NQNGD!!!

Dpoirier

Dpoirier

Fractal Fanatic
Not Quite New Guitar Day!!!

My 2001 Tom Anderson Drop Top was due for a fret dressing (yet again!) but I decided to spoil myself, and instead got my favorite local luthier to do a complete refret using stainless steel fret wire, and to Plek it to my specifications, then polish them to a mirror finish.

The luthier called on Friday, and left a message on my voicemail to say that my "skating rink" was ready for pick up.

I have not had much time with it yet, but it's essentially a different (and much improved) guitar. With the worn frets prior to the work, there were several spots causing fret buzz, and open chords did not ring like they should. Now it's fully alive again. Looking forward to next band rehearsal (but that's two weeks away dur to some members being on vacation).

I expect the additional expense of a refret will eventually pay off, as it should last a long time with stainless steel. But aside from that, I simply love the feel of SS frets.

Just thought I'd share my excitement. Oh, and also share the great news that we now have a Plek-equipped shop in Ottawa, Canada!
 
Congratulations! There's nothing like SS frets. And at 15 years old, your guitar has probably done all the settling that it's going to do, so your new fret job could last many years.
 
Dpoirier said:
Not Quite New Guitar Day!!!

My 2001 Tom Anderson Drop Top was due for a fret dressing (yet again!) but I decided to spoil myself, and instead got my favorite local luthier to do a complete refret using stainless steel fret wire, and to Plek it to my specifications, then polish them to a mirror finish.

The luthier called on Friday, and left a message on my voicemail to say that my "skating rink" was ready for pick up.

I have not had much time with it yet, but it's essentially a different (and much improved) guitar. With the worn frets prior to the work, there were several spots causing fret buzz, and open chords did not ring like they should. Now it's fully alive again. Looking forward to next band rehearsal (but that's two weeks away dur to some members being on vacation).

I expect the additional expense of a refret will eventually pay off, as it should last a long time with stainless steel. But aside from that, I simply love the feel of SS frets.

Just thought I'd share my excitement. Oh, and also share the great news that we now have a Plek-equipped shop in Ottawa, Canada!
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Oh man you're going to love SS frets on your Andy. All of mine have a had them and they never ever ever ever wear out (....or maybe I don't play enough).
Love my Andy's.....Drop Tops are amazing.
 
Not only do the frets last a good long time, so does the setup. With no meaningful fret wear, your setup stays set up as long as you maintain the neck relief.
 
aleclee said:
Not only do the frets last a good long time, so does the setup. With no meaningful fret wear, your setup stays set up as long as you maintain the neck relief.
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Sort of.

Most guitars that aren't neck-through construction will develop a rise at or beyond the neck joint. That can take a few years, at which point another fret leveling may be in order.
 
Rex said:
Most guitars that aren't neck-through construction will develop a rise at or beyond the neck joint. That can take a few years, at which point another fret leveling may be in order.
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That's exactly what happened to my 76 Strat; it took the 12th Fret in Toronto months to correct it by planing the neck flat and the bump kept coming back.
 
Stratoblaster said:
That's exactly what happened to my 76 Strat; it took the 12th Fret in Toronto months to correct it by planing the neck flat and the bump kept coming back.
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That's unusual. Most necks settle in after a few years.

Sometimes, this kind of weirdness can happen if you level or plane a neck without a tensioning jig.
 
Rex said:
That's unusual. Most necks settle in after a few years.

Sometimes, this kind of weirdness can happen if you level or plane a neck without a tensioning jig.
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Yea they were a bit baffled as to why the neck bump kept reappearing and wanted to keep it for a few months to observe it. They had to correct it three times before it stabilized. They suspected the 3 bolt connection and that it sat here in a basement studio with fairly high humidity was a factor, as well as the jumbo frets I had installed on it at one time. It was almost like it was swelling at the joint after a period of time. I give them kudos for going the extra mile to get it back into playing shape.
 
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