Even better when you realize that you only watched the beginning of the video on Sunday because you had to take the son to a birthday party and then remembered on Thursday afternoon that you still have the rest of the weekly Ted video to watch. 😁
I realize it gets tiring to repeat instructions over and over but thanks for doing it. It is helpful (for me) to be reminded when there are so many details involved. As a hobbyist its often months between work on this level and it’s easy to forget the steps and options until you’re standing there with the tool in your hand. There are many resources for instructions out there these days but I like the level of detail, the discussion of related considerations and the speed of your videos so I prefer the twoodfrd way of doing stuff. 👍
This series is high quality instruction, not only with the actual philosophy of repairing these machines but also the realities of making a living at this craft. Among the top series of craft on the Tube that costs you only the time you spend up loading to your brain. Best regards.
I can so relate as a player. When I had my baby (Rick 4003) in for new frets, it was like... I've gotta play these frets for the next several years. I've gotta get it right! But in the end I realized it's not hard to adapt to different fret wire. Not on a bass anyway. I've never had a refret done on a 6-string. Maybe that would be different?
@@beenaplumber8379 I can imagine that's a tough refret with the board on a Ric. I have a 4003 and can't picture how you'd get the frets off without chewing up the board. Granted, this stuff is WAY above my skillset.
@@seanj3667 Yeah, that and the fact that the 4003 has such soft frets to begin with, so they're more likely to need it sooner doesn't help. The finish on the board forms a fillet with the original frets. He seems to have cut that down and leveled it before installing the new frets, which have no fillet. (I'm totally fine with that. I prefer the feel of it on my fingers.) The new wire is wider than the original, so he only had to level the fillet with the fretboard - no extra cosmetics necessary. Then there's the binding on the sides - the whole job was around $400, but it was beautifully done. The sustain and brightness are as remarkable as you might imagine, and I never did like the filleted frets. Whatever he did, it was great work. (Shout out to Willies American Guitars, Steve the luthier and repair manager, St. Paul, MN. I'd trust Steve with anything. He's had my Rick twice now, and I'm always scared to have it in the shop, but his work has been fantastic both times.)
09:05 OH. MY. GOD. BROTHER YOU JUST CHANGED MY LIFE WITH ONE DIAGRAM. How did I not know this sooner? I have a "jazz" (really it's a "rockabilly") guitar with this exact issue and I spent 70+ hours over the years when it began having this issue trying to get the intonation right and it has jumbo frets and I picked it up and took a look at it AND IT HAS THIS EXACT ISSUE (on a few frets). Solved it in 15 mins with a fret filer I bought 6 years ago and never used. Hot damn...
Nice work as per usual Ted. I learn so much watching your videos that perhaps I will become a guitar repairman/luthier in my next lifetime.. For the remainder of this one I’ll just enjoy your work. Carry on sir!
Ted I am literally preparing to do my first ever full fret level and dress on a LP I just finished building.....my first LP after several successful tele builds. Can't tell you how great it was to have access to this video at this specific time!!
I’ve purchased several enthusiast made guitars in the last 10 years or so. I have yet to find one that had correct intonation. It seems everyone makes the same miscalculations.
@@ahf5471 that's too bad. My three builds are spot on but I take a lot of time and attention building guitars for myself that I play in live settings. I could imagine if I was building to sell and more focused on a reasonable compensation for my time the chance for errors would increase.
is it only me or this is one of a kind video? like a "101 - how to refret a guitar like a wise, calm, clever and centered pro". (I'm not a luthier of any sort, I just play guitar but I also enjoy diy)
Excellent video! Tons of great info packed in here. I'll definitely check out your Canadian buddy for tools & whatnot, because I am not paying Stew Mac prices unless I absolutely have to. 👍
Hi Ted, probably one of your most fascinating and instructive videos to date - especially for those of us who play and work on electric guitars mainly. I also think - being 20+ years older than you I guess - that because you make your videos look so effortless, it can be easy to ignore the physical as well as mental effort that goes into working on a guitar setup and re-fret especially. As I get older I am noticing how much more tiring certain jobs can be - especially the polishing of frets which is why I now use a Dremmel to finish off the work whereas beforehand I would always go through multiple grits until I got that perfect shine ⭐ Really appreciated the tip about using the fretwire to recentre the curvature of the fretboard. This old dog learned a new trick there 🦮 Thanks again and love all your videos 👍
Beautiful beautiful work as always Ted. And I love the way you approach every job in the most economic way ( no unnecessary fret end waste, no need for a brand new nut, …)
Not a joke, you are a genius, an example of passion. Not a great life here but your videos are medicine to me and helped to fix things on my "too many" guitars. Thank you!
