Fretting and Fret Dressing

I started doing fretwork back in 1984, those days seem primitive to all the tools that are available today. Since then I have changed fretting procedures many times to try to improve it as well as cut some time off the process. No matter what you do if you play your guitar your frets will become worn. The first thing you will notice is actual dents caused by the string being pushed against the fret. The most popular spot for this is the second fret G string off the A note. This seems to be the most popular area. If you notice any strange fret buzz this could also be caused by either worn frets, loose frets, uneven frets or damaged frets, here is the difference. Worn Frets Caused by playing and tend to concentrate in the areas that are played the most by the actual player. Loose Frets Caused by the fret tang becoming loose and lifting out of the slot. This is usually easy to see if you push down on the fret and it lifts back out of the slot. This is usually on the ends or in the middle of the fret. Uneven Frets Usually caused by either worn or loose frets. Possibly a poor fret dress from the factory, this type of problem can also cause notes to die during string bends. Damaged Frets Almost always caused by the guitar falling and the strings put large groves in the frets the shape of the strings, depending on how bad they are it could need to have the frets filed or even replaced. Fret Dressing What we call a fret dress is sanding off the tops of the frets to make them level. A fret dress is not to difficult to do and I feel that most people with the correct tools can handle this. Before you even think about doing a fret dress check the truss rod and make sure it is adjusted properly. If the neck is over-bowed than you could also have fret buzz and maybe the neck just needs an adjustment. Also play the guitar and if there is and noticeable fret buzz check the area for loose frets or what we call spongy frets that move. Before starting any work on the frets. Sight the neck, This means look down both sides of the neck with the strings on and the guitar in tune. The purpose of this is to check the necks condition under string tension. Some necks could have uneven fretboards or even be twisted. Make mental notes of any bad area or even use a grease pencil to mark the area. Next if the neck is detachable or bolt-on remove the strings and take the neck off the guitar, this will save any damage to the guitar body. If the guitar has a set-in neck, remove the strings and lower the pickups to there lowest point. If you feel you could damage the pickups or mounting rings take the pickups off the ring and remove the mounting rings from the guitar. Just leave the pickups in the cavity and use masking tape and paper to hold the pickups in the cavity. Check for loose frets by looking at the sides of the fret and use the back end of a hammers handle to push down on the frets, if the fret is loose it will push down and come up when the pressure is released. If you have any, the easiest solution to this is to take a small amount of super glue, two drops that's it and put it under the loose part of the fret, then quickly push the fret into place with the handle of a hammer until the glue dries. You are not gluing the fret just hardening the wood around the frets tang. If the frets are just uneven or worn, a simple fret dress may be all that is needed. To do this first you will need a few things. 2 long wooden blocks about 8" long and 1.5" wide X 1.5" high. A round block covered with either felt or thick rubber, sandpaper #280/#500/#800/#1000/#1500, #0000 steel wool and masking tape. Attach the sand paper to the long blocks with double stick tape. Depending on the fretboard, I suggest the following. If it is maple then use the masking tape between the frets so not to damage the fretboard. When you pull the tape over the sides of the neck roll up the ends so it is easy to remove after the fret dress. Darker unfinished wood such as rosewood or ebony do not need to be masked off because the scratches will be sanded out. First we want to adjust the neck as straight as possible. Site the neck to see if there are any obvious spots that may cause trouble and set the neck as straight as possible by eye. Then take a long straight ruler and lay it against the top of the frets and adjust the rod until all the frets are against the ruler. On a detachable neck lay it flat on a table if it has a tilt back headstock keep the headstock over the edge of the table so that the fretboard is sitting flat.

Next this is a trick I learned from the Japanese, take a black marker and draw a line over the top of each fret, this will show where any high spots are.

Take the long block with the #280 on it and slowly sand the top of the frets back and forth. Make sure you follow the radius of the fretboard or the middle may become to flat. After a few passes of the sand paper look at top of each fret, some may be wider then the others this is ok but if the marker remains on the top of the fret then probably one of the frets next to it is too high or loose. Sand the frets back and forth until all the marker is removed and look to see if any and marker remains in the fret grooves that were caused by playing if so continue to sand with the long blocks to remove these dents don't concentrate in just one area but sand long strokes to keep the frets even.

