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Old 05-06-2021, 07:46 AM
lppier lppier is offline
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Default How do you know when it’s time to do refretting on your acoustic?

Just wondering what are the signs that I may
Need to do a refret on my old guitars...?

Lol.. just realised I typed regretting instead in the title ... don’t seem to be able to edit this in the app

Last edited by Lkristians; 05-06-2021 at 09:47 AM. Reason: Fixed the typo
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Old 05-06-2021, 07:53 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lppier View Post
Just wondering what are the signs that I may
Need to do a refret on my old guitars...?
Hi lppier

My luthier (who builds guitars) lets me know if there is a need for fret dressing, or replacing the first 5-6. I've never had a full neck refret.

He has overseen my Olson since 2004, and my Bashkin since he built it 2005, and my Kronbauer since 2007. Only the Olson has needed partial fret replacement, and all have needed periodic fret dressing.

Dents are not necessarily an indication frets need replacing. I do a lot of hammers, bends, and finger slides, so my frets can develop dents early on after a fret dressing. They still tend to last 2-3 years after dents show up.

I trust his advice, since he's kept my guitar-herd in good shape for 17 years.



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Old 05-06-2021, 08:00 AM
A Wolf A Wolf is offline
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If you’ve never had the frets leveled before, it probably needs that. Refretting typically is needed after a few levelings, when the overall frets have gotten too low. When it is time to refret, if it’s the whole neck, consider switching to EVO fret wire. Then you’ll probably never need to think about it again.

In any case, if you have a luthier you like, they will be best to advise.
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:04 AM
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If fretted notes start sounding a bit less than crisp (a vagueness about them or the have added harmonics) or if the intonation starts becoming compromised.
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:13 AM
Shortfinger Shortfinger is offline
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I regret refretting. Refretting my regretting didn't work.
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:15 AM
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I don't know about RE-fretting my regretting, but I do often fret about it.
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:17 AM
Dirk Hofman Dirk Hofman is offline
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From what I understand, if you get buzzing, intonation issues, tonal changes on worn frets, or you start feeling divots when you bend, it's probably time for a dressing. Just having visible indentations isn't a problem.
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:20 AM
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The frets on my 1999 Taylor K14c are very nearly ghost frets. It's time.

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Old 05-06-2021, 08:23 AM
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I would say its when you regret not re-fretting...
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Old 05-06-2021, 08:36 AM
Zexxor Zexxor is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lppier View Post
Just wondering what are the signs that I may
Need to do a refret on my old guitars...?
In 56 years of playing I have never needed a re-fret.

That might be a record.

Or it may mean I can skillfully ignore that need.

Or it may mean that I go through guitars too fast.
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Old 05-06-2021, 09:46 AM
ghostnote ghostnote is offline
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Wow, that post title was a textbook Freudian slip.
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Old 05-06-2021, 09:48 AM
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Lkristians Lkristians is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lppier View Post
Just wondering what are the signs that I may
Need to do a refret on my old guitars...?

Lol.. just realised I typed regretting instead in the title ... don’t seem to be able to edit this in the app
Fixed it for you. For the future, hit the edit button then hit the "advanced" button.
Have a great day!
LarryK.
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Old 05-06-2021, 10:28 AM
jschmitz54 jschmitz54 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by warfrat73 View Post
I don't know about RE-fretting my regretting, but I do often fret about it.
Fretting about get a refret that hasn’t been regretted could be an obsession.😌
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Old 05-06-2021, 11:31 AM
whvick whvick is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lppier View Post
Just wondering what are the signs that I may

Need to do a refret on my old guitars...?



Lol.. just realised I typed regretting instead in the title ... don’t seem to be able to edit this in the app


You cannot change it on your phone. Have to be on computer and use advanced edit. Took me a while telling the editors there was no “advanced” option. They thought I was a real dummy and I was about to agree when I finally learned the phone app won’t do it. [emoji848]
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Old 05-06-2021, 11:38 AM
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blindboyjimi blindboyjimi is online now
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I’m a bit different here and have posted before that if I like a guitar enough to know it’s a keeper or at least will be in the collection indefinitely, I re-fret rather than dress. It’s very true that depending on your starting height you can dress frets anywhere from 2 to 5 times with 0.033” being about the lowest most would tolerate. Partial re-fretting is also fine as 90%+ of fret wear is in the first 5-6 frets. Vintage frets start at 0.037” but vintage frets had a harder composition. Most frets nowadays are 0.043” (Martin (except the Authentics) and most Collings, Bourgeois, etc). I prefer tall frets with 0.047” being the minimum.

My tech charges $160 for a total setup including dressing and $360 for a total re-fret. So I’ll play my guitars until I hear that “sitar” buzz and for me, it’s always the treble “g” on the 3rd fret. I’ll then re-fret the guitar with EVO or stainless frets jumbo frets. With nickel frets, the string is harder than the fret, so the fret wears. With EVO the fret is harder than the string so it’ll last at least 5x longer than nickel. With many guitars in rotation, that’s a lifetime. Stainless is much harder than EVO.

Therefore once I have a guitar to my liking and the frets are Jescar EVO 47095, it’s nut slots are a few thousandths above the first fret, it’s relief is 0.005”, and it’s saddle height gives me 0.090” and 0.065” action, I’ll never ever need to bring that guitar back to my tech. It’s totally worth paying the $200 upfront and having a perfect guitar.
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