Q: At what level do you determine that frets have to get replaced? What are some tips you’ll be able to share concerning frets? What are the implications of taking part in a guitar with frets which can be too worn? Can frets be simply changed by the proprietor, or ought to that be left to a luthier throughout regular setup upkeep? Is it tough to decorate frets? Your perception is tremendously appreciated. 

—Artwork Bouthot

A: Thanks for the questions—it is a nice topic. Fretwork is probably the commonest job within the guitar restore store. Whether or not constructing an instrument from scratch, restoring a classic collector’s merchandise, or just organising a brand-new entry-level guitar, it’s seemingly that some quantity of fretwork will probably be required. 

When an instrument’s frets are worn, just a few undesirable issues may result. The primary and most blatant is buzzing notes in sure positions. Since only a few of us play each observe on the guitar equally usually, sure frets, usually 1–5, often get worn out sooner than the remainder.

For the guitar to play cleanly with out buzzes, the tops of the frets have to be completely stage from one to the following. As some get worn away, they find yourself decrease than their close by neighbors that get much less motion. Buzzes are the inevitable consequence. The small divots in worn frets also can make it tough to bend notes easily.

One other downside with worn frets is intonation. The fret scale is fastidiously laid out and reduce to exactly place the middle of every fret within the appropriate place. A distinction of a mere ten thousandths of an inch (the thickness of a .010 plain string) can lead to an audibly out-of-tune observe. Because the fret wears, the unique rounded crown form adjustments to a flat plateau, and the ringing level of the string shifts ahead to the entrance fringe of that floor. On bigger frets with noticeable put on, this will imply a change of .030 inches or so—greater than sufficient to trigger intonation issues for anybody with a well-tuned ear. Because of this, fret tops need to be fastidiously refiled to a fair crown after any leveling.

Why does this put on occur? Conventional fretwire is comprised of nickel silver, which is a mixture of copper and nickel (there is no such thing as a precise silver within the alloy). Strings are manufactured from a mixture of alloys—metal, phosphor bronze, and nickel, to call just a few. Metal is tougher than nickel silver and can ultimately win the battle each time. Nevertheless, even with bronze and different wrap supplies whose hardness is a more in-depth match to the frets themselves, the abrasive texture of the wraps will nonetheless grind away on the frets fairly successfully. Because of this the low-position frets usually present clear little scoops below the plain strings, and grooved ridges of damage below the decrease strings.

Surprisingly, in some instances the damage sample could be even sufficient throughout close by frets that they won’t buzz regardless of appreciable lack of fret materials. I’ve seen a lot of guitars with frets that appeared almost worn via, however nonetheless performed with out noticeable buzzes. Because of this, I usually take a conservative method to worry work, and solely recommend it if the participant is experiencing some downside. If there aren’t any buzzes and the motion and intonation are cheap, then I don’t usually recommend a refret or leveling.

Within the final decade or so, producers have launched a few new fretwire alloys which can be gaining in reputation. Stainless-steel fretwire is considerably tougher than conventional wire and has been confirmed to withstand put on a lot better. It’s tougher to work with and extra time-consuming to put in, so many luthiers cost a premium for it. Opinions range amongst luthiers and gamers about whether or not the fret alloy makes a noticeable distinction within the tone of the instrument. Some swear that stainless-steel imparts a brighter, barely extra metallic tone, whereas others say that they hear no distinction in any respect.

One other latest arrival to the scene is EVO gold fretwire, named for its distinctive golden shade. This alloy was initially developed as a hypoallergenic metallic for medical functions, however has discovered its place as a very good different to nickel silver for frets. Its hardness and wear-resistance lie proper between nickel silver and stainless, which make it a very good compromise of efficiency and ease of set up.

Now, to the latter a part of your query. Although I usually encourage gamers to take a hands-on method to adjustment and upkeep, I’d advocate warning in terms of fretwork. Most fret upkeep is a one-way road: You may solely take away materials, and a little bit little bit of grinding can go a great distance.

The primary necessary step is solely diagnosing the issue—when you have a buzzing fret, it could possibly be for a lot of causes: a low nut slot, a excessive or unfastened fret, a low fret, incorrect neck reduction, and so forth. Submitting down a buzz is the best resolution in some instances, however can really trigger extra issues in different instances. Skilled luthiers know that fret leveling is usually the final a part of a setup/adjustment, in spite of everything different potential causes of fret buzz have been eradicated.

Refretting an instrument has its personal set of potential pitfalls. Eradicating outdated worn frets could be terribly harmful to a fingerboard if not finished fastidiously. I’ve seen in any other case pristine classic guitars with horribly chipped up fingerboards from dangerous refrets. Frets are generally merely pressed or glued in, and in some instances, resembling classic Fenders, they had been even pushed in sideways from the sting of the fingerboard. Figuring out find out how to method every case will tremendously scale back the possibility of nasty beauty harm. (Sidenote: my cellphone autocorrects “refret” to “remorse”, which is typically fairly acceptable.)

After eradicating the outdated frets, a essential step is the preparation of the fretboard floor. Very often, this must be sanded again to a easy, flat aircraft. Divots from fingernails could be crammed or sanded out, and the fret slots have to be cleaned out and generally deepened. If the fingerboard has inlays, this will generally be a sensitive course of—sanding via a pearl inlay is just not enjoyable!

The slots themselves are one other space the place just a few thousandths of an inch can actually matter. A fret that’s designed for a .023-inch-wide slot will really feel actually tight in a .021-inch slot, and forcing the problem can lead to a back-bowed neck. (Think about this: the tiny distinction of .002 inches per slot multiplies by 20 slots to .040 inches—fairly a bit of additional materials to pressure into the face of a fingerboard.) Intelligent restore techs generally use this compression fretting method to their benefit to appropriate bowed necks on classic guitars with out truss rods, however when it’s finished by accident, it could possibly trigger actual points. An skilled builder will probably be conversant in the texture of a well-matched fret and slot and can know if the fret is just too tight or too unfastened.

Sure fingerboards require an extra few steps. The tang of the fret (the barbed portion which inserts into the slot) must be reduce or filed again from every finish, so the bead (the seen a part of the put in fret) can lap over the binding. This takes time and a few specialised instruments (flush floor cutters, recordsdata, and often some magnifying viewers).

Lastly, almost each refret includes changes to the nut slots, and, as a rule, this implies a brand new nut. Nut slots put on down, and infrequently have been lowered following prior fretwork. Contemporary frets often find yourself greater than outdated worn ones, and this will imply the nut slots are all immediately too low.

With all this in thoughts, I like to recommend discovering a neighborhood luthier to do your fretwork. That is bread-and-butter work for any guitar tech, and an affordable hourly charge is a small value to pay for the amassed expertise and specialised instruments wanted to do a profitable job. An excellent fret job makes an incredible distinction in really feel, tone, and playability, and can really feel worthwhile each time you decide up the guitar.

Martin Keith is a luthier, restore and restoration skilled, and dealing musician primarily based in Woodstock, New York. martinkeithguitars.com 

This text initially appeared within the Could/June 2021 concern of Acoustic Guitar journal.