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Post new topic Six string fret repair, Divot/ding, repair with solder?
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Author Topic:  Six string fret repair, Divot/ding, repair with solder?
ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2021 7:49 am    
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I'm not sure which forum area to use, but this one seems to get the most "technical" discussions, so here goes.

Note: This is not about, or searching for comments about, doing a complete refret or recrown or leveling.
This is about a fix for one or two frets that may have developed a ding or divot over time.

I have just such a situation.
I was searching the internet and came across this.
It looks interesting and seems like it should work, especially in an emergency situation.

Basically, you fill the dent/divot with solder paste, heat it up, then level out the area to make it usable.

I think that I may jump in and go for a crown/level or maybe a total refret before too long.
However, I was wondering if anyone here has ever done this.

Attached short 5 minute video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bblWms-WvPg&ab_channel=JohnCooper
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Larry Dering


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2021 8:41 am    
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I have watched that and the general advice is that solder is too soft and will wear quickly. Silver solder may be better but takes more heat. I had an old Martin with that issue and just replaced the lower frets that were shot. Not a total refret. Then they were leveled with the rest. Good for many more years.
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Rick Abbott

 

From:
Indiana, USA
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2021 9:45 am    
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The ding in his fret was the width of a string. The divot made from playing is a wide, flattening of the fret until it's lower than the surrounding fret. It's really not the same kind of damage. You'll have to use a lot of material compared to his repair

I would take it to someone who can replace a couple frets and level them and do a light dress on the rest of the neck. While not cheap, it's not nearly as painful as a total refret. JMHO
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David Ball


From:
North Carolina High Country
Post  Posted 29 Apr 2021 11:07 am    
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Back when I was playing banjo 7 nights a week, I wore out second and fourth frets maybe twice a year. I would replace those two frets, level them up with the rest of the board (wouldn't level the remaining frets--just the two new ones), recrown those two and I'd be good to go for another six months.

Dave
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Michael Brebes

 

From:
Northridge CA
Post  Posted 30 Apr 2021 6:35 am    
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I would not recommend a procedure like that and I have done a lot of fret work on a number of guitars. Especially on an unbound neck, I could have that one fret pulled, replaced, and file work to match height of the other frets in 20 minutes. A dent the width of a G string might hold solder but anything wider would wear away quickly with any side motion at all.

I've had a couple acoustic guitars come in that had years of "cowboy chords" played on them, where the first four or five frets were totally worn out but all the other frets weren't worn at all. I just used fret wire that matched the original and replaced those bad frets. It was a much quicker job and cost the client a lot less money.
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Bill Hatcher

 

From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
Post  Posted 4 May 2021 12:27 pm    
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sorry i did not see this post or i would have posted. i have refretted hundreds of guitars in the last 40+ years of luthier work.


do not use the solder. that is a worthless attempt.

ways to fix. replace the two frets. if you have fret wire thats very close then easy.

next way is to crown the fret tops and remove only as much as the depth of the divot. if you already have some fretwear on the guitar then you need this anyway. you cannot just remove the divots. you have to level the frets to the depth of fret wear on the frets that have wear.


this divot can happen all sorts of ways, but usually i see it with guitars that travel in gig bags. you get a hit on the fretboard and the string smashes into the fret. i have seen a product that is made for this situation. its a long sheet that slides under the strings and keeps the strings from hitting the frets.
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