Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm looking for a source of bar frets. Want to use them on a uke I'm building
right now. Anyone know of one?

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

the only known source, martin, has ceased to sell them.

there was some talk over at mimf of getting a group special order made but i don't think anyone did anything.

let me know if you find anything. i need some as well.

Ohhhhhh John can you post pics of your ukes I remember looking up your ukes when I got back into ukes and they were really nice!

_________________
Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

I believe T.J. Thompson bought out the old Martin stock and can supply bar frets in a great number of widths.

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

[QUOTE=zac_in_ak] Ohhhhhh John can you post pics of your ukes I
remember looking up your ukes when I got back into ukes and they were
really nice! [/QUOTE]


here are a couple...

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

did a quick google looking for a contact for thompson but found nothing usable.

do you have a contact?

MAN!!!!!

Those are soooooo nice! with time I hope to make ukes as nice I LOVE Ukes!

_________________
Zac

Anchorage Alaska

Finshed my 1st! See #1 here

Here is the contact info I have for T.J.

Thompson Guitars
43 Bradford St Ste 2
Concord, MA 01742-2972

Phone: (978) 369-3359

I know he supplied the bar frets for a refret job I did recently at The Fretted Instrument Workshop in Amherst, MA, but I have not dealt with him directly.

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

Nice Ukes.  Don't think I've ever seen any nicer looking than that.

_________________
Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

louis, many thanks for the information!!!

i'll be calling him monday.

No problem Michael. I know at the time he had a whole lot of stock on hand and with the number of folks using these frets I'm sure he has some left!

I know many are passionate in their like or dislike of bar frets. Personally, I love the feel but they can be a pain to work with and they can creep around in the slots a bit.

Just curious if this is a new build or a refret job?

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] louis, many thanks for the information!!!

i'll be calling him monday.[/QUOTE]

let me know what you come up with...if he has any uke bar frets get some
for me and I'll take care of the bill...

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

no problem john, what size do you want and how many feet?

louis, i have three instruments in the shop right now that i'm doing repairs on which need bar frets replaced. i thought i was going to have to shim the old ones but this may solve my problem. the little wire i have is the wrong size for these.

guess i'll know monday.

and you are right, if you don's hammer a few small barbs in they can slip out sideways.

those are beautiful instruments. There is something really appealing about a uke. Can't explain it but its undeniable, and those are especially appealing.

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] no problem john, what size do you want and
how many feet?

louis, i have three instruments in the shop right now that i'm doing
repairs on which need bar frets replaced. i thought i was going to have to
shim the old ones but this may solve my problem. the little wire i have is
the wrong size for these.

guess i'll know monday.

and you are right, if you don's hammer a few small barbs in they can slip
out sideways.[/QUOTE]

Ahh uke size..whatever that is (see my expertise here?)

And if he has it.. 2o feet or so....

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

uh john, i've never built a uke. what did you use on the ones above?

I don't remember the spread but T.J. had them specked down to .001 for slot width. (i.e. .049 .050 .051 etc.)

No more shims and foil for compression fretting!

Louis

_________________
- Louis Freilicher

Oh No! Not another learning experience!

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael] uh john, i've never built a uke. what did you use
on the ones above?[/QUOTE]

The ones above are mando fretwire.

I'll have to measure my bar frets on my 1920's Martin and let you know
tomorrow...

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I once had a 1850's New York made Martin (unfortunately stolen) that had
bar frets.

From my player's perspective - the height of the bar frets makes for an
ability on the fingerboard to better accomplish a number of techniques -
hammer-ons, pull offs, vibratos and sting bending that surpass what your
everyday rounded t-frets afford. Sliding on a string or strings up or down
the fret board might be a little hendered depending on how heavy handed
it's done.

There is something about the bar frets that is lost with the t-frets, even
the highest available, at least those that I know of - .05 at the crown. I
don't know if it has something to do with the edge of the bar frets of just
a little added height (it never occurred to me to measure what that was
on my poor old martin).

I've sometimes wondered way the fret makers - whoever they are -
haven't come up with a hybrid fret wire that is patterned after the bar fret
but with a modern t at the base, I envision a trapazoidal profile, rather
than rounded, a narrower at the top and a bit wider at the base. Thus
eliminating the luthier's complaints of setting and leveling.

All it would take is milling a draw plate and pulling the wire. The
dimensions could be argued about.

Another thought - a bunch of folks that fret about bar frets could haul off
and have the draw plates milled and get some fret maker or wire outfit to
do the pulling. Even though my personal lifetime needs wouldn't amount
to more than a second or two of factory time, I, for one would be pleased
to donate to such a cause.

john

Hello John and welcome to the OLF

Not that I intend to use any Bar Fret material myself, but your suggestion is a good one as long as you got enough interest from others here to lure a wire puller into doing the job for you.

Cheers

Kim

[QUOTE=johnfgraham] I once had a 1850's New York made Martin (unfortunately stolen) that had
bar frets.

From my player's perspective - the height of the bar frets makes for an
ability on the fingerboard to better accomplish a number of techniques -
hammer-ons, pull offs, vibratos and sting bending that surpass what your
everyday rounded t-frets afford. Sliding on a string or strings up or down
the fret board might be a little hendered depending on how heavy handed
it's done.

There is something about the bar frets that is lost with the t-frets, even
the highest available, at least those that I know of - .05 at the crown. I
don't know if it has something to do with the edge of the bar frets of just
a little added height (it never occurred to me to measure what that was
on my poor old martin).

I've sometimes wondered way the fret makers - whoever they are -
haven't come up with a hybrid fret wire that is patterned after the bar fret
but with a modern t at the base, I envision a trapazoidal profile, rather
than rounded, a narrower at the top and a bit wider at the base. Thus
eliminating the luthier's complaints of setting and leveling.

All it would take is milling a draw plate and pulling the wire. The
dimensions could be argued about.

Another thought - a bunch of folks that fret about bar frets could haul off
and have the draw plates milled and get some fret maker or wire outfit to
do the pulling. Even though my personal lifetime needs wouldn't amount
to more than a second or two of factory time, I, for one would be pleased
to donate to such a cause.

john
[/QUOTE]


I totally agree with John. Bar frets do provide the player with tangible differences (benefits) to their playing.

I have some bar fret stock if anyone would like some.

Warmest regards,
Terence

[QUOTE=John Mayes] [QUOTE=crazymanmichael] uh john, i've never built a
uke. what did you use
on the ones above?[/QUOTE]

The ones above are mando fretwire.

I'll have to measure my bar frets on my 1920's Martin and let you know
tomorrow...[/QUOTE]

the frets in my 1920's Martin uke are:

apx (give or take 10-20 thou) .120 tall by .028 wide (give or take 1-3 thou)

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

John,

Dan Erlewine uses either silver solder wire, or brazing wire for bar frets. I can't remember which.

_________________
Matt Jacobs

"Don't tase me bro"

I've never seen any references to his use of either. does he say how he gets a uniform rectangular shape on the round wire? do you know where he describes the use?

Michael,
When Dan spoke at the LINT masters class the question of bar fretwire came up. Apparently brazing/silver solder wire is available in strips. Email dan for his source of supply

_________________
Matt Jacobs

"Don't tase me bro"