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Hi Bobby,When I contacted Ceder Creek about the fretwire size for replacements they gave me a link to Stew-mac. I wonder if this particular thin fretwire is too soft? Stew-mac buy in bulk from the Far East and I know that there are often variations in production runs. I'm having an MD built at present with stainless steel frets, which I hope will solve the issue!!!!!!!Your comment about thicker strings is not the case with my MD. The instrument came fitted with 0.012 strings for d (27.5" VSL). Whilst this is higher than the string gauge you mention it is not excesive. I suspect that a poor batch of fretwire is the issue here.
Thanks Rod,So there is a difference in the way the workshop handles the fret installation for the Walnut Creek range, which means that the fret wire could be different?
Robin the end of my frets are finished down...
Hi Clare,When I do re-fret I'll be on the look out for a new zero fret aswell because that is wearing too. The present zero fret is considerably bigger than the rest of the frets so the replacement will need the same ratio compaired to whatever frets I install.
Hi Rod,I can't see why they would use different fret wire between Cedar Creek and TK O'Brian. But they may have just bought in a batch of softer wire. Just out of interest, do your Ceder Creek MDs have stright cut fret ends like the ones on my Walnut Creek, or are they dressed?
wow Robin... I have been playing my Cedar Creeks (same builder as your Walnut Creek) for years and they have some wear but nothing like that... I'm curious if they use different fret wire in the two dulcimer companies..
I think that they are really soft - high brass content and low nickel content. I've never seen fret wear like it before either. I've seen bits of fret dust glinting on the fingerboard after some sessions!!! Luckly, they are all still playing cleanly, so the job is not too urgent. I may just flip the bad frets around and carry on playing until I really need a full re-fret! At that stage I'll look at the options.
What the Heck?!?? How on earth did you get that weird wear? Were the frets really soft metal or something?? I have put hundreds and hundreds of hours of very vigorous noter playing on my two dulcimers and there is nothing like that going on- just a general wearing down under the melody strings, as one would expect...with just soft dents visible.I totally don't get it. !?!Maybe I have much harder frets than you?
Mmm... no one could say that I've not been putting the hours in to learn MD over the last 11 months!!! :0)
Yep - a re-fret is called for!!! I'd like to replace them with stainless steel as they should take more punishment. My only problem is the zero fret as somehow I'm going to have to replace that with a size that matches whatever new fretwire I install. Replacing the frets is going to be easy compared with finding a zero fret of the right size!!!!
those frets look like they have been "hammered on" a time or two.. :) :)
Don't fret about it John ! (Sorry about that Robin, are you going to do your refret?)Best wishes,JohnH
Wow! There's been some serious play of that dulcimer! :)
Feelin' groovy. (Sorry - couldn't resist it!)