Re-Fret: Gibson Les Paul Custom
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- čas přidán 30. 09. 2021
- It's a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar getting a much needed Re-Fret.
These frets were played hard, have been re-dressed many times, but they have no life left in them. It's time for some new frets.
We also have to struggle with the question of whether to preserve or remove the old nibs; weighing originality verses practicality.
In this video we will talk about why the nibs are there and why many players prefer to remove them. We will remove the old frets, level the fretboard (nibs and all,) install new frets, level, dress and polish, new nut, setup and get this old beauty back on the road to singing it's soulful tunes!
I have watched a lot of luthiers on CZcams. But I have to say there is no bullshite in your tutorial. Very knowledgeable Pride in your work and no fear of taking on a job. Keep the vids coming. You where more focused on placing the Fret and making sure it was done proper instead of "oh the camera is in a wrong spot". Tell me Pride in the job and the job comes first.
Looks like he's shooting ketchup into the fret slots!! Sweet video! Thanks!
The water trick is something I’ve never seen. Genius! Awesome!
Had to rewatch this because the content is just that good. Thanks for letting me see this man! Really learned a lot and have made me feel more confident in doing this myself.
Top notch video and explanation! Learned so much today.
Super informative video, you answered many questions I had (as a guitar player) about frets and bindings. Thanks for sharing :)
Dear friend, loved your video. I owned a fw that same year.
Best guitar I owned. What you were holding in your hand, that barb... to me that is the heart of the guitar. Electronics and amplification and pickups will fairly compensate for lack of quality wood and premium wiring ... but where the petal hits the metal is the fretboard. If that's not "right" to the player, the guitar won't fly. I realize that now after so many years. Great video and insight!
Great work man!
Good job, I like the way you used the radius block to clamp the frets down. That fret job was money $.♤
I like doing it that way. I've found it helps me to keep the frets consistent. Thanks for watching!
These days you get 'School Bus' frets, at least I did on my new Les Paul, so I had to crown them myself. Nice one Gibson.
Gorgeous fret job
Awesome thanks for the information on the refreting procedure.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching
great video
Thanks for this. Very informative. I think I might try to get a little more time from my worn frets. I'm still a bit apprehensive about doing the refret.
Great video! Thanks so much for the info. Subscribed!
Agreed. Either nibs retained and run the new fret up to the inside edge of the existing nib. ...or if the client is ok to lose the nib, extend fret to outside edge of the binding. Either retains playing length of the fret. I hear certain folks saying that when the nib is already lost, just run the new fret to the inside edge of the binding "for the look". This seems inadvisable, as overall playing length of the fret with nib is reduced from original.
Great video. Nice to see someone doing it properly for a change. I do alot of stainless steel refretting and the only difference I have noticed is that you do not over bend the stainless steel frets due to their extra stiffness. If you over bend stainless, they pop up. They have to be radiused the exact radius of the fretboard. Also, I agree with the nib approach you took. More fret playing surface and less chance of string snagging. 👍
This is SOO HELPFUL! I’m slowly modding a 2020 Epi LP- Its insane how well
Made these new Gen Epi’s are but I cannot stand thin or medium fretwire. I kept wondering if I try my first Re-Fret… how do I get around the Binding😮. This video shows it ALL!
🎉
Had to send two 2016 Gibson Flying V's back to Gibson, because both were unplayable due the the E string constantly jamming between the nibs and the frets all the way up the neck.
When I asked Gibson what they would do with the guitars I returned, I was told they would be scrapped!
When I asked should I take my V to a luthier to resolve the nib issue, Gibson responded that if I did, my warranty would be void.
Gibson don't deserve to be in business.
Getting my '78 done right now.
Beautiful job. Nice guitar playing BTW.
Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for watching
@@MazzoccoGuitarsbelieve me, if I like I give 👍if not I don't give anything, unless it's some BS about something I know about, or they click bait me. I never give thumbs down on playing, ever. Long ago when I was actually still fairly good player. My Mom & I went to church. One of the youth pastors, was going to play & sing (Not at all familiar with the genre.) In my whole life, I've never heard such a horrible excuse for a performance. Seriously bad. Slowly, the longer he went people started giggling, (this was before the "holy laughter" thing if you know about that) more & more started, soon it was full blown laughing, even my Mom fought it, but gave in. I was the only one not laughing. After the service the poor guy was on his knees face buried in a pew. When we got outside, my Mom said "You were the only one not laughing. I mean you're a good player, etc etc" (Moms are usually pretty big fans, but my Mom was from St Louis, she'd tell you, if you stunk up the joint. & look at you like "you're an idiot" too. LoL) I said "Mama, do you know how hard it is to get up in front of people you don't know, & play & sing?" She got me. I didn't say anything else. Any way. I still liked your playing.
