AM I JUST WASTING MY TIME on this "GARBAGE" 1976 Fender Strat?

[@TheGuitologist]

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[@tenlittleindians]

I had a light bulb moment watching you do this fret job. How about buying one of those wooden radiused fret blocks from China and sawing off a sliver about the size of your new tool from Germany and put a groove in it like your German tool. The genius part comes next! Take your newly made sanding wedge and attach it to either a palm sander bottom or to oscillator tool. That should really speed up the fret job and also cut down on hand fatigue.

[@Jeremya74]

How difficult are the frets to take out if they are glued in?...asking because you said you didnt like to glue in frets...thanks

[@jpalberthoward9]

Its not garbage, its just a casualty of modern efficiency and productivity. I once knew a lady who started working there in the early 60s, when Leo was still in charge, and Forrest White was the plant manager. She said that quality was the priority in those days, and everybody loved both of those guys. She said that when CBS came in, they had these guys they called "efficiency experts" out on the floor who walked up and down the line with clipboards and stopwatches, monitoring how many seconds it took for each operation. Anybody who couldn't complete a task in the alotted time was out the door. They didnt allow anybody to make sure things were right or correct small problems. This lady also said that morale was very low in those years, and it was also the time when people were sneaking off to get stoned and drink during lunch and breaks. It was your typical corporate top down style of management and quality suffered tremendously. She said most of the stuff that came out of there in those days that didnt have quality problems was put together by the really experienced old timers who knew what they were doing and didn't drink or smoke weed during working hours. That was the cause of the inconsistent quality. That, and a general attitude of "don't give a shit". ........and everybody wonders why the Japanese kicked our butts so hard in the 80s.

[@thebubster0312]

Sounds like Boeing today.

[@mikeh892]

​@@thebubster0312 Aye. And every other group which has become too big for its own good.

[@MrSongwriter2]

​@@mikeh892Peavy were terrible in that undercover boss episode a real eye opener

[@mikeh892]

@@MrSongwriter2 Hubris is a hell of a drug.

[@averysbragbook]

Who knew that smoking weed during lunch break didn't make you a better guitar builder. I thought I'd heard that it's the wonder drug for everything. (Locate the sarcasm yourself) 😢

[@lroy730]

Thought Fender was still Sliding Frets in until the 80’s ? Last 70s I worked on, had to Tap them out Sideways after heating. Re fined the fretboard as well.

[@pmsphoto]

Yeah, the 'tear out' removing the frets was precisely for this reason. The tangs on the original frets sit below 'solid' wood and not where the tang was banged in from the top. You need to notch the fret and tap it out sideways with a centre punch or similar. There should be virtually no tear out and no need for copious amounts of superglue and clean up after. Fender used a machine which pushed in all the frets from the side in the name of efficiency. I have a battered 1974 Strat which was refretted. 😀

[@pmsphoto]

Thick poly finish doesn't help either...!

[@SBanas]

Exactly the comment I was looking for. I've got a project of a 1979 strat in line, and only heard about this "improvement" from a Ted Woodford video.

[@michaelsablan8772]

That is the same info I have regarding the frets on Fenders of these years.

[@ExilesGate]

No your not wasting your time Brad! Keep at it! Best channel on KZbin!

[@thejakefromstatefarm6768]

I gave a stratocaster just like that one to my daughters boyfriend several years ago. Of course they are no longer together but he went on to be a really good guitar player. He plays at his church. I’ve given alot of guitars to alot of people and alot of them went on to be good players. This kid went on to be one of the best players i know. I love to see that ya know. The more people that play the better in my opinion.

[@joeydurant6267]

I need a guitar and won't even try to date your daughter man.

[@TheOnlineBarrister]

Love this comment. I was expecting a "should have got that back" comment but loved been wrong!

[@thejakefromstatefarm6768]

@@TheOnlineBarrister thank you. I never regretted giving it to him. I knew they wouldn’t stay together from the get go. They were kids. But if i can do anything to help someone play guitar im willing to do it. When i was young i wish someone would have helped me. I cut grass and saved money to buy my first good guitar. It was a strat. Im a les paul guy for the most part but strats are just great player guitars so i swear by them.

