Slightly Twisted Neck And Refretting

[albertop]

Hello all, I have a question for you: my friend have an electric guitar and he´s having trouble with some frets and intonation; when he tries to pull a bend around the 15th fret on the 2nd string the note "dies", I mean it doesn´t ring and sounds dead as he rises the string and also around the 5-7th fret it buzzes. He took it to a luthier and he told him that he probably needs a refretting and also that his fretboard was slightly twisted. He says that the fretboard have some depressions around the 3th-7th and 14th-17th frets. The action is low to high: 6/64" -4/64" and that if he´d try to lower the action it will buzz like hell. So my question is: does he need a refretting? I´m wondering why, because we´re taking about two surfaces: the fretboard and the frets, why don´t he level the frets with a large leveler instead of taking off all the frets? I don´t want to take the easy road, just an idea I have and the luthier didn´t answer it, he just told me that you don´t do that. Now I don´t have much experience refretting so I´m asking to you, maybe you have a better solution or tell me that a refretting is needed. Thanks,

Alberto

[Southpa]

It depends on how badly the neck is twisted, if we are talking about 64th's of an inch from one area to another then you might be able to compromise with a fret leveling job. That is, IF there is enough height left on the frets. I would try to make the neck as level as possible before beginning (truss rod adjustment) and check with a straight edge. If that doesn't work then I would pull all the frets and re-level the fretboard then install new frets.

Edited February 24, 2005 by Southpa

[albertop]

Thanks Southpa, it has NEW frets so that´s why I wondering if this repairman isn´t trying to do an expensive job at my friend´s expenses. I see the neck with a very little depressions but nothing radical, that´s why I´m asking. I think it can be done without removing the frets.