If you channel was called "Nothing But Fretjobs" I would still watch. Do not waste a second wondering if people think you're being repetitive. No matter how many times you perform a task, there is always something unique about the particular instrument and you always bring new insights about the process. Thanks, see you next week!
Yes and fret replacement is tedious difficult work. I did it once with a luthier on a classical. Yeah I spent a lot of time sandingbout damage I did tearing out the old ones and filing the new ones. I'll stick to leveling and polishing, replacing is worth paying a pro and they gotta eat too. So many things can go wrong. Multiplied by the numbers of frets with inadequate coffee supplies being a major handicap as is the usual lack of specialist tools you might have doing this as a noob.
I just realized that I like your videos so much because of the composition. The oddly angled close shots and gentle talking feels like I'm in the shop with someone watching them work.
When you throw in the history of the guitar and materials used, a re-fret becomes much more interesting. I've seen pretty much every video that you have posted on this channel , so it doesn't matter to me what you are working on, I'm watching the video! It's an education for me... Thanks!
I worked in a guitar shop in Seattle for around 17 years. I worked with all the major brands in acoustic guitars, Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Epiphone, Fender, Eastman etc etc and the entry level market was dominated by the Seagull line. None of the previously mentioned brands make an entry level guitar that compete in the price range. Eastman is a close second, but there is just such a nice "earthy" tone with the Seagulls.
Thank you for returning. I have studied every YT presentation to judge my own builds and repairs. You are the gold standard. For the last few years that is the only thing I can do, but I can do that with pride.
Only gold standard? Ted deserves the 'Platinum Standard' at least ! Easily the most informative and easy-going luthier tutorial EVER - ANYWHERE. I just wish he'd use metric conversion more often...
I don't find fret jobs boring. I especially appreciate the histories that come along with the work. New York State is not all that far from Quebec and Godin. They are superlative instruments, but I never knew much about them. Listening to and watching Ted for a half hour is a nice way to spend some time!
I’ve built a number of instruments using black paper phenolic fretboards. That’s commonly called “ebonol.” I’m building a bass now with black Richlite. I also put a little Danish oil on them. Interesting to see you do too. I guess we all discover the same things.
Richlite is such a nice material. I have a guitar with a composite neck and richlite fretboard and it's pretty much impervious to changes which is a godsend here in Finland.
I have to tell you. Your videos are most definitely informative, but being a 55 year old life-long guitar fanatic, most things that I see being shown are par for course to me, personally speaking. But your calm and well articulated narration is a step above all the countless videos I watch regarding this subject on a daily basis. I am NOT discounting devaluing the items you're teaching in the least. If I had the opportunity, I would be there by your side, quietly watching and listening to all the work in progress. It's been nothing more than fantasy to be able to do this work as an occupation. I've learned and implemented many things since my teenage years when I started on this guitar addiction and other than family and friend's instruments, have only worked on or built instruments for myself. Thank you for all the shared knowledge and hours of entertaining education.
I would love for him to do a long form video where he just pares or does some repetitive thing in full. He could talk, or he doesn't even have to. I would watch.
You might try a lathe file to file stainless frets to length. They are double sided flat files that have a sharper angle across the working surface of the file, they tend to hold up better, even on 416 stainless. The teeth also tend to release the chips easier which prevents the deep scratches made when filings get caught in the teeth and drug into the material being filed
I've always heard how difficult stainless steel frets are to work with. Many guitar repair techs don't work with stainless, including mine. I've always heard how labor intensive it is and how it can damage your tools. Now I can see exactly what everyone was talking about. The very properties that make stainless frets desirable for the player are what makes installing them a pain in the ass for the guitar tech. I appreciate the effort, but I can see why many guitar techs decline to work with stainless.
A few notable notes: In the late 80's early 90"s Seagulls came with large hang tags that declared "Guaranteed 800 year old wood" used for their tops. They were very proud of their product and produced excellent instruments for the money. Still do. Can you produce a mirror finish by hand? - yessir! Just need a good process. Does the average guitar player really need hyper-polished frets or SS frets? - nope, right up there with the latest greatest fads. Just like brass in the 80's... Relax, play loud, have fun and have a great day :)
Apparently Richlite has been used as a food prep surface in commercial and industrial kitchens since the 1950s, so I think it should weather the conditions on a cruise ship just fine.
Great Vid as always Professor Ted´. When using small files i drill a hole & jam the bastard end of the file into a golf ball. Really helps with my arthritis pain - I´m only 54 !! Cheers from Madrid. xxx
I enjoy fret replacement, there's a lot going on, as I suppose with many of your repairs, but I trust you know what I mean.Thousandths' of an inch that can make such a difference, just fascinating. Thanks for the content.
A mid 90's era Seagull S6 Cutaway with the LR Baggs pickup and EQ was one of my first guitars. I sold it a few years after buying it. I needed money and it was the least customized so to my mind the most replaceable. I still miss that guitar, though I am sure I would missed any of my others more. They were hard to beat for the money at the time and it is good to hear they still are.
Coincidentally, I saw watched a piece on Petrek Guitars YT about why he doesn't like to use a motorized polisher on frets. Apparently it can induce some very high temperatures in the metal that can adversely affect a glue bond.
The tele i threw together from Warmoth parts about 10yrs ago had stainless frets. There isnt so much as a divet in any of them. It also seems that since they are so hard, bends move really fluidly when playing.
