Sideways - out Fender frets with a bound neck...

[thefishinmusician]

Got a well warped bound neck with the added bonus of a thickskin finish...The neck will be going in to be Plekked ( I don't do it , the store I do repairs for has one )..So the finish will be gone and re-done by me...Has anyone ever dealt with this before ?..I suppose I could try removing one side of the binding and reglue it and touch up the finish there...Or , try to CAREFULLY take them out up top...Six of one , half dozen of the other...Also , anybody know how thick the rectangular plastic inlays are ?

[Paul Verticchio]

If the neck was made after 1983, the frets were installed in the usual way using an arbor press.
If pre-‘83, normal extraction techniques can still be used. Prior to the revelation of the sideways insertion process, for decades frets on Fenders were pulled using “regular” standard techniques.
Considering the Plek and labor costs, a fine quality replacement neck should be an option to consider.
Good luck

[thefishinmusician]

Customer was informed on the cost and wants to go ahead...

[Frank Ford]

I don't see it as significant that the frets were pulled sideways into the board.   We take them out using the same techniques as we do with other frets.  Heating the frets is the best way to avoid chipping the fingerboard.

Just as a matter of general interest,m Fender wasn't the only factory that slid frets in that way.  I recall seeing a video of an Asian guitar factory that used the same fretting technique.

[thefishinmusician]

Thanks !