Getting my Grosh refretted

[jzucker]

I have a pair of Grosh strats, one maple, one rosewood. Last year Ken Lesko of Rainbow Instrument Repair refretted my maple FB with a modern compound radius and 6105 frets. It's the best playing strat I've ever had. I finally broke down and took the other one in recently and am having it refretted to the same specs. I'm tired of bends choking out in the upper registers.

Can't wait to get it back!

[HoboMan]

Very cool. Are you going with regular or stainless steel?

[jzucker]

Originally Posted by HoboMan

Very cool. Are you going with regular or stainless steel?

regular. I thought about SS but I don't want to mess with a good formula since I like how the other one turned out.

[bbarnard]

Wow I'm really surprised you needed a refret on a Grosh unless they were worn down. Grosh has some of the best fret work I've ever seen.

[jzucker]

Originally Posted by bbarnard

Wow I'm really surprised you needed a refret on a Grosh unless they were worn down. Grosh has some of the best fret work I've ever seen.

they were worn plus 10"

[eyeball987]

Is this shop in Cleveland?

[jzucker]

yes

[eyeball987]

Originally Posted by jzucker

yes

Where? I like to have a good shop on hand. I have used Space Guitar Repair and a local mom and pop but question the quality of the work.

[jzucker]

http://www.rainbowguitarrepair.com/

[jharpersj]

Why do manufacturers still do 10 inch radius, its beyond me ! dont even get me started on the 7.5 or 9.5

[jzucker]

Originally Posted by jharpersj

Why do manufacturers still do 10 inch radius, its beyond me ! dont even get me started on the 7.5 or 9.5

I have no idea. I guess if you're playing cowboy chords the 7.5 or 9.5 radius works well. If fender made 12" radius and 6105 frets standard, I bet they'd eat into the boutique strat market. Unfortunately, they seem too intent on putting out 22 new strat variations every year and digital/virtual guitars.

[buddastrat]

Originally Posted by jharpersj

Why do manufacturers still do 10 inch radius, its beyond me ! dont even get me started on the 7.5 or 9.5

What? It just feels good. Good to have variety. A 7.25" can play so great you never want to put it down because it fits the hand. I think 9.5" is perfect. A real flat board usually comes with low action (doesn't have to) and it always sounds plinky to me. But it's good to have variety out there you know.

[buddastrat]

Originally Posted by jzucker

I have no idea. I guess if you're playing cowboy chords the 7.5 or 9.5 radius works well. If fender made 12" radius and 6105 frets standard, I bet they'd eat into the boutique strat market. Unfortunately, they seem too intent on putting out 22 new strat variations every year and digital/virtual guitars.

Why cowboy chords? A well setup 7.25" strat is about the easiest playing guitar to tear it up on. Because of that curve a lot of times you don't have to extend your fingers so far. Notes just fall into them. A 12" radius feels very cold and stiff to me, like on the EJ strat. For my hands, it took more work to do a lot of technical playing.

[jzucker]

Originally Posted by buddastrat

Why cowboy chords? A well setup 7.25" strat is about the easiest playing guitar to tear it up on. Because of that curve a lot of times you don't have to extend your fingers so far. Notes just fall into them. A 12" radius feels very cold and stiff to me, like on the EJ strat. For my hands, it took more work to do a lot of technical playing.

Disagree. 7.5 radius feels good if you play with your thumb wrapped around the neck and like high action. You certainly can't do SRV type bends in upper positions with 7.5 radius. It just frets out. Even 10" frets out on the grosh if you try to do srv/hendrix bends on the 15th fret unless you have REALLY HIGH action.

[gkoelling]

I prefer 9.5, or 10. The 12" on a Fender style guitar is uncomfortable to me.

However, like tone, playability is subjective. There is no magic formula that works for all of us.

Play what feels right.