STAHMAN GUITARS
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fretwork

Where the rubber hits the road, so to speak.

Frets should be level, and they usually aren't. That's a bummer.
The good news is that your frets can be made level. Sometimes the existing frets can be leveled just fine. Other times, the frets are pulled, the fretboard gets planed, new frets go in and get leveled. Anyway, I do all that, and I like it.
Good fretwork provides immediate and noticeable benefits. That's the reason I like it: I can hand you the guitar and watch you have more fun with it than you were having before. Nothing is cooler than that.
Here's the part where I tell you why fretwork from this operation is better. Whenever possible (that's almost always), I do my fretwork in the Erlewine Neck Jig. It's a really smart invention that holds your instrument in the same position it was in under string tension. Necks can move a lot under tension, creating ripples, bumps, and twists. Doing fretwork without this type of equipment will provide less fantastic results, because all of those irregularities can disappear when the neck is relaxed. I don't like surprises. My customers don't like surprises. That's why I do fretwork under tension. It takes more time, the equipment costs more, and the results are better.

Note for the Plek fans: Pleks are great, and can do the job when they're operated by a competent individual. That's as far as we'll get into it.

Here's a fingerboard divot repair during a refret. I was pretty happy with how it turned out:

Loved the result of this maple re-fret and refinish job:

Gibson Mastertone banjo refret w/ binding repair, fingerboard repair, inlay replacement, etc.:

Standard fret leveling. Red areas are low. Results (on the right) are beautiful!:

Various shots of fretwork in the shop:

What my clients are saying:

"The Eugene/Spfld area is really fortunate to have someone who demonstrates this level of competence and inclusiveness while working on our instruments. I'll be taking all of my guitars here for repairs and setups!" - Adam, via Google

"Amazing attention to detail with the setup and excellent communication about all the work completed to get it right. Price was fair with a surprisingly quick turnaround. My guitar is really fun to play now, thanks Nate!" - Baron, via Google

"...you get what you pay for and more, great quality work in a timely fashion. The whole experience was super positive. Looking forward to doing business with him again soon. Thanks Nate for making my guitar a lot more fun to play.🙂" - Derick, via Google

Get in touch:

I do it all by email!
[email protected]
*IMPORTANT: No estimates will ever be given by email!
I typically respond to email within 2 business days.
I don't work or correspond on Sunday or Monday.
​
I'm just one guy doing all of this, so I appreciate your patience.

Check out Instagram and Facebook to see what I'm up to lately:


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Copyright © 2019 Stahman Guitars. All Rights Reserved.
Est. 2011. Serving Eugene/Springfield since 2017.
  • Home
  • My Story
  • portfolio
  • APPOINTMENTS
  • Thoughts
  • FAQ
  • Learn
  • Setup Class