[@identifiesas65.wheresmyche95]

I read a comment on another video about a guy that got a guitar from "a girlfriends father". I remember it because i contemplated a reply asking how he knew the guys daughter was a girlfriend. 😂

[@identifiesas65.wheresmyche95]

Also it was a fender strat

I like the look of the 70s Strats, especially with the natural wood bodies and black plastics.

[@strat0871]

Love these too.

[@ColeWheeler4Lyfe]

It’s just classy and cool. +Rosewood takes it over the top for me.

[@scotthutchens1556]

@PadraigFloyd I’m the opposite. When those black pickguards came out, I didn’t like them at all combined with many of Fender’s finishes although I think the natural finish with the black guard is very attractive and would opt for it over the white. The only other black guard and finish combination I liked was the 3 color sunburst. I bought an Olympic white with white pickguard in 1973.

@@scotthutchens1556 Yes, it's the black with natural bodis I particularly like.

[@scotthutchens1556]

@ Yep! Having said that, I built pickguards out of boredom. 😆 Built a bright red one with bright chrome colored plastic hardware plus a blue one with black plastic hardware-put them on black bodies. 😀😉

[@GertvanderDoes]

At 45:00, it's not a bad idea to sand the higher frets a bit more and create some fall away above the 15th fret. Less chance of string buzz with low action.

[@PontiacS.]

I did that with a Cheap Chinese SG copy. Worked a Charm.

[@frtlzr_official]

🎸 Epic Work, Brad! 🎸 Caught your latest guitar restoration and we're absolutely floored! It was incredible seeing our FRTLZR Fretshaper, Polishing Kit, and Fretbanger in action. Your skill and our tools are a great match! Big thanks again. Your knack for bringing guitars back to life is inspiring. Can't wait to see what you tackle next!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for your sponsorship and amazing tools! I will get decades of use out of these for sure!

[@rustyrig2764]

Just purchased Fret polishing bundle, based off of this video...If Brad says it's good, I'm in! Can't wait to try it out!

[@jessefillmore]

I love the looks of the jumbo headstocks . Great job B-RAD . I passed up a late 70's hardtail about 10 years ago and regret still . I was a tri- burst with a rosewood neck .

[@MegaTubescreamer]

Full admiration for the practical no nonsense method and work ethic involved in this episode brad, loved every second! my 79 strat has a pathetic rosewood veneer on maple neck, you can imagine ! i would just get a spare neck rather than attempt ANY improvement ,and just keep it for originality, great work brad 😊👍👍👍

[@stiffrichard2816]

The 3-bolt and neck-tilt feature in '72 was mainly so you could easily pitch the neck for a floating trem or flush/flat. The big third bolt added a lot of sustain but also made the joint less stable if the pocket wasn't cut perfectly, and a lot of them were not.

[@PaulaXism]

My 73 lake placid blue was a dog.. fat neck and wouldn't stay in tune... Swapped it for a beaten up Rickenbacker 340

[@craighamley3669]

Hey I dig your videos... The comment at not quite 16 minutes in about using chisels safely brought back memories... I am a physical therapist and "slipped" with a chisel 6 years ago doing light carpentry, giving myself a low budget carpal tunnel release - woulda been free except I had to get stitches and do my own therapy. I missed my median nerve by less than a mm, and thankfully did only very minor damage to my ulnar nerve, so rather than risking bleeding out, I nearly ended my career as a PT because I specialize in manual therapy. I did, however, take up guitar to help restrengthen my hand, so now not only is my career on the line, but also my main hobby of playing guitar... Suffice it to say I don't look at sharp tools the same way now, and I think your advice is well stated. Take care and keep up the cool equipment nerd videos!

[@carlc2597]

If I did a fret job on my guitar and it turned out like that, I would be giddy with joy! Freakin beautiful !!

[@Slugg-O]

Thank you, Brad. This is exactly the kind of video I've been needing. I've got a few Strats and one is a pawn shop Squire SE that I call my test mule. I learn to tweak and mode on it so I don't risk screwing up my others, and I've been wanting try a refret. This will help a bunch!

[@cgavin1]

Great stuff Brad! Long form indulgent content forever please!