@@bluesingmusic3443 Hey, i just now saw your reply. that is a great experience and i really appreciate you sharing it with me. Genuinely! thank you
I wonder how many Custom owners come later to rue their decision to remove nibs during a re-fret.
I'm in the camp of, just do what you gotta do. I don't have an issue with the nib removal. Totally cosmetic.
No nibs, prefer frets over binding since there is more room to bend.
Erlewine wanted $800. to refret my 73 BB fretless wonder and keep the nibs. There were the typical divots in the first 5 frets. $800. is just too steep for me. Instead, I managed to get away with doing a careful dressing.. There was still plenty of meat on the speed frets, but now they actually have a real crown so they are even more comfortable and more accurate intonation-wise. Couldn't be happier AND my nibs and beautifully yellowed binding are all in tact.
I like my guitars without them. I have only one guitar left with them a 1998 Gibson Classic Plus Top. I also covered the pickups in mine so the 496 and 500 are not as hot, takes the ice pick away and makes these very very usable pickups that i love. But i prefer to feel the metal fret than i do the plastic. Feels cheaper as well with the plastic. But hey thats just me ;-)
I had the nibs removed and the guitar was so much better to play as previously the high E tended to get caught between the fret and the nib 😊
Well done. Can't help but wonder how many times does a guitar get messed about with to get to the point of needing new frets. To many techs seem to think they need to level and file and crown every time they "set up" a guitar.
If there are high frets yes. However if not too many you can spot level
pink scratchless rouge works amazing with a polishing disc!
Nice work.
I've a 1986 Maple Fingerboard Les Paul Custom and was quoted $1400 for a refret by both Gibson Repair and Restoration and also by Elderly's Repair in Lansing MI. Always more work with the Gibson binding. The nibs are nice however with age they can become problematic.
Good job giving the player a little more fret on the outer edges of the "E" strings.
87 lpc silverburst ebony fretboard
That's insane! The maple board means they'll have to refinish if they're leveling the board but I couldn't imagine charging more than $100-200 additional for that.
@@LotharOfTheHillPeopleit's quite feasible to refret maple without a respray you just have to cut the lacquer around the frets and be exceptionally careful when doing the fret ends not to file into the finish
What grit did you use for leveling the fretboard?
Also, for polishing, you go to higher and higher grits. What grits did you use to polish??
Great video! I'll have to look and see if you have one on nut replacement and how to cut it and what depth? Do you just cut it down to a certain feeler above the fretboard for each string as on a radius, OR cut down until a certain distance between top of fret wire and bottom of screen and again for certain distances depending on string used so radius is maintained??
Any information is greatly appreciate and in getting mu instruments to play as well as humanly possible! :)
Ah, great idea with the water. Im gonna try that the next time.
Nice job! The owner must be really happy to have their guitar playing like in its glory days, if not better.
Did you manage to find out what those polishing wheels on your dremel are and, where they are from?
Ive been thinking of melting binding material in acetone to make fret nibs you could dab it on then shape it after it dries
Thanks for this video! Which fret wires are used for this? My 1980 Custom needs re-fretting and I'd like to have the frets as similar to the original as possible.
I prefer nibs, keeping the binding over freet as factory, it the difference in buying a Guitar and some other brand, without it loose his particolar features.
i got my rubber polishing wheels from harbor freight years ago for 6.99 as part of a set
It looks as though the nibs were pretty much worn through anyway, after so many fret levels!
How could you level the board and keep the radius true without removing the nibs?
Wow, I've seen some worn down frets in my time, but those things were paper thin!!!
So what was the cost to re-fret the '78 les paul - very good job attention to detail
Nice job ..what size fret wire your replacing
Did you figure out what those Dremel polishing wheels were called? Looks like an easy way to get the frets shiny!
Hand polishing is the only method.
can you tell us what the dimensions, material and brand of the fret wire you used were? Also what kind of glue did you use to put the frets in? Was it Hyde glue or something else? It would also be helpful if we had a list of the tools and parts used in the description.
And finally, did you ever find where to get those polishing disks?
Where did you get that leveling beam?
This is why I'll never make it anywhere. I would've done the repair with the nibs intact without no additional cost. I have a major issue not charging reasonably because I just want to help everyone
Can't you disolve binding material in acitone, and make new nib's?