Another wonderful video Ted, thank you... Always the highlight of my TH-cam viewing week ! I'm collecting a modern Telecaster Elite for a friend from Cambridge, England later today without any strings on it. After watching ALL your videos and armed with some simple tools, I now have the confidence to set it up properly for him. I may even wear one of your T-shirts whilst doing so !! 😉
The diagram about fret height was an eye opener to me. I have an expensive vintage guitar that I just cannot play well, it requiring harder finger pressure even though the action is very low. Now I realise why, thank you.
Whether you know it or not you truly are the luthiers luthier your voice is calming, and your precision it's unprecedented, I haven't even met you and you are mentor
I can’t hear a difference with stainless steel frets over nickel/copper either. Your work is amazing and I so wish I could develop your level of care and patience.
Great work and thanx for sharing! The first electric guitar I ever played was a Les Paul jr. way back in 1968! My cousins had found one in a bunch of junk somebody had set out by the road after cleaning out their flooded basement. My uncle cleaned up the jr. and waved a magic wand over the Marshall 18-watt they also pulled out of the pile. We were banished to the pole barn after a few too many poorly and loudly executed attempts at various rock and roll songs of the day.
As always great info. Thanks. I learn so much from your channel. I was at my local guitar shop the other day and discovered a very crudely built coffin guitar case. inside was what is called a romantic parlor. It was a twelve string built in a Spanish style construction. The sound holes were two hearts. I'm hoping you can identify the maker for me. I believe one like it was purchased in Canada. I found one with google images. Thanks again.
Perfect timing on this one, Ted. Frets have been a big part of this weekend for me. Last night and this morning, I’ve been wrestling with a 2 or three isolated slightly high frets on a Telecaster that I set-up a while back. They’re only under specific strings but not the same string. I’ve already tapped them to make sure they’re set. Was ready to drop the big bucks on a SM Fret Kisser, but they’re out of stock. So I used my engineering brain and made one, using a 4.5” “below string” leveling beam, double stick tape and a strip of 240 emory cloth. I cut a 1” piece and stuck it to the middle of the beam then cut two other short pieces to stick on either end, rough side toward the tape. Works awesome!. Now I just need to touch up the crowns and polish, polish, polish (those spots anyway).
very interesting, never really understood what all went into a refret thank you for sharing the knowledge i swear this is one of my fave channels to watch when running arps on the guitar... the video was apropos being that is it "gibsunday" and i was playing my tv spec dc thanks again \m/\m/
so much love to you brother, i had a buzz on my 17th fret in the guitar i've made myself and i was thinking that that fret was too high, but ALL the crownings were wrong ahha, now the guitar is sounding as the most awesome one i've heard hhahahah thx so much to you
That fret clamp must be my favorite thing on these videos. It always hurts my head, when they show professional (luthiers or factory people) hammer frets in with a brass mallet and "Oops, dent..." :)
so ice to see the other half of the video. Great job. You have some skills. You can see all the love you put in your work. I have a LP myself and love the instrument. Gibson made a winner with the Les Paul. Bye... see you later. Bert from the Netherlands
When I was a younger man I always wanted a guitar with full binding including the neck, until I played it too much and realized I need a refretting and it's gonna be difficult to not only remove the frets without breaking the binding or when you're putting them in as well. No binding on the neck is what I prefer now
I use the diamond crowned tool for crowning. Gives the perfect rounded top that intonates great everywhere. I guess free handing can be accurate if you have the right technique and lots of experience. They are costly though. I bought one from japan hoping it would last forever. Medium side is done after 4 or 5 levelings.
