How I approach fretwork, part 1

[xenophobe]

That was really cool! Thanks for taking the time to record it!

[Devotee]

That was really cool! Thanks for taking the time to record it!

+1

Sully you are a true artisan.

[thebigz]

Which of the little bones would you recommend? I'm thinking the 100/400 but wondering if it cuts on both sides as you are going, if that makes any sense

And I saw you on the ads on their site. "Yes, I like it" Haha, cool

[sully]

I use the 400, and since they're diamond grit, they'll do the work on the push and pull strokes.

Yeah, I need to give Davide a real statement!

Which of the little bones would you recommend? I'm thinking the 100/400 but wondering if it cuts on both sides as you are going, if that makes any sense

And I saw you on the ads on their site. "Yes, I like it" Haha, cool

[thebigz]

Cool. I'm going to get the 400 today. I'll let them know you sent me if that does anything.

Thanks!

[sully]

Nothing in particular, but it's always nice!

[thebigz]

I ordered the 400 on Monday and mentioned Sully. Just got an email saying they love Sully and since he referred me they are giving me the 150 for free!

Thanks bro!

[sully]

ah, sweet!

[ginsambo]

Sully, how often you do think a guitar should get a fret level and dress? Is once every 6 months or a year reasonable?

See, my problem seems to be wearing out those jumbo frets on the USA pro mods and such, sometimes within 6 months and after year some fret are completely flat across 3/4 of their width and some worse and I'm buzzing and fretting out with quite a high action and more added relief especially around the 12th position within a year, as effectively I have re radiused the fretboard by wearing out the frets.

These type of Jumbo's are not that high and whilst the problem in the short term is mostly unworn 21st frets etc , especially on the low strings, causing buzz. after a year or so, they are almost unplayable even with more relief in the neck, ckind of like a rising fretboard tongue effect, Of course lower, dressed frets give the guitar a completely different, less scalloped feel, which I also don't like so much, even though shorter frets would suit my style better.

Are stainless frets any good or are they very hard and unforgiving to play? Surely getting through frets this fast can't be normal? I get a beautiful neck after 3 months, it's exactly how I want it, but after a year or 15 months, it's unplayable. The dynamics of it are a bit depressing to say the least. Usually with traditional frets I get two or five replaced and the rest levelled and crowned really low but I just kind of thought that jumbo's would last longer. It's depressing like tooth decay or rust on your car chassis depressing, you know once it starts it seems to progress exponentially through to ruination.

Is more often than not regular fret maintenance prevention better than a one off massacre and partial refret?

[sully]

Personally, I'm surprised that you're wearing frets out like that, but if that's the case, then I'd definitely recommend stainless steel frets for you. In a word, they're wonderful. They don't wear out like nickel, but what I love most about them is how they feel; they're super slippery and stay that way. Combine that with an ebony board, and it's like skating on greased ice! They're my default fret material. A lot of guys don't like installing them because of the wear on tools, and while that's the case, I'd rather replace fret nippers a little more often and have awesome feeling frets.

Sully

[j2379]

THANKS, after a trip to home depot to get some files and paper, i leveled and crowned one of my mutts. came out great, I do need to polish them but for now they are 100Xs better than yesterday.