[@isgood100t4]

You need a leveling beam! And make the tops with marker to see your progress as you sand. AND..use thin glue with whip tips and do the glue after the frets are in place. Much neater .

[@douglasnielson8250]

Three bolt neck joints work fine if the neck pocket is tight. The problem with 70’s Strats is there usually is quite a gap between the neck and body.

[@stiffrichard2816]

Everybody was high in the 70's including the Fender luthiers. I also heard they drank like fish. That would explain all the sloppy neck pockets.

[@JoeGagan]

​@@stiffrichard2816a bandmate of my brother knew a guy who worked at the Fullerton factory around this time. the word he heard was that most the workers were on meth.

[@daw162]

The gap is fine. If the contact at the bottom is poor and the screw holes are slack, then there's a problem

[@stiffrichard2816]

@@daw162 Here's my trick. I mix a cup of saw dust and wood glue, shove it up into the 4 holes (or 2 on a 3-bolt) and run the screws (lightly coated with WD40) up through the heel and clean off the excess paste that they push out with a wet rag or PT, let the glue dry a bit and do that a few times until there's no excess coming up. Then when it's mostly dry but still soft I put the neck on and string it up quickly, tweak it, always with more space between the high E and fret edge than the low E, and leave it overnight. The screws are stable, that neck joint will not shift. You don't even need shims on the sides but good to have anyway.

[@stevesturdy4549]

Several decades ago, my 3M rep suggested soaking wet/dry sandpaper at least 15 minutes, up to overnight in a small bucket of water with several drops of dish soap. It keeps the paper from clogging and sharp edges from digging in. Granted, this was for much bigger jobs, but hey, whatever works!

[@TheGuitologist]

Interesting.

[@zvotaisvfi8678]

spray your sandpaper with a couple coats of clear spraypaint it will last insanely longer

[@STAY-GOLD-VINYL]

@@zvotaisvfi8678both sides of the sand paper?? Sounds odd

[@elliottorion4235]

Same concept with a water stone for sharpening. Makes sense.

[@deandee8082]

whenever I have a few high frets like that I take em down with a crown file that way I only have to hit the frets with a plane sander bare minimal

[@matthewf1979]

Bicentennial guitars hold a special place in my heart. Can't believe they're almost 50 years old!

[@johndaugherty4127]

Had a Bicentennial Firebird that I traded for, get this, an Antigua strat. Ouch. That Firebird was the best sounding guitar I ever heard. Just neck heavy. 7:36

[@MrZootalores]

definately worth it! loved your step by step of fixes...but the best part was hearing you play her!

[@damagedave]

The 3 bolt neck was actually championed by Leo himself. Post cbs he was still a consultant. Hence the reason the first run of G&L used it as well. I’ve got a ‘72 reissue with the three bolt, I see no issues with it.

[@Patrick-857]

I don't think the three bolt was the problem, it was QC issues due to the new corporate owners pushing productivity over quality.

[@David-xv6ye]

I bought one of those same German Schallar five ways switches years ago for an HSH guitar and I ran into the same problem you did, here it is 15 years later and I still have the switch in my parts box lol

[@boufd2008]

I used t think they went to 3 neck screws to save a nickel too. I recently heard on another channel that the tilt adjust supposedly worked better with 3 screws. Thats why they changed it

[@Byron_Blue]

Nice to see you work on a guitar Brad. You don’t use elaborate tools making the process easier for most to tackle the project with some confidence. Thank you!

[@alainbrisebois8334]

I have the same Ibeneze blonde Strat with heavy gouged frets. I might try to do what you did, and feep it for another 45 years .

[@rcracingwithjimi]

I like to put marker on the frets before I crown them. That way you know when there is a thin stripe left your good

[@vinniesworld459]

Really enjoyed the detailed restore and explanations - especially the safety warnings for working on things that require a balance of force and patience!

[@caseylee12]

I LOVE these restoration videos! Thanks Brad!

[@TempoDrift1480]

That's hallarious. I just made a comment asking if you had used those brass saddles yet, as I've had tremendous results with them, no sooner did I continue the video and they were laying there in a bag. Right on! Nice work!

