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OK, I'm an old school guy and have never fretted with stainless fretwire before, but it looks like I'm about to take the plunge. I have to refret a Fender EVH with the small "vintage" stainless frets. So.... questions.....

First - anyone know what size the stuff is? I don't have the guitar in hand to measure yet. I'll have to order some, of course.

As a longtime machinist in the aircraft industry, I know stainless is tough - and I understand stainless fretwire is no different. What techniques will be different from normal nickle silver, what tools must I use or buy?

I've been searching, and there's just so much other stuff to slog through. Anyone want to point the way to me? Thanks for a few crumbs of help.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Hey Chris happy to help.

I don't know the wire size but that will be apparent when you get it in and since it is smaller wire that's a good thing for the next question. I would recommend Jescar stainless though, that's what we use and we like it.

Stainless is tougher but I use my standard tools, Stew-Mac nippers, fret tang cutter, files, etc with no problems or work arounds needed. The jumbo stainless wire is harder to cut but we get by with it anyway with nothing being done differently.

Since you can do NS wire now you shouldn't need to do anything differently in my view. The only exception is with jumbo stainless harder and sharper nippers would be useful although we have yet to do that.

The stainless wire will level the same with files and abrasives and polish the same. It's a little harder so a bit more time perhaps if you have to honk off a lot of material but beyond this it's still a piece of cake.

Before I started working with the stuff, stainless, the BS that I read on the web scared me and it was all for nothing. The process, tools, techniques can all be similar or the same.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Good to know, sir.
The wire measures .040 tall, and .080 wide - almost like mandolin wire.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

That should be the stuff....

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Yeah wire that size should be easy to work even in stainless. The only tough thing about this refret has nothing to do with the fret wire but the tendency that Fender style bolt-on necks have to have a ski-ramp form with the over the body frets that becomes the biggest limiting factor to low action. We mill this "rise" out and induce fall-away and then all is fine. If the ramp is present though some material will likely need to be removed on the last through the 12th which is easier with a file with tape over one end that rides on the 12th.

Something that I've always appreciated about working on Fender style instruments is removing the neck just makes it all that much easier without worrying about the body being in the way.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

Can anyone suggest an OLF friendly vendor?
The client has given the go-ahead.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

LMI carries Jescar wire.
Their part number is FWSS74.

Mandolin classic wire was certainly NOT .080". That would be like fretting with super wide wire on a steel string. Loar mandolin wire was .032" and a lot of players liked ,040 if they liked thin wire, Standard mandolin wire was around ,062" and Fat mandolin wire was .080 -.082.
Standard classic wire for steel strings is .080 -.082"...

Well, the new frets are on the neck. Putting the bevel on the ends, and THAT will take some time. But I knew it wouldn't be easy. So far, so good.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

DONE! Didn't take much to level the frets, and I spent most of the afternoon rounding and polishing the fret ends. Those stainless frets will wear out a piece of sandpaper quick, you know? So now I've taken the plunge, and it wasn't so bad. I did charge extra for the stainless. Thanks to Hesh for the pep talk. Darn, I forgot to take pix before returning the axe to the store. Oh, well. It looked nice, folks - and played great.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince