Refret Gibson L-5 CES

**PTChristopher** · 02-20-2012, 08:56 PM

Henk,

(Assuming that is your name here)

I am sure you'll be able to get the job done to your satisfaction. I have done plenty of nib-preservation even though I am a "nibless" guy myself. It is a little tedious to do, but no big deal and I'm sure your guy will have his methods to make it all work.

If he decides for some reason to replace the binding, please do not take my "T" profile comment to mean that the new binding must also be the "T" shaped stuff and extend into the FB. I have replaced Gibson binding both by filling the FB edge slot with wood and with an epoxy-and-wood filler, and then used normal binding. It all works just fine.

And of course, while I am not making this stuff up, the opinion of the luthier who will actually do your work is far more important than my online opinion.

In my opinion. Which is sort of ironic. I guess.

Based on your name and, als ik kan vragen, bent u een Nederlander?

Chris

**willtheguitardude** · 02-20-2012, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by henkkicken

This is a pic of the "victim" (made with my cell)

Gorgeous guitar man! Hope you can get those frets under control, that guitar looks amazing.

**henkkicken** · 02-21-2012, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by PTChristopher

Henk,

(Assuming that is your name here)

I am sure you'll be able to get the job done to your satisfaction. I have done plenty of nib-preservation even though I am a "nibless" guy myself. It is a little tedious to do, but no big deal and I'm sure your guy will have his methods to make it all work.

If he decides for some reason to replace the binding, please do not take my "T" profile comment to mean that the new binding must also be the "T" shaped stuff and extend into the FB. I have replaced Gibson binding both by filling the FB edge slot with wood and with an epoxy-and-wood filler, and then used normal binding. It all works just fine.

And of course, while I am not making this stuff up, the opinion of the luthier who will actually do your work is far more important than my online opinion.

In my opinion. Which is sort of ironic. I guess.

Based on your name and, als ik kan vragen, bent u een Nederlander?

Chris

Hi Chris, Dank je wel ! Ik ben (de enige telg) in NL geboren 60 jaar terug; rest van familie in US. Regelmatig Costa Mesa, CA - NL vv.

**henkkicken** · 02-21-2012, 08:12 AM

Originally Posted by willtheguitardude

Gorgeous guitar man! Hope you can get those frets under control, that guitar looks amazing.

Thanx, no buzz, but after 40 years it feels like the "fretless wonder", ya know the LP Gibson produced about 60 years ago. It's a great player with the L5 tone, in superb condition. I use a Henriksen and a Peterson amp (also play a 1966 Tele and a nylon string Ramirez 2CWE).

**FourOnSix** · 04-18-2025, 12:44 PM

Resurrecting this old thread to ask the following.

I have a minty 90s blonde L-5CES, arguably collectible though hardly vintage. The high E string easily falls off the edge of the fretboard. There is a shortage of real estate at the fret ends; the nibs are the culprit. Is there a way to refret and preserve the nibs and, at the same time, solve the issue? Or do I need to resign myself to the reality that the only way to fix the problem is losing the nibs?

In any event, I haven't yet found anyone in the SF Bay Area who will do a refret without cutting off the nibs. So, open to suggestions on that front (moot if the answer to the first part of my question is that the nibs have to go)

**mauibob** · 04-18-2025, 01:13 PM

FWIW, I possessed Joes’ ‘74 GJS for a year or so. Joe had an amazing refret done that made the JS play smooth as silk and with great intonation. I can’t remember the fret details nor who performed the work. But.
I’ve never had a guitar come as close to perfection
Send him a msg : MAX405
Mauibob

**nevershouldhavesoldit** · 04-18-2025, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by PTChristopher

The "gold" fretwire is "EVO" from Jescar. I do not know the metals in it

I believe the secret ingredient is titanium. But Jescar EVO gold fret wire has been hard to get for a few years now and is only available in a few sizes at best. I want to use it when my LP and my regular gigging archtop need new frets (which will be within a few years at most) and I hope my luthier can get it.

I have SS frets on my 7 string Tele, and they're excellent. They feel smooth as glass, and there's no visible fret wear after 4 years of regular gigging on blues and pop dates with much bending. But the setup has to be perfect. When I got the guitar (new), it had a very faint metallic plink that I didn't like. I tried many remedies after checking the frets, nut, action and relief and finding nothing amiss (or so I thought). I finally took it to my luthier in desperation, and he found that the frets had not been perfectly leveled. There was only a very slight irregularity in the first few, and the nut had two slots that were a hair too deep. So there was very, very light contact between strings and frets at a few places. He and I think that SS is so much harder than regular fret wire that the slightest contact will cause audible tone effects. Softer frets are apparently more tolerant of this.

He leveled, crowned, & polished them after correcting the nut and adjusting the Hipshot bridge I'd fitted. He then dialed out almost all relief (as I like it) and it was a new guitar - smooth, warm, mellow, and very easy to play. So if you think you're getting a metallic tone from your SS frets, have it set up by the best luthier you can find, and hopefully it will do the trick. I suspect that Plek done by a skilled and experienced operator would do this. But I've seen many Plek jobs that resulted in the need to shim necks and make major changes to new guitars. So I'm sticking with my luthier.

