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[arndog42]

Hey there folks.....my name is Robert. Finally got my Gibson early A model 1912-1915 great, phenomenal tone , playability is not as advertisement. ....happy enough but believe she need's some work.....neck is not arrow straight to say the least, expected I guess pre truss rod ...and believe there is significant fret wear although visibly it does not appear to be a lot....can significant playability be accomplished with replacing, say the first 6 7 8 frets.....will that straighten out the top of the playing surface, do they remove the fret board and plane the surface of the neck. .is that the other alternative. ....how much should a replacing a few frets cost....

[Timbofood]

Arndog, there are several options none of which are going to depend on the full picture, I would not recommend this for the novice. Get it to a reputable luthier, without seeing what’s going on, it’s pretty hard to tell exactly how to proceed.
Should not be frighteningly expensive.

[arndog42]

Thank you for your insight tim...

[arndog42]

Was the thing about the lard and the grease directed at me....because I thoughr this was a place where ? Relatively intelligent people could ask a valid question....and it deteriorates into something much less than that. ...if I was knowable about about the said subject matter I would not have asked the question. .....buba says hello and can't wait to see you again.....he has missed you very much

[Mandolin Cafe]

Was the thing about the lard and the grease directed at me....because I thoughr this was a place where ? Relatively intelligent people could ask a valid question....and it deteriorates into something much less than that. ...if I was knowable about about the said subject matter I would not have asked the question. .....buba says hello and can't wait to see you again.....he has missed you very much

What you're apparently referring to is called a "Signature" and is automatically added to all posts. Those are added here through the user's profile. In other words, it has nothing to do with you and is nothing more than, in this case, a humorous quote added by the member in question. Doesn't have anything to do with you, just so that is clear, and is appended to every post that user makes.

[arndog42]

Thank you Sir for clearing that up....

[allenhopkins]

Second the motion to get your Gibson to a good, experienced repair/set-up technician.

Pre-truss-rod Gibsons had thicker necks to withstand string tension, without reinforcement or adjustability. That's not a guarantee that their necks won't deform over a century, which is the age of yours.

You should be able to see fret wear, flat spots on the frets under the strings. How much is "significant" may vary from instrument to instrument. Frets that are slightly flattened can be recrowned without needing replacement.

Neck curvature can be adjusted -- somewhat -- by installing thicker frets that force "back" the neck and flatten out the relief curve. As you rightly point out, the only real cure for a seriously curved non-truss-rod neck is pulling frets and planing the curve out of the fretboard. Some do attempt to "heat-press" curved necks, but my repair tech warns me that most such repairs don't last; the warpage returns over time.

A 'teens Gibson can be a wonderful instrument. Good luck with yours.

[rcc56]

....can significant playability be accomplished with replacing, say the first 6 7 8 frets.....will that straighten out the top of the playing surface, do they remove the fret board and plane the surface of the neck. .is that the other alternative. ....how much should a replacing a few frets cost....

I have worked on many of these old oval hole Gibsons. In most cases, it is not necessary to remove the fingerboard to straighten the neck.

For those who do not want a complete refret, I generally suggest replacing the first 12 frets with a more modern size of fret wire. It results in a marked improvement in playability. Usually, the fingerboard can be levelled from the top without having to remove the higher frets. Leaving the upper frets alone is of minimal consequence to most players-- they simply don't use those notes very much.

It is necessary to have the mandolin in hand to determine whether a partial refret will indeed be appropriate for your instrument.

[arndog42]

Thank you Allen. ...appreciate your input , that all makes sense, looking forward to getting something done to her much sooner than later.....that fix you suggested was affirmed by another gentleman. ..looking forward to speaking with him on this fix..thank you

[Timbofood]

Robert, no insult intended. Scott has filled you in on the “mechanics” of the signe, thanks Scott.
Glad you’re getting your Mandolin attended to, the adjustments will make you happy indeed. Small repairs early are easier than when they make for bigger problems down the road.

[arndog42]

Tim ....brother sorry I was so wrong about the tag...signature. ....been wanting to apologize for my thin skinned ???????jumping to conclusions. ....please accept my apologies and best of luck to you.....

[Timbofood]

We’re good, no harm no foul!