Fret ding repair

[Chordite]

My 335 clone has a fret ding. It is up on the 17th. That is strat territory that I don't spend much time in on a semi acoustic so rather than re fret it I am asking if people have had any joy using solder (sodder), cyanoacrylate or epoxy filling these minor dings? I have dressed off the high points but the string still snags occasionally in the "dip".

 

[badpenguin]

Solder, in my experiences, doesn't hold, and when it does, it wears thru super easy. It IS lead after all, one of the softest metals around. Silver solder might be better, but using it requires a hotter iron, and you don't want to heat a fret, imbedded in wood mind you, to add it. I think if you have a good steady hand, you might be able to use that metal epoxy, Liquid metal, I think it is called. (2 parts, mix like epoxy, has metal shavings blah blah blah.) But the issue is, you will see the filled in fret quite easily.

It might be better to flatten the fret, recrown, then do the same to the last 5 frets.

[GAS Man]

If you don't have neck binding, I'd see about just having that one fret replaced. I used to visit the well known luthier Randy Parsons in Seattle, and I remember he had a deal for replacing the top 4 frets, but it's more costly if neck binding has to be taken off and replaced.

 

Maybe you could just smooth out the ding so it doesn't catch as much. My first good electric guitar that I basically learned my chording on is an 83 LP CSE Studio and its got dents in the first frets on the high end string side from using death grip strength (before my hands learned any finesse) and also zero vibrato. But those dings don't seem to affect its playability now, even when I am now using string vibrato. So I'm thinking maybe a bit of dremel tool polishing?

 

[Freeman Keller]

I have no experience with solder, epoxy or anything else. I just replace the fret. Bound neck is a little more trouble but not much. Early Gibsons with the mibs or Fenders with maple f/b's are much more trouble - in fact I personally refuse to do them. The going rate for replacing a fret is $15 per.

 

If you are thinking of trying solder (or "silver solder" which is a brazing compound) remember that heat is applied to frets to help get them to release from the board while refretting. Mmmmm...

 

And for GAS, normally with a bound neck you don't take the binding off - you cut the fret tang to fit down between it.

[Chordite]

Unfortunately it has nice binding and it is (I checked) at the 19th where everything meets up (like at the golf club LoL)

So "metal epoxy" and the dremel until next year when I get a serious income boost and can pay people to do things.

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This is the ding, (the fretboard is not as 'open grain' as it looks in the macro)

 

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[Chordite]

Thanks Freeman (post overlap) I didn't imagine the cost would be that reasonable If that is the ball park I'll talk to a luthier

C.

[Freeman Keller]

I base my cost estimates on a guy named Bryan Kimsey - he is primarily an acoustic tech but a fret is a fret. Obviously other repair people might have different rates. Shouldn't matter which fret it is - you have to be a little more careful filing the ends when your working at the body

 

http://www.bryankimsey.com/2015%20Price%20List.pdf

 

This is the only thing different about a bound board - you need to cut or file the tang so it just drops inside the binding. I put a tiny bit of super glue on the ends to hold them to the binding (knowing that a future repair person will put a soldering iron on the fret to break that glue loose). Once the fret is in place the end is filed back and radiused to match the others.

 

 

Looking at your pictures (and after taking a few careful measurements) I would be very tempted to try dressing that fret and its neighbors - its not uncommon to have a little fall-away on the upper few frets where the truss rod has no effect. Looks like they could all use a little polish anyway.

 

Too bad you don't live nearby - we'd just go out in the shop and get it done.

[Chordite]

Yes unfortunately a rather large moat between our houses

[Grant Harding]

Have a go with what you think is best. You'll eventually going to replace that fret so there's no risk as long as you mask off the area around it. Metal epoxy sounds about right to give you the best shot.

Good luck!

[DeepEnd]

My Fernandes Strat had a similar fret ding when I bought it. It was a cheap guitar so I polished the fret with steel wool until the ding was relatively smooth. It wasn't perfect, mind you, but since I don't do bends, it turned out just fine.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Just leave it, as the years go buy, fret dresses and crowns will see it gone

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

Nope....leave it alone

[WRGKMC]

A single fret replacement or a fret leveling are the only things that will fix that.

[Phil O'Keefe]

Yeah, that definitely calls for a new fret. I don't think epoxy will work. Solder definitely won't do the job properly.

[GAS Man]

Thanks for the added info. I mainly had in my head the price board from Randy Parson's shop where he added somewhere around a Benjamin for fret jobs on bound boards, so that may have simply been his thing.

[RaVenCAD]

Some 1000 and 1500 grit sandpaper and about 5 minutes, that edges of that ding will smooth over to the point you won't feel it when you bend that string. A buddy of mine JUST had an identical dent on his Les Paul Classic. Seriously, it's an easy fix. Forget the solder and epoxy. You'll just ruin that fretboard.

[Chordite]

Thanks people, I think it is fair to say there is a 'broad range of opinions'. .png.197c47f720636f02390cc2b0a33804da.png' alt='smiley-veryhappy'>

[Grant Harding]

"OK - now pick up the Pop Tart and gently rub it in the direction of the fret, making sure to get some frosting in the ding. Take care not to release the filling..."