Your the Boss Ted! Awesome video. I have an old guitar from the early 60's. It's a parlor, with no name inside. Its plywood and nothing in the sound hole. It belonged to my grandmother. It's got an FG5 on the back of the headstock and the front says Steel Reinforced neck in a triangle sticker. It plays very well but the actin is over 1/4 " high I borrowed the floating bridge and trapeze tail piece from another guitar. I think I may refret it to straighten the neck. It would be a great player. It looks like it has brass frets, but the fingerboard looks like rosewood. No radius, totally flat board.
Ive recently started making my oen accelerator with baking soda and water. Makes it a lot less nasty and you can easily brush it on or put jt jn a spray bottle .
I've got one guitar that has extra jumbo stainless frets. I genuinely like how they play and how the guitar sounds, but I'm not fully on the snake oil train in thinking that every guitar should have them installed.
I was just re-watching a video of Queen's set at Live Aid in 1985 last night. Your comments about individual preferences in things like fret height and string weight made me think of Brain May's technique on the Red Special. He must prefer a very light touch to be able to tap like that and make it look so effortless.
Hi Ted.. Iove all your videos. Great to see you actually glue a shim on the bottom of the nut - I can't understand why more people don't do this, it's got to be better than a flimsy bit of verneer loose in the slot! If you haven't already - check out Sam Deeks method of fret levelling using an ingenious tool he calls "the banana". I'm sure you will find it interesting if not something you'd like to adopt.
I love stainless frets if I refret one of my guitars it will always be stainless. I just refretted a squire standard strat with stainless what a nice smooth guitar to play.
No Sunday afternoon is complete without you!
That’s real pressure
A masterclass in how it’s done.
Even better when you realize that you only watched the beginning of the video on Sunday because you had to take the son to a birthday party and then remembered on Thursday afternoon that you still have the rest of the weekly Ted video to watch. 😁
I realize it gets tiring to repeat instructions over and over but thanks for doing it. It is helpful (for me) to be reminded when there are so many details involved. As a hobbyist its often months between work on this level and it’s easy to forget the steps and options until you’re standing there with the tool in your hand. There are many resources for instructions out there these days but I like the level of detail, the discussion of related considerations and the speed of your videos so I prefer the twoodfrd way of doing stuff. 👍
This series is high quality instruction, not only with the actual philosophy of repairing these machines but also the realities of making a living at this craft. Among the top series of craft on the Tube that costs you only the time you spend up loading to your brain. Best regards.
I love seeing an old friend come back for more work. I can't imagine this Jr would need anything else.
Laughing heartily at the "fret selection paralysis" comment. We're so crazy. 🤣
I can so relate as a player. When I had my baby (Rick 4003) in for new frets, it was like... I've gotta play these frets for the next several years. I've gotta get it right! But in the end I realized it's not hard to adapt to different fret wire. Not on a bass anyway. I've never had a refret done on a 6-string. Maybe that would be different?
@@beenaplumber8379 I can imagine that's a tough refret with the board on a Ric. I have a 4003 and can't picture how you'd get the frets off without chewing up the board. Granted, this stuff is WAY above my skillset.
@@seanj3667 Yeah, that and the fact that the 4003 has such soft frets to begin with, so they're more likely to need it sooner doesn't help. The finish on the board forms a fillet with the original frets. He seems to have cut that down and leveled it before installing the new frets, which have no fillet. (I'm totally fine with that. I prefer the feel of it on my fingers.) The new wire is wider than the original, so he only had to level the fillet with the fretboard - no extra cosmetics necessary. Then there's the binding on the sides - the whole job was around $400, but it was beautifully done. The sustain and brightness are as remarkable as you might imagine, and I never did like the filleted frets. Whatever he did, it was great work.
(Shout out to Willies American Guitars, Steve the luthier and repair manager, St. Paul, MN. I'd trust Steve with anything. He's had my Rick twice now, and I'm always scared to have it in the shop, but his work has been fantastic both times.)
@@beenaplumber8379 It's good that you have someone local who can do the work (and props for sharing who it was).
yay...polishing, polishing time!
That quick cut to the previous headstock felt like it was straight out of the shining 👯♀️😂
MIs en place. A very familiar term to the chefs! Everything in its place. Super important for any project
Expert tuition. Feel there should be some “Mississippi Queen” riffing to play us out tho’ ...
