Refret or new neck?

[GibsonSGgirl]

OK, the neck on my 62 RI strat has seen a lot of playing (not all from me) and as a result, some of the upper frets are uneven, which causes a persistent buzzing in the upper registers of all the strings and the g string for the length of the neck. I've been told I should get it refretted, which will eliminate the buzzing and even the frets down. However, my feeling on the matter is, if I'm going to plunk down $250, it might as well be for a new neck. Don't get me wrong, I like my neck fine and all, it's just that I've been wanting a 57 maple neck (well, a 57 ri strat if truth be told) for a long time now, and figure, if I'm gonna have to get it refretted, I'd rather spend the money on a new neck with no known fret problems.

What would you guys do?

The frets have been filed down pretty much as flat as they can go, and my tech told me that a fret dressing might help, but if I want to be rid of the buzz, a refret would be the only way to go. I just can't justify refretting a guitar that's barely over 10 years old.

I was thinking maybe I could just get a new MIJ 62 or 57 neck for it, assuming it would fit. I've been told the neck's a 7.25 radius, if that helps any. I do worry that if I did get a new neck, it'd be my luck for it not to fit...kinda like the pickups I recently put in it...

[xroads]

..putting on a new neck will most likely change the sound of the guitar. If you like it as is, I would go for a refret. You then have another 10 years.

[Pearly Gator]

I have a 16 year old Strat that has had two level and crown jobs and there is enough fret material left for another. Are you SURE you need a refret? Ask your tech for suggestions and get a second opinion.

Is the buzzing heard through the amp or only while unplugged?

PG

[eldungo]

Maybe you oughta check out this guy. I have nothing to do with him. Just ran across him in my ebay surfing. Although I'd do it myself like I did on my Martin D-1. I would not hesitate to refret my 95 Am St. Strat either. Seems like a good deal.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Guitar-Re-Fret-for-Fender-Strat-Tele-Warmoth-etc_W0QQitemZ120119825266QQihZ002QQcategoryZ41423Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Jim Collins]

A new neck can be a good thing, but you should be aware of the hidden costs of a new neck. If you were to buy a neck from Warmoth, it comes without a nut, and without the mounting holes drilled. (It comes without tuners, as well, but you can use the ones you have, though you might need new bushings, if the old ones are hard to remove.) Mounting the neck might not be that difficult, but it is easy for the inexperienced to screw up, so that is something best left to a pro. Even Warmoth will tell you the frets will probably require levelling, after the neck is mounted. So, a new neck will probably cost you as much in luthier fees as it did to purchase. (This is all from experience.)

[Rosewood]

And don't be shocked if you have to have the frets leveled on a new neck, it happens.

[GibsonSGgirl]

What I meant by a new neck was the Fender MIJ or USA 62 RI or 57 RI or 50s Strat necks (that come complete with tuners) sold on ebay by reliablefender.

Also, the buzzing is not heard thru the amp, only when the guitar's unplugged.

[Dana]

You may have to do a little soul searching. How much do you like that neck? How well does it play and fit your hand? If you love it, go for the refet. If your ambivalent about it, and you feel like experimenting by trying another neck, go for it.

I have an old Phil Kubicki Tele neck that plays like butter and fits my hand like a glove. When the frets went on it I decided for the refret. Seemed easier to me than trying to find a neck that I would like as much.

YMMV. Good luck.

[jay42]

GibsonSGgirl,

You're on the slippery slope now...pretty soon you'll be hooked on building parts guitars :AOK .

[Pearly Gator]

Also, the buzzing is not heard thru the amp, only when the guitar's unplugged.

AHA! Welcome to Stratocasters. It's not a flaw, it's an... er... umm... "Feature." :)

I did a setup on a Strat for a gal and it was her first electric guitar. She brought is back complaining of buzzing. It turns out she was used to playing acoustic guitars with heavy strings, thick picks and a heavy strum. When she played it, it was bad. When I played it, it sang. Technique was the answer. I hope I did not stray too far OT.

PG

[Shredcow]

Actually, if you get a good tech who knows what he is doing and does it with care and love for the instrument, a refret would make the instrument play better than before.

I have a local luthier (empty71 on this board) who does refrets and when he does a refret - the guitar plays better than it was stock.

