. It is a bit like having your old car serviced and driving away feeling like its new again.

There was one time when I thought the frets on a guitar looked way passed salvation but decided just to have them dressed dressed. The frets came back ultra thin with the action able to go well below my preferred factory setting without a hint of fret buzz. What I am saying is don't convince yourself your guitar needs an expensive re-fret as a first option.

Treat your guitar to a new dress!

[louis cyfer]

I collect guitars from the late 70's early 80's and the first thing I do is put them in for a fret dress. I wish I could do it myself but some jobs should be left to those who know what they are doing; trust me it is worth it. I am pretty confident at setting up a guitar and appreciate the benefits level frets makes to what ever playing action you want. It is a bit like having your old car serviced and driving away feeling like its new again.

There was one time when I thought the frets on a guitar looked way passed salvation but decided just to have them dressed dressed. The frets came back ultra thin with the action able to go well below my preferred factory setting without a hint of fret buzz. What I am saying is don't convince yourself your guitar needs an expensive re-fret as a first option.

Treat your guitar to a new dress!

well said.