As a guy watching your channel educationally...I will be tackling fretwork among my 38 electrics soon...as well as those of a few friends...I admit I love hearing from you. Soothing!
27:40 At work we have the stewmac crowning file with the diamond abrasive. It is hands down the best and fastest file I've used. The fret just powders away. In fact if you are used to regular seratted type files, you have to be careful not to hog too much off. There is also no chatter marks to remove. A further time saving. They are very expensive, so at home I still use my old stewmac crowning file. It is still very effective. And faster than a triangular file for me, anyway.
*That fret notcher from Stewmac is worth every cent!* I don't do fretwork for the simple fact that I've notched wire with a cuttoff disc and it's an incredibly slow and unpleasant process. Even without binding I found I needed to notch wire. *I've also found a very fine grit paper can polish the frets just as good as buffing compound on a bonnet.* I used the diamond knife sharpener color coded in blue, yellow and red coloring as my primary files that I one day found countless people online had also done, but they do unfortunately wear out even being diamond.
Would love to see you do an x brace conversion one day mostly just because I want to see how you would open up and put back together a guitar. Your explanations as you work are invaluable.
I've started to forgo the Dremel completely at this point. I found that after crowning frets with even just my Z-file, I can go straight to the 4 inch polishing pad on my drill with a blue buffing compound stick and that's all it takes. It takes out the Z-file scratches and polishes it to a mirror finish without any unneeded extra steps.
I agree Seagull is a great entry-level value and I do have a soft spot for them. My absolute favorite guitar I've ever owned is my Seagull S12 that I've had since the late 90's. It needs a little TLC right now, but I'm looking forward to that project once I can find the time
I've used those Channellocs for a year or so until I found a set by Hosco speciffically for SS frets on philadelphia luthier supply. Cutting is easier and it cuts closer to the edge of the fretboard. They are a great upgrade from the Channelocs. For the price, it's a steal.
I teach guitar. I used to teach in a store and a lady asked me about a guitar as I was passing by. I told her about it and how I thought Godin made fine instruments and made some guitars that solved problems others hadn't. Then the lady pointed at her friend, "This is his wife." Hehe.
Taping the fret board for fret jobs is a really good idea. I've seen some horrendous tool marks in the wood from some careless fret dressing and hurried scraping of the binding. It really spoils the look. And that's on very expensive new guitars direct from the factory. You know who I mean.
Nicely informative video, including history. As always, well done in work and narrative. An unsolicited viewer suggestion: paint buffing compound (scratch remover) soaks into those little wheels and puts a lovely finish on stainless, makes quick work on nickel.
Forgive me if I’m wrong but Graham Vincent (English Violin maker) tried using Richlite to make a fingerboard with really good results. I played a Seagull many Moons ago and I was very impressed with how great it sounded. Thanks!🎻✌️🙂😎
This is quite the education into what it takes to refret a guitar using stainless fret wire. I can see why this work requires care and patience. Thank you for posting these videos.
I use the polishing wheel on the Dremel on pretty much every guitar I do. It not only leaves the frets nice and shiny, the wax from the jewler's rouge I use can also help prevent further oxidation. I wonder how stainless strings would sound on acoustic like that.... That might be an idea for rapidly corroding strings due to salt water.
He mentioned that salt water is very detrimental to the strings. I tryed Elixir Cold Blue guitar strings. I personally don't like them. Not because of sound but because of they took more pressure to push down the strings but they lasted alot longer and kept their sound. So I bet that would be a better choice of strings used in salt water condition. Now comes my next recommendation that most guitarists will hate bet before judging I say try it first. They make carbon fiber guitars. I know it took the sales man almost physical violence to get me to try one but I tried it and I was quite impressed with that guitar. It was m7ch louder than any hollow body guitar that I've played because there are no braces. Moisture is not a factor with carbon fiber. And it was a even sound all across the sound of the guitar. Wood guitar sound better at bass end or tremble end. But with the carbon fiber the bass and treble were equal. But myself I just can't get away from wood but when I get a sailboat I will have a carbon fiber guitar on my sailboat.
Are those strings stainless steel? I've never tried them, but I love stainless steel on my Rick bass. Also, a friend of mine had an Ovation Adamas 12-string decades ago. It was all composite materials (I think the neck might have been wood - not sure), but I don't know if it was carbon fiber. It was LOUD!!! And yeah, very even across the strings and up and down the neck, tons of sustain, and very playable. It's a tone you either love or hate. Personally I loved it live but we couldn't get a full sounding tone from it in the studio. All sparkle, no boom. It wasn't cheap either - over $3k in the early 90s.
@beenaplumber8379 I'm not sure if they are stainless steel but you have to be careful when you open them up. They want to spring out straight. They are cryogenically treated. They last for ever. But like I said they take extra effort to push them down and bend the strings.
@@johnrathbun2943 I bet that string stiffness affects the intonation. Did your axe need a new setup when you switched to them? I set my Rick up with Rotosound stainless steel in the 90s and didn't need to adjust a thing for 20 years, when I went back to nickel wound for a while, but the difference was noticeable as I went up the neck, even with strings of the same gauge. The stainless strings did feel a little stiffer, but I rarely bend on a bass. I like stiffer strings because they feel more predictable. I feel a greater sense of control with my right hand.