And you get to retain the feel of the old neck.


I'd say, if after all that check on your technique and stuff, and the solution is truely a refret or a new neck, I'd say refret if you can find a good tech.

[walterw]

Actually, if you get a good tech who knows what he is doing and does it with care and love for the instrument, a refret would make the instrument play better than before.

I have a local luthier who does refrets and when he does a refret - the guitar plays better than it was stock.

And you get to retain the feel of the old neck.


I'd say, if after all that check on your technique and stuff, and the solution is truely a refret or a new neck, I'd say refret if you can find a good tech.

+1

this is your chance to get taller, fatter frets, (maybe even stainless), and have the fretboard professionally leveled to a flatter, or even a compound radius, giving you a guitar that plays better than any reissue or even custom shop strat, if you get the right tech to do it. (this is much easier to do on a rosewood fretboard than it is on maple, by the way.)

[jazzandmetal?]

Mike Tuttle at bestfrets.com

[jkats]

I remember from another thread that you were looking for a 70s Clapton tone from your AV62RI and wondered what pickups to use to find that sound. I answered that you had the pickups, but that you had the wrong neck and should try a AV57RI or MIM 50s Classic. Here's your opportunity -- buy an Allparts 50s Strat c-shape, 21-fret neck (allegedly made by or for Fender Japan) with nitro finish, install Kluson vintage-style tuners and you'll be all set. No relation to the seller, but I understand that Rob DiStefano (frettech.com) sells Allparts necks and will level and polish the frets. This would give you a brand-new MIJ/CIJ quality neck for the same price or less than a used one on eBay. (The 3-ply pickguard on your AV62RI may be visually jarring with the maple neck, but you can always replace it with a one-ply guard easily enough. ) Good luck!

[teanett]

just had a refret on my strat and it's way better than before. plays like butter.
if you have a guy who knows what he's doing i'd do that first.
btw, the new neck on my tele cost me twice as much as the refret.

[GibsonSGgirl]

OK just an update to say that I guess I'm a bit more partial to my neck, or rather, my style of neck, than I had thought. I recently played an EJ strat and while I loved the pickups and the body, I wasn't as crazy about the neck--too big for my preference. I've been told that my strat's neck is a c-shape profile, and so my question to you all out there is, does Allparts make a C-shaped maple 57-RI type neck, with the nitro finish (or the glossy finish not sure what it's called) with either medium frets or the vintage-style small frets?

Basically I guess what I'm looking for is a 57 neck in a more modern C-shaped profile, similar to the ones on the 60th anniversary Am Deluxe Strat.

[jamison162]

A new neck can be a good thing, but you should be aware of the hidden costs of a new neck. If you were to buy a neck from Warmoth, it comes without a nut, and without the mounting holes drilled.

Hey Jim,

It must have been a while since you ordered a Warmoth neck because your wrong on both accounts. You can have a corian or graphite nut cut and installed by Warmoth, and there necks are predrilled. I think you can opt to have them NOT pre-drill them.

[Jim Collins]

Hey Jim,

It must have been a while since you ordered a Warmoth neck because your wrong on both accounts. You can have a corian or graphite nut cut and installed by Warmoth, and there necks are predrilled. I think you can opt to have them NOT pre-drill them.

Well, it has been a few years since I ordered that neck. When I ordered it, you could order a nut, but if I remember correctly, the nut wouldn't be installed, and it would not have been slotted for strings. I do not recall that drilling the mounting holes was even an option. I'm a little surprised that they do it, now. The neck plates that are in use are pretty much standard, but it seems you'd probably like to see how the neck fits in the neck pocket before you commit to the drill press. When the luthier fit the Warmoth neck to my American-made 62 reissue body, the proper alignment of the neck meant that there was going to be a bit of a gap in the neck pocket. If the new neck had been drilled in a "standard" fashion, it would presume that the holes in the neck pocket were drilled perfectly, as well. Since there was a gap, the neck could have been misaligned had the holes been pre-drilled.

The gap was large enough that the luthier felt it necessary to fill the gap with black felt, to make it look better. He showed be what he was going to do before he ever turned on the drill press. The guitar played beautifully with the new neck, but the total cost was double the cost of the neck, alone.