Fret pulling/resetting questions...

[RobRR]

So Ive got a couple Jackson necks where the frets are slightly lifting on the ends. Not all of them, just some of them... enough to hinder action.

I know how to properly pull frets, but whats the best way to reset them? What type of glue should I use? What type of clamps?

Fretwork is the only thing I havent really done, and opposed to taking them to a luthier Id really like to be able to do it myself.

Any tips?

[ihocky2]

Well, first off there is no easy answer to your question. If you want to glue the frets in, then you have to get either an ultra thin dremel bite or a thin gents saw to enlarge the fret slots so you can seat the fret with minimal pressure. After that super glue works just fine, but it takes more than just that. To seat them without glue, you have to get the proper sized tang, barbs and crowned frets. Which means you have to know how wide you fret slots are and use the correct proportioned frets to the wood used for the fret board. And even then the condition of the wood will influence it. My main suggestion would be to get the Step by Step Fretwork book and possibly the dvd from stewmac.com. It is in depth and will let you know what you are in for. Here is a link for a basic overview of fretting, but it would still be wise to get the Fretwork book so you know exactly what you are in for.

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/fretting.htm

[RobRR]

Thanks man. Basically, a the frets are in great condition but are lifting on the edges here and there. I just wanted to pull those frets and reset them... Im guessing that glue would be the best bet beings that the wood is already not grabbing the frets as is?

[nor]

Superglue + syringe + radius block or caul + clamp = easy fix.

[straycat]

You dont need to pull them just use some thin super glue(bleed in from the fret end) and clamp for a minute or two.I have great luck with this method.

[wilkinsi]

frets lifting out of the board? how's this caused? you're not sitting your guitar in front of a radiator are you? sorry, a friend of mine did that and the neck wound up looking like a half-defrosted chip . even more wierd is that my heating is on full whack 24/7. the guitar is sitting on the other side of the room, and the fretwear has disappeared! .

[RobRR]

Strangely, this is happenning on almost DEAD MINT guitars. I first noticed this on my RR7R. I had bought the guitar used, but literally unplayed... the guitar was MINT, and it takes ALOT for me to call a guitar mint. NO fretwear, nothing. Got a few other guitars shortly after buying it, so I hung it up for a while.

I finally decide to take it off the wall about 5 months later, polish the frets and restring it... before tearing it down, went to play it for a few seconds, and I couldnt. The high and low e were unplayable. Apon further inspection, I noticed that a good deal of the fret ends were lifting, as if the frets werent radiused enough! Imagine how pissed I was... Ive got a practically NEW guitar that had maybe 2 hours of playing tops, and I cant even play it.

Other than that, I bought a DK2 used a while ago, very nice condition guitar, but two of the frets are lifting on the high-e side, causing it to fret out.

All my guitars are kept in my house which is always climate controlled... They never even leave the house, hanging on the wall, safe and secure. Out of the 20 guitars I have, these are the only two with this problem.

[straycat]

Maybe your house is too dry.Do you have lights(spots) shining on them? The heat from the bulbs will dry one out quickly.If they are maple fingerboards with no finish you need to oil them a little.

[RobRR]

Nope, not too dry. This happenned before I even moved to this house, and the last house wasnt dry at all. Rosewood boards.

[ihocky2]

I would say that the boards might need a little oil. Even though it shouldn't happen from the factory, if they are not radiused enough the frets will try to pull back to the original radius and the ends will pull out. Like has been said already though, a syringe with super glue and a radiused clamping caul will fix it. Thin the super glue with a little acetone, use the syringe to apply inside the slot and clamp the fret into place. After a few minutes your good to go. Before you use the super glue though, apply some wax to the wood around the fret slot. This will help prevent excess glue from sticking to the wood and looking bad.

[RobRR]

Great, thanks for all the advise guys. Ive been wanting a caul set from Stew Mac and now seems like a good time to make the purchase! Ill get some glue while Im at it.

I always keep my boards oiled... I take great care of my axes! It would be great to finally be able to play the 7 string... never even got the chance to get used to it!

[straycat]

If you get some glue on the fretboard you can scrape it off with a razorblade.Don't try to get up under the glue just scrape it off.

[JacksonWarrior]

Great advice here, which I unfortunately am finding quite handy right now. I have a 2001 WRMG that i bought a year ago after it hung in a shop for 5 years. The rosewood fretboard was looking pretty dry when I first got it so the first thing I did was treat it with Gibson's "Luthiers Choice" fretboard conditioner. Ive used it a couple more times since then and it seems to have caused the same lifting as described in previous posts. Not blaming the product, rather the fact that the wood was never treated proir to my owning it so I imagine I restored the oils in the wood(expansion) and then the oils slowly left before the next treatment(contraction) and this caused the frets to pop up slightly. Winters in Illinois are dry as fuck, but I keep it in the case at all times, so I doubt climate change is totally to blame but could have been a factor.

Anyway, being an MG the neck is fully bound, am I gonna have a hard time getting glue down into the barbs of the frets? Also, are these caul sets something I can find at my local guitar shop and if so how much am I looking at? Would it be viable to make my own clamps by simply cutting a V shaped relief in a piece of 2x4, I mean its only the very ends of the frets that are coming up, so no need to have pressure in the middle of the frets. Am I totally wrong on that one? Thanks