I did a stainless re-fret two weeks ago on an old German Wander-Guitar. It was my first try and worked out well because of your videos! But cutting and filing was really a pain 😅
I just looked it up and Richlite is a brand of what we'd refer to as "phenolic" (just a short-hand for layers of paper impregnated with phenolic resin). That stuff is great to work with. I use it in woodworking all the time for wear surfaces, tops of shop furniture, jigs, etc. It can be tough on the tools, but it's just paper and resin, so it holds up well otherwise.
I was told by another luthier on UA-cam the same thing about the neck joint, 2003 I think he said was the year it changed and he cursed out Mr. Godin for "ruining" a good guitar, he said the previous models did have their issues but they were workable and not as common. He recommended buying an older one over the newer ones. I've been leaning toward a Simon and Patrick Woodland but not with the cutaway as there is a common issue with the neck cracking the top and collapsing into the sound hole.
That was fascinating. I'm a very-slightly-past beginner guitarist (3 years in but with almost zero time for practice) with a very nice entry-level guitar that sits beside me all the time. I find myself picking it up when I'm watching these videos and learning things about the instrument just by comparing it to what Ted's doing. I'd never looked at the fret ends until now. Always something new.
Knowing more about the instrument can really add to the appreciation of playing it, IMO. It often surprises me how much detail student instruments have in common with the really expensive ones. A Squire Strat has all the same parts as a Custom Shop Strat, and the principles of setting them up and playing them are the same. In other industries, the "entry-level" products often lack parts and functions of the more expensive products from the same company. E.g., my new "entry level" Sony mirrorless camera comes with fewer controls and capabilities than the one that's ~$400 more. You rarely see that in guitars. Cheaper hardware, wood, and electronics, oh yeah, but the parts and features are all there, available to teach you how to work with the more expensive instruments (and maybe experiment with customization with a lot less risk).
@@beenaplumber8379 That's very true. My (acoustic steel string) guitar only cost me $250 brand new, and apart from a small adjustment to the action (for free) by the very nice luthier who sold it to me, it's been solid as a rock from day one -- stays in tune, sounds really mellow, feels great to hold. I might grow out of it one day, I guess, but atm it totally meets my requirements.
The guitar shop that I worked at 20 years ago sold Seagull guitars and I always really loved how they sounded. If it wasn't for the headstock shape I probably would have bought one.
It is polarising to be sure. That said, are you buying a guitar to make fine vibrations in the air or for photo shoots? I'm not immune to the "ughhh" response though: for some reason PRS electrics generate that response in me.
Ted, you might remember me as the guy who was looking for advice with repairing a bridge whilst living on a catamaran near no luthiers. I lived aboard for 5 years, and if I didn't use coated strings, they lasted no time at all. Now I live ashore, but mere feet from the sea. I still have to use Elixirs. Corrosion on the frets has only been the most minor issue.
I bought a Carvin while deployed on my carrier. Salt air is nasty. I would trade some goodies with a supply shack and get desiccant to keep in the hardshell case.
It was just last week you pulled frets out sideways! And I love hearing folks’ experiences with Richlite and the other replacements for the generally unsustainable woods traditional in every instrument I play.
15:45 There's always the option to have custom-made tools (and other bits). If you know what you want, all you need is someone who knows their way around Solid Works, access to a CNC router and some blanks. 👍
A couple of things re the CITES stuff. Firstly, it's not all rosewood species. Some are still legal. Secondly, Gibson didn't run afoul of CITES by accident. The reason the US gov threw the book at them was because there was clear evidence they were trying to conceal the purchase and import. In other words, Gibson's attempted concealment demonstrated they knew they were breaking the law.
I did my very first fret job the other day and I decided to use stainless... I'm guessing that was a mistake but hey ho... I ended up buying a set of decent wire cutters for cutting the ends of the frets off instead of proper "fret wire cutters" and I also found that there was loads to file off.... I'm guessing nickel silver is way easier to do
Speaking of undercut tangs. I think it’s hilarious Indonesian built squiers have undercut tangs with the edge of the fret slots nicely filled in, but most Mexican and American fenders have the tangs left on there just waiting to sprout out the side with humidity changes.
I have a Seagull. Mine is a Coastline Grand parlor guitar. Had it for years. My fretboard is not Richlite, though. It has a dark "stripe" of grain that goes part way down just on the treble side. Wonderful finger pick guitar.
Meticulous attention to detail. I'm sure that too many of your customers don't appreciate the fine points that you do for their benefit. I applaud you, Sir.
I had a fret job done on my Rickenbacker 4003 because I chewed up the stock frets with stainless steel strings. (I love the way they sound on a Rick!) I got a really hard fret wire this time, but not stainless. It's held up great for 4 years (only light playing), and it sounds terrific with the stainless strings again. I never though about how much more work it would be for the luthier to work with a harder alloy.
I prefer nickel. I had a standard American strat and it developed swoops in the fret wire. At one point it eventually became incredibly smooth to bend and then after another month or three I guess it developed a ton of buzz. I miss that guitar. Should of never sold it. I didn't know refretting was a thing back then when I was 11 or 12 years old
I'm building four solidbody electrics simultaneously at the moment. They will all have 24 SS frets. I've chosen to preshape all 96 frets prior to install. Since I have a master prototype neck which each new guitar will have an exact replica of, I know all of the fret wire lengths for each fret position. I've only ever used SS fretwire on all of my builds (about 10 guitars). I know how the material behaves, but if anyone has a trick I might not know about prepping frets as I've described, please share. I have a process in mind, but any suggestions would be welcome.
