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Folks:

As a favor to a good friend I agreed to help get his first guitar, an early 70's Yamaha back up to speed. Me and a buddy reset the neck, repaired a couple of cracks, re-glued a loose brace, polished the guitar up a little, etc.

Now it's time to refret it, and it ends up having thin fret slot widths...somewhere in the .019 range (using good feeler guages). It would seem I'm left with only a couple of options: Find wire with a thinner tang width, or widen the slots to a more standard .023 (which is wire I have).

This guitar, although in all respects is really a dog, does have some sentimental value to my buddy. It was his first, his girlfriend (now wife) bought it for him, and its his last surviving artifact from Med School (he's my doctor, too).

Any advice you want to offer? Thanks.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

I'd find wire or adjust the tang to fit the slots.

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David
Vancouver, BC

Hi Bill;

I remember having to get some narrow fret wire once and I found it through GoldenGate products. 0.5 mm I think is the same as .019" or so.

HTH-nehemiah

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Nehemiah Covey
www.coveysacoustics.com

cut the slots to .023." It's going the other way that's a hassle.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I don't think it's going to lose any value, sentimental or otherwise if the fret slots are widened. I say go for it.

Darrin

Thanks ya'll...I appreciate it.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

I too say open the slots to .023. that way you will not need to buy custom wire. and It takes just a few min.