After the frets are even then use the long block with the #500 to sand out the #280 scratches on the frets. Next take the round block and hold #500 paper on it and sand back and forth the length of the fretboard to remove any scratches from the frets, this will also round the tops and sides. Be careful not to sand the tops too round you don't want to loose the top crown. Repeat this process with the #800/ #1000 and #1500 paper and final polish the tops of the frets with the #0000 steel wool.

What we would do next is look to see if any of the tops are too wide if so this will not cause fret buzz but it could cause poor intonation. I like the tops to have no more then a 1mm flat center. For crowing the tops I use a triangle file that I ground down the sharp edges on the sides. Hold the file on an angle and file each fret to make the tops the exact same width. This is really important with a smaller radius neck That is the basic fret dress, as for total fret replacement this is better left to a professional however if you want to try it and have a old neck around it's not that difficult to do, so here are some step by step methods.

Refretting

There are three main ways to I use to replace frets and I will talk about each individually. The first is the way we all learn, that is to hammer them in. The second way is to use a arbor and press them in and the third way is to use epoxy and set the frets in. From my experience the arbor press is the fastest and most accurate way possible but if you don't have the tools for this, just a standard rubber mallet works just as well. The start of all fret jobs is the same if you are replacing frets. If you are making a new neck, just omit the fret removal from the following. First as in the fret dress remove the neck if possible, on a set-in neck remove the parts on the body. Remove the nut , If the nut is old , it may break when you try to remove it,. Be careful and try to save the nut for either putting it back in or as a template for a new nut. Gibson® style nuts first check to see if any of the nut is covered by finish. (Many Japanese guitars are like this.) You will need to remove the finish around the nut by using an Exacto blade and cutting out the shape of the nut in the finish. Then use a hammer and a short metal piece to pop the nut out. Lay the flat edge of the metal bar against the nut and give it a sharp tap with the hammer. The nut should come loose then lift the nut out of the slot. For Fender® style nuts that are bone or graphite these can be tricky. The best way I have found to remove these nuts is to use a pair of end nippers that are used to remove the frets to easily wiggle the nut until it becomes loose and then remove it.

The next procedure is to remove the frets, be careful not to chip the wood around the fret tangs. The way I do this is to use a solder iron and rosin core solder used for wiring the electronics. I use the solder iron and actually melt the soldier across the top of the fret. When the entire fret is covered with liquid soldier I use the end nippers and starting from one end, get under the fret sides and carefully remove the frets, starting at one end and moving across until the fret is removed, repeat this on all the frets.

For old worn frets that are hard to get with the end nippers, I use a hack saw blade that is ground down to a very tapered end. We call this a fret lifting tool. Basically it works like a small wedge that can be inserted under the frets end lifting it just enough to get the fret nippers under it. Depending on whether the fretboard is finished and also if the neck is straight we will make our next choices. If the neck has a maple fretboard and is finished with clear hopefully the neck will have been straight and we will just carefully sand the fretboard with #500 not breaking the finish, clean the slots with a small fret saw and replace the frets.

If a finished fretboard is uneven and needs to be sanded, we will have to refinish the fretboard. Adjust the truss rod so the neck is as straight as possible. Use a straight edge on the fretboard and look for light under the edge and adjust the truss rod till the neck is straight. To remove the finish, first start with a grit of #180 on a long block to remove the fretboard finish and sand the fretboard level keeping the proper radius. sand the scratches out with #220,#280/#500 sandpaper. I always spray the finish on before fretting because the fretboard is easier to sand before the frets are in. When applying a finish after fretting, you will need to sand the finch between the frets. This is a royal pain, not impossible but the end result will not look as good. Now you need to check the slots width and depth, comparing it to the new frets that will be installed.