I'm so glad you explained why NOT to use a radius sanding block for the frets! I've seen videos where guys will use them, and then in the middle of sanding, stop and wonder why they haven't touched the middle of the frets yet!
I only built 7 instruments (8 necks), and it never occurred to me that the radius should be different for the frets, and I used to be really good with geometry & trig & stuff. I think it was less of a factor because I radiused everything at 14". I never could shape a decent neck, and a good radius was the least of my concerns.
Question, why not do the ball ends on a stainless steel fret like you see on the Import electrics? In that case you could use the Dremel to save you the work on the ends. It might save you some time.🤔
The curve on a ball end actually sticks out more than the straight face of a 30 degree bevel end. I found this out a while ago, then when Ted mentioned it himself I was very happy and my head swelled a little. 😁
You post it i'll watch it, Great quality videos so much so that after quite a few channels i have tried yours is the only one i like sub and occasionally comment on, And have seen every vid some more a few times. Thanks for the great work and the time and effort to post them.
I was looking at a couple of Lys guitars on FB Marketplace in the last year or so, looked well made, but we couldn't reach a deal on either. It was interesting because I'd never heard of them, and then boom, two within a short period. Nice guitars, not much info out there on them. I found a few magazine pages, couple of forum posts, not much more . Love the headstock too, certainly where the Seagull shape came from.. minus the pineapple leaves/jester hat/Fleur de Lys top
Thanks for the master class in doing a fret job. I plan to get a cheap guitar and practice before attempting it on the good stuff, and this will be my guide. I always enjoy and appreciate your content.
Thanks for the WV shoutout! You're right too, you either grew up in a coal mining family, chemical worker, construction or utility company. Pretty much still the same.
I know richlite is rather unpopular but I like the richlite fretboard of my Gibson SG baritone. It feels considerably stiffer than most other guitars I've played and the instrument is quite resonant. It's always difficult to pinpoint why an instrument sounds the way it does but I assume the richlite is doing a good job. It feels like a fretboard too :) I think it looks okay but I prefer the pattern of regular wood.
Wow! TIL that you need to file the underside of the fret to remove any high spots from cutting. Very cool. Don't do fret work on mine but extra coolness if I ever do. Thank You Sir. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
@@TM-ev2tc Well… It’s essentially a dulcimer, and it’s Scott the three strings, and two of them on the same and the way the threats are space you can hardly play a wrong note. Although I have, they’re really fun… Especially if you like Irish, or Celtic music
Nice job.... As we've come to expect. Nice sounding box too! As it happens, I've got a compound Stratocaster (Deluxe) neck to refret in stainless... So, I'm putting extra time at the gym beforehand...
But at least you'll never have to do it again! Or you wouldn't, if this wasn't a working guitar on a cruise ship. If anyone is gonna destroy stainless frets it's this musician.
dont mind the people who complain, the rest of us just like hearing your voice while we unwind from our days.
I came for the repair videos, but I stay for Ted’s philosophizing!
Not sure why people would complain of the talking. I think it's useful compared to just staying silent.
it's nice to have on for workouts.
Haters gonna hate.
I love this channel, I like to learn in every video that I see
While some of us watch them over and over while we learn valuable info that he so graciously shares 👍
If you channel was called "Nothing But Fretjobs" I would still watch. Do not waste a second wondering if people think you're being repetitive. No matter how many times you perform a task, there is always something unique about the particular instrument and you always bring new insights about the process. Thanks, see you next week!
Yes and fret replacement is tedious difficult work. I did it once with a luthier on a classical. Yeah I spent a lot of time sandingbout damage I did tearing out the old ones and filing the new ones. I'll stick to leveling and polishing, replacing is worth paying a pro and they gotta eat too. So many things can go wrong. Multiplied by the numbers of frets with inadequate coffee supplies being a major handicap as is the usual lack of specialist tools you might have doing this as a noob.
Watching, watching, watching...
...watching, watching, watching. ; )
As an amateur luthier, these videos are some of the greatest educational content on youtube. 🤙🏻
I learn from seeing something done multiple times and then doing multiple times. So… I am not regretting the frequent refretting!
I just realized that I like your videos so much because of the composition. The oddly angled close shots and gentle talking feels like I'm in the shop with someone watching them work.
What made me think of the camera work was the fact that I didn't notice it, that is, find fault.
When you throw in the history of the guitar and materials used, a re-fret becomes much more interesting. I've seen pretty much every video that you have posted on this channel , so it doesn't matter to me what you are working on, I'm watching the video! It's an education for me... Thanks!
I worked in a guitar shop in Seattle for around 17 years. I worked with all the major brands in acoustic guitars, Gibson, Taylor, Martin, Yamaha, Epiphone, Fender, Eastman etc etc and the entry level market was dominated by the Seagull line. None of the previously mentioned brands make an entry level guitar that compete in the price range. Eastman is a close second, but there is just such a nice "earthy" tone with the Seagulls.
You didn’t get many Sigmas in then.
Thank you for returning. I have studied every YT presentation to judge my own builds and repairs. You are the gold standard. For the last few years that is the only thing I can do, but I can do that with pride.
