Refret my Gibson A Model, Yea or Nay?

[FlannelTuba]

Hi Folks,

I have a Gibson A model, serial number 34750 which I've had for almost 40 years (I've had it since I was a boy of 8). The top 4 frets were so badly worn under the A and E strings that 20 or so years ago I popped them out and reversed them, which gave them a new lease on life, without really sacrificing the fretting under the lower two strings, as luck would have it. I took a big risk doing this myself, and frankly now I kick myself for even trying though luckily I didn't damage the instrument. Thinking about it now, I realize how close I could have come to causing a big mess. I was a foolish young lad...

Anyway, I am considering having it professionally refretted, but I have no experience with where to turn or whether this would be a good choice or not, seeing as it it 100% original stock Gibson at this point, as far as I can tell, anyway. Will refretting reduce its value? Are there special considerations for refretting a vintage instrument such as this—what questions I should ask if I take it somewhere? I am very nervous I might hand it to some hacker instrument repair man and have them destroy my precious Gibson A.

Also, can anyone give me an idea of the manufacture date of this mandolin? The S/N on the label reads, 34750 and there's a stamp on the wood inside that reads, 3455.

Thanks for your advice,

Scott

[Annette Siegel]

I would say yes on the refret and yes have a pro do it! I am of the a big fan of being able to play the older Gibbies. Though I'm not sure who to send you to in Oregon..perhaps others on the cafe might. It's a personal thing on what size frets you like under your fingers so be sure to discuss this with your Luthier too, they make fretwire that's close to the old stuff though.

Also, to find out what year your Mandy is, I would like to direct your attention to the Mandolin Archive, which can be reached from this site. Input your S/N or FON (stamped on wood) and it will give you an idea. It's a GREAT resource!!

Have fun!!!

Annette

www.livingtreemusic.com

[Vernon Hughes]

Replacing frets on a mandolin is like changing tires on a car,eventually it has to be done if your gonna use it.

[CES]

Yes on the refret!

As for whom you should take it to, I'm pretty useless (sorry). I know that Howard Morris, who frequently lists mandolins for sale in the classifieds here, is in Oregon, but can't remember where (and am too lazy to look him up at the moment). You may try contacting him through one of his ads. I don't know if he does repair work or just builds new ones, though. Gail Hester's on that coast as well, is she not? Either could probably point you in a good direction if unable to do the work themselves.

[bmac]

Without a re-fret you Have a museum piece, but not a player. Well worth the investment in a professional re-fret.

[FlannelTuba]

Thanks all for the very valuable knowledge and advice. I feel a lot better about the whole idea now. Chuck: I'll see if I can locate Howard Morris - thanks. (Any other referrals for luthiers in central Oregon would be greatly appreciated as well.)

Why has it taken me so long to find this place??! Where have I been? I like this restaurant already (even though it's just a cafe!)

- Scott

[Bill Snyder]

Here is a fairly lengthy list (three pages) of builders/repair people in Oregon. You might contact Ken Cartwright from that list. He has been fairly active on the forum here from time to time.

[sunburst]

As luthiers, we have no "paper" credentials. We don't have to be board certified, we need no license, we need earn no degree to become a professional luthier. Our reputation is all we have to convince people that we are competent, and unfortunately there are those among us who are not always competent. Ask around locally. Find out what luthiers maintain local musicians instruments. Ask for referrals, look at the work of local luthiers, and see if any names keep coming up. There are excellent luthiers lurking "under the radar" in lots of places, so a "big name" is not always the best choice, and there is most likely a very competent luthier in driving distance of you who can do a fine job of replacing your frets.

[Annette Siegel]

As luthiers, we have no "paper" credentials. We don't have to be board certified, we need no license, we need earn no degree to become a professional luthier. Our reputation is all we have to convince people that we are competent, and unfortunately there are those among us who are not always competent. Ask around locally. Find out what luthiers maintain local musicians instruments. Ask for referrals, look at the work of local luthiers, and see if any names keep coming up. There are excellent luthiers lurking "under the radar" in lots of places, so a "big name" is not always the best choice, and there is most likely a very competent luthier in driving distance of you who can do a fine job of replacing your frets.

So very true and well said John!!

Annette
www.livingtreemusic.com

[Pete Martin]

Ken Cartwright would do you a good job.

[Jim Ferguson]

A pal of mine has a 1912(ish) Gibson A model.........he had the frets re-done about 4-5 years back in Seattle..........they did a great job on the mando.........if you find the right luthier I suspect you'll be happy with the result.
Peace,

[Goodin]

FlannelTuba - Check the Mandolin Archive (http://www.mandolinarchive.com) to date your mandolin. Yes, like others have said have an experienced luthier refret your mandolin. Refrets are standard procedure for repairmen so you should be able to find someone local to do a great job. A refret will not hurt the value of your mandolin, unless you have a mint condition "museum piece" like bmac said. Infact it may even be a good selling point. Personally I would prefer a mandolin that has been recently refretted and set up well.

[RB250]

Scott,

I have a 1917 gibson A, with a 35500 ish serial number. You can ship it anywhere insured for less than you think. I recently sent mine to Joe Konkoly @ Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI (one of their mando repair experts) along with my 1972 A5 Gibson. The 1917 A got a fret redress, which eliminates the grooves and crowns them if there's enough stock left. Frets can be dressed many times and costs <$100. A new fret job is $400. Jon will review the situation and give you an honest and professional opinion. No BS or make work. He'll set it up as well for a reasonable amount. The repair people at Elderly have seen and worked on just about every instrument and repair situation. Those old A's are great and you'll be very pleased when it comes back. Elderly has worked on my banjos as well and although you'd think I could have someone work on my mando in the Chicago area where I live, I'd rather have the pro's at Elderly ....or Gruhn or Mandolin Brothers work on them and know they've repaired similar mandos and similar work. We do have Hogeye Music and West Coast (Guitar Center) though to be fair. I have had our local Martin technician work on my guitars but he seems to want to fix everything and has to be kept in toe. Yes we all have to eat ..but not on my dime. The Martin technicians Martin sends around to Sam Ash, etc on tours changing strings for free and reviewing and fixing simple items on the fly are great.
RB 250

[JeffD]

Will refretting reduce its value?

Everyone is different. It is hard for me to understand why this would be a consideration. I am not going to let some not as yet existing future buyer influence my decisions to improve the playability of my mandolin in the present. A refret is not a disfigurement, so its not even controversial to me.

My 23 A2 required the first five frets be dressed. I made it a personal goal that the next time it will need the first 15 frets be dressed or replaced.

[allenhopkins]

...Will refretting reduce its value?

To a collector, possibly. To a musician, no. Re-crowning and eventually replacing frets is normal, for an instrument that's been played as long as yours has.



Are there special considerations for refretting a vintage instrument such as this—what questions I should ask if I take it somewhere?

You need to consider whether you want to re-fret it with wire as close to the original height and width as possible, or whether you want to change it in some way to make it more playable from your perspective. Again, there could be some slight impact on resale value if you went with, say, wider frets. You might like the feel of the wider frets more, but a possible future purchaser might either not prefer them, or think that the "originality" of the mandolin was marred by using them.

Doesn't seem like you're planning to sell it, in any case, so the crucial "value" is the instrument's value to you. Not what it would bring in some hypothetical marketplace.