Re-fretting a Traben bass

[ringy]

I work on guitars and a guy has asked me to look at a Traben bass which the previous owner had defretted. The owner would like the frets reinstated which raises two questions:

How easy is it to reinstate the fret grooves? They are easily identifiable but how easy are they to clean out?

Anybody know what gauge of fret wire is used on a Traben bass? As its been defretted I have nothing to go on. I emailed Traben days ago but no response.

[bassgod0dmw]

Do you have experience fretting a neck?

The fret gauge Traben used shouldn't matter, install what the player wants. As for cleaning out the slots, what were they filled with?

[ringy]

As I said in my first post I work on guitars and have done several refrets but never a bass. As it's not a straight refret in that I don't have the original frets as a guide to the gauge, that's why I asked.

The owner "thinks" the grooves were filled with that plastic wood putty stuff. You can see from the pics it's not exactly a professional job. It looks like the board was stained and wiped off after the grooves were filled.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by ringy

As it's not a straight refret in that I don't have the original frets as a guide to the gauge, that's why I asked.

What I'm saying is that you don't need the original frets for anything. The tang is the same on all frets, so the owner needs to choose how tall & wide he likes them. If he likes narrow vintage fret wire, install that. I can pretty much guarantee that it didn't come from the factory with it, but it doesn't matter.

As for removing the material, I would basically start from scratch and use a fret saw to cut new slots right where the previous slots were.

[darkstorm]

Sounds like you have no experience in this area. The basses owner would be better off going to experienced person for refret imo. Sounds harsh but imo is true.

[Turnaround]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

The tang is the same on all frets...

Actually they vary. For instance, Jim Dunlop's fret tang sizes range from .021" to .037".

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by Turnaround

Actually they vary. For instance, Jim Dunlop's fret tang sizes range from .021" to .037".

Interesting, I didn't know that.

[iiipopes]

Not only does the thickness of the tang vary, but so do the barbs that seat the fret. These need to be matched to the fingerboard wood as well to make sure the frets seat properly. The width and crown of the fret wire is the least of the concerns from a refretting perspective. Tang thickness and barb geometry are everything.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

The width and crown of the fret wire is the least of the concerns from a refretting perspective. Tang thickness and barb geometry are everything.

Considering he has to cut new slots anyways, how would knowing what the previous fret size was be beneficial?

I would think that using frets with a larger tang/barbs than were previously installed would be the best option. That would eliminate the filler material completely, and you'd have new slots right into the wood.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

Considering he has to cut new slots anyways, how would knowing what the previous fret size was be beneficial?

I would think that using frets with a larger tang/barbs than were previously installed would be the best option. That would eliminate the filler material completely, and you'd have new slots right into the wood.

It is beneficial to know the original tang size because of fretboard compression. When refretting a guitar neck that has a large forward bow but does not have a truss rod, techs and luthiers use a technique called compression fretting. Frets with larger tangs are installed in the bow of the neck. This forces the neck into a back bow. When the strings are installed the neck will pull into proper relief.

Fret tangs must be matched to the kerf. If a .022" saw is used, .022" is the proper fret tang size. If a larger tang is used the fingerboard will force a back bow. If a slimmer tang is used, the neck will bow forward.

As far as eliminating filler material goes, unless the neck was placed in a backnbow when the filler was installed (widening the slots) there is no more filler in the slot than the slot size allows.

In any event, this is not a do-it-yourself project. Most pros are not fond of re-cutting fret slots after being filled. Successful completion of this task will only be accomplished by the seriously handy. As always, if you think a file is something on your computer, consider changing a tire as working on a car, or have to look in kitchen drawers to find your tools, take this repair to a professional.

[iiipopes]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

Considering he has to cut new slots anyways, how would knowing what the previous fret size was be beneficial?

I would think that using frets with a larger tang/barbs than were previously installed would be the best option. That would eliminate the filler material completely, and you'd have new slots right into the wood.

Go read chapter 12 of Dan Erlewine's book.

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by iiipopes

Go read chapter 12 of Dan Erlewine's book.

Can you just answer the question?

The book is sitting at home.