Only gold standard? Ted deserves the 'Platinum Standard' at least ! Easily the most informative and easy-going luthier tutorial EVER - ANYWHERE. I just wish he'd use metric conversion more often...
@@Deebz270 Metric?! What are you, communist? Oops! I meant Canadian! Lolin'
The first time I rounded over sharp fret ends was on a new Warmoth neck with stainless frets. Quite a learning curve
I'm not saying you should show more, but I did want to say that I love when a fret job pops up. I just think they're neat.
When a fret job pops up, we just hammer them right back down. 😂😂😂
I don't find fret jobs boring. I especially appreciate the histories that come along with the work. New York State is not all that far from Quebec and Godin. They are superlative instruments, but I never knew much about them. Listening to and watching Ted for a half hour is a nice way to spend some time!
I’ve built a number of instruments using black paper phenolic fretboards. That’s commonly called “ebonol.” I’m building a bass now with black Richlite. I also put a little Danish oil on them. Interesting to see you do too. I guess we all discover the same things.
Richlite is such a nice material. I have a guitar with a composite neck and richlite fretboard and it's pretty much impervious to changes which is a godsend here in Finland.
Oh? That sounds interesting!
I have to tell you. Your videos are most definitely informative, but being a 55 year old life-long guitar fanatic, most things that I see being shown are par for course to me, personally speaking. But your calm and well articulated narration is a step above all the countless videos I watch regarding this subject on a daily basis. I am NOT discounting devaluing the items you're teaching in the least. If I had the opportunity, I would be there by your side, quietly watching and listening to all the work in progress. It's been nothing more than fantasy to be able to do this work as an occupation. I've learned and implemented many things since my teenage years when I started on this guitar addiction and other than family and friend's instruments, have only worked on or built instruments for myself. Thank you for all the shared knowledge and hours of entertaining education.
I love my seagull. And i could watch you refret guitars every week and not be bored
Nah, you could put up something every other day and I would watch, like and comment on.
I would love for him to do a long form video where he just pares or does some repetitive thing in full. He could talk, or he doesn't even have to. I would watch.
You might try a lathe file to file stainless frets to length. They are double sided flat files that have a sharper angle across the working surface of the file, they tend to hold up better, even on 416 stainless. The teeth also tend to release the chips easier which prevents the deep scratches made when filings get caught in the teeth and drug into the material being filed
I've always heard how difficult stainless steel frets are to work with. Many guitar repair techs don't work with stainless, including mine. I've always heard how labor intensive it is and how it can damage your tools. Now I can see exactly what everyone was talking about. The very properties that make stainless frets desirable for the player are what makes installing them a pain in the ass for the guitar tech. I appreciate the effort, but I can see why many guitar techs decline to work with stainless.
A few notable notes:
In the late 80's early 90"s Seagulls came with large hang tags that declared "Guaranteed 800 year old wood" used for their tops. They were very proud of their product and produced excellent instruments for the money. Still do.
Can you produce a mirror finish by hand? - yessir! Just need a good process.
Does the average guitar player really need hyper-polished frets or SS frets? - nope, right up there with the latest greatest fads. Just like brass in the 80's...
Relax, play loud, have fun and have a great day :)
We're never bored with your work and history or technical skills.
Appreciate the Richlite part! Thanks Ted!
Apparently Richlite has been used as a food prep surface in commercial and industrial kitchens since the 1950s, so I think it should weather the conditions on a cruise ship just fine.
Great Vid as always Professor Ted´. When using small files i drill a hole & jam the bastard end of the file into a golf ball. Really helps with my arthritis pain - I´m only 54 !!
Cheers from Madrid. xxx
I enjoy fret replacement, there's a lot going on, as I suppose with many of your repairs, but I trust you know what I mean.Thousandths' of an inch that can make such a difference, just fascinating. Thanks for the content.
A mid 90's era Seagull S6 Cutaway with the LR Baggs pickup and EQ was one of my first guitars. I sold it a few years after buying it. I needed money and it was the least customized so to my mind the most replaceable. I still miss that guitar, though I am sure I would missed any of my others more. They were hard to beat for the money at the time and it is good to hear they still are.
Coincidentally, I saw watched a piece on Petrek Guitars YT about why he doesn't like to use a motorized polisher on frets. Apparently it can induce some very high temperatures in the metal that can adversely affect a glue bond.
The tele i threw together from Warmoth parts about 10yrs ago had stainless frets. There isnt so much as a divet in any of them. It also seems that since they are so hard, bends move really fluidly when playing.
I love watching your videos, I don’t know who could be bored watching this. I’ve watched every single one, and it’s never gotten old or repetitive.
As a guy watching your channel educationally...I will be tackling fretwork among my 38 electrics soon...as well as those of a few friends...I admit I love hearing from you. Soothing!
27:40 At work we have the stewmac crowning file with the diamond abrasive. It is hands down the best and fastest file I've used. The fret just powders away. In fact if you are used to regular seratted type files, you have to be careful not to hog too much off. There is also no chatter marks to remove. A further time saving. They are very expensive, so at home I still use my old stewmac crowning file. It is still very effective. And faster than a triangular file for me, anyway.
*That fret notcher from Stewmac is worth every cent!* I don't do fretwork for the simple fact that I've notched wire with a cuttoff disc and it's an incredibly slow and unpleasant process.
