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Fret wire on historics

clearmudd

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May 26, 2016
Messages
499
Hello everyone , I'm new to this. I'm a product of the 60's and guitar nerd most of my life. Being a computer retard, forgive my slurred speech, I am a bit slow. Through my many years of playing and owning les paul's, my experiences have been like many of you. I have felt sheer happiness to utter heartbreak. Some stolen, some broken, and some had to go. We all know how that is. I know this may have been asked before, i'm sure, but with all my wisdom i'm still an idiot. I have had my hands on several vintage LPs like GTs and a few early bursts like '58s. My question is this, did those instruments have a thinner fret wire than what they are installing on the RIs? I'm not complaining, i actually like both. I think that different neck shapes and fret wire give LPs a different "spirit" that makes them unique. I might be wrong, but let me know. Thanks:eek:la
 

sws1

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846
Hello everyone , I'm new to this. I'm a product of the 60's and guitar nerd most of my life. Being a computer retard, forgive my slurred speech, I am a bit slow. Through my many years of playing and owning les paul's, my experiences have been like many of you. I have felt sheer happiness to utter heartbreak. Some stolen, some broken, and some had to go. We all know how that is. I know this may have been asked before, i'm sure, but with all my wisdom i'm still an idiot. I have had my hands on several vintage LPs like GTs and a few early bursts like '58s. My question is this, did those instruments have a thinner fret wire than what they are installing on the RIs? I'm not complaining, i actually like both. I think that different neck shapes and fret wire give LPs a different "spirit" that makes them unique. I might be wrong, but let me know. Thanks:eek:la

Vintage LPs through (roughly) 1959 had small/narrow wire. Sometime in '59, they went with the wide frets which is roughly the same size as what they use on all the historics today.
 

clearmudd

Active member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
499
Vintage LPs through (roughly) 1959 had small/narrow wire. Sometime in '59, they went with the wide frets which is roughly the same size as what they use on all the historics today.

Thank you for the reply, that is what thought. I have a CC28 #121 a 58 RI ( sorry no pics yet, remember I'm slow), that has smaller frets than my other historics, a 57 and a 58, was this unique on this CC or did other CCs get these too?
 

sws1

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Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846
Thank you for the reply, that is what thought. I have a CC28 #121 a 58 RI ( sorry no pics yet, remember I'm slow), that has smaller frets than my other historics, a 57 and a 58, was this unique on this CC or did other CCs get these too?

They haven't been consistent with fret wire over the past 10 years. All my historics seem to have slightly different wire. However, all of it would be considered large wire...nothing like the early-mid-50s vintage wire.
 

markguitar

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,375
Reissues have used Jescar FW45100 fret wire since 2001, so actually pretty consistent. Some feel different and some are a little higher or lower after leveling. 2000 and prior years reissues used the USA fret wire that was taller and thinner. Original '59 wire is about the same height but the width is .095".
 

sws1

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Dec 4, 2001
Messages
2,846

clearmudd

Active member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
499
They haven't been consistent with fret wire over the past 10 years. All my historics seem to have slightly different wire. However, all of it would be considered large wire...nothing like the early-mid-50s vintage wire.

Thanks again, and I totally agree . My CC28 is fantastic guitar and wouldn't change anything about it, and imo is that its clarity comes from the slightly smaller wire, like you said , nothing like the early vintage wire.
 

markguitar

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,375
Thanks again, and I totally agree . My CC28 is fantastic guitar and wouldn't change anything about it, and imo is that its clarity comes from the slightly smaller wire, like you said , nothing like the early vintage wire.
Gibson has never used wire as small as the original wire prior to 1959 on reissues.
 

1jamman

New member
Joined
Feb 28, 2013
Messages
610
Thanks for posting that link ,,,, I don't recall seeing it before ... More info is always a good thing , and it answered a few questions I've had about My TH . :salude
 

CAGinLA

Active member
Joined
Jan 4, 2016
Messages
489
Yeah, great idea, take new frets down to the height they become after a fret level:rolleyes So you get that much less fret life from your brand new guitar.

It makes them play like a dream, though. I was very impressed by the fretwork on my TH58.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
The 1999 and 2000 R series had much larger/taller frets that I prefer. There has been some changes yet all are jumbos, the preferred fret for most. Accurate pre 59 fret wire or Fretless wonder nano frets have very little appeal for the vast majority. I have yet to see different frets on a R8 vs a R9 from the same year.
 

tdarian

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Joined
Jun 25, 2008
Messages
3,575
I really like the feel of the Jescar45100. They do end up Pleking some off the top where the board wobbles up.
 

clearmudd

Active member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
499
The 1999 and 2000 R series had much larger/taller frets that I prefer. There has been some changes yet all are jumbos, the preferred fret for most. Accurate pre 59 fret wire or Fretless wonder nano frets have very little appeal for the vast majority. I have yet to see different frets on a R8 vs a R9 from the same year.

I have a '14 R8 and a '14 CC#28 which happens to be a R8 too. The CC#28 has the same fret wire as Gibson USA LP standard and the other '14 R8 has the normal historic jumbo wire.:hmm
 

J T

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Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
10,501
Yeah, great idea, take new frets down to the height they become after a fret level:rolleyes So you get that much less fret life from your brand new guitar.

Well said Mark!

Plekked starting out with .036. So a brand new TH is already that much closer to a re-fret. :##


Well I suppose TH owners don't play them much anyway. :spabout
 

garywright

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Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
15,583
Yeah, great idea, take new frets down to the height they become after a fret level:rolleyes So you get that much less fret life from your brand new guitar.

I guess your main concern would be the used ones you buy may need a fret dress ..it certainly can't be from a players perspective
 

TM1

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
8,349
I liked the stuff Gibson used around `60-`64. We use to call it "School Bus" wire as the top was flat and slightly rounded like the shape of a school bus top. It was also really hard wire and damn near a chore to level and recrown vs. today's wire.
Also, if you use pure nickel strings your frets will last considerably longer as they're softer than NPS stuff. The NPS strings will wear your frets faster.
 
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