Ooooo especially the 1:50 of Mississippi Queen. Leslie changed my young life with that note.
One of your best how-to videos yet. And that’s saying something!
Another masterclass. Thank you for documenting these repairs for the world. You are a legend and a gentleman.
Very informative thanks Ted
The encouragement of a craftsman who refuses to cut corners.
09:05 OH. MY. GOD. BROTHER YOU JUST CHANGED MY LIFE WITH ONE DIAGRAM. How did I not know this sooner? I have a "jazz" (really it's a "rockabilly") guitar with this exact issue and I spent 70+ hours over the years when it began having this issue trying to get the intonation right and it has jumbo frets and I picked it up and took a look at it AND IT HAS THIS EXACT ISSUE (on a few frets). Solved it in 15 mins with a fret filer I bought 6 years ago and never used. Hot damn...
Jesus christ I literally can't handle my emotions right now. Thank you so so so much
Nice work as per usual Ted. I learn so much watching your videos that perhaps I will become a guitar repairman/luthier in my next lifetime.. For the remainder of this one I’ll just enjoy your work. Carry on sir!
😎 Maestro, (a.k.a Ted) you’ve done it again! Slow clap, knowing smile, and awe.
Ted I am literally preparing to do my first ever full fret level and dress on a LP I just finished building.....my first LP after several successful tele builds. Can't tell you how great it was to have access to this video at this specific time!!
Good luck!
Great video…. Best channel around!
Some how that kind of thing always happens to me with his videos. They always seem to be right on time
I’ve purchased several enthusiast made guitars in the last 10 years or so. I have yet to find one that had correct intonation. It seems everyone makes the same miscalculations.
@@ahf5471 that's too bad. My three builds are spot on but I take a lot of time and attention building guitars for myself that I play in live settings. I could imagine if I was building to sell and more focused on a reasonable compensation for my time the chance for errors would increase.
is it only me or this is one of a kind video? like a "101 - how to refret a guitar like a wise, calm, clever and centered pro". (I'm not a luthier of any sort, I just play guitar but I also enjoy diy)
Great video. Thank you.
Outstanding tutorial.
Ted, you are a master craftsman sir! Thank you for your consistently excellent videos.
Thank you for your videos!
Your opening my mind
Excellent video! Tons of great info packed in here. I'll definitely check out your Canadian buddy for tools & whatnot, because I am not paying Stew Mac prices unless I absolutely have to. 👍
Thank you for your therapy beyond belief 👊
Nailed it. Great content
Thanks for posting. I appreciate all the work you do putting these videos out, really enjoy them
You're the man, Ted!
Love the focussed lesson Ted. More please!!
Great video as always !
Great sound lives in that one
Another great video!
Thanks Ted…!!!
Ted, I appreciate these videos so much! Thank you for sharing your craft!
Another great video, thanks Ted.
My first decent electric guitar was an accurate black beauty knockoff with miniscule frets. I absolutely loved it.
You know what...this was really good!!!
Another quality video. I wish there were more 👍😎❤️
Great job! A coup de grace on the fretboard! Excellent episode!
Thanks Ted. I was aware of most of this but it’s a great refresher as I have an old Kay to get some new frets in soon.
The rise and fall of the 3rd fret.
An indepth study.
Vol. 1
Love it.
🤔🤔🤔😜😜😜🐒🐒🐒😎😎😎
Thanks a lot, this one provided me some very welcome info 👍👍
Thank you so much for this!
I've built and fretted quite a few guitars and I learned something from this vid. Tnx,
excellent stuff like always, you do a really great job at explaining how you think about problems and why you take the approach you do.
Perfect end to a good week❤
In!!!!!
Hi Ted, probably one of your most fascinating and instructive videos to date - especially for those of us who play and work on electric guitars mainly. I also think - being 20+ years older than you I guess - that because you make your videos look so effortless, it can be easy to ignore the physical as well as mental effort that goes into working on a guitar setup and re-fret especially. As I get older I am noticing how much more tiring certain jobs can be - especially the polishing of frets which is why I now use a Dremmel to finish off the work whereas beforehand I would always go through multiple grits until I got that perfect shine ⭐ Really appreciated the tip about using the fretwire to recentre the curvature of the fretboard. This old dog learned a new trick there 🦮 Thanks again and love all your videos 👍
Great video as always! I’ve had good experience with the Jescar EVO frets you mention. They are very durable.