Even without binding I found I needed to notch wire.
*I've also found a very fine grit paper can polish the frets just as good as buffing compound on a bonnet.*
I used the diamond knife sharpener color coded in blue, yellow and red coloring as my primary files that I one day found countless people online had also done, but they do unfortunately wear out even being diamond.
Would love to see you do an x brace conversion one day mostly just because I want to see how you would open up and put back together a guitar. Your explanations as you work are invaluable.
I've started to forgo the Dremel completely at this point. I found that after crowning frets with even just my Z-file, I can go straight to the 4 inch polishing pad on my drill with a blue buffing compound stick and that's all it takes. It takes out the Z-file scratches and polishes it to a mirror finish without any unneeded extra steps.
I'm a gonna try that then. I also use a 'Z' file - 300 grit not very aggressive so should work. Anything to speed up a hateful task.
I agree Seagull is a great entry-level value and I do have a soft spot for them. My absolute favorite guitar I've ever owned is my Seagull S12 that I've had since the late 90's. It needs a little TLC right now, but I'm looking forward to that project once I can find the time
I've used those Channellocs for a year or so until I found a set by Hosco speciffically for SS frets on philadelphia luthier supply. Cutting is easier and it cuts closer to the edge of the fretboard. They are a great upgrade from the Channelocs. For the price, it's a steal.
You are so Informative I have learned so much just from watching your videos
I teach guitar. I used to teach in a store and a lady asked me about a guitar as I was passing by. I told her about it and how I thought Godin made fine instruments and made some guitars that solved problems others hadn't. Then the lady pointed at her friend, "This is his wife." Hehe.
Well played! She was testing you ;-)
Awesome
That was some beautiful job, my man...!
Taping the fret board for fret jobs is a really good idea. I've seen some horrendous tool marks in the wood from some careless fret dressing and hurried scraping of the binding. It really spoils the look. And that's on very expensive new guitars direct from the factory. You know who I mean.
Nicely informative video, including history. As always, well done in work and narrative. An unsolicited viewer suggestion: paint buffing compound (scratch remover) soaks into those little wheels and puts a lovely finish on stainless, makes quick work on nickel.
Love your videos. I watch these every day and they help me go to sleep. Your voice is so soothing, you should start a radio show.
Forgive me if I’m wrong but Graham Vincent (English Violin maker) tried using Richlite to make a fingerboard with really good results. I played a Seagull many Moons ago and I was very impressed with how great it sounded. Thanks!🎻✌️🙂😎
This is quite the education into what it takes to refret a guitar using stainless fret wire. I can see why this work requires care and patience. Thank you for posting these videos.
I use the polishing wheel on the Dremel on pretty much every guitar I do. It not only leaves the frets nice and shiny, the wax from the jewler's rouge I use can also help prevent further oxidation.
I wonder how stainless strings would sound on acoustic like that.... That might be an idea for rapidly corroding strings due to salt water.
He mentioned that salt water is very detrimental to the strings. I tryed Elixir Cold Blue guitar strings. I personally don't like them. Not because of sound but because of they took more pressure to push down the strings but they lasted alot longer and kept their sound. So I bet that would be a better choice of strings used in salt water condition. Now comes my next recommendation that most guitarists will hate bet before judging I say try it first. They make carbon fiber guitars. I know it took the sales man almost physical violence to get me to try one but I tried it and I was quite impressed with that guitar. It was m7ch louder than any hollow body guitar that I've played because there are no braces. Moisture is not a factor with carbon fiber. And it was a even sound all across the sound of the guitar. Wood guitar sound better at bass end or tremble end. But with the carbon fiber the bass and treble were equal. But myself I just can't get away from wood but when I get a sailboat I will have a carbon fiber guitar on my sailboat.
Are those strings stainless steel? I've never tried them, but I love stainless steel on my Rick bass. Also, a friend of mine had an Ovation Adamas 12-string decades ago. It was all composite materials (I think the neck might have been wood - not sure), but I don't know if it was carbon fiber. It was LOUD!!! And yeah, very even across the strings and up and down the neck, tons of sustain, and very playable. It's a tone you either love or hate. Personally I loved it live but we couldn't get a full sounding tone from it in the studio. All sparkle, no boom. It wasn't cheap either - over $3k in the early 90s.
@beenaplumber8379 I'm not sure if they are stainless steel but you have to be careful when you open them up. They want to spring out straight. They are cryogenically treated. They last for ever. But like I said they take extra effort to push them down and bend the strings.
@@johnrathbun2943 I bet that string stiffness affects the intonation. Did your axe need a new setup when you switched to them? I set my Rick up with Rotosound stainless steel in the 90s and didn't need to adjust a thing for 20 years, when I went back to nickel wound for a while, but the difference was noticeable as I went up the neck, even with strings of the same gauge. The stainless strings did feel a little stiffer, but I rarely bend on a bass. I like stiffer strings because they feel more predictable. I feel a greater sense of control with my right hand.
I did a stainless re-fret two weeks ago on an old German Wander-Guitar. It was my first try and worked out well because of your videos! But cutting and filing was really a pain 😅
I just looked it up and Richlite is a brand of what we'd refer to as "phenolic" (just a short-hand for layers of paper impregnated with phenolic resin). That stuff is great to work with. I use it in woodworking all the time for wear surfaces, tops of shop furniture, jigs, etc. It can be tough on the tools, but it's just paper and resin, so it holds up well otherwise.
