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Need some fret wire advice

Kevin James

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
495
As the title suggests I'm in need of some advice on fret wire. I have 3 guitars I need to refret for sure and another 2 I am thinking about refreting but haven't decided for sure. The guitars are a 65 SG Standard, a 61 LP/SG Standard and a 1980 Explorer. I MAY also refret a 64 SG JR and a 75 Flying V but still undecided on them.

I can't seem to make a decision on which size wire to go with and some insight would really be appreciated. Ideally I'd like to find the best candidate for me and refret all of them with the same wire. I know its a bad idea to re-refret if I end up unsatisfied with the results so I'm really trying to do my homework now to get it right so I'm not stuck with something I'm not 100% satisfied with. I also DON'T want to end up with different size wire on each of them, I really want to keep it consistent on all of them, thats very important to me.

Where this all starts is I had my battered old 67 SG Special refreted last december by Gary Brawer in San Francisco (first time having a refret done) and truth be told I didn't really do my homework first, I just took the shops advice. What they installed is (I believe) Stew Mac 149. The invoice sys "refret with 104 x 47" although the micrometer says its actually .103 wide and that seems to match the Stew Mac 149 so I asume thats what it is.

The thing turned out amazing, plays like butter and I'm very happy with it. BUT, and there's always a but, I do REALLY wish I had gone with something slightly taller. I'm also worried about fret dressings later on down the road taking too much material off and then feeling like I need to refret AGAIN after 1 or 2 fret dressings etc.

I wanted to stay as close as possible to the original fret width of .098 but with a much taller crown hight, something above .050 at minimum. I know ideally what really I want, something .098 - .100 wide and .052-.055 tall but it doesn't seem that Stew Mac or Dunlop make the size I really want so I have narrowed it down between 4 choices that are the closest:

Stew Mac 154 @ .100 x .050 (I wish this one had just an extra .002-.005 in hight and it would be perfect)

Stew Mac 150 (or 158) @ .110 x .052 (I wish this was just a little narrower and it would be perfect)

Dunlop 6105 @ .090 x .055 (this one is perfect hight but I think maybee too narrow)

Dunlop 6100 @ .110 x .055 (This one is again just a little wide)

If Dunlop made something right between the 6100 and 6105 it would be perfect, but they don't.

I think I will probably settle on the Stew Mac 154, but I'm just worried how much will be taken of during leveling bringing them UNDER .050 and then any future fret dressings taking them down even more which makes me think maybee I should just deal with the extra .01 in width and get the Stew mac 150 or even Dunlop 6100.

Any advise anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated, and sorry for the long post.
 

latestarter

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
4,225
I have almost exclusively used SM 154 for all my vintage Gibson refrets. Looks correct, but importantly the extra height suits my style and gives me extra legs in terms of fret life. On my recently restored '60 335 the frets feel nice and tall.

A quality luthier, under the instruction to take only the minimal amount off the frets will do just that. Unless of course the board has issues - then you have to choose - what will I sacrifice, steel or wood?
 

J.D.

Well-known member
Joined
May 24, 2006
Messages
10,076
If your board is good and straight and your guy knows how to do a quality job, very very little will be lost height wise.

An .050" fret is pretty damn tall.
 

manifolddestiny

New member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
152
had my old Les refretted three times, best one was 154 wire an was harder wereing than dunlop, didnt try stainless tho
 

MRG

Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2002
Messages
672
+1 on StewMac 154.

Since you already like the feel of StewMac 149 on your SG Special, a good fret job should allow for at least two levels out of the 154 wire before you get down to 149 height. Beyond that, you may even get another level or two before the 154 wire noticeably feels too short.

(And if the 154 feels too tall at first, you always can have it taken down a little and still get a good amount of life from it.)
 

jkp44

New member
Joined
Apr 6, 2011
Messages
14
Gibson now uses .090" x .055" for fret wire. This is what I used on my Les Paul and I love it. The Stew Mac 154 would get you pretty close to original.
 

tdarian

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
3,577
Look at the Jescar link on the other thread. There is one a bit narrower than .110 and just over .050. The Jescar chart also shows the crown shape which makes a difference. You won't find better wire.
 

Kevin James

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
495
I think I have pretty much settled on the Stew Mac 154. Its not quite as tall as I'd like but it seems a good compromise as its the perfect width and really only wanted it about about .002 taller which isn't much really.

Plus the 149 on my Special plays really nice, I just wanted a hair taller and the 154 IS .004 taller, so it should be good.
 

Dave G

Active member
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
1,283
I recently got a 1998 Les Paul DC and LOVE the frets on it.
I had a Luthier measure them for me.
.095 wide x .058 tall.
 

Kevin James

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2010
Messages
495
I recently got a 1998 Les Paul DC and LOVE the frets on it.
I had a Luthier measure them for me.
.095 wide x .058 tall.

I like a nice tall fret, but .058 seems a little too tall. I guess it could be milled down a little to .053- .055, but its kind of a moot point because I don't see anything available in that size anywhere anyways.

I think I'm going to settle on the Stew Mac 0154, I just wish I could play something with it to feel it formyself before finalizing. Probably not going to happen though.
 

PressR9

New member
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
143
I don't think I saw Jescar fret wire mentioned here. I hope the OP found it and considered.
 

shred

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 13, 2003
Messages
4,667
Just get 6100 and be done with it... Lots of life etc... SS is even better....
 

Aloha_Mark

New member
Joined
Dec 15, 2011
Messages
495
Did the OP decide to install new fret wire on one or more of his SG's and how does the guitar feel now? Was it also PLEK'ed? I know my early 60's SG is in real need of pro-installed frets. I am leaning toward Jescar medium jumbo wire and a PLEK job, probably in L.A.
 

robertkoa

New member
Joined
Jan 15, 2025
Messages
2
I am used to .047 W x 104 H from Carvin ...these are Jescar Medium Jumbos

When I play Fender EJ Strat [ don't own ] The medium jumbo frets are shorter and less wide .

When I have tried out NEW Les Pauls - they specify [ or used to specify ]
.045 High

But they were much lower than that probably from plekking .

More like .037 - really low for a new guitar .
 
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