Dunlop 6000 wire on a vintage Gibson… sacrilege or sensible innovation?

camf

Just thinking about the regret on a 1962 ES-125. Would the big frets be overkill? It's definitely a player rather than an ornament so for me, playing pragmatics matter more than vintage spec. 

OilCityPickups

Depends on your playing style and if the fret style suits you. Guitars are tools to me and a1962 ES-125 is a nice playing tool ...  if you are comfortable with bigger frets ... as I am ... then change them. This 'thou shalt not change a vintage guitar' thing is bloody stupid in my personal opinion. They are instruments not art objects. True I wouldn't put a Floyd on a 50s Les Paul ... but if someone wants to, and it improves their playing experience ... it's their instrument after all. 

webrthomson

^ this Ash is bang on it's tool not art work - if it makes it better for you go for it

camf

That's pretty much my thinking too... I just don't want the grown ups laughing at me. (or to totally devalue the guitar!) 

DrBob

Having been turned on to the joy of the 6000 fretwire by Jonathan at Feline about 10 years ago I'd advocate putting it on everything ! If I had the cash (and wasn't such an inveterate gear flipper) I'd have all my guitars refretted with it 

wickerman

as someone who has done a similar thing, I wouldn't think twice about it if I liked the feel of that fret size. Just bear in mind though, when you get the guitar back, if you had a previously low action, your brain will be telling you the new action seems high. Its just that the distance between the fretboard and the string will be higher, but not the distance between the strings and frets, if that makes sense. Think of all those effortless bends you can pull off! Warning though....high frets can become addictive.

jeztone2

I discovered Jumbo wire on a traditional guitar with my Tele. It makes the guitar more expressive to play. So cool by me.

guitars4you

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Depends on your playing style and if the fret style suits you. Guitars are tools to me and a1962 ES-125 is a nice playing tool ...  if you are comfortable with bigger frets ... as I am ... then change them. This 'thou shalt not change a vintage guitar' thing is bloody stupid in my personal opinion. They are instruments not art objects. True I wouldn't put a Floyd on a 50s Les Paul ... but if someone wants to, and it improves their playing experience ... it's their instrument after all. 

agree about re-fret to enhance the playing performance and IMO it not having any impact on value - I'd probably go 6100 or similar or 6150 - You should generally find such changes will serious enhance the overall playing performance

OilCityPickups

lol I dread to think the reaction's if you had asked this on certain other guitar forums where cork sniffery is the order of the day :-)

guitars4you

guitars4you said:

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Depends on your playing style and if the fret style suits you. Guitars are tools to me and a1962 ES-125 is a nice playing tool ...  if you are comfortable with bigger frets ... as I am ... then change them. This 'thou shalt not change a vintage guitar' thing is bloody stupid in my personal opinion. They are instruments not art objects. True I wouldn't put a Floyd on a 50s Les Paul ... but if someone wants to, and it improves their playing experience ... it's their instrument after all. 

agree about re-fret to enhance the playing performance and IMO it not having any impact on value - I'd probably go 6100 or similar or 6150 - You should generally find such changes will serious enhance the overall playing performance

TheGuitarWeasel said:

lol I dread to think the reaction's if you had asked this on certain other guitar forums where cork sniffery is the order of the day :-)

I'm baffled when sometimes I'm offered such an old guitar and the owner stating it has original frets - nearly always worn and dressed, that are now so low that any form of bending is nigh on impossible - They make a big issue of original frets - My question is who wants to buy it as it stands when it is nigh on impossible to play - Re-fret it and bring it back to life - IMO a good re-fret should have zero impact on the guitars value  

just think about it (For sale 1962 MG with original 'bald' tyres and 'worn' clutch plate)

camf

Wiz's all round.

WezV

I think I would still avoid the largest sizes, but I wouldn't have any qualms about going bigger than the vintage size

Sassafras

Include the old frets when you come to sell it. If the new owner cares that much, he can change back to the old ones.

ICBM

I've probably mentioned this before , but the best electric guitar I have ever played was that '56 Les Paul Custom… which had been refretted with very non-vintage-police-approved modern jumbo frets (I don't know the exact type).

That was one of the main things that was so great about it - it no longer had the skinny 'fretless wonder' frets it would have had originally, so it was really playable.

Now remind me again, why I didn't buy it?

mburekenge

Just put 6105 on my r7(not vintage obvs) but just so much easier to play.

FelineGuitars

Matt on this form (Musteatbrains?) had us refret his 1964 SG Junior with Dunlop 6000 and it turned into a beast - really didn't want to give it back - it was that nice.

If Dunlop 6000 is well fitted and the fret ends shaped well then it isn't uncomfy at all but oh boy is it fun to play on.

earwighoney

guitars4you said:

My question is who wants to buy it as it stands when it is nigh on impossible to play - Re-fret it and bring it back to life - IMO a good re-fret should have zero impact on the guitars value  

A good refret is an excellent thing.  Several refrets could the fretboard has been planed to a point where not much remains - a possible fretboard replacement.

IMO I'd never think twice about refretting any instrument, be it vintage or new, I consider frets like guitar strings - everyone has a preference and best to find the one the size that suits your own personal playing style, string preference, right hand attack and so on the best. 

Btw, I have a 68 SG Junior with jumbo frets, which works really well. 

camf

I'm feeling the fat fret love.

guitarmangler

6000's are the best. In fact, the only frets better are you the jescar or stainless steel versions in the same size. You can always get them changed or filed down if too big.

lewism

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Depends on your playing style and if the fret style suits you. Guitars are tools to me and a1962 ES-125 is a nice playing tool ...  if you are comfortable with bigger frets ... as I am ... then change them. This 'thou shalt not change a vintage guitar' thing is bloody stupid in my personal opinion. They are instruments not art objects. True I wouldn't put a Floyd on a 50s Les Paul ... but if someone wants to, and it improves their playing experience ... it's their instrument after all. 

That's all the permission I need!https://imgur.com/gallery/xgguP
https://i.imgur.com/OZlofnY.jpg

FelineGuitars

guitarmangler said:

6000's are the best. In fact, the only frets better are you the jescar or stainless steel versions in the same size. You can always get them changed or filed down if too big.

Yes - we've started keeping the Jescar version of this wire too (as well as the stainless steel version as well)