Questions: Crownless Frets

by James Westbrook and R.M. Mottola

Originally published in American Lutherie #89, 2007

 

Gilles Danis from the Internet asks:

I have been asked by a museum to restore an old guitar. It is a rather cheaply made thing from the early 20th century. The frets do not have crowns. They are just thin flat bars on their sides with barbs at the bottom. Do you know of a source for such fretwire?

James Westbrook from England replies:

I get my bar fret stock from Makoto Tsuruta in Japan. I think there are a few different sizes. His website is www.crane.gr.jp., and his e-mail address is mmm@st.rim.or.jp.

The Questions Column editor adds:

Nickel-alloy sheets of various thicknesses and alloy composition are available from McMaster Carr (www.mcmaster.com) but they need to be cut into strips for use as bar frets. Sheet metal places or machine shops that have shears can do this cheaply. ◆