thehornyscotsman Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 hi all, new to the forum here and just wanted to say how much im loving my new midnight ebony les paul tribute plus, after a rocky start with my new toy i really like this thing. i've played for about 15 years but dont let that fool you, i aint as good as i should be, family life dictates i dont get as much time on it as i'd like. if your interested here is a link to some of my tunes - http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=thehornyscotsman (my mixing sucks to) before my tribute plus i had (and still have) one of those translucent green les pauls which i used for pretty much all the time ive played so never tinkered to much through fear of screwing things up and not having a guitar but since i still really like it and i have my new one im feeling a little more brave and have the urge to give it a going over. the frets are pretty worn so thats the first thing on the hit list, ive looked on google and the prices of some of these tools a pretty high for something i may only use once or twice in a life time so i was wondering do you need a fret bender or can you just gently tap it into shape with a small hammer while installing on the fingerboard ? ive read its best to use a solder iron on the old frets before you remove them as it will heat and dissolve the glue and make them easy to remove but i also read that you will probably only need to use glue if the guitar has been refreted a few times as the fret grooves start to widen, this makes me think that there wont be any glue on mine since its the same frets thats been in it from new, is that right or should i use the solder iron and if there is no glue how would one remove the frets without damaging the fingerboard ? are fret pullers really necessary, cant i just use pliers ? any cheaper alternatives to fret tang nippers ?(im in Scotland) what are the chances of needing to do the nut after the frets ? if anyone cares to list the tools required and how to use them it would be much appreciated cheers, and if you listened to my tunes then i hope you liked paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted March 17, 2013 Share Posted March 17, 2013 If you're planning to do the job yourself then without the correct tools you're making a rod for your own back especially if you haven't done a refret before. To be perfectly honest it could be cheaper to get a local luthier do the job than buy everything you will need. That said there's a lot to be said for learning how to do these things yourself. A list of basic requirements can be found here Essential Fretting Tool Kit The Stewmac kit is very good and great value plus the book it comes with is excellent. Will be top of my shopping list when I need a refret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordy01 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Before you do a re-fret, make sure you don't just need a fret level. A fret level will take all the string grooves out and make the guitar play like new, if you know what you're doing. Most of the time, if a guitar hasn't had any fret work done on it before, you will get away with a fret level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgruff Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 do you need a fret bender No. ive read its best to use a solder iron on the old frets before you remove them as it will heat and dissolve the glue and make them easy to remove If they used hide glue (which melts) - yes. how would one remove the frets without damaging the fingerboard ? You can't. Expect to pull out some splinters which you'll have to repair. are fret pullers really necessary, cant i just use pliers ? Yes but more of above. Flat-headed pincers are less likely to damage the fretboard. any cheaper alternatives to fret tang nippers ?(im in Scotland) Hacksaw, files? Never tried. what are the chances of needing to do the nut after the frets ? Same as it was before ;) - unless you use a radically different height of fret wire. Actually, it's quite likely the nut was never right in the first place. If you know the radius and string spacing, a pre-slotted nut can save a lot of work. This one was a good fit for my dot. All I had to do was take something off the bottom and keep it square (important!). At a bare minimum, you'll need a fret crowning tool and a very flat block (to which you attach sandpaper) for fret levelling. As always, the right tools make everything easier though. This is precision engineering with very fine tolerances. You'll have to thoroughly understand the theory before you start and then work very meticulously and patiently if you've to have any chance at all of learning on the job fast enough to beat your undoubted ability to botch it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehornyscotsman Posted March 18, 2013 Author Share Posted March 18, 2013 cheers for the replies, wiggy, have you bought this from stewmac before, i see your also in the uk and was just wondering about the extra cost at customs, also there doesn't seem to be fret pullers or a means to repair the fretboard, as mcgruff said, the chances of removing frets without damage are slim so it looks like this kit is only to put frets on rather than take them off, am i missing somthing ? gordy01, cheers for the tip, thats something i'll look into, but its starting to look like i should really take it to a pro, the more i read the less i know. mcgruff, your undoubted ability to botch it up. have we met ok so im thinking this still aint the guitar to go experimenting on, maybe later i'll buy a cheap *** one from cash converters or something and use it as a lab rat, take it to pieces and put it together again a few times, i'm usually the guy who pays other people to do all my dirty work but this i really want to learn, not just the refretting but the guitar in general, but i aint willing to risk my little hulk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corson Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Hi, if you are near Kirkintilloch,,,,,go and see Brian Robinson in the jeweller shop.He also builds guitars and has sorted out 2 of mine.One had a snapped neck. John. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 cheers for the replies, wiggy, have you bought this from stewmac before, i see your also in the uk and was just wondering about the extra cost at customs, also there doesn't seem to be fret pullers or a means to repair the fretboard, as mcgruff said, the chances of removing frets without damage are slim so it looks like this kit is only to put frets on rather than take them off, am i missing somthing ? I haven't bought this kit but I've had the odd bit from Stewmac in the past. Customs tends to be a lottery, sometimes you get hit for it and sometimes not. I'd factor in 20% Duty and 20% Vat into the price and look at it as a bonus if you don't get charged. As a generality I've found that carriers such as UPS etc charge and post (USPS) doesn't. If you look at the video that is on the page with the kit (check the video tab) you can see that the fret cutters double up as fret pullers. Any splinters/chips which occur when you remove the frets are fixed using superglue to stick them back or fill, finish with a slight sand. If you pm me your email address I've got a couple of great videos on fretting I can send you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgruff Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 was just wondering about the extra cost at customs Check out dutycalculator.com. You have to pay VAT and duty which varies depending on the item. i aint willing to risk my little hulk For just about any highly-skilled task: (1) Experience gives you a "feel" for the job, which makes you much quicker and more accurate. (2) Experience gives you the knowledge to avoid mistakes. Some of them could be deal-breakers, some of them might be recoverable, with a lot of effort. That's one of the reasons why pros work much quicker - they don't get bogged down fixing errors. (3) Better tools make the job easier. On your first few tries it's a race to learn the "feel" of the job before you make a mistake you can't recover from. I don't want to put you off. You can learn how to do it. However, for your first try, it's a good idea to practice on a disposable guitar. The major concern is to minimise damage to the fretboard. You can't avoid some but you can fix small "potholes" with wood dust and glue so these are recoverable. I used to be mad keen on sailing and had read lots of theory but never set foot in a boat. Then one day, I got my hands on a 16ft sailing dinghy, and set off out into the Minch alone. I was having a blast but after a little while a squall appeared and started rushing across the water towards me. This was now a survival situation. A sailing boat can capsize very easily in a strong wind. If I made a mistake, I'd be in the water and, although I could swim, the sea was very cold. Not many people realise just how dangerous cold water can be. if you survive the initial, 1,000 volt shock (many don't because it makes you gasp and suck in a breath even if your head is under water) it doesn't take long before your arms and legs get so numbed by the cold that you can't control them any more, and so you can't swim or even hold on to a capsized boat. Not good. My mind was racing.. what to do? Then I remembered something I'd read: a sailing boat can heave-to to sit out bad weather. You back the jib one way, lash the rudder the other, and take down the main. A second mast helps to balance things out - luckily I had a little yawl. When it's set up right, everything works together to neutralise the power of the wind. It's like an auto-pilot; you don't even have to hold the rudder. The boat just bobs up and down all on its own, nodding gently from side to side, perfectly safe as the gusts rip up the sea around you. So crisis averted... with a breathing space and two hands free, I could take down the main, put some reefs in to shorten sail, and head back to shore. The moral of the story is to read up as much as you can before exploring something new. I guess most things we do are a race against time hoping we can learn fast enough on the job not to screw anything up beyond repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 Thehornyscotsman, WELCOME!!! Personally, I like parts of these.....Still..... Just 2 of about 10,000: Hope this helps, Willy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corson Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I bought pickups from the USA at a value of £30,,,,,HM Customs hit me for another £16. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Rocker 59 Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 If you're not sure what you're doing, then don't mess with the frets. You'll just ruin the neck and that'll cost you big time as far as money is concerned. A refret usually goes for at least $250.00-$300.00 U.S. Getting them redressed is a lot cheaper, which is probably what you need and you're better off leaving it to a pro . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehornyscotsman Posted March 21, 2013 Author Share Posted March 21, 2013 corson, im probably a good 45 mins away from krikintilloch but that said, any of the more local stores ive been in tend to have a guy that comes in once a fortnight or something, if this brian dude is always in store that could be a good shout, beats goin in and hearing "talk to the tech, he'll be in next week" £16 tax on a set of pick ups, thats pretty steep, over 50% on something that wasn't exactly expensive, big or heavy wiggy, i used the link to the duty calculator which mugruff posted, it wouldn't let me do it without inputting a cost for insurance, ain't sure if thats an optional thing for me to pay but i couldn't see any cost relating to insurance on the stewmac web site so i just stuck in 10, can't remember the exact amount but it was £170 something, i didn't notice any vids but i'll go back and have a look, i did wonder if the cutters could double as a puller but i would think it would shorten the tools life span a little, as far as being a cutter is concerned anyway, as much as i appreciate your help, and i really do, i dont give out my email, but thanks anyway. mgruff, you are right of course, knowing as much about what your getting into before you take that leap is always gonna help and from what i've read so far i'm backing of the idea for the time being, the plan was to over time when i had spare cash give it new pups, pots etc. not particularly because it needs it, just so i can see whats what, but the frets, thats maybe pushing it a little. p.s, always wear your life jacket, (safety first) whitmore willy, cheers for the vids, i'm still leaning away from the idea but this guy really does make it look easy, out of curiosity, when people are talking about the finger board getting chipped does it get much worse than in the vid, i just have this idea in my head of a fingerboard getting mutilated, that didn't look scary at all old rocker 59 i aint sure the average costs in scotland, i aint looked that much into yet but as i said above im backing off the idea, i think your right, at this point in time i would definitely take it to a pro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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