Stainless Frets

[jimmieb]

I just saw a thread on SS frets. So I had to report after playing consistantly for at least 15 hrs a week, my 12-14-01p Drop Top is only now begining to show some fret wear. I was begining to think they were going to last forever. Kinda like they shoes of the children of Isreal, you know, the guys wandering in the wilderness for fourty years (obscure reference I know). Still I thought I would be interesting to find out how many guys have refretted their SS frets.
Anyone refret from original SS frets?

Jimmie B

[BFC]

I wonder if they would hold up again for as long with a fresh fret dressing?

[killerburst]

I just saw a thread on SS frets. So I had to report after playing consistantly for at least 15 hrs a week, my 12-14-01p Drop Top is only now begining to show some fret wear. I was begining to think they were going to last forever. Kinda like they shoes of the children of Isreal, you know, the guys wandering in the wilderness for fourty years (obscure reference I know). Still I thought I would be interesting to find out how many guys have refretted their SS frets.
Anyone refret from original SS frets?

Jimmie B

Wow, 12/01. That must be one of the first SS guitars out of the shop. I was under the impression they didn't start until the following spring. Pretty cool.

No fret wear to report on my 12 month old Drop Top.

[tom]

how do you know it is stainless? the namm show guitars in january 2002 were the first ones out there. i'd be real surprised to see them wearing that soon.
frets do not wear away, they compress, making them denser than they were to begin with. if you have ever redressed a worn fret you would notice that the frets seem harder than new ones. now with that said, a dressing on stainless will probably last longer than the original. we have not replaced any stainless frets, but bruce does a stainless refret on older guitars every week it seems.

[jimmieb]

how do you know it is stainless? the namm show guitars in january 2002 were the first ones out there. i'd be real surprised to see them wearing that soon.
frets do not wear away, they compress, making them denser than they were to begin with. if you have ever redressed a worn fret you would notice that the frets seem harder than new ones. now with that said, a dressing on stainless will probably last longer than the original. we have not replaced any stainless frets, but bruce does a stainless refret on older guitars every week it seems.

I did check with Roy and unless we miscommunicated I believe them to be SS. Maybe we can check again? I do have a heavy left hand, meaning I tend to press hard on my strings. Could that make the difference? I also do alot of bending. For me to say they are wearing I mean they are just begining to dimple.

[tom]

there is no way to check from here. the only way would be to look at them.

[bruce]

Yeah, lemme see!

[jimmieb]

Yeah, lemme see!

First chance that I can get out there I will. I'm out there ocassionally, I'll call before I do.
A few years ago I talked to Roy about getting serial #'s for all the guitars I've bought at TAG, and during that conversation I inquired if my lastest DT was SS. He checked and said it was. This is contrary to what Tom says, and he may be right, the serial # is on the cusp of when you first started using SS. If I do come in and find out they're not SS I'd like to have them refreted then. What is the cost to refret w/SS?

Jimmie B

[tlp1]

First chance that I can get out there I will. I'm out there ocassionally, I'll call before I do.
A few years ago I talked to Roy about getting serial #'s for all the guitars I've bought at TAG, and during that conversation I inquired if my lastest DT was SS. He checked and said it was. This is contrary to what Tom says, and he may be right, the serial # is on the cusp of when you first started using SS. If I do come in and find out they're not SS I'd like to have them refreted then. What is the cost to refret w/SS?

Jimmie B

did you ever find out how much for a SS re-fret? seems odd no one posted back to answer your question.

[tom]

there wa another post somewhere on this. $300 for rosewood, 350 for maple, 400 for tinted maple. with the tint we refinish the whole neck cause it's too hard to match it perfectly.

[tlp1]

thanks for the info Tom