where to get bar fret wire

[jason Burns]

I need bar fret wire for an old restoration. Anyone know a good source

[Ron Frazier]

Try welding sticks of silver sodder. It is flat and can be hammered rolled or filed to the size. It is also cheep.

Ron

[Bob Webster]

Honest to God, Ron. Why don't you buy him a shovel, give him a map to the mine, and suggest that he has to go dig his own ore.

[Mike Kolb]

Put me on this list, too. I've got a couple of bowl-back mandolins that need refretting, and I'm just about to go the 'banjo-fretwire' route unless there's a source for the old bar fretwire that surfaces.

...btw Bob... you had me rolling on the floor with that answer :)

[Bob Webster]

I owe it all to Ron. He's one of the best "straight men" in the forum.

Anonymous

[Jim Bancroft]

Apparently T.J. Thompson, a Luthier in Concord, Mass., has bar fretwire for sale. T.J. is a well know vintage Martin restoration person. I have never bought fret wire from him, personally.
If you don't have contact info. for him, send me an inbox message and I can provide an email address and Ph. number.

Jim

[Bruce Herrmann]

Yes, T.J. has lots of bar fretwire available, he will sell you whatever quantity you need. He's a great resource for information on the technique used to install it properly, it's quite different from
tang frets but you already know that. His information is posted on Martin's website under repair
shops, just look in the Massachusetts area listings, his email and phone are there.
Best
Bruce

[FRANK]

Jim can I get the contact info please

[Frank Ford]

Best thing is to call his phone: [phone]

You'll probably get a message suggesting you e-mail him. He responds well to e-mail. . .

[Ron Frazier]

Bob

Honest to goodness!! Is this where they get fret wire? Dose it come in bars and rolls? I learn something new -Well once a month maybe!!

I have never needed but 2 or 3 bar frets at a time so I just did the hammer thing. I have a old martin neck that needs bar frets and a new fingerboard so I guess I will look into this guy. In fact it needs a whole body!!! Maybe I could get a tree and carve it out of that!!

Ron

[Bob Webster]

Don't make fun of chain saw art. Some of my finest work has been compared to chain saw art. Never was much good with a hammer though, except for doing tune-ups on my old '72 Chevy pickup. If the mark on the belt won't come to the timing mark, obviously the timing mark is in the wrong place.

Cheers,
Bob

[Ned Knepp]

So, Ron, what you're telling us is that you have a nice piece of mahogany, shaped like a vintage Martin neck that needs a fingerboard, frets and body to go with it? I've got you beat, I have one that only needs the body.

Nice pictures of General Sherman. Like the Grand Canyon, pictures never really do it justice but it nice to remember what it's really like. It'd be a shame to carve it up even for a vintage Martin.