[@robbysguitars8223]

Hey buddy. You have a great chance to completely flatten and re-radius that neck, but that means a new finish. I did a Warmoth strat neck with gloss lacquer all over and it came out so nice. It's a lot of work, but it's beautiful.

[@TheGuitologist]

I did briefly consider that, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to stop the sanding at the back of the headstock, for one thing, and didn't want one more thing to explain when it came time to sell this one. Don't know yet if I'll keep it.

[@sstorholm]

The chipout around the fret ends is most certainly due to fret sprout when at some point the neck shrunk due to humidity changes, I have a maple neck P-base with the exact same spots with missing finish.

[@brainey8]

my birthday, the year I graduated from High school... Love that ! I got a seventy-six new that year. Wish I had kept it!

[@foofghtr]

Back when FENDER made one Stratocaster and one Telecaster. You got what they put out and that was by year and the end game. Every year at Christmas I made just enough money to not be able to afford a new Stratocaster, so Tele is was for me lol…

[@scotthutchens1556]

@@foofghtrI had a 1973 Olympic white I bought new. Missed buying one in the late 60’s because when the guy brought it to my house my Dad noticed the neck was really warped. Have to thank my Dad for that. Went to see one in my area in about ‘71 of a friend of our band that was so beat up, especially the fingerboard/neck, finish, I didn’t want it. Then missed one that was like new that a kid was selling for a Gretsch?! Lol 😆 Because my Dad and the kids Dad would not budge on price which my Dad wanted at $25-$50 lower. Was a 1972 3 color sunburst. Was so disappointed. When I got my new one in 1973 I saved for a good two months or more making MW at about $1.60 an hour. 😆Boy did I ever appreciate it when I finally got the Strat. Like many people I was into Hendrix, Blackmore, and other Strat players from the 60’s/70’s that year except the Strat of was giving way to the Les Paul that everyone had to have at that time.

[@Lassi-mur]

The frets move out in these sideways. You were lucky fingerboard didn't chip away. Some of these are hard to refret but it would help if you know what you're doing.

[@TheGuitologist]

Pulling the frets out the normal way worked out just fine. I have no complaints about the end result.

[@Edward1312]

To raise the diverts on the fretboard use a damp rag and then run over it with a hot iron end, it will raise the divert.

[@Msoulantzos]

I can't wait to watch this one when I get home from work. My dad gave me his 1976 strat in 1995 when I was 11, and I played that thing all day for years. I haven't played it (or anything) much since 2006 because it's got intonation problems on account of the ultra-worn frets. I would love to refret it, but it has a maple fretboard with the poly finish.

[@andyhayes7828]

It can be easily refretted. I love that maple with poly finish as it is durable and feels good. They can be refretted without losing any of the finish and no worry of spray over as well. You just have to be more articulate/ specific as you remove the frets.

[@wjewell63]

Give it a shot man.. I'm pretty new at fret work but I've done some nice work so far.....👍

[@stevenwigen9848]

Love 70's fender's! A lot of tele's have 3 bolt necks too, but alot of both are Really Heavy,that don't bother me none! Thanks

[@richardpierce7819]

I had a 76 strat and I loved it , people say that 70s strats are trash , but that wasnt my experience with it

[@DekkardBryon]

It's dealers trying to run up the price on 60's kit.

[@oldasrocks9121]

Water and a soldering iron might have made pulling frets a bit easier... Love the hoodie! 👍👏

[@thevinylgeezer]

I dig that fret rocker. Gonna grab me one of those. As always, good stuff, Brad. Thanks for these. I’ve Learned a lot from watching you.

[@It_is_now]

I am curious when you sand the bottom of the nut down to the transfer the radius, why not sand it horizontally ? Doesn’t sanding horizontally will even out the radius curve more?

[@MezzMcGillicuddy1]

Good job, sounds great! Incidentally, I ended up using the same brass saddles on my hardtail Strat when I needed to raise the action for playing slide… I don’t have anything like your skills, though!

[@jacobdowler1]

So good you can literally feel these frets through the video!

[@amplifex4134]

What a cool strat, and you turned it from a closet queen, to a guitar that's probably better in every way than how it left the factory 😊... I'm ordering one of those fret tools too, man those look great! Nice job brother!

