I have a Rebel soprano with a fretboard that extends down to the sound hole, but the frets stop at the body. There’s a little over an inch of blank, unfretted fretboard there. It looks kind of like a KoAloha soprano or one of Liam Kirby’s sopranos (though not quite as long). The uke has 12 frets.
Because I’m learning some songs that go as high as the 14th or 15th fret, I often wish my soprano had two or three more frets. There’s enough space on the fretboard for 14 frets. Possibly even 15.
How difficult would it be to have 2 or 3 frets installed? I know guitars/ukes can get refretted, but I assume that’s very different because the slots are already there. Would putting in new frets where there weren’t any be difficult/costly enough that it’s better just to get a new uke? Or is this something a tech/luthier could do without too much difficulty?
I recall reading here on UU, Sam Muir had a Wunderkammer soprano with 12 frets and, wanting more frets, commissioned another soprano with 15. Since there was space for more frets on that first soprano, I assumed just adding more frets was too difficult.
Because I’m learning some songs that go as high as the 14th or 15th fret, I often wish my soprano had two or three more frets. There’s enough space on the fretboard for 14 frets. Possibly even 15.
How difficult would it be to have 2 or 3 frets installed? I know guitars/ukes can get refretted, but I assume that’s very different because the slots are already there. Would putting in new frets where there weren’t any be difficult/costly enough that it’s better just to get a new uke? Or is this something a tech/luthier could do without too much difficulty?
I recall reading here on UU, Sam Muir had a Wunderkammer soprano with 12 frets and, wanting more frets, commissioned another soprano with 15. Since there was space for more frets on that first soprano, I assumed just adding more frets was too difficult.