For some reason most Dunlop frets have a different tang and stud width. Why? I guess they are trying to make replacements for originals? With other fretwire the tangs are usually uniform in width so they are easy to replace. Fretwire like Dunlop® has so many sizes in the studs and tangs you need to carefully check the size of the wire before installing it. Now a very important thing to think about is the fretwire hardness. If the fretwire is very hard ,you need to compensate with a larger fret slot. If the wire is softer like most production guitar frets, a tighter slot is not so much of a problem. The same exact size fret with a different hardness can cause the necks to back bow. This is because when you put the frets in they are compressed in the wood, this actually will push the wood between the frets together and if the wire is very hard then it can cause a back bow in the neck that string tension and the truss rod will not be able to compensate for. The best way to check the fret slot size is to ask the manufacture of the wire for a spec chart for the fret wire this will tell you the hardness as well as the recommended slot depth and width. To make a slot deeper I use a Japanese Saw (German saws are good too but the handles are not usually long enough and can cause mistakes.) I modified the saw with two pieces of wood glued to the sides of the blade about 2.5mm. I did this because when you are working on the fret slots the side you are looking at is ok but sometimes the other side can become too deep. This is no problem on rosewood or ebony fretboard's but on maple it is easy to see. This way all the slots are the same depth on both sides.

If the fretboard is bound then I use the a ground flat screwdriver tool to add depth to the slots. Another way I do this on a bound neck is to use a Dremel tool with a modified dental tooth bit in the collet and a special router base template that I made from Plexiglas.( so I can easily see through it.) Depending on the fret to be installed I use either a 56-57 or 58 dental bit. The 56 is the most used because it is the smallest but even still this is too big for many Dunlop® fretwire sizes such as 6100 or 6105. If I use these frets and the Dremel I will either use a 24 hr epoxy set or modify the frets tang by crimping it and making it wider. Now that the fretboard is sanded and the slots are properly cut we need to install the new frets. I always pre shape the frets before installing just because it will take less sanding of the frets later and always gives a better fret job. Another reason is that on hard frets it is difficult to hammer the frets in evenly without one end popping up. I use either the Stew Mac fret bender for straight wire or mainly I purchase fretwire in a roll that is too round and I straighten it out a little.

First I cut the frets to size, I have a block with the fret numbers in it from one to twenty-four. Make sure that the fret is the same shape as the fretboard and if there is binding nip the ends of the tang off so it just comes in at the binding and the edge of the fret hangs over. To do this I usually use a standard pair of end nippers and a small smooth file to file the tang flush. Lately I have become to rely more on a fret end nipping tool that I purchased from Stew Mac. It is very good tool but you need to be careful that it cuts them even otherwise the fret ends may have space under them and this can cause a string to get caught. So even when I use the Stew Mac nippers I check the ends carefully and usually file them a little.

Now to install the frets I first use a rubber mallet to set the frets in the slots and then a drill press with the proper radius arbor to set the frets in. I made my own wooden presses a while back on my pin router but since I purchased the brass ones from Stew Mac, I have been using them. I first use the same radius as the fretboard to press the frets and then I use a smaller radius to make sure the fret ends are pressed in. For example if the radius is 9" I first use the 9" radius on the board and then I use the 7.25" to press just the ends down. This does not touch the middle just the ends. After the frets are pressed in I check to make sure that all the frets are tight and just to be sure I use a drop of super glue in the side of the slots. If any of the frets are loose I use a fret clamp that I made to hold the ends in place while I put the glue in the sides.

The next step is to cut the frets back with the end nippers, be careful not to lift the fret. For this reason I tend to cut the frets from the side with the nippers, then I use a flat coarse file to file the fret ends back to the wood. I tried many of the angle fret files that companies sell but I still prefer doing it by hand. After I get the frets filed back to the neck, I angle the file at about 38 degrees and put this angle on the fret ends.

