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I have built about 17 guitars, three of which have been electrics, but I have never done a refret before. I have an '88 American Std. Strat with a maple fretboard that could use a refret. I figure I should be able to do it since I have installed frets on 17 guitars. I'm a little timid about it though, mostly because of dealing with the finish on the fretboard and the edge of the fretboard where I would file the fret ends. Also, I suspect that the finish could be impacted where fret tangs appear on the edge... I presume the finish is nitro...

Can I simply remove the frets, install new ones, file the ends, and then mask the rest of the neck, and then spray nitro over the fretboard ? Could I use a rattle can? ...or should I not mask. I don't really want to refinish the whole neck. You can see I have a number of questions. But, hey, I figure that's what the OLF is for.

Seems like this would be an educational exercise. It also seems a little silly for me to get someone else to do it...

Any suggestions or direction to informational documentation would be appreciated.
Steve

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I haven't done a maple strat but Erlewine has a pretty good section on it in his repair book. He also talks about how to deal with the frets that are pressed in from the side.

Maple boards are a PITA and refinishing is often if not usually necessary. If you want to level the board, and that's one of the real advantages of a refret being able to correct the flaws in the fret plane refinishing is necessary. By correct the flaws I mean create more relief on the bass side and less on the treble side AND most of the time eliminate the single most limiting factor in Fender style bolt-on necks and that's the ski ramp at the body transition.

Most pro Luthiers will charge more for doing a maple neck because of the refinishing AND time required to let the finish cure. There are short cuts when and only when appropriate for the instrument AND the player is OK with it too. One short cut if it meets the aforementioned criteria of appropriateness is to use an alternative finish on the board such as a wipe on poly, Waterlox, etc. Again this is only when it's appropriate for the instrument were veering away from f*ctory, OEM methods are justified and when the player is OK with it too.

I can't remember the cut off date for sideways mounted frets but 88 may be conventionally, top down install. I'll check and get back to you.

By the way maple boards on Strats are such a PITA to service that I avoided one on my own personal Strat purchased about five years ago now.

If they are side installs we notch them, the frets with a Dr*mel and then use that notch to get a purchase on the fret and drive it back out sideways. It's less of a PITA than one would think and goes pretty quickly. They are driven out in the reverse of how they were driven in meaning they are driven out from the treble side to the bass side. Once out the new ones can be installed conventionally, meaning top down.

Here is a pictorial essay that we have on our web site for more information:

https://www.facebook.com/pg/a2guitars/photos/?tab=album&album_id=100770106696751

First, find out if the finish is nitro, poly, or other. It might be important.

I've done it several ways, none are ever easy. Once I even did a Dan Erlewine thing by leveling the maple fingerboard, and finishing it with a couple coats of cyanoacrylate. Then I cleaned out the slots with a Dremel and a dental burr, and fretted as usual.

Spraying nitro over the frets requires cleaning the lacquer off the frets every couple spray sessions. I don't recommend trying to tape them off.... it's messy, and more work. If you don't spray it on super thick, you can hit the top of the frets with a flat file and sandpaper to polish them.

No matter how you choose to do it, charge twice as much as you would for non-maple. Maybe more. It's just a pain. Good luck!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Thanks guys, I knew it would be a PITA. On a new build, I would file the ends of the frets lengthwise across all of the frets at an angle before finishing. On a refret, I'm not sure how to file the fret ends without impacting the finish...

How could I find out if my "88 Strat was, 1) finished in nitro or something else? ...and 2) whether the frets were installed sideways instead of straight in?

BTW - Hesh, I saw the Ann Arbor video on youtube on sideways removal. Very good...

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Like Chris said figure out your finish, Lacquer is your friend
Tele and a Strat, refret, Jescar SS frets, did the money in the bank Ann Arbor Guitars fretboard mill, addressed the ski ramp on both necks. Paid close attention to the particular radius of each fret using Dave Collins cauls by Andy Birko, careful clean up, couple of light coats of Mohawk Piano Lacquer over the frets. The level crown and polish took care of the lacquer on the frets. I like maple necks

Looks great!

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

"...not sure how to file the fret ends without impacting the finish..." ...on the edges.

Any comments?

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Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Lacquer is your friend, match the color and hit the fretboard, top and sides. This earlier thread discussed the other options
viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=49900