I’m a huge fan of the EVO wire!
My preferred fretwire.
@@stewsim me too, alas Jescar does not produce EVO fret wire anymore! 😕
@@Stergios_lutherie Say whaaaat…?!?
First that I’ve heard about it…
No bueno…😢
Does fish glue even adhere to the metal of the fret? Shouldn't I use super glue instead?
Excellent demo and lecture, Ted. A big winner, again!
Again and again total quality and craftsmanship. Thanks for sharing - these videos are addictive. Take care
Brilliant,very interesting.
That Fret Gauge! Genius
Beautiful beautiful work as always Ted. And I love the way you approach every job in the most economic way ( no unnecessary fret end waste, no need for a brand new nut, …)
Not a joke, you are a genius, an example of passion. Not a great life here but your videos are medicine to me and helped to fix things on my "too many" guitars.
Thank you!
Thanks for a great tutorial! I've been trying to improve my fret work and this is just what I needed! I always enjoy your videos!
I really like your show.
Makes sense Les Paul (the man) liked low frets, he was a glissing emeffer.
Another wonderful video Ted, thank you... Always the highlight of my TH-cam viewing week ! I'm collecting a modern Telecaster Elite for a friend from Cambridge, England later today without any strings on it. After watching ALL your videos and armed with some simple tools, I now have the confidence to set it up properly for him. I may even wear one of your T-shirts whilst doing so !! 😉
I had a 64 sg Jr that was kind of a freless wonder. Super worn frets, but everyone loved the feel.
Nice detail on this one, I can watch the same procedure over and over because it "almost" like experience. That guitar is now solid.
The diagram about fret height was an eye opener to me. I have an expensive vintage guitar that I just cannot play well, it requiring harder finger pressure even though the action is very low. Now I realise why, thank you.
I really like that guitar it is so cool.
This is a much needed video thank you ted just finished my evo refret its hard to find now
That was educational. Gracious!
Whether you know it or not you truly are the luthiers luthier your voice is calming, and your precision it's unprecedented, I haven't even met you and you are mentor
I can’t hear a difference with stainless steel frets over nickel/copper either.
Your work is amazing and I so wish I could develop your level of care and patience.
you should do more in depth videos like this, it was fascinating!
All anybody ever needs to know in 27 minutes. The man's a jeenyus, I tells ya... 🇬🇧👍
"Mis en place" Very good Chef.Everything in it's place.👍
Some of us have never ever heard that term. Apparently some of us don't watch cooking shows.
Excellent job man. As an amateur luthier, thank you for sharing your knowledge. Well done sir
Great work and thanx for sharing! The first electric guitar I ever played was a Les Paul jr. way back in 1968! My cousins had found one in a bunch of junk somebody had set out by the road after cleaning out their flooded basement. My uncle cleaned up the jr. and waved a magic wand over the Marshall 18-watt they also pulled out of the pile. We were banished to the pole barn after a few too many poorly and loudly executed attempts at various rock and roll songs of the day.
Seeing what Mandolin wire looks like, it blows my mind that Lee Sklar uses it. I believe he has it on his Dingwall 5 string w fanned frets too.
I love fret job videos!
I have that fret press and fret bender and concur that they are quality and very reasonable.
As always great info. Thanks. I learn so much from your channel. I was at my local guitar shop the other day and discovered a very crudely built coffin guitar case. inside was what is called a romantic parlor. It was a twelve string built in a Spanish style construction. The sound holes were two hearts. I'm hoping you can identify the maker for me. I believe one like it was purchased in Canada. I found one with google images. Thanks again.
Perfect timing on this one, Ted. Frets have been a big part of this weekend for me.
Last night and this morning, I’ve been wrestling with a 2 or three isolated slightly high frets on a Telecaster that I set-up a while back. They’re only under specific strings but not the same string. I’ve already tapped them to make sure they’re set.
