Seeking Bo-Bo Low

kungfumonk007 · April 2017

Hoping I can have Bob Chime in. I am having my guitar refretted - what is a good wire to use? Gauge and or type? Also there is a video floating around somewhere of you talking set up. Does anyone have the link.

Also does anyone know where Zwinakas got those extra long alan wrenches for his truss. 2 luthiers ago they cut mine in half and now it won't seat.

I am having a neck hump removed, the frets redone and the bridge better situated. While they are destroying my guitar does anyone have any other crazy suggestions I should get done?

kungfumonk007 · April 2017

Two more notes. The bridge has a lip/notch in it so it doesn't make contact the entire length of the foot. Should I have them flatten that so it has contact across the entire foot. Since it has a pliage does anything special need to be done to make it seat better?

Buco · April 2017

For me, I'll take them as wide and as tall as they make it.
I believe it gives better tone and it easier to play.
Jescar EVO Gold wire is very popular these days, as hard or harder as stainless but easier on tools and not as hard to work with.
A link with a fretwire chart:
http://www.lutherie.net/fret.chart.html
Not sure what you mean regarding the bridge?
But a foot definitely needs a good contact with the top, as snug as possible.

I raised the height of the zero fret, temporarily but I'm going to make it permanent, following some discussion from a different thread (it was actually Bobolo who helped) and I like the result.
The thread actually started with a neck relief which is something to consider at this point too.
Here's the link
http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/15489/neck-relief/p1

t-bird · April 2017

+1 on big frets. Easier fretting which, for me, equals clearer lines when I'm playing fast. Should equal less fatigue as well.

I also like a high zero fret. My luthier, who I like, recommended lowering it a bit as "for some reason Maurice likes a really high zero fret." I gave him the green light but ended up preferring it higher. I will probably have him put a higher one in at some point.

kungfumonk007 · April 2017

So it sounds like the high zero with relief is more preferred. I play lead and rhythm about equal amount times and I play with a lighter touch probably pretty similar to Robin - definitely way quieter than someone like Denis but louder than Olli. My favorite tone is that of Gonzalo. I play more modern classically influenced stuff so the lack of intonation drives me a bit batty. Will the larger frets be able to be intoned better?

Does anyone know kind of the Robin or Gonzalo preferred set ups.

So with the bridge is a larger foot or a smaller foot better? Or what is the difference in tone created by a larger foot or a smaller foot. Basically I have a small foot but it can be planed down to remove the notch and create a larger foot

Buco · April 2017

t-bird wrote: »

"for some reason Maurice likes a really high zero fret."

Glad to hear that.

As far as I know the size of frets doesn't affect intonation either way.
Ah now I know what you mean by notches. The bridge that originally came with my guitar had the same.
I don't think that's going to have any influence as long as the feet are seated well.

nomadgtr · April 2017

Hey Aaron, have you looked into the different fret wire metals? When Craig Bumgarner built my Corazon I had him use Gold EVO fret wire which is somewhere between stainless steel and traditional nickel fret wire in terms of hardness. It's slightly brighter than nickel but nothing like SS and it's very hard. So much so that I doubt that I'll need a fret job in my life time and I play daily.

richter4208 · April 2017

Read thru this and you should get some real world answers to your fretwire needs. I would choose your wire very carefully if you are putting that kind of coin into a guitar!
http://www.lutherie.net/fret.chart.html
http://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/11789/refretting-a-dupont
AJL uses .090 crown width, .055 crown height

Serious bummer about the neck hump. Really sucks.

kungfumonk007 · April 2017

I really like Olli's guitar so I think that is helpful to know. Thanks!

Bob Holo · April 2017

I went back to using my original fretwire based on the feedback of several artists who liked its feel. So, that's 18% nickel .103 width .046 crown. In terms of my preference, well... one of my guitars has that nickel 103/46 and the other has Evo 090/055 and truth be told, I don't feel or hear a difference. But then again, I'm not touring and I don't have the level of touch these guys do.