Can Needing a Refret Give you Sore Fingers?

peteri

Hi


My strat has very low (worn) frets, no real divots at all but very low.

Love playing it, but when I play - afterwards my finger joints are sore.

Could this be caused by needing a refret?

Pete

richardhomer

Yes - bending is much tougher with low frets. Lighter strings might help but higher frets are probably the answer.

Strat_a_tat_tat

Never seems to worry Yngwie Malmsteen.

richardhomer

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Never seems to worry Yngwie Malmsteen.

Who had a scalloped board, which means the frets could be any height?

sweepy

I'd be more inclined to check your posture and hand position when you play, lower frets mean that you can get away with fretting far too aggressively for your own good, if you used that pressure on high or normal frets, I'd bet that you would be fretting sharp a lot of the time 

peteri

Thanks for the comments - I'll try and play more gently, but it is funny it's only this guitar - so think an expensive refret may be in line!

Cheers

Pete 

sweepy

If it's a Mexican Strat, is he fretwire is softer than that used in the US models, it gets to the point where it's cheaper to buy a new heck and sell the old one as a project 

DLM

richardhomer said:

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Never seems to worry Yngwie Malmsteen.

Who had a scalloped board, which means the frets could be any height?

@richardhomer You disgust me, Sir, talking about Yngwie as though he were a thing of the past! The maestro is every bit as relevant and active today as he was in 1983, having just released his 19th opus, World On Fire this past summer. And he still plays scalloped boards. \m/

TL;DR: You have unleashed this fanboi's fury!

richardhomer

DLM said:

richardhomer said:

Strat_a_tat_tat said:

Never seems to worry Yngwie Malmsteen.

Who had a scalloped board, which means the frets could be any height?

@richardhomer You disgust me, Sir, talking about Yngwie as though he were a thing of the past! The maestro is every bit as relevant and active today as he was in 1983, having just released his 19th opus, World On Fire this past summer. And he still plays scalloped boards. \m/

TL;DR: You have unleashed this fanboi's fury!

Tense....

DLM

richardhomer said:

Tense....

Of course I'm tense, you've just insulted my idol!

peteri

sweepy said:

If it's a Mexican Strat, is he fretwire is softer than that used in the US models, it gets to the point where it's cheaper to buy a new heck and sell the old one as a project 

Thanks - no other end of the scale.

66 Strat, with (barely any left) original frets

sweepy

Well worth a very expensive refret  then

roberty

Bloody hell, maybe get a new neck and put the original to one side? Assuming much of the rest of the guitar is still original. Then you have a playable instrument without lessening the collector's value

Bridgehouse

roberty said:

Bloody hell, maybe get a new neck and put the original to one side? Assuming much of the rest of the guitar is still original. Then you have a playable instrument without lessening the collector's value

A really good and really well done refret won't lower the collector's value unless it's mint and has hang tags, original strings etc.. If it's a 'player' then it won't be mint - refret will actually make it a teensy bit more saleable (tho it won't increase the price..)

richardhomer

peteri said:
66 Strat, with (barely any left) original frets

I used to own a '71 Tele with really low original frets. In spite of being strung with 9s, it was really hard to bend on.

I moved the guitar on for a variety of reasons - but had I kept it, I would have definitely had it refretted.

Haych

Yes, very low frets will give you sore joints.  Happened to me after I bought my 82 Strat - always wanted one and when it came up for sale I just had to have it even though I bought it blind from a reputable shop.

When it arrived there was barely any fret material left, they were painted on - even set up with 9s it was seriously hard to play and bending strings was next to impossible as you couldn't put enough pressure on the string to stop it slipping from under your finger.

To compound the issue the fingerboard was a thin walnut veneer glued to a radiused neck so by the time the old frets had been removed and the board prepped for a refret it would have been necessary to cut the fret slots into the shaft wood!

I was a bit heartbroken really but since it was my lifelong desire to own a Dan Smith era Strat I persevered with it and found an amazing luthier in Dublin who not only refretted it for me but he milled off the old fingerboard and CNC'd a new rosewood board.  The result is amazing and the fret job is the best I've ever seen on any guitar.

jimmyguitar

The very first thing I did after buying my original 1966 strat was take it for a refret. It was unplayable and the guitar that came back to me was superb. It won't devalue it and it will be much more exciting to play. My recommendation for refret work is Dave King in Newbury. I've also heard great things about feline in Croydon. Do it!

FelineGuitars

We will happily do it, and we are fully aware of the various hoops you have to jump through with 
1) any Fender neck made before 1983 where the frets have to come out sideways and not be pulled up
2) CBS era necks with the veneer fingerboard if it's a rosewood one

peteri

All. Thanks for the great replies - you've confirmed my suspicion 

feline - I'll be in touch!

ESBlonde

My strat is a fretless wonder. I bend easily on it and it's the most comfor table guitar I own. Other guitars make my finger tips sore after a 4 hour session because I don't play enough but the fret less wonder is like a part of me. I bought it used about 35 years ago. Is the fingerboard too dry on your guitar?

peteri

If not thought of that! Will give it an oil before the refret and try!

thanks