fret repair question?

[RETROROD]

Just curious if anyone has tryed this 'fix' with any degree of success...

I,m sure that most of us have encountered a 'dinged fret' usually on the high E or B strings where the guitar neck has taken a hit on the fingerboard and the string has 'dug-into' the fret leaving a trench with ridges on the edges.

This would tend to 'hang up' on the string when playing or bending on that fret.

I realize that a 'proper fix' would be to dress/level all of the frets or replace and level the problem fret.......BUT...I have seen a video of the repair where the 'groove' is filled in with silver solder and then carefully leveled with files. In doing this, it would be important to carefully file down to level,the 'ridges' of the groove before adding the solder.

....Anyone?

[Murray MacLeod]

Isn't it just one hell of a lot simpler and quicker to just replace the fret in the first place?

[RETROROD]

Murray, that may BE for some folks...Not everything ...comes simple and quick with me. Jes Sayin'

Actually, hitting that fret with a dab of solder would be pretty darn quick! Filing that spot down would take a 'little' longer....but that fret would be 'original'...;-)

[Ned Knepp]

If I were looking to purchase a guitar with this repair, I would want to have this modified fret replaced. Unless the fret wire on the instrument is something unique or antiquated (bar frets) I don't consider new frets on a used instrument to be un-original. To me it's like tires or a battery on a car. I know that they wear out and I would rather see them replaced than fixed in what I consider a less than optimum manner in the interest of keeping the instrument "original".

[Hesh Breakstone]

I see the smiley face, Rod so I won't remind you that bald tires on an old car may be original too but not advisable.... ;)

I agree that replacing the fret is pretty easy for most of us in the trade, fast too.  But where I may disagree with many is that I won't address one or two or three frets in isolation and instead endeavor to view the entire fret plane as a string (a natural straight edge...) sees the fret plane.  As such regardless of replacement or repair a proper dressing would be required as well which does take a bit of time to do well.

If one is going to invest the time in either repairing or replacing a fret and then doing a proper dressing why not just replace the fret as Murray suggests to ensure that one does not have to revisit the same stinkin guitar...;) in the near future?

[RETROROD]

Good eye....and idea...Hesh!

[Mark Pollock]

I would have thought this to be impossible, but now I am curious - I have a trashed fretboard on a busted Guild neck that I will be rebuilding, so I'll give that sucker a dent and experiment with it. I'll be tossing away the fretboard anyways, so maybe it will be my practice piece for pulling and placing frets so that when I have to do the real thing, I'll be all set.

[John]

Whenever I do a refret, I put the frets in a little bag and label them. Comes in handy for this situation and partial refrets.

I use a soldering iron to remove frets and I am not opposed to cutting a corner to fit a budget. But filling a fret ding with solder isn't something I would do.

[RETROROD]

I understand and respect everyones criteria and value systems.

[Jeff Highland]

Well I had a look at the video

In the notes the guy says

"I don't know the longevity of this repair.   It will all depend on where it's located and how often you plan on or near it.   On my bass neck, the nick is nowhere near a playing area, but with my affinity strat, enough vibrato has made the nick apparent enough that I'll do a fret-leveling, since the stock frets are insanely high (at least .050").   I'd replace just that fret if they weren't already that high."

 

So its Ok if it's a fret you dont play on but it wears out if you do?

Not much point in that