Les Paul Refret Nibs Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter japetus
  • Start date Start date

To nib or not to nib?

  • Pay the extra and get the nibs. It's a vintage instrument, so why not pay extra?

    Votes: 6 37.5%

  • Forget the nibs. Spend the extra money on a nice amp!

    Votes: 10 62.5%
  • Total voters
    16
japetus

japetus

Well-known member
One of my dads old buddies has a 68/69 Les Paul Custom he's had forever. He stopped playing for 20 years and now is getting back into playing and looking at amps and stuff. The frets are worn down to basically nothing so I helped him contact a few luthiers about a refret. Most of the quotes are about the same, but when I asked about keeping the nibs they all said they either won't do it or it's going to be a drastic upcharge (I am talking 3x more). My dads friends biggest concern is that it will greatly devalue the guitar even though he insists he will never sell it anyway. So onto the poll question...if it were you, would you pay the extra price to get the nibs added or just not even bother with it?
 
I can't speak to a 68 LP but earlier this year I had stainless frets put on a 2010 LP and didn't bother with keeping the nibs. He is not going to keep it original anyway with the refret being done, and he said that he won't sell it so I say save the cash and ditch the nibs.

Now if he has some type of OCD and the nibs will trigger it, pay the extra for the sake of his mental health.
 
fek said:
I can't speak to a 68 LP but earlier this year I had stainless frets put on a 2010 LP and didn't bother with keeping the nibs. He is not going to keep it original anyway with the refret being done, and he said that he won't sell it so I say save the cash and ditch the nibs.

Now if he has some type of OCD and the nibs will trigger it, pay the extra for the sake of his mental health.
Click to expand...

Yep. I got rid of the nibs on both my LP's as well. I always thought the nibs were stupid. It feels and plays much better with the frets running to the edges...
 
Nibs are stupid, I think most people would prefer them to be gone. Only the corkiest of cork sniffers would care.

To preserve them, the binding has to come off, and either be replaced, or someone very skilled, and costly will have to file the new frets to match the old binding.
 
I would spend the extra money to get the best luthier I could and with PLEK. Based on everything else 'guitar' during these times, I wouldn't be surprised if luthiers are busier than ever. If it were mine I'd send it to Glaser but I can drive it up there and make a day trip of it (not that a day trip is very alluring right now). But he might be booked for a long time.
 
From a guitar value standpoint a refret is a refret nibs or no nibs.
Nibs are cool but ive had LP refrets without and find its not a big deal.
From a Luthier point trying to save nibs during a refret is a huge PITA, time consuming and costly.
 
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I'm going to have my goldtop refretted with stainless this year and have no intention on keeping the nibs even though my luthier offers it. It's not a vintage or collector guitar so I'm not concerned with it.
 
id be more concerned with the playability of it then the nibs, but id get the best job done possible
 
No nibs unless maybe it's a real pre 61.

Upcharge is because it's A LOT more labor.

Pleks don't make small frets tall again. Actually they don't do the best fretwork either, they just do it fast.
 
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