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Post subject: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:56 pm
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About to do a re-fret on a guitar and i was going to use Fender fretwire but in the package they don't list the tang width. Measured the slot with feeler guages and it's 0.023" in inch scale. The wire i removed the tang was 0.025" which i believe was too large but it's a cheapo Epiphone ES 175. Anyway fitting oversize wire can lead to neck compression and causes a bow.

This leads on to another question; why do manufacturers not all list complete measurements? After all tang width is pretty important and can make the difference between it fitting or not!!

What width would you use on this slot size? I believe that a 0.023" slot is pretty much a standard size.


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:23 pm
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Fender frets;
http://www.fender.com/parts/electric-gu ... ellaneous/


viewtopic.php?t=17761

http://edenhaus.com/frets.htm


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 2:47 am
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The default recommendation for a .023" slot is a fret wire with a .020" tang.
But, since you've had .025" tang frets in (now let's clarify: you measured the tang, not the studs (a.k.a. barbs, teeth)..?),
you have to check that any fretwire you choose will fit in, see: StewMac's instructions

BTW, I'll use this opportunity to make an unofficial complaint: the "fret wire sizes" tech talk page has gone missing since Fender made their latest website facelift. So have a lot of other useful tech & other links, all one finds is a 404 error page...


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:39 am
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jmattis wrote:
The default recommendation for a .023" slot is a fret wire with a .020" tang.
But, since you've had .025" tang frets in (now let's clarify: you measured the tang, not the studs (a.k.a. barbs, teeth)..?),
you have to check that any fretwire you choose will fit in, see: StewMac's instructions

BTW, I'll use this opportunity to make an unofficial complaint: the "fret wire sizes" tech talk page has gone missing since Fender made their latest website facelift. So have a lot of other useful tech & other links, all one finds is a 404 error page...


That StewMac link has some very useful knowledge & tips :D

Something else of relevance is fret removal - note the date, pre 1984!



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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2015 1:20 pm
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jmattis wrote:
The default recommendation for a .023" slot is a fret wire with a .020" tang.
But, since you've had .025" tang frets in (now let's clarify: you measured the tang, not the studs (a.k.a. barbs, teeth)..?),

Thanks. Yeah the measurement was the actual tang measurement excluding the barbs. With the barbs it measures about 0.040"

Agree with you about the tech talk thing. A shame when stuff like that is not available as i'm sure a lot of us get a lot from it.


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 10:04 am
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So i'm into this refret. I have all the new frets installed but there are a couple of issues i'm thinking about. Well only one really. I'm not convinced of how well these frets are seated. They all seem pretty good but one is not hugging the radius of the board right at the very end before it passes over the binding. It's a bit springy. I removed it and hammered it back in but with no luck. Same result as before.

I think i know now the reason they used oversized fret tangs on this; for the extra firmness and hold factor it would provide. It's a cheapo guitar and maybe the slotting wasn't as good as it could have been necessitating the bigger tang.

So i'm thinking of adding water thin superglue in here. Thinking of wicking it in to give a more solid connection with the board.


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 12:59 am
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The super glue backup is OK. As a hint: CA glue is IMHO easier to use with pressing than hammering.
But, if the fret(s) don't "hug the radius" and seem "springy", they may not be properly bent to that radius.


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:32 am
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jmattis wrote:
The super glue backup is OK. As a hint: CA glue is IMHO easier to use with pressing than hammering.
But, if the fret(s) don't "hug the radius" and seem "springy", they may not be properly bent to that radius.

Yeah only one is springy the rest are firm but with a tiny little gap. The board is a 12" radius so i got 12" pre radiused frets because i don't have a fret bender. They fit the board perfectly but usually it's better to over radius them a bit from the radius you have but as i say i don't have the fret bender to do that.

I'm thinking of gluing them and then proceeding to levelling the board with them glued in. I'm not gonna replace them with different wire with a tighter radius as then i have the headache of filing all the tangs to fit the board as it's a bound neck.

I'm not too bothered as it's a cheapo Epiphone ES 175. It's not a guitar of good quality so i'm not too obsessed with anything being perfect or anything. This is the first refret i've done so it's really a project i took on to learn what to do.

I read a good luthiers web page about frets not seating and there's a few reasons. The one you mentioned; not a tighter radius than the slot radius is one. Debris in the slots interfering with the tang is another. I don't think it's any crap left in the slots as i cleaned them out with a craft knife blade. The previous frets weren't glued in so there was no glue or anything in there.

I think either gluing them in with glue or a tighter radiusing of the wire is what's called for.

I'm enjoying doing this work though, as i always want to learn and get better at things. Though i'm not dumb enough to think i'm gonna make as good a job as a pro luthier who's been doing it all his days. That would be unrealistic!


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Post subject: Re: Tang Width On Fender Fretwire
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:16 am
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GorgonIsBack wrote:
I'm enjoying doing this work though, as i always want to learn and get better at things. Though i'm not dumb enough to think i'm gonna make as good a job as a pro luthier who's been doing it all his days. That would be unrealistic!

Don't sweat it, you'll get there. It'll take ten times longer hours than if done by a pro, but there's no reason the end result should be below pro level.


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