Restoring Playability While Preserving History

Refretting a 1959 Gibson ES-225T: Working on a vintage guitar like this 1959 Gibson ES-225T is always an honor. The original frets were heavily worn, making playability an issue, but the goal was to restore it without compromising its vintage character. The biggest challenge was refretting the floating fretboard extension, which required a delicate approach. Dave Johnson of Scale Model Guitars was an invaluable resource, offering insight into properly supporting the extension to prevent stress during the process. I opted for StewMac 0154—taller than the original but still vintage-appropriate—allowing for better playability without losing the guitar’s classic feel. If you’ve got a vintage instrument that needs expert care, I’d love to bring it back to life while respecting its history. — Rhett