Ever had a fret job done?

[ido1957]

My old guitar is starting to buzz on one of the frets (first) - for the second time. I had a fret dressing about two years ago. I'm thinking it might be time for a fret job. Anyone ever get one done and if so, what were the results like - good, bad, good as original, screwed up? Also what did you pay?

 

[gbdweller]

Buzzing at the first fret could be caused by a number of things. It would be impossible to diagnose without actually seeing it but first fret buzz is often caused by a worn or poorly slotted nut, excessively low action and/or not enough relief in the neck, or worn frets, especially if you do a lot of open folk chord playing. If a fret job is needed, the cost would depend on a number of factors such as type of fingerboard, type of binding if any around the fingerboard and finish type on the guitar. Anywhere from $220.00 to $400.00 is what you should expect to pay depending on the situation. Maybe more if it is a vintage piece, a finished maple board or there are other problems. The price should include any necessary nut work and a complete setup upon completion. Find a good and reputable repair shop. The guitar should play better than new when complete. I've seen some poorly done fret jobs so ask a lot of questions and shop carefully. Good luck!

 

[Light]

If done well, it will be as good or better than new (depending on how good new was). But you may be able to get another dress out of it. It all depends on how much fret is left. Take it to your repair person and see what he has to say.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[punkin]

consider a stainless job. the guitar is going to sound a little brighter but I've got an EQ in the guitar rig. It will probably be the last fret job that guitar ever gets. It'll cost a bit more but I've been very happy with it.

Light can enlighten you even further.

 

[ggunn]

My old guitar is starting to buzz on one of the frets (first) - for the second time. I had a fret dressing about two years ago. I'm thinking it might be time for a fret job. Anyone ever get one done and if so, what were the results like - good, bad, good as original, screwed up? Also what did you pay?

If your frets are cupped underneath the strings, then yes, it's probably time for a fret job. Look under the top two strings on the first three frets or so; that's where the most wear ususally shows up. I had both my Strat and Les Paul done recently, and the results were near phenomenal. It's one of those things that gets worse so slowly that you don't notice it, but the instant improvement when it is fixed is a real eye opener.

 

[Micter]

Depending on the guitar it is sometimes easier and cheaper to put a new neck on. I know some people can't live without a "Fender" sticker on the headstock but a new neck is a posibility.

If you aren't familiar with a tech's fretwork get some references from what he believes to be satisfied customers. Like it or not all guitar techs aren't capable of a refret.

 

[metalhead28]

FWIW, In my town I paid 300 for a stainless fret job and it ended up noticably better than the original fretwork. That's what I expected. It all depends on the person doing it though. Like others mentioned, ask for some examples of his work and make sure other customers are happy with it. I also made sure that he did the fret leveling with a neck tensioning jig.

The stainless frets do feel alot better, and after about a year and a half I'm just barely starting to notice some wear. The original frets were totally wasted in less time than that.

 

[Light]

First up, stainless is great, but it only really make sense if you wear your frets quickly. It is a LOT more effort to work with, which translates to time, which of course translates to money. Nice stuff, but it's quite expensive.

Oh, and the "Neck Jig" thing is a waste of time. I've told Dan this, and while he doesn't agree, he does agree that a skilled repair person can do at least as good of a job without it.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[punkin]

Good call Light. I chew mine up for lunch. I've had one guitar refretted 3 times and made the call to go stainless to save wear and tear on the guitar since it's a life time keeper. It is expensive and you really need to make sure the tech has worked with it before and knows his stuff and for that, you'll pay.

 

[soundchaser59]

first thing I do after I buy any guitar is have the frets worked over.... wont play the thing without it.

 

[metalhead28]

Oh, and the "Neck Jig" thing is a waste of time. I've told Dan this, and while he doesn't agree, he does agree that a skilled repair person can do at least as good of a job without it.

While I'm sure a skilled person could do fine without one, I can't imagine why anyone would consider it a waste of time. Knowing they could make due without one certainly would not have impressed me. I would rather see them going the extra mile to ensure it was done correctly and eliminating the guesswork. Is peace of mind not important to the customer?

 

[gbdweller]

While I'm sure a skilled person could do fine without one, I can't imagine why anyone would consider it a waste of time. Knowing they could make due without one certainly would not have impressed me. I would rather see them going the extra mile to ensure it was done correctly and eliminating the guesswork. Is peace of mind not important to the customer?

The 'neck jig' is neither a waste of time or "going the extra mile". It is just another way of doing it. I've found the 'neck jig' to be a help on some out of control necks but more often than not, I don't use it. It doesn't mean I'm not going the extra mile for my customer. It just means that I go with what 'feels' best to me. Every neck/job/guitar is different and calls for different methods but the end result in my shop is ALWAYS a guitar that plays better than the owner could have hoped for, regardless if I use the 'neck jig' or not. Many great luthiers have done perfect fret jobs over the years without the neck jig but kudos to Dan Erlewine for inventing a device that is a great help to many.

 

[Light]

While I'm sure a skilled person could do fine without one, I can't imagine why anyone would consider it a waste of time. Knowing they could make due without one certainly would not have impressed me. I would rather see them going the extra mile to ensure it was done correctly and eliminating the guesswork. Is peace of mind not important to the customer?

Well, GB kind of beat me to it, but I don't think it is anything but a waste of time. It certainly makes the job take longer, and in my shop time is money. For my customers too, since they pay me by the hour. We can do a job which is at least as good without it, and it takes less time. The mathmatics of it is quite simple, if you ask me, and professional repair shops MUST be concerned about the time/cost equation, both for our own finacial concerns and - just as important - for our customer's.

Let me put it this way: all of the best fret work I've ever seen (by any of a number of great repair people) has been done by people who NEVER use a fret jig.

Though Dan does do a fine job with one.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[ido1957]

Well, the guitar shop tells me they can do one more fret dressing then it will need a fret job. So they charged me $50 for the dressing and $59 for setup and $6.50 for strings (Canadian $). Hopefully I'll get two more years out of this dressing job like I did with the last one.....

The complete fret job will cost about $300 when it need doing.

Thanks for all the great advice on the fret replacement question.....

 

[punkin]

Buy more guitars and give this one a break

 

[ido1957]

Buy more guitars and give this one a break

I've been looking around and only found one on eBay that is exactly the same make and model. But they wanted more than I could afford at the time. Guess I'll have to save up......