Guess he never found the Dremel polishing wheels...
All my Gibsons were refretted that way.
Nicest people in the United States are in MO....don't see how you all can do that with all that humidity...
After removing the frets the nibs are still intact. Why cant you just use the old frets to cut new ones to exact length and replace with nib still intact? Just wondering.
Great question! and you totally can do that. but it takes wayyyy more time, and time is money. and someone has to pay that money. the takeaway for me is this: Either option is viable depending on the vintage of the instrument and what a person is willing to pay to have it done. Thanks for watching and the good comment.
I was thinking exactly the same. It will take some extra time to measure it exactly but don't you save a lot of time from not having to dress te fret ends ?. I can imagine that leveling the fretboard without a radius block that fit perfectly between those nibs is going to be a pain with those nibs on
Keep the Nibs and get Stainless Steel Fret Wire.
Wow. That fingerboard was filthy. Gnarly. Those frets looked awful, too. Looks like it hasn't been cleaned ever. I cannot let my guitars get that nasty.
The nibs have a purpose. To avoid sharp fret ends after manufacturing; for cases in which the wood contracts due to low humidity… etc. I love that Gibson still does it.
they should buy or order the gibson nibs in there factory not that nibs the fret look like fret of strats 😅
Clearly you do as the owner asks, but personally, NO NIBS! It's the cheap way to do the frets.
Gibsons play better without fret nibs :)
The 2021 Epiphone Custom Les Paul Koa puts that Norlin era Gibson to shame
Sure it does! Want to trade?
@@mstecker I would take a 2021 Epiphone Custom modern and Prophecy Models over Gibson all day long
@@mstecker Norlin era Gibson's their quality was mediocre
I am fairly certain that every single “traditional” guitar Gibson has made the radius is 12in ONLY. You will find alternative radiuses in the Modern collection that have a compound radius but this NORLIN Era Les Paul Custom absolutely SHOULD have a 12in radius. The fact that 12in felt off could be for a number of reasons that may or may not have been worth investigating. I will look into it when I get some time and I don’t want to sound like I have definitive irrefutable knowledge that Gibson has only ever used a 12in radius on their classic models rather I’ve seen and owned more than enough to determine this to be the case. Perhaps there are exceptions but I am 99% confident this NORLIN era LP Custom should have a 12in radius.
Theoretically that should be the case. In practice, almost every Norlin electric I've refretted has been closer to 10" though.
No! Don't do it! It's a valuable vintage guitar! Don't lose the Nibs!!!!!
my thoughts also. IF it's real "Vintage"...put the nibs back.
This Norlin era Gibson is not valuable enough to preserve the fret-nibs.
As an example of cost you cannot put more money into a guitar than it is worth.
I've a 1986 Custom Ordered Les Paul Custom. The re-fret cost estimate from both Gibson and Elderly Instruments is almost $1400.
To preserve the fret nibs would cost more than double. I would like to add that the Gibson Repair and Restoration Shop will not even perform the work to save the fret nibs, they simply will not take on that job nor do they even offer that service! It just does not make financial sense to sink almost $2600 into an instrument only valued at $5000. And you need to remember, once a Gibson has been re-fretted, with fret-nibs or not it is no longer original and will lose even more value. I'd like to add that its future value will never attain the scarcity of a late 1950s era Gibson, nor would it ever match a 1960s era instrument. That in part is due to the fact Gibson made many, many more guitars in the 1970s than they did the combined production of both the '50s and '60s.
@@hkguitar1984 Gibson will not try to preserve the nibs in a refret, but they will do the one thing that has to be done - replace the binding on the neck and build it up with new binding around the new frets, and then remove the excess material to reveal 'new' nibs - just like it was originally done at the factory. Yes, it's not cheap. The instruments are worth it.
@@mstecker Nibs from the start are a fail, guess it was cool in the 50s. But its useless. Better to have nice frets you can use :D
@@kongssund Disagree! I set up a lot of guitars, and I'm pretty fanatical about shaping the fret ends. With 'nib' guitars, there is no need to do this. You get a perfect feeling fret end.
one word : acetone
just take off the old binding and replace it, a very simple process
Hell naw lmao why would you do that
Route it out for Floyd while ya at it -_-
Sad to see it done by a lazy luthier.. never loose the nibs, the feel is do much better with them.
No nibs. Strings get caught . I hate the nibs.
Look at bassbois garage how to safe binding nibs