Should I hammer or press these frets?

[Ian Pender]

I'm about to refret an older Alvarez, and this particular model doesn't have a soundhole, so I can't use the fret buck to brace the end of the fingerboard. There is an access panel on the back of the instrument, however. Does anyone have any recommendations for bracing the end of the fingerboard so I can hammer the frets in? Or am I going to have to bite the bullet and buy/build a fret press?

[Robert May]

Thanks for taking the time to take that pic, 'cause I was pretty curious what kind of "back access" this thing had. But my oh my, I have to wonder if even my long narrow alien fingers and arm could fit up in there far enough. I don't think so, since the actual opening is going to be smaller than the cover and I'd be lucky to get in there if the opening was as big as the cover.

[nathan clark]

I would use sandbags around the neck joint and inside if possible then use a deadblow mallet to seat them as best as I can.  I use the drill press to clamp frets as I glue them over the body.  This works best with the fretbuck but if you're careful you can do it sans-fret buck.

Check out pics 13-15 in my article here for more info on the neck jig/drill press technique:

http://fingerlakesguitarrepair.com/gibson-archtop-refret/

[Kerry Krishna]

Ian, just my opinion, but all those high up frets are pretty darn useless anyway. I would get the frets out, widen the slots so much that the frets barely jam in, and glue them up with CA. No one will ever use the frets, or know that it was done.

Another thing that many of us did back in our 'beginning' days, was to not refret anywhere over the 14th fret. Just leave it the heck alone, except to polish the frets up at the vera end of the job Even if the frets are a touch different width, you personally won't even be able to see the difference.