So I have been wanting to post this topic just for us to feel comfortable on discussing our experience, we need to be honest about it.
Saw some fret job on FB from Papi, looks good on the pics and videos so I decided to get my maple fingerboard guitar a fret job
My experience was:
Price was 5k, and the nut that he put + 1k, because he mentioned the stock nut is synthetic bone
I got really excited because that was my first stainless fret experience
1. It looks good, I mean the frets.
So I just played it like there was no tomorrow, and I did not get in to detail about it. Then I realized:
2. My fretboard had a lot of marks or bumps and scratches.
3. The fret height are not consistent
4. The fret edge was not proportion to one another
A year after, I brought in my other guitar(which has the same maple fingerboard) to Sir Arie, to get a stainless steel fret job,
My experience:
Price was 5k, same synthetic bone nut, he adjusted this nut and he setup the guitar, all-in.
1. It looks stunning
2. There are no marks, bumps, bruises
3. The details are just unbelievable
4. It plays like heaven. And it's a keeper, I won't sell it ever.
I know we should not be comparing a person to one another, but we are paying our hard earned money for us to be satisfied.
I am fan of buy and sell, but through decades of playing guitar, you'll know if you will keep it or not. But I have seen a lot of guys selling their guitars after Papi's fret job, I wonder if they experience the same as I do, or they are just tagging Papi stainless steel to attract buyers, but it does not make sense because the price they invested were not cheap. I am curious.
can you share your experience?
PS: I think luthiers here in PH, should be trained and certified by Arie. hehehehe..
Peace to all!