[@patrickkem689]

Hi Brad, thanks for sharing,, a quick question. With that neck pocket and the 3 bolt tilt , I see where you were explaining the bolt head wearing onto of the neck pocket, ,, Wouldn’t that create an issue for total tonal sonic transfer from neck to body string vibration?

[@fredzep01]

That was an enjoyable hour and a half, that guitar sounds lovely, and that was some nice playing, well done mate.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for listening. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Edward1312]

Inspired naming for that fretlevel - Fretbanger! This video makes me understand why a fret replacement job is expensive. This is very labour intensive.

[@jritechnology]

I've been looking for a fender from the year I was born....I have not been able to find a 1976.....thanks for uploading this and bringing a 48 year old guitar back to life.

[@TheGuitologist]

I’ll sell you this one if you want

[@jritechnology]

@@TheGuitologist Brad, I'd love to buy it....but as I sit here looking at all the projects, including ANOTHER partscaster (this will be #3) with a Floyd Rose...I'm just not sure it's in the budget now. If I could get rid of some of this crap (I have pedals galore up on reverb) I might have the money you're going to ask for that.

[@stiffrichard2816]

I have some tricks for stabilizing bolt-on neck joints, and pitching/rotating the tenon in the pocket to get killer action with a 7 1/4" radius with no choking. It's easier to do with 4-bolters than 3. When done right I could swing a bolt-on guitar around by the neck and it'll stay in tune.

[@fkitch]

Please elaborate! I have a 100% original 74 in need of some ‘stabilisation’

[@l1m1tl3ss5]

didn't Fender install the frets from the side, or did that change in the 70's? honestly curious as i have a 70's neck too

[@TheGuitologist]

No.

[@williambaker1136]

Was thinking the sideways installed frets was pre-CBS and not sure it continued much even in the early 60's.

[@l1m1tl3ss5]

@@TheGuitologist Thanks for the blunt reply. it was an honest question

[@l1m1tl3ss5]

@@williambaker1136 I knew they did it at some point, just wasn't sure when they stopped

[@JonnySoundSounds]

if you have never seen it check out fenders old fretting machine, it pushes the frets in from the side which is why they chip out so bad. thats just normal on old fenders of that era.

[@MashaT22]

Wow, that workbench threw up on itself! 🤢🤮🤣 (I’ve totally been there, only my “workbench” is the dining table where I “eat,” lol!) Thanks to the sponsors! Keep supporting these great channels.

[@jefferywarburton2116]

Sometimes the washer dryer the ticket.

[@PontiacS.]

I had the same guitar but 1972 4 bolt. I've seen a couple of those 1976 3 bolt's recently. NOT as good as the '72. Thinner and Narrower neck was one difference I noticed.

[@harlanjackson7085]

Hi Brad. i just purchased a Ibanez rg genesis thats finished in the color "Road Flair Red" Its basically neon day glow red. It "was" perfect until i dropped a reverb pedal on it by accident. sadly i chipped the finish. Is it harder to repair a chip in the paint job then the color is neon? Is it worth trying?

[@TheGuitologist]

You should speak to Ibanez and see if they have a source for the paint

[@shartne]

You got those frets nice and polished I bet they bend good.

[@TheGuitologist]

They bend awesome now. Fretboard is much less sticky too after sanding.

[@Superjet113]

The Spirit of 76' lives on! Nice job Brad!

[@invay69]

Correct me if I wrong, for those years strats don't you have to remove the frets "sideways" instead of pulling them?

[@TheGuitologist]

I don’t even know how you’d go about doing that or why.

[@invay69]

@@TheGuitologist When you pull them up, you chip the wood and damage the fretboard. when you hit them from the side, they just slide out... Those "missing spots" on the side of them, is because somebody did it that way.

[@cnilecnile6748]

Yeah, they had a machine that did it all in one step. After they basically went out of business, and were made by Ibanez (I think, may have been Matsumoko) for a few years, they went back to the regular way of doing it. It made it harder to do refrets, but the corporate idiots running the show (just like at "Gibson", didn't care, they thought they were making cars, and players would just buy another one. Damn boomers!

