attempt at defretting... my first job on a bass

jamersonburton · #1 10-08-2011, 09:43 AM

hi guys, this is an embarassing post but i really need help

... i am attempting a defretting job on my old bass (yamaha bb300) so heres how i started. i got a saudering iron and some pliers (i think my mistake was getting needle nosed pliers instead of the wider ones).

I put on some tape around the 21st fret and then put the iron to the fret. i let it heat up and then i tried to pull it up with the needle nose pliers. i learnt pretty quickly that all i did was scratch the hell out of the fret so i went and looked in my toolkit..... DOH@#@! i found some normal pliers. i started to use those and it was working better, but i im still unable to get that fret out.... SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS? this is really bugging me. thanks for all your help!

p.s the "wider" pliers which im using are pretty ******. and i have looked on youtube for instructions.... like i said, embarrasing first job.

202dy · #2 10-08-2011, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

hi guys, this is an embarassing post but i really need help

... i am attempting a defretting job on my old bass (yamaha bb300) so heres how i started. i got a saudering iron and some pliers (i think my mistake was getting needle nosed pliers instead of the wider ones).

I put on some tape around the 21st fret and then put the iron to the fret. i let it heat up and then i tried to pull it up with the needle nose pliers. i learnt pretty quickly that all i did was scratch the hell out of the fret so i went and looked in my toolkit..... DOH@#@! i found some normal pliers. i started to use those and it was working better, but i im still unable to get that fret out.... SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS? this is really bugging me. thanks for all your help!

p.s the "wider" pliers which im using are pretty ******. and i have looked on youtube for instructions.... like i said, embarrasing first job.

There is a sticky at the top of the page entitled "Defretting?"

Read it. Then, maybe go to youtube and poke around. Armed with some knowledge it will be easier to separate the skilled from the rest.

De-fretting an instrument is an advanced modification. It requires the skills of a top flight guitar tech and an experienced woodworker. If one cannot honestly include both job descriptions on their resume it is recommended that the modification be performed by a professional.

JLS · #3 10-08-2011, 03:14 PM

You might have considered doing the *slightest * amount of research, before you undertook this.

Quote:

(i think my mistake was getting needle nosed pliers instead of the wider ones).

That's the least of it. As 202dy pointed out, this job needs to go to a pro.

Pilgrim · #4 10-08-2011, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLS

You might have considered doing the *slightest * amount of research, before you undertook this.

I am no longer very tolerant of people who are too impatient to do ANY research, and who damage instruments through their own ignorance.

STOP.

There is abundant information on how to do this available on TB.

STOP butchering the bass to minimize the damage you are doing through ignorance, and learn how to do it right before you pick up another tool.

And while you're at it, get the right tools.

jamersonburton · #5 10-08-2011, 06:23 PM

sorry for the misunderstanding. i have done research on talkbass for 3 weeks now. the bass is already really beat up. ive got 12 more frets to finish. sorry for my ignorance but i did do 3 weeks of resarch and it sounded alot easier than it was

thanks for the advice!

shaggy45 · #6 10-08-2011, 06:28 PM

STEWMAC.COM : Fret Puller

Turnaround · #7 10-08-2011, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

sorry for the misunderstanding. i have done research on talkbass for 3 weeks now. the bass is already really beat up. ive got 12 more frets to finish. sorry for my ignorance but i did do 3 weeks of resarch and it sounded alot easier than it was

thanks for the advice!

Where in your research did it suggest using needle nose pliers to extract frets? If it's there in the sticky, we need to fix that!!!!!

Pilgrim · #8 10-08-2011, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turnaround

Where in your research did it suggest using needle nose pliers to extract frets? If it's there in the sticky, we need to fix that!!!!!

GREAT QUESTION....and to the point. It's very important to evaluate your sources, and clearly this was not done.

No credible reference I have ever seen suggests such a thing as using needle nose pliers. Every quality reference I have seen suggests flat-end nippers or cutters. The Stew-Mac fret puller shown above is perfect - and there are other end nippers available which have a similar design and will work.

Done properly, the process will require 10+ hours of labor for a first-time project by a non-pro. Most of the time required is involved in replacing every chip caused by pulling the frets, cleaning the slots, inserting and gluing appropriate filler material (NOT plastic wood), and trimming and sanding the filler material to achieve a smooth neck.I suggest the OP buy Dan Erlewine's book on guitar repair (he is one of the greatest authorities in the field) and study it.

Here's a good set of photos from Stew-Mac with Dan Erlewine showing proper use of tools. Check the 3rd photo showing fret removal, and photos 7-8-9 showing insertion of slot filler material.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...65.90373849924

Here is a YouTube video with some VERY nice, clean technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6P9wtq1n9g

The filling and sanding process is a separate step. On the rosewood neck I did, I used .020 thick plastic styrene strips for filler, super glue to secure them, a single sanding, and then one coat of tung oil over the fretboard when the neck was completely smooth.

The result:

jamersonburton · #9 10-10-2011, 05:19 PM

i got the frets out nice and clean. I think its good for a first job ever. And i am proud of myself. I know i was ignorant at the start but i've learnt that this is about patience. i am going to get something to fill the slots this weekend since i have a lot of tests coming up. Thanks for the advice and help from everyone.

JLS · #10 10-10-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Here is a YouTube video with some VERY nice, clean technique:

Defretting a Bass Neck - Part 1 - YouTube

No kidding! That's one clean defret.

Pilgrim · #11 10-10-2011, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamersonburton

i got the frets out nice and clean. I think its good for a first job ever. And i am proud of myself. I know i was ignorant at the start but i've learnt that this is about patience. i am going to get something to fill the slots this weekend since i have a lot of tests coming up. Thanks for the advice and help from everyone.

Hey, GOOD for you! I'll bet you end up with a job to feel good about.

Here's one more note....after I pulled the frets, I noticed that the slots left behind were a bit irregular because of the barbs on the frets.

I went to a craft store and found a small craft saw with a blade .022 wide. I used that saw to carefully saw the debris out of the slots, then filled the slots with styrene strips which were .020 wide. With the 2 thousandths of clearance, it was easy to cut the styrene a bit larger than the neck, then glue it in.

I used a standard one-edged razor blade to very carefully trim the styrene, and that left so little extra material sticking up that sanding was easy.