RainSong Stainless Refret

jonfields45 · #1 10-21-2019, 02:45 PM

I went up to Brothers today in Wind Gap, PA, and they do not use stainless steel fret wire. They will do EVO and I might end up putting a deposit to get into their queue (several months as of today!). But first I want to hunt around for someone to do stainless.

I've been given the name of Tom Olwine who I think struck out on his own after working at Guitar Center in Allentown. I've left him a voicemail.

Any other references for this job that is not too long a drive?

Thanks!

jonfields45 · #2 10-22-2019, 03:54 PM

Raritan Bay Guitar Repair will do stainless refrets. The new Scotch Plains location, run by one of their former students, is closest to me. Does anyone have experience with them?

jonfields45 · #3 10-24-2019, 06:14 AM

I borrowed my wife's PC and checked out the Facebook photos for Raritan Bay in Scotch Plains (I use no social media). I decided to stick with Brothers and will be making a deposit to get into their queue as soon as I get their invoice.

They use Jescar frets and while Jescar stocks a nearly exact copy of the Dunlop 6140's (39 mils tall by 106 mils wide) that RainSong uses (Jescar 39106) it is only available in nickel silver. The EVO options are not an exact replacement.

I decided to go with taller Jescar EVO 47104 (47x104 mils) and maybe a new nut if required. The RainSong factory nut does not seem to have the usual extra string height that I see in almost all new guitars.

Melt in the Sun · #4 10-24-2019, 09:22 AM

Hope it works out well for you!

jonfields45 · #5 01-13-2020, 02:58 PM

I dropped my RainSong CH-PA at Brothers this morning for the EVO fret job. It took two months to get to the front of the line. Jescar EVO frets the same width as RainSong's Dunlop 6140s are a bit taller. Brothers prefers Jescar. The guitar may also get a new nut depending on how the fret height works out. They offered to take the frets down but I went for the nut option. Jescar has 6140 equivalent in nickel silver, but not EVO.

John Arnold · #6 01-15-2020, 04:51 PM

I would shim the nut rather than replace it.

jonfields45 · #7 01-31-2020, 08:20 PM

I got my guitar back from Brothers this week. The work is perfect. I am thinking the new nut and setup were a good addition to the new frets. I marked my calendar and will report back in 6 months to update you on fret wear.

I am tough on frets and they usually look well used at 6 months on my main guitar. I play with Elixir PB 11s (.020 G string) and I will cut through the G-string windings of the 80/20 version of that set in less than a month. I try to get two months out of a set of PBs. I think that speaks to what I am also doing to the frets.

HodgdonExtreme · #8 02-01-2020, 02:31 AM

Thanks for update! Keep us posted!