Refretting
If the frets of your guitar are so worn that fret dressing is no longer an option, then you must consider a refret. I have refretted many guitars over the years (I still remember my first - a Vox Lynx in about 1975) including of course those with bound fretboards. I continue to be surprised by the number of people who believe that neck binding must be removed before replacing the frets on a bound neck. This is simply not the case and I have the tools and techniques available to leave your binding in place!
Please be aware that refretting a maple neck is unfortunately more expensive than rosewood due to the necessity of relacquering the fretboard.
Fret repairs
Sometimes a whole refret is not necessary and the troublesome frets can be repaired or replaced in a partial refret.
Again, some players think that their guitars need a full or partial refret when a fret dress is all that is required. Be assured that I will give the best advice.
Nut replacement
If your guitar nut is worn, and open strings are buzzing then it's time for a new nut. I can fit nuts made from a variety of materials depending upon the type of guitar and the style of music that you play. I would recommend a bone or Micarta nut for most non-tremolo guitars.
Case Study 1 - Headstock repair
This early 70s Les Paul Signature had suffered a headstock break many years ago and had been left unrepaired. Luckily the owner was careful to keep all the parts and I was able to restore the guitar to a playable condition
After careful checking of fit, I glued and clamped the heastock using perspex cauls so that (i) they would not adhere to the aliphatic resin adhesive and (ii) I could see how the joint was going together.
After a few days when the adhesive was dry and at full strength, I removed the clamp and cauls to reveal the repaired headstock. You can see that the repair is almost perfect without refinishing, but some chips of wood were missing from the face. These were filled with wood filler.
The owner was rightly anxious to retain the vintage patina of his guitar and saw the break as a "battle scar". He asked the the finish was repaired with a light touch and here is the result:
Case Study 2
Ever wondered what it's like when a bridge post breaks under full string tension? A friend of mine found out when the post on his Ibanez broke dramatically. The top of the post ricochet'd off the ceiling and two walls and has yet to be found! Luckily my friend wasn't hurt, the guitar only suffered a chip to the finish and a new set of posts later, the guitar plays as well as ever.
