Removing frets from fretboard

[ayyub]

I'm trying to pull of the frets from the fretboard off a squier strat for a little experiment i am conducting. Any have any advice on how to remove these without causing much damage to the rest of the neck?

[jordonh]

i didnt know you could do that??
maybe you can

[pay4whatuget]

it def can be done, because i remember a guy either on here or the bridge turned his fender bass into a fretless awhile back...i'm not sure how WELL it worked, but it can be done...

[Firedncin8nancy]

i hear it can be done, with a nail clipper or something like that

[TheLoveGangster]

there are special tools to do this, because people do take frets out of guitars. its usually to replace them, but it would work for your purpose too. im not sure where you can get these tools, though

[Rob]

You'll probably want to fill in the areas where the frets were with something, lest you get a different and rather strange kind of buzz. Most fretless instruments have a taper to the neck, as well. Not sure what it's for (I have my theories) but that might make a difference as well.

[scoot_14]

You are supposed to heat the frets with a soldering iron, then you pull them out with some sort of metal clippers.

[the world]

I'm trying to pull of the frets from the fretboard off a squier strat for a little experiment i am conducting. Any have any advice on how to remove these without causing much damage to the rest of the neck?

take a normal clothes iron, set it almost as high as it will go, and just put it on the frets. this loosens the glue (it took ten minutes of constant heat to do my bass every few frets.) then take tweezers, nail clippers, a pillip's head screw driver ... anything you think you can handle without damaging your neck and pull out each one. one by one. by one. by one.
then fill in the fret slits with wood putty, and coat it with a few layers of any sealant to protect your neck from the harshness it will be put through.
i used 10 coats of a military grade epoxy on my bass. Jaco Pastorius style, ya know?
remember after doing this you'll have to realign your neck, which will be a pain in the butt.
that's all.

[musicman_ace]

You wouldn't have a before and after picture of how yours turned out would you?

[the world]

You wouldn't have a before and after picture of how yours turned out would you?

no, i don't. i wasn't really thinking about documenting doing it or anything.
it turned out nicely, though it took some time to do.

i used Duratite wood putty to fill in the frets and ten coats of Petitt's Poly-Poxy to coat the neck to protect it against my abbrasive roundwound bass strings.

[musicfreak21]

jaco pastorius....the master.

[the world]

jaco pastorius....the master.

he was also a little ... not right in the head towards the end there.

[musicfreak21]

yeah, poor guy...