Question About Compression Fretting

[North Bender]

My 1948 D-28 is in to the shop to fix the action. I'm using a top-notch luthier who says compression frets will relieve the bow in the neck.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has had the procedure done on such a non-truss rod guitar. Can you really bend the neck much using this method?

I've had it done many times. Holding one in my lap as we speak.

It's an art and it works. Fear not.

[mc1]

what are compression frets?

Compression fretting is the process of using frets with thicker tangs to reduce relief in necks without adjustable truss rods. The fret wire comes in several tang thicknesses, so the repairman can use more or less compression as needed.

[Ben-Had]

Originally Posted by North Bender

My 1948 D-28 is in to the shop to fix the action. I'm using a top-notch luthier who says compression frets will relieve the bow in the neck.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has had the procedure done on such a non-truss rod guitar. Can you really bend the neck much using this method?

Yes, you can bend the neck and in fact bend it within thousandths of an inch of your desired target. I have done it many times and I posted on this forum a while back a 1973 D-18 I compression fretted.

[mc1]

thank you, todd. you learn something everyday. do these only go on certain frets, like 3-10, or all the way?

[North Bender]

That's a good question mc1

How tight the tangs fit is critical to getting the desired result. It's as much art as science. Typically you will use the thickest tangs (greatest compression) in the center of the neck.

[North Bender]

Ok thanks. It's not cheap!

Quality acoustic guitar repair is not cheap, of course neither is a botched job on a '48 D-28.

Getting the right guy on the job is worth the effort. I don't recall the repairmen who do most of the work on my guitars charging more for a compression fret job though. Both of them do a lot of work on fixed neck Martins so I think the compression fretting is pretty routine for them.