This makes me happy that Ted recommends Seagulls.
My S6+CW is amazing to me.
I think I have bought and given away (4) S6's
I was told by another luthier on UA-cam the same thing about the neck joint, 2003 I think he said was the year it changed and he cursed out Mr. Godin for "ruining" a good guitar, he said the previous models did have their issues but they were workable and not as common. He recommended buying an older one over the newer ones. I've been leaning toward a Simon and Patrick Woodland but not with the cutaway as there is a common issue with the neck cracking the top and collapsing into the sound hole.
That was fascinating. I'm a very-slightly-past beginner guitarist (3 years in but with almost zero time for practice) with a very nice entry-level guitar that sits beside me all the time. I find myself picking it up when I'm watching these videos and learning things about the instrument just by comparing it to what Ted's doing. I'd never looked at the fret ends until now. Always something new.
Knowing more about the instrument can really add to the appreciation of playing it, IMO. It often surprises me how much detail student instruments have in common with the really expensive ones. A Squire Strat has all the same parts as a Custom Shop Strat, and the principles of setting them up and playing them are the same. In other industries, the "entry-level" products often lack parts and functions of the more expensive products from the same company. E.g., my new "entry level" Sony mirrorless camera comes with fewer controls and capabilities than the one that's ~$400 more. You rarely see that in guitars. Cheaper hardware, wood, and electronics, oh yeah, but the parts and features are all there, available to teach you how to work with the more expensive instruments (and maybe experiment with customization with a lot less risk).
@@beenaplumber8379 That's very true. My (acoustic steel string) guitar only cost me $250 brand new, and apart from a small adjustment to the action (for free) by the very nice luthier who sold it to me, it's been solid as a rock from day one -- stays in tune, sounds really mellow, feels great to hold. I might grow out of it one day, I guess, but atm it totally meets my requirements.
The guitar shop that I worked at 20 years ago sold Seagull guitars and I always really loved how they sounded. If it wasn't for the headstock shape I probably would have bought one.
It is polarising to be sure. That said, are you buying a guitar to make fine vibrations in the air or for photo shoots? I'm not immune to the "ughhh" response though: for some reason PRS electrics generate that response in me.
I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Godin a few weeks ago. A very personable, friendly, and passionate man. He truly loves guitars
Knipex make flush cut, high leverage side cutters/nippers. They're not end nippers but very high quality. I love knipex tools.
You know what happens when you use them on something like stainless? Ruins them.. first cut.
Ted, you might remember me as the guy who was looking for advice with repairing a bridge whilst living on a catamaran near no luthiers. I lived aboard for 5 years, and if I didn't use coated strings, they lasted no time at all. Now I live ashore, but mere feet from the sea. I still have to use Elixirs. Corrosion on the frets has only been the most minor issue.
The Masterclass continues........................
I had a great one, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Seagulls from other players. Mine played as 98% as well as my Taylor.
I bought a Carvin while deployed on my carrier. Salt air is nasty. I would trade some goodies with a supply shack and get desiccant to keep in the hardshell case.
Interesting and thank you for serving. Where did you buy it from?
8:59 great info as usual.. I have a mart D jr and has rich lite and it’s pretty good. Thanks for posting
It was just last week you pulled frets out sideways! And I love hearing folks’ experiences with Richlite and the other replacements for the generally unsustainable woods traditional in every instrument I play.
15:45 There's always the option to have custom-made tools (and other bits). If you know what you want, all you need is someone who knows their way around Solid Works, access to a CNC router and some blanks. 👍
A couple of things re the CITES stuff. Firstly, it's not all rosewood species. Some are still legal. Secondly, Gibson didn't run afoul of CITES by accident. The reason the US gov threw the book at them was because there was clear evidence they were trying to conceal the purchase and import. In other words, Gibson's attempted concealment demonstrated they knew they were breaking the law.
Just fantastic Ted, superb content
I did my very first fret job the other day and I decided to use stainless... I'm guessing that was a mistake but hey ho...
I ended up buying a set of decent wire cutters for cutting the ends of the frets off instead of proper "fret wire cutters" and I also found that there was loads to file off.... I'm guessing nickel silver is way easier to do
I use cutting wheels on a dremel for stainless. It'll introduce heat but much easier.
Speaking of undercut tangs. I think it’s hilarious Indonesian built squiers have undercut tangs with the edge of the fret slots nicely filled in, but most Mexican and American fenders have the tangs left on there just waiting to sprout out the side with humidity changes.
I have a Seagull. Mine is a Coastline Grand parlor guitar. Had it for years. My fretboard is not Richlite, though. It has a dark "stripe" of grain that goes part way down just on the treble side. Wonderful finger pick guitar.
I absolutely love this channel . ❤
"A sea cruise, oooee" 😂 Aces!!
Frankie Ford!
Meticulous attention to detail. I'm sure that too many of your customers don't appreciate the fine points that you do for their benefit. I applaud you, Sir.
Used to own a Seagull Performer mini Jumbo guitar a couple years ago. They are fantastic instruments!
I've owned numerous Godin and Seagull guitars. I still do. I love them. Great value and great sounding guitars.