[@scotthutchens1556]

I had two Strats and two Tele’s of mine re-radiused and re-fretted with big frets like that-Dunlop 6100’s. I like them a lot.

[@atunleashed]

I enjoyed that deep dive on switches, interesting to see how things change for the better (or worse) over the years

[@strtomato19]

I think I read somewhere in a fender history book or online post about the 3 bolt neck that the idea behind it was it cut down on setup time since they could just adjust neck angle with a allen key instead of having to use shims

[@TheGuitologist]

I think it helped to tweak side to side angle too.

[@colbyanderson8630]

My father is the original owner of the same 1976 natural finish strat with a black pick guard. The only difference is that his has a rosewood fingerboard. This was the guitar that I learned on, and grew up playing. He still ownes this guitar, and it needs work as well, so this video should be useful, as it gives me a nice glimpse of what I'm in for when it comes to repairs. Your content is appreciated sir. Thanks, and keep up the good work.

[@MarzLast]

I have allways loved these big headstock and 3bolt microtilt guitars long before i played a 1976, today i still have a 2011 reissue ,flat pickups sound great bullet trussrods necks are excellent they will only get more collectable .

[@scottfromsouthcarolina3185]

I have a 1979 natural Ash finish 3 bolt neck that looks like yours. It's held up well. The neck is kinda fat but the action is very low and fast playing.

[@dorfsteen]

The way I did Brad I just use the edge of the edge of the counter with the Sandpaper and just matched the bottom of the old curved nut and just made it into the new one till they matched and it works perfect.

[@jagtone]

Why not sand the fretboard down a little before putting in the new frets to get rid of that over-finished stickiness?

[@PorchBass]

Might that affect the colour though?

[@jagtone]

@@PorchBass a bit, but not too much, I should think. He did sand there after placing the frets.

[@PorchBass]

@@jagtone yes, it is hard to see how much the superglue shows in the video. The dead skin could have come off first agreed!

[@PorchBass]

Good to see the sponsors come in.

[@jasondorsey7110]

He put temu parts on a fullerton-built fender lol

[@PorchBass]

@@jasondorsey7110 when you put it like that it is lol!

[@TheTactical6string]

interested to see what that Les Paul ends up trading out for in the neswest vid.

[@DavidSmith-sw5kg]

More than twenty years ago I bought a muli-pack of bone guitar nuts at MAE. It came with flat and and some with pre-radius style nuts . At checkout the kid running the drawer said have fun playing with your nuts. Thank you Brad for the tips and sound advice as well.

[@teranhughes77]

Looks like a Vice with soft jaws would help on that refret job?

[@bradconklin2878]

Ah, '76... The year I graduated, Nice job. Thank you. (Nice playing!)

[@markferguson3745]

I just recrowned a reverse 70's maple strat board, and the poly was so thick on the fret sides that it was almost impossible to get off.I used a ton of new blades, an etching tool, and a few other miscellaneous things, but- ridiculous,- which I'm sure is why the shop auctioned it and I got it at a reasonable price.I ended up blading the whole fingerboard, and soon enough will have to refret it altogether, but that's fine, - I need the practice.Just not sure if I want to go vintage or jumbo, as I like both for different reasons.Most seem to jump for the fat jumbo, but I think the only thing they offer is longer wear.I usually do the leveling drop off below the 12th fret to provide a little more breathing room, especially on Jazzmasters and Jaguars. I appreciate Brad's typical no BS approach, given some of the other instructionals out there.

[@VirginiaWolf88]

Nice Job. Beautiful results!!!

[@pedalscapes]

Great work 😎 had a luthier refret a 70s Tele deluxe for me (3 bolt) replacing similar worn out frets. Really brought the guitar back to life, although it needed quite a bit more re-fin lacquer on the board than yours - super glue did the trick for you there! Cheers😎

[@hellooutsiders6865]

I remember when I was a kid I found one of my dads chisels and started playing with it. I learned that day just how sharp they are. It takes nothing to cut yourself.

[@Patrick-857]

My chisels aren't sharp at all.