**deacon Mark** · 04-18-2025, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by FourOnSix

Resurrecting this old thread to ask the following.

I have a minty 90s blonde L-5CES, arguably collectible though hardly vintage. The high E string easily falls off the edge of the fretboard. There is a shortage of real estate at the fret ends; the nibs are the culprit. Is there a way to refret and preserve the nibs and, at the same time, solve the issue? Or do I need to resign myself to the reality that the only way to fix the problem is losing the nibs?

In any event, I haven't yet found anyone in the SF Bay Area who will do a refret without cutting off the nibs. So, open to suggestions on that front (moot if the answer to the first part of my question is that the nibs have to go)

It should not do this and if so might be because the bridge is not sitting square to the neck in the correct alignment. I could also be the spacing of the strings is off at the nut or the saddle, or both at once. Gibson designed the guitar to work and play with the nibs on it. My do and I think I would check things out before any refret that seems a bit backwards. Also, I don't preserve the nibs while not impossible to keep damn near impossible to keep and get it correct. If I refret the nibs go and frankly that is better in my opinion on a refret, although when new and set up correctly it does make neck feel pretty nice.

**John A.** · 04-18-2025, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by FourOnSix

Resurrecting this old thread to ask the following.

I have a minty 90s blonde L-5CES, arguably collectible though hardly vintage. The high E string easily falls off the edge of the fretboard. There is a shortage of real estate at the fret ends; the nibs are the culprit. Is there a way to refret and preserve the nibs and, at the same time, solve the issue? Or do I need to resign myself to the reality that the only way to fix the problem is losing the nibs?

In any event, I haven't yet found anyone in the SF Bay Area who will do a refret without cutting off the nibs. So, open to suggestions on that front (moot if the answer to the first part of my question is that the nibs have to go)

I had this problem (i.e., high E string sliding off the edge of the fretboard) on a guitar after it was refretted. It took me a while to figure out what was going on, but it turned out that the nut was reinstalled a little bit off center after the refret. I corrected the position of the nut myself, and the problem went away. I'm not suggesting that's what's going on with your guitar, but I think the symptoms do speak more to something being out of alignment than the guitar needing a refret. I'd recommend thoroughly investigating nut, bridge and tailpiece before considering a refret.

**deacon Mark** · 04-18-2025, 02:42 PM

The 2 outside E strings should when looking down the neck from the tailpiece end, be even on both sides of the fingerboard. If they are not which seems likely, then either the bridge is not sitting square and equal in relationship to the fingerboard. If it is then the suspected problem is at the nut in the string spacing. It is very possible the tailpiece is not on in the very center of the guitar and also the center of the fingerboard. This happens Gibson occasionally does not get it right. That however can be corrected temporarily by moving the bridge and not actually cause your problem on the string slipping off. I strong suspect nut and bridge spacing is the problem.

A picture of all this is worth a million words.

**FourOnSix** · 04-18-2025, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by deacon Mark

The 2 outside E strings should when looking down the neck from the tailpiece end, be even on both sides of the fingerboard. If they are not which seems likely, then either the bridge is not sitting square and equal in relationship to the fingerboard. If it is then the suspected problem is at the nut in the string spacing. It is very possible the tailpiece is not on in the very center of the guitar and also the center of the fingerboard. This happens Gibson occasionally does not get it right. That however can be corrected temporarily by moving the bridge and not actually cause your problem on the string slipping off. I strong suspect nut and bridge spacing is the problem.

A picture of all this is worth a million words.

May not be very helpful, but ...

**John A.** · 04-18-2025, 08:00 PM

It looks to me like the high E nut slot is cut closer to the edge of nut than the low E. There’s clearly more space between the edge of the board and low E than on the high E side.

A new nut is probably the answer,
but I’d try moving the bridge a bit toward the bass side first. That might help. If not I’d recommend having a luthier look at it. But I doubt a refret is necessary.

**FourOnSix** · 04-19-2025, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by John A.

It looks to me like the high E nut slot is cut closer to the edge of nut than the low E. There’s clearly more space between the edge of the board and low E than on the high E side.

A new nut is probably the answer,
but I’d try moving the bridge a bit toward the bass side first. That might help. If not I’d recommend having a luthier look at it. But I doubt a refret is necessary.

Thanks. Deacon Mark and I spoke on the phone, and that was pretty much his assessment.

**58flame** · 04-20-2025, 09:34 AM

Your problem with the E string falling off is most likely the string spacing at the nut. New nut will fix that.

**FourOnSix** · 04-20-2025, 10:18 AM

Well, I brought it to Gryphon, and they recommended a refret because of the extreme fret beveling. The frets ARE excessively beveled. I authorized the work.

**John A.** · 04-20-2025, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by FourOnSix

Well, I brought it to Gryphon, and they recommended a refret because of the extreme fret beveling. The frets ARE excessively beveled. I authorized the work.

Nothing beats hands-on assessment by an experienced repair person.