1959 Cherry Special Refret.... SAVE THE NIBS!

Ed A · Aug 10, 2020

Well I mentioned on an earlier thread that I got this 100% original double cut cherry '59 Special and that I was gonna get it refretted.... SO glad I brought it to luthier extraordinaire Ian Davlin in New Jersey... https://www.iandavlin.com/ Ian has done phenomenal work for me in the past, repairing the headstock on my '53 goldtop that flew clear across the room upon dropping the guitar... not only a solid repair but you cant even see it with the naked eye...

So for the '59 Special I asked if there was any way to keep the original nibs (not recreate them), PLUS no planing of the board... the board still shows the faint horizontal sanding rippling from the factory in '59 and the beautiful 60 year old patina.... he gave me what I asked for, painstakingly cutting each fret one at a time to the exact perfect length to fit within the original nibs... I think most guys would tell you to find somebody else to do it... Ian is the man!.... here's a couple pix:

El Gringo · Aug 11, 2020

Ed A said:
Well I mentioned on an earlier thread that I got this 100% original double cut cherry '59 Special and that I was gonna get it refretted.... SO glad I brought it to luthier extraordinaire Ian Davlin in New Jersey... https://www.iandavlin.com/ Ian has done phenomenal work for me in the past, repairing the headstock on my '53 goldtop that flew clear across the room upon dropping the guitar... not only a solid repair but you cant even see it with the naked eye...

So for the '59 Special I asked if there was any way to keep the original nibs (not recreate them), PLUS no planing of the board... the board still shows the faint horizontal sanding rippling from the factory in '59 and the beautiful 60 year old patina.... he gave me what I asked for, painstakingly cutting each fret one at a time to the exact perfect length to fit within the original nibs... I think most guys would tell you to find somebody else to do it... Ian is the man!.... here's a couple pix:

That's pretty impressive work . Out of curiosity what is the turn around time on regular to easy work , such as set ups and pickup swaps ? I have a great tech but I have to wait ( sucks ) and now with COVID-19 has messed up normal operations . The repairs shown on his website are major surgeries and not for the novice . Very impressed I am .

MapleFlame · Aug 12, 2020

I follow Ian on Instagram, figured this was your guitar. Impeccable job. I have a few guitars I'd like him to work on.

J.D. · Aug 12, 2020

Refreshing to see a repairman do this job IMHO the "right" way :jim

corpse · Aug 12, 2020

Half art, half science and half black-madgick. Getting that old binding not to snap is a trick I am guessing.

Ed A · Aug 12, 2020

El Gringo said:
That's pretty impressive work . Out of curiosity what is the turn around time on regular to easy work , such as set ups and pickup swaps ? I have a great tech but I have to wait ( sucks ) and now with COVID-19 has messed up normal operations . The repairs shown on his website are major surgeries and not for the novice . Very impressed I am .

Well you would have to speak to him directly… I was fortunate that this was only a couple of weeks, in the past sometimes the wait was a couple of months… I couldn’t be happier with the results!

El Gringo · Aug 12, 2020

Ed A said:
Well you would have to speak to him directly… I was fortunate that this was only a couple of weeks, in the past sometimes the wait was a couple of months… I couldn’t be happier with the results!

Thanks Ed

rockabilly69 · Aug 15, 2020

Wow Ed that looks great!

jimmi · Aug 19, 2020

The way it should be done. Anyone who says you have to plane the board (except in rare instances) and lose the nibs should not be used for a vintage refret.

ourmaninthenorth · Aug 19, 2020

jimmi said:
The way it should be done. Anyone who says you have to plane the board (except in rare instances) and lose the nibs should not be used for a vintage refret.

Hear, hear.

This craftsman knows what he's doing...really great work.

Play in the finest of Ed.

:salude:salude

Mark Kane · Aug 19, 2020

Ed, you’re a wild man!!! Looks great, can’t be a lot of guys can do that kind of work!

KS 5150 · Aug 27, 2020

That's awesome Ed! Ian did a masterful job :yah

Kanga Blue · Aug 31, 2020

Ed A said:
So for the '59 Special I asked if there was any way to keep the original nibs (not recreate them), PLUS no planing of the board... the board still shows the faint horizontal sanding rippling from the factory in '59 and the beautiful 60 year old patina.... he gave me what I asked for, painstakingly cutting each fret one at a time to the exact perfect length to fit within the original nibs... I think most guys would tell you to find somebody else to do it... Ian is the man!.... here's a couple pix:

Very cool. I guess he used a scalpel to cutthenibs before he pulled the original frets out? My only concern or bitch would be the slight reduction in effective fret width for vibrator and bending. As a player I would prefer the fret over the binding and rounded right on the edge of the neck. As a restoration but with jumbos this is cool however.

latestarter · Aug 31, 2020

Fantastic work. No planing is fine, but the nib thing is a black art. I’ve done some but it is very difficult to get them to look right. Often the fret end sits straight and worth is lost in making ends match, rounded etc.

i got to say this is some of the highest nibs I’ve seen on this era. Very cool all round.

1959 Cherry Special Refret.... SAVE THE NIBS!

Ed A

Well-known member

El Gringo

Well-known member

MapleFlame

Well-known member

J.D.

Well-known member

corpse

Well-known member

Ed A

Well-known member

El Gringo

Well-known member

rockabilly69

Well-known member

jimmi

Well-known member

ourmaninthenorth

Well-known member

Mark Kane

All Access/Backstage Pass

KS 5150

Active member

Kanga Blue

Member

latestarter

Well-known member