[@archaicrevivalsYTchannel]

i feel i've seen makeshift press made with standard vice. i'm fender shopping with a grand these days and honestly i feel like I can't remember the last time I was so happy.

[@TheGuitologist]

Yeah, I need to make one.

[@chunkmonk]

mr guitologist, when it comes to amp work and other electronics you are a master and a great musician and would be interested in any future originals you may hopefully write and record. i've learned a lot of things from this channel over the years and look forward to each video that gets posted and will continue to watch and enjoy your videos for hopefully years to come. but when ever i see you do guitar work it scares me to death😵

[@rickwiggins283]

Wonderful job. Thanks for the ride!

[@DekkardBryon]

I haven't heard that chime for years, this guitar sparkles!

[@mattc8723]

I have an 80's Squier with the micro tilt neck. The japanese luthiers figured out how to make it work.

[@guitfidle]

I almost bought a 74 that was identical to that, but heavier. Had the hardtail bridge, 3 bolt neck, and bullet truss rod too. I've always had a soft spot for those large headstocks, and like the way the pickups sound. Just a bit different from the vintage 50s to early 60s stuff or the modern stuff.

[@morddas]

70s natural ash body strat?? You now have the guitar of my dreams! Freaking awesome, man!

[@jasondorsey7110]

I have a '76 musicmaster bass and it is as good as I could have hoped...can't believe what people are trying to sell them for now though

[@moontheloon1969]

I have just used the frtlzr, fantastic product..but one thing fret protector is so damn sharp !, either scruff it scotch -brite or file the edges or this could ruin your day...but fantastic results in a short time

[@TheGuitologist]

hmm, I don't think mine felt sharp. I honestly never use those things anyway. I've always just used tape where I thought it was needed.

[@moontheloon1969]

@@TheGuitologist youre right , but if youre not expericenced,with a high gloss maple neck ,i would still recommend a tape up, its worth it,i used this on a 74 columbus les paul on its last fret re-crown,worked brilliant, on good frets its a no brainer to do at a string change

[@moontheloon1969]

Theres only so many short cuts, tape youre fingerboard, but great 5 step system

[@primateinterfacetechnologi6220]

It depends on what you mean by "waste"... For instance, I just spent an hour sticking my earbuds in my nose and seeing if I could get any sound out of my mouth. So... I've got no idea. Peace.

[@TheGuitologist]

Your analogy doesn’t compute. All it made me wonder was whether or not that genius idea works.

[@stiffrichard2816]

Fender chose 9.5" because it's half-way between 7 1/4" and 12". Before that there was only a 10" radius block from Stew Mac. I'm not even sure where to get 9 1/2" block.

[@shawnowen2902]

I have the same exact problem’s with my 79 - natural… worn frets, a dirty Jack and pots. I haven’t played it over the years to prolong what’s left of its playable life. Really frightened with the thought of needing a fret job… lol. I love your amp work and your closeted guitar collection is similar to mine. I love it when I go through and find a guitar that I’v forgotten about… 😂 Also like your thrift store finds and I listen to what you have to say about guitars and amps. I just stay out of the politics and in the past have thought you were a little hard on people over certain products but can’t think of any particular beef you had with anyone. I really do Appreciate the free knowledge service you’re providing and do try to absorb all that I can. I unfortunately am not in a position to offer your channel with any monetary support but I know it would be worth every Penny without a doubt. Thank’s again… God bless and take care!!! 👍 Sincerely, Shawn Owen. Fremont, California USA

[@leighsayers2628]

Fabulous ..loved that video ....guitar looks and sounds great ..😅from Australia Ooh ..and out of interest what model fender amp .i can't see it that well ...i just bought a princeton 650 yesterday..

I've always preferred the natural finish on a guitar. Cousin Frank has a 1962 Partscaster that after striping the body of multiple different layers of paint. The three piece body looked like one piece of ash. He left it natural and sprayed clear coat and it looks just amazing.

[@BeesWaxMinder]

where they still installing frets sideways in the 70s?

[@TheGuitologist]

I don’t think frets were ever installed sideways by anyone. The tangs have spikes on them. I don’t see that working out.

