Lyon & Healy: bar frets?

[mrmando]

Anyone ever refretted a Lyon & Healy? Was looking at one with some friends and we wondered whether they have bar frets or not.

[Geoff Barber]

Hi.
My luthier friend has just refretted a Lyon and Healy for me. He found the frets to be bars (ie straight vertical sides - no tang). I had purchased Jescar 39040 fret wire (1mm width) as these were the closest match I could find with regard to width (I used the stainless steel ones, although there is also a nickel steel version I think). I think the frets on the L&H were 0.85mm thick and the Jescar are 1.0mm. However, the Jescar have a tang which goes into the slot cut in the fingerboard, and as a result my luthier had to fill the existing hole to some degree when fitting the new fret wire (I think he used a mixure of epoxy and ebony sawdust) - he said it was not uncommon to have to do this. The filling can't be seen when the job is finished. I am extremely happy with the refret and using stainless steel means they won't need refretting again in my lifetime.
I am not sure if it is possible to get fretwire which is exactly the same as the original. I would be interested to know if you can.

[mrmando]

Well, we don't think my L&H has ever been refretted before. I hear tell you can pull bar frets up, partially fill the slot underneath, reseat the frets and then level them. Like shimming them up. I left it with a luthier who does a lot of repairs for our mandolin orchestra, and she'll be looking into it.