Small Fret Size (w/ pix)

[jchabalk]

Hi guys, it's been a little while. i've been reading, just not posting.

 

What are your thoughts on fret size? I've been playing my SJ-200 lately, it's got small frets and i think they're the reason i don't really like playing this guitar.

 

I measured the fret height tonight on that guitar as well as one of my others that feels real good and there's a pretty big difference - the SJ-200 "vintage" frets are nearly 1/2 the height of my other guitars. Fret height: SJ-200: 2/64" HB: 3/64" high (maybe even 4/64").

 

Does anyone else have these frets? I've not seen them on other guitars and i've played a bunch both new and old. I'm considering refretting the guitar but i have a feeling it'll be costly and i want to make sure i'm barking up the right tree.

 

thanks for any help or advice!

 

Here's a picture of the guitar and frets (ps: i posted this topic over at acousticguitarforum earlier if you hit up both of them)

 

Small Frets:

 

Guitar:

[ryanfender]

The biggest difference for me is the fret width. It just makes the guitar feel different when fretting a note. A warning on refretting J-200s is the bound fretboard with the fret bindiings. J-200s have little raised parts on the binding that match the end of each fret. Most luthiers will cut these off to do a refret which can look ok or can look like a hatchet job. Either way, an experienced eye will notice it in a second. I have a luthier here in Washington, DC that can do the refret without cutting them off but its very expensive and labor intensive to do this compared to any other guitar. Once you cut the fretboard bindings, you can't go back. If it were me, I would get used to the frets or sell the guitar for something else. I love my J-200 for the feel of the frets but its definitely a beast compare to the smaller vintage frets of my LG-1.

[devellis]

Beautiful guitar and very useful information about the binding at the fret ends. Do the newer SJ-200s have the binding applied the same way? Thanks, folks.

[ryanfender]

Beautiful guitar and very useful information about the binding at the fret ends. Do the newer SJ-200s have the binding applied the same way? Thanks, folks.

 

Yes, they are all done this way.

[rar]

Yes, they are all done this way.

 

And it's not just SJ-200s, but all bound necks (AJ, SJ, J-160E, etc.). Gibson just thinks this is the right way to do neck binding, although it's kind of a pain for them and for whomever eventually refrets them.

 

-- Bob R

[devellis]

I had a Wurlitzer 12-string back in around 1968 that had the binding covering the fret ends. It's a very neat detail, although I see your point about the refretting problem. On the 12-string, it made for a very nice neck feel. That was a strange guitar. It had little details that you often only find on high-end guitars and other things that were done as cheaply as possible. It was certainly no Gibson, despite a superficial resemblance.

[jchabalk]

i bought it in and talked to them for a little while. the factory frets were about .025" tall. i'm having the guitar refretted with medium jumbos in steel and am pretty excited. the new frets will be about .047" tall, nearly double the fret.

[onewilyfool]

Don't fret.......you know what they say about men and the size of their frets........big frets........big callouses.........

[jchabalk]

i forgot to update this thread.

 

i've had my guitar back for about 2 weeks now and the difference is amazing. the guitar plays great now. I've had it for a couple of years and never really liked it, now it's my favorite. i realize i'm still in the honeymoon period with it but what a difference a good fret job makes!

 

the factory frets were not only really small, but were all over the place in terms of height. i'm a happy camper