My 2nd acoustic was an S6. Love that guitar still to this day. I got it in 2005.
I'll watch as many fret jobs as you post
I had a fret job done on my Rickenbacker 4003 because I chewed up the stock frets with stainless steel strings. (I love the way they sound on a Rick!) I got a really hard fret wire this time, but not stainless. It's held up great for 4 years (only light playing), and it sounds terrific with the stainless strings again. I never though about how much more work it would be for the luthier to work with a harder alloy.
I prefer nickel. I had a standard American strat and it developed swoops in the fret wire. At one point it eventually became incredibly smooth to bend and then after another month or three I guess it developed a ton of buzz. I miss that guitar. Should of never sold it. I didn't know refretting was a thing back then when I was 11 or 12 years old
I have a Godin electric LGX-SA and it is probably my favorite electric. The intonation is perfect everywhere on the neck.
That's a really pretty guitar. Sorry to hear that the change to the neck joint makes them hard to work on...
I'm building four solidbody electrics simultaneously at the moment. They will all have 24 SS frets.
I've chosen to preshape all 96 frets prior to install. Since I have a master prototype neck which each new guitar will have an exact replica of, I know all of the fret wire lengths for each fret position.
I've only ever used SS fretwire on all of my builds (about 10 guitars). I know how the material behaves, but if anyone has a trick I might not know about prepping frets as I've described, please share.
I have a process in mind, but any suggestions would be welcome.
I'm so glad you explained why NOT to use a radius sanding block for the frets! I've seen videos where guys will use them, and then in the middle of sanding, stop and wonder why they haven't touched the middle of the frets yet!
I only built 7 instruments (8 necks), and it never occurred to me that the radius should be different for the frets, and I used to be really good with geometry & trig & stuff. I think it was less of a factor because I radiused everything at 14". I never could shape a decent neck, and a good radius was the least of my concerns.
Very therapeutic to watch and listen to.
Love the scraping and wood plaining sounds. Sad or what. 😅
Thanks for walking us through your whole process!!!
So even during a fret job you're rockin and rollin
Question, why not do the ball ends on a stainless steel fret like you see on the Import electrics? In that case you could use the Dremel to save you the work on the ends. It might save you some time.🤔
The curve on a ball end actually sticks out more than the straight face of a 30 degree bevel end. I found this out a while ago, then when Ted mentioned it himself I was very happy and my head swelled a little. 😁
You post it i'll watch it, Great quality videos so much so that after quite a few channels i have tried yours is the only one i like sub and occasionally comment on, And have seen every vid some more a few times. Thanks for the great work and the time and effort to post them.
A nice tutorial and a nice sounding guitar.
I was looking at a couple of Lys guitars on FB Marketplace in the last year or so, looked well made, but we couldn't reach a deal on either. It was interesting because I'd never heard of them, and then boom, two within a short period. Nice guitars, not much info out there on them. I found a few magazine pages, couple of forum posts, not much more . Love the headstock too, certainly where the Seagull shape came from.. minus the pineapple leaves/jester hat/Fleur de Lys top
It's SUnday which means Time with Ted. I own 2 Seagulls. One 12 and a 6 Artist Series. I love them.
Thanks for the master class in doing a fret job. I plan to get a cheap guitar and practice before attempting it on the good stuff, and this will be my guide. I always enjoy and appreciate your content.
I’d watch fretting videos every day!
Thanks for the WV shoutout! You're right too, you either grew up in a coal mining family, chemical worker, construction or utility company. Pretty much still the same.
I know richlite is rather unpopular but I like the richlite fretboard of my Gibson SG baritone. It feels considerably stiffer than most other guitars I've played and the instrument is quite resonant. It's always difficult to pinpoint why an instrument sounds the way it does but I assume the richlite is doing a good job. It feels like a fretboard too :) I think it looks okay but I prefer the pattern of regular wood.
I always learn something from your videos. Love this one, lots of good info!
Alloy C752 is Nickle Silver 18%, up to 66% copper.
Wow! TIL that you need to file the underside of the fret to remove any high spots from cutting. Very cool. Don't do fret work on mine but extra coolness if I ever do. Thank You Sir. Best Regards and Best Wishes!
I would like to see you repair a Merlin Seagull guitar. Just for fun. I know they are inexpensive little things, but they do look interesting.
They are fun. I have one… But I can’t find it… It’s hiding somewhere in the house. I know that sounds stupid.
@@johnnyxmusic i would like to try one out. I have never seen one before.
@@TM-ev2tc Well… It’s essentially a dulcimer, and it’s Scott the three strings, and two of them on the same and the way the threats are space you can hardly play a wrong note. Although I have, they’re really fun… Especially if you like Irish, or Celtic music
So much ...Polishing......beautiful, beautiful polishing.
Can't beat a good fret job Ted...
Great as always, Ted. I always learn something that I needed to learn.
Nice job.... As we've come to expect. Nice sounding box too!
As it happens, I've got a compound Stratocaster (Deluxe) neck to refret in stainless...
So, I'm putting extra time at the gym beforehand...
But at least you'll never have to do it again! Or you wouldn't, if this wasn't a working guitar on a cruise ship. If anyone is gonna destroy stainless frets it's this musician.
Bought a seagull 12 string in the late 80’s. Really nice but 19 yo me wasn’t patient enough to restring/tune the 12.