Faxton Posted May 25, 2013 Share Posted May 25, 2013 Hi everyone, I'm currently having a debate with myself about whether to have my 1974 ES335 refretted or not. The frets have been worn down to nearly nothing and as a result it's not exactly a pleasure to play at the moment. It's by no means a collector piece, it's in good shape but there are a few imperfections and some light buckle rash on the back. It is however completely all original. So with that in mind, will refretting have any impact on the value of the instrument if I do decide to sell it in the future? My view is that given it's less than perfect condition, making it more easily playable will not have a negative effect on it's value, but I'd appreciate some feedback from other players and collectors! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 Yes, a re-fret will negatively affect the value of the instrument. In 2000 I came to exactly the same point with my 1975 335. After 20+ years a gigging the guitar had become almost unplayable due to fret wear and it was just plain tired and wore out. I chose to sell the guitar as "100% Original" to maximize profit, and replaced it with a new Historic Series ES-345 for about the same money. Your results may vary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voodoo Monkey Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 It's a nice guitar. I would say it depends how much it means to you. If it has been your guitar for all those years and your sentimental towards it I would say have it fixed up. If your not attached to it then maybe just sell it and grab a new one. That guitar looks really nice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayyj Posted May 26, 2013 Share Posted May 26, 2013 Personally I think there's as big a distinction in terms of value between 'original frets in good condition' and 'original frets worn away to nothing' as there is between 'original frets in good condition' and a decent refret. I appreciate that not everyone will agree with this but I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would pay a premium to own an unplayable instrument over one which is prime playing condition after a refret: in fact, if I were looking at a 335 with very worn original frets, I'd be looking to pay slightly less in order to ofset the cost of a refret. My '70s ES-355 still has the original frets but probably wouldn't stand another fret dress, and when the time comes I won't hesitate to refret it. People will inevitably argue as to whether refrets, neck sets etc impact the value of a vintage guitar, but unless you bought that guitar for no reason other than investment, they're necessary evils if that guitar is to remain a functional musical instrument. Whilst I don't doubt that there is a section of the market that values originality over anything else and steer clear of instruments which have had refrets, I don't think ithat attitude is representative of the market as a whole. We're also talking '70s 335s here, where the market is not as sensitive as that for McCarthy-era examples and you're more likely to encounter players than hardcore collectors. At the end of the day if you have the refret done then come to sell it a few years down the line, I suspect you'll find the people who don't want it because it's refretted can be offset against the people who wouldn't have bought it with significant fret wear, and the remainder might try to haggle you down a few percent at most over it: it's not going to be a big price to pay for keeping your guitar in a condition that allows you to continue to enjoy playing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 27, 2013 Share Posted May 27, 2013 I agree with Jayyj and would not pay a dime for an unplayable guitar - original or not. I do not buy guitars as pure investments and certainly would not buy a Norlin as an investment (nothing against yours, I do like it). You can always have it refretted with nibs, if that's what worries you, but you will pay more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantobrien Posted May 28, 2013 Share Posted May 28, 2013 The great debate! My take, and one that I went through as well, get it refretted and get back to playing it. I will pass along that not all refrets are equal though. I sent my guitar (57 es225td) almost a thousand miles away to get refretted, because I wanted it done right and only found one guy that I felt comfortable with. My dad had his 12 string just refretted about a week ago by a different luthier, a local guy who was also pretty highly recommended, however the results were not as good. Adequately done, but just not as detail oriented as I would've preferred. Do your homework and find someone that you really trust to do the work, if you can't then sell it. Nice guitar though, it would be tragic to see it screwed up by a poorly done refret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faxton Posted June 2, 2013 Author Share Posted June 2, 2013 Thanks for all the feedback everyone! I think at this point I've decided to get it refretted. I'm still not sure about whether to go with period correct frets or go the stainless Steel route. If anyone on here has a 335 with stainless or has played one, id love to hear your thoughts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantobrien Posted June 6, 2013 Share Posted June 6, 2013 If you're going for stainless the right person becomes even more important. On the west coast, Michael Tuttle is the best and I haven't found any bad reviews yet. When I had mine done it was almost double what a typical refret would cost. The tone difference was very minor, but I did have to roll back the treble a tiny bit. The wear and feel are awesome, but really be sure you want to go that route before you do it. Some people have great guitars that come back not feeling or sounding right, although I can't find one in regards to Tuttles work. bestfrets.com **I am not associated with Michael Tuttle, but have been a customer and can't wait to have him do my 68 Les Paul when it comes time for it to be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCAGENT Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 I'm glad you chosen to refret it. IMO, a guitar needs to be taken care of. Worn down frets means that it has played a lot and therefore that it is probably a great guitar. I would doubt the condition a 60's Guitar with no wear at all. A Guitar that does not play for decades does not grow healthy. If you are to sell it, I would recommand that you leave the job for the next owner. But if you want to keep it, I say go for the refret. Secondly, sorry for the statement of the obvious and maybe stupid question but Gibson has a repair shop, why no one is considering this course of action? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brantobrien Posted June 7, 2013 Share Posted June 7, 2013 Honestly, I love Gibson guitars, but their setup and quality control have not been impressive to me for awhile now. This may not be the case with the repair facility, but why chance it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faxton Posted June 12, 2013 Author Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thanks for the insight everyone! I'm planning on having stainless steel frets put on sometime in the next few months. I'll be sure to let all of you know how it goes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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