[@TheGuitologist]

I did some research on this and you might be right about it. I just cannot find a definitive citation or video /photographs of the jig they used. Thanks for bringing this up though. Something I didn't know before now!

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@TheGuitologist there is a drawing in a book of what they used ...it's a kind of handheld device with a pulley system operated by a foot pedal Its very low tech and typical Leo Fender ingenuity! Imagine a computer mouse with a groove in the bottom instead of a ball and at the end of the groove is a strong metal pin. The cable from this " mouse" goes over a roller in front of the operator (the neck itself sits between the operator and this roller) and the operator's hand holds down this "mouse" which is loaded with the pre-cut fret while the other end of the cable is attached to a foot pedal which the operator pushes down on forcing the "mouse" to be dragged across the board pushing the fret across and into the precut slot on the neck

[@BeesWaxMinder]

@@TheGuitologist remember that fender never envisaged anyone replacing frets he just figured that they would replace the whole neck!

[@BeesWaxMinder]

Just seen your latest comments/short about 'armchair Luthiers' I don't know if I'm included in that category but IF I am I just wanted to put it out there that I made comments in a genuine and heartfelt manner and to remind that not all of us qualified Luthiers with many years behind us want to share our hard won secrets on the Internet! However I do love the money I get from repairs that people who have followed such armchair enthusiasts online and bring the result to me 😉

[@robwilson1140]

Where you dinged the fret board try a damp towel and an iron to try to raise the wood.

[@skullheadwater9839]

My 72' Tele Deluxe with the two Wide Range Humbuckers also I think the Thinlines have the 3 bolt.

[@GertvanderDoes]

Got a fret bender from ali for a couple of bucks. Works perfectly. Better on long wire, of course. Temu probably has them too. Also got a radius block but don't recommend it. Radius is good but wood feels pretty soft.

[@joeydurant6267]

I wondered about temu luthiery tools... Not bad then?

[@GertvanderDoes]

@@joeydurant6267 Some are, some not so much. That's the gist of my post. I only have experience with aliexpress, not temu. Don't take big risks with either of those shops, I have had 99% good to great experience but some orders I got something totally different. And some stuff you can't even get in Europe for any price but are available from ali for a song.

[@ghepensimi6609]

It's hard to imagine a roughest approach on a guitar refretting. I don't know if it will hold, and the glue I think will eventually turn its color. I appreciate the straightforwardness of the approach, not for the faint of heart. I'd like a followup video on it.

[@musicmnw1982]

Nice. Frets looks good and it sounds great. My grandma wants her pajama pants back though.

[@krelbar]

Great video. Of course just discovering now because your vids never come up in your feed though I've been subscribed quite a few years. I'd like to give you a little tip that might help. When there are a few very high frets compared to the rest, I usually take them down individually then complete the level. I usually do this vertically across the fret and make sure I don't completely level it. That way when I level all the frets in a horizontal direction, it will take the 'cross grain' (for lack of a better term) off the individually leveled frets.

[@JamesDGardner]

Who is good at fixing Amps in Louisville Ky? Do you? I have a tone king imperial I am having problems with. Idk what’s wrong with it.

[@TheGuitologist]

I wouldn't mind looking at that one, but it will be a while before I can get to it. Lots of stuff in line already. bradlinzy at gmail

[@crucifixgym]

Would love to see you review the Fret Maestro device designed to never use a fret leveling sanding block because it can take away so much material you’ll never get back. Considering getting one for all my 7.25 radius guitars and a separate one for 12” radius.

[@deanbartone8187]

Hey Brad, excellent work I have a 73 with a white guard hard tail all original in dire need of for Fret job also 79 anniversary could use it too. Maybe I’ll send them to you that fantastic job you just did.

[@SimpleMan1988]

Love that guitar A Fender 1976 HT Strat. May I ask, what type of amp were you using at the end of the video to demo the guitar?

[@brandonjackson5865]

I never thought about radius ing frets like that, thanks man I’m trying to work up the courage to refret and bold Ibanez destroyer II i have. I believe I can do the job as I’m fairly mechanically inclined have hand built blueprinted diesel prototype engines and fairly handy performing my own home repairs and maintenance so I think as long as I have patience and work carefully I could probably do a successful refret