Was ready to drop the big bucks on a SM Fret Kisser, but they’re out of stock. So I used my engineering brain and made one, using a 4.5” “below string” leveling beam, double stick tape and a strip of 240 emory cloth. I cut a 1” piece and stuck it to the middle of the beam then cut two other short pieces to stick on either end, rough side toward the tape. Works awesome!. Now I just need to touch up the crowns and polish, polish, polish (those spots anyway).
I really love a LPj... A straight forward guitar, small and light and charismatic.
very interesting,
never really understood what all went into a refret
thank you for sharing the knowledge
i swear this is one of my fave channels to watch when running arps on the guitar...
the video was apropos being that is it "gibsunday"
and i was playing my tv spec dc
thanks again \m/\m/
so much love to you brother, i had a buzz on my 17th fret in the guitar i've made myself and i was thinking that that fret was too high, but ALL the crownings were wrong ahha, now the guitar is sounding as the most awesome one i've heard hhahahah thx so much to you
That fret clamp must be my favorite thing on these videos. It always hurts my head, when they show professional (luthiers or factory people) hammer frets in with a brass mallet and "Oops, dent..." :)
Luthier were I learnt it just used a rubber mallet, works great and no damage when you miss.
Perfect timing. I just got all the tools to do my own fretwork and who better to watch and learn than twoodfrd?
Thanks! 😎
Nice job
I have to admit I didn't quite follow when you (likely adequately, save for my denseness) explained how you got a slight compound radius via leveling.
"Carefully labeled for just such an occasion."- Foghorn Tedhorn 😆
so ice to see the other half of the video. Great job. You have some skills. You can see all the love you put in your work. I have a LP myself and love the instrument. Gibson made a winner with the Les Paul. Bye... see you later. Bert from the Netherlands
When I was a younger man I always wanted a guitar with full binding including the neck, until I played it too much and realized I need a refretting and it's gonna be difficult to not only remove the frets without breaking the binding or when you're putting them in as well. No binding on the neck is what I prefer now
I use the diamond crowned tool for crowning. Gives the perfect rounded top that intonates great everywhere.
I guess free handing can be accurate if you have the right technique and lots of experience. They are costly though.
I bought one from japan hoping it would last forever. Medium side is done after 4 or 5 levelings.
Stay safe and we'll see you next week.
Your the Boss Ted! Awesome video. I have an old guitar from the early 60's. It's a parlor, with no name inside. Its plywood and nothing in the sound hole. It belonged to my grandmother. It's got an FG5 on the back of the headstock and the front says Steel Reinforced neck in a triangle sticker. It plays very well but the actin is over 1/4 " high I borrowed the floating bridge and trapeze tail piece from another guitar. I think I may refret it to straighten the neck. It would be a great player. It looks like it has brass frets, but the fingerboard looks like rosewood. No radius, totally flat board.
I have an ESP Eclipse that has x-jumbo frets...I like it.
Ive recently started making my oen accelerator with baking soda and water. Makes it a lot less nasty and you can easily brush it on or put jt jn a spray bottle .
I've got one guitar that has extra jumbo stainless frets. I genuinely like how they play and how the guitar sounds, but I'm not fully on the snake oil train in thinking that every guitar should have them installed.
Masterclass
Wow, this was so good that saying it was great just doesn't seem to be descriptive enough. THANKS!
If you have nickel frets, use nickel strings. Your frets will last longer than if you use ss strings. It took me many years to figure that out.
I have 2 identical les psul types guitar. 1 stainless frets, 1 nickle. There is a very slight tone difference, but not much. Both sound great
Did he just wrap this video up with Judas Priest's Living After Midnight?! Ted, you never cease to amaze!!!
I was just re-watching a video of Queen's set at Live Aid in 1985 last night. Your comments about individual preferences in things like fret height and string weight made me think of Brain May's technique on the Red Special. He must prefer a very light touch to be able to tap like that and make it look so effortless.
Hi Ted.. Iove all your videos. Great to see you actually glue a shim on the bottom of the nut - I can't understand why more people don't do this, it's got to be better than a flimsy bit of verneer loose in the slot! If you haven't already - check out Sam Deeks method of fret levelling using an ingenious tool he calls "the banana". I'm sure you will find it interesting if not something you'd like to adopt.
I love stainless frets if I refret one of my guitars it will always be stainless. I just refretted a squire standard strat with stainless what a nice smooth guitar to play.