Does anybody know where I can acquire fret wire in Dublin. It is for a german waldzither but I imagine mandolin fret wire will be ok. I can't really buy it over the internet as I would need to match it up with the existing frets which are in two thicknesses (smaller near the body) - easier to do that personally. I've tried Waltons but they only have two sizes of guitar frets.
Hopefully you'll find something local, but if not, the internet sellers normally give dimensions very precisely so it's a matter of measuring what you've got with calipers or a micrometer.
Any friendly neighbourhood repairers who might sell just the quantity you want rather than a five metre coil or whatever?
I was just talking to a luthier the other week, because I was trying to fret a banjo I was refurbishing - it wasn't a good-enough banjo to make it worth while taking to the luthier for him to do - and he pointed out that the tang is usually the same width, but it's the part above the surface of the fingerboard that varies.
But it occurs to me that you haven't had the information that I've now got from the luthier, and I worry what you will be doing - replacing one or two frets ? Not a good idea. Or re-fretting the whole thing ? Is this the first instrument you've done this to ?
Maybe you should just get professional help from the start.
But he did say " Don't hit the fret with a hammer, that only bends the fret up, you need a flat piece of metal as wide as the fingerboard to lay on the fret."
And support the neck with a hollowed padded block.
Fret Wire (mandolin)
Fret Wire (mandolin)
Does anybody know where I can acquire fret wire in Dublin. It is for a german waldzither but I imagine mandolin fret wire will be ok. I can't really buy it over the internet as I would need to match it up with the existing frets which are in two thicknesses (smaller near the body) - easier to do that personally. I've tried Waltons but they only have two sizes of guitar frets.
# Posted on September 17th 2008 by jrussell
Re: Fret Wire (mandolin)
Hopefully you'll find something local, but if not, the internet sellers normally give dimensions very precisely so it's a matter of measuring what you've got with calipers or a micrometer.
Any friendly neighbourhood repairers who might sell just the quantity you want rather than a five metre coil or whatever?
# Posted on September 17th 2008 by TomB-R
Re: Fret Wire (mandolin)
try this chappie he sells fretwire in 2 foot lengths
http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZsnowcauldron
# Posted on September 17th 2008 by pencross
Re: Fret Wire (mandolin)
I could get some from a luthier who lives not far away and post it to you.
# Posted on September 17th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Fret Wire (mandolin)
I was just talking to a luthier the other week, because I was trying to fret a banjo I was refurbishing - it wasn't a good-enough banjo to make it worth while taking to the luthier for him to do - and he pointed out that the tang is usually the same width, but it's the part above the surface of the fingerboard that varies.
But it occurs to me that you haven't had the information that I've now got from the luthier, and I worry what you will be doing - replacing one or two frets ? Not a good idea. Or re-fretting the whole thing ? Is this the first instrument you've done this to ?
Maybe you should just get professional help from the start.
But he did say " Don't hit the fret with a hammer, that only bends the fret up, you need a flat piece of metal as wide as the fingerboard to lay on the fret."
And support the neck with a hollowed padded block.
# Posted on September 18th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Fret Wire (mandolin)
http://www.frets.com/fretspages/Luthier/Technique/Mandolin/F5Refret/f5refret01.html
# Posted on September 18th 2008 by dafydd