After the ends are cut and filed back its time to level the frets I use #280 and a black marker on the top of the frets to check that the frets are even. I never use a file on them because it takes off too much meat and also make the crowns too flat. I use the #280 then #500 on the long blocks and finish the same as the fret dress above with the round block #500, #800, #1000, #1500 and then the #0000 steel wool. To finish the fret ends I use a ground off corner file to break the sharp edges and then I use the round block and the same #500 paper, back and forth on the frets ends until there are no sharp edges then I use the #800,#1000 and #1500 to finish them off.

To crown the tops of the frets, I use the ground down triangle file. I will not use the crowning files that they sell because they are first too coarse and second they can actually damage the frets after I spent time getting them the way I like. Generally I tape off next to the frets with 1/8" masking tape just to prevent scratching the fretboard , I use the file to put the tops on the frets even and on center. I have a special buffing wheel for metal that I use to bring the frets to a mirror shine and feel. I love smooth frets and this to me is the best way. If the neck is finished maple, buffing the frets is usually always done to get the gloss on the fretboard I also buff Rosewood or Ebony to get the frets shinny. Some people complain about the fretboard being gritty feeling after buffing or getting black on there fingers so I use Lemon oil on the fretboard to remove any of the compound.

If the fretboard has binding I then scrape the binding using my scraper that was made from a ground down hack saw blade.

Epoxy Fret Jobs Another way that I use to replace frets is the epoxy method. This I learned along time ago and the person that showed me swore this was the best way. The way he showed me and the way I finally wound up doing it was a little different because I needed to eliminate the sanding between the frets needed for the removal of the epoxy that squeezed out. Here is the detailed epoxy fretting process. I really don't use the epoxy fret method anymore because I feel that the frets should fit in the neck tight and not rely on the epoxy to hold them in. The only time I would think about doing a epoxy job today is if the guitar has binding and the slots are either too loose for the new frets or too high for the current slots.

To start an epoxy fret job is the same as any other, check the neck before taking it apart to see what you are in for, again if the neck is straight and you only need to replace the frets this is ideal but if the neck is not straight or has some uneven spots, sand the fretboard the same way as before. After the frets are removed and the board is sanded to the proper radius. We are ready for fretting. First figure out the size and depth of the new fret by using a dial or digital caliper. Use the manufactures specs with caution, I have had many problem with Dunlop frets tang and stud width for many years. Measure the tang and stud width as well as the depth of the tang.

To open the slots I use a Dremel tool with a dental bit that I get from our local dental supplier. The sizes I use are the smallest FG56 (.79mm) medium FG57(1.03mm) and large FG58 (1.26mm). I use a modified Dremel router base that I modified by putting a 1/4" thick clear Plexiglas base on. This one only works with my old Dremel it seems that since I started using Dremel tools back in the early 1980's it has changed a few times and the old and new ones don't have interchangeable parts. I have rebuilt this Dremel tool about five times but I am afraid that its time is almost up and probably by the time you read this I will make a new base for a new Dremel.

After the bit is in the Dremel adjust the height so that it is just below the bottom of the tang, Then rout the slots, be careful I remember when I first started doing this the slots would be all messed up but after a while you get the hang of it and just let the tool do the work, remember you are only modifying the slot. After the slots are routed to the proper depth and width its time to start the fret process. Again as I mentioned before I prefer to radius the frets to size. After the frets are radiused I cut each one to the width of the fretboard you can use a caliper for this if you like but I just hold the fret on the board and cut it to size. If there is binding then I nip the frets ends back as above and gently file the hang over edge flat. The reason for this is sometimes the nippers don't remove some of the tang. Each fret is placed in the slot to make sure that it fits well and then I carefully remove it, on some boards like ebony I will use some Lemon oil on the wood before I put the frets in so that when I pull them out the wood does not chip. If you use the lemon oil only use a little and make sure it is only on the top of the fretboard and none gets in the frets slot.

When all the frets are cut and shaped to size I put all the frets in my fret holder and sand the top of the board one more time with #1000 just to remove any of the wood that may have pulled up after I pulled the fret out of the slots.

For epoxy I only use one kind, that is Elmers 24 hr epoxy,. It gives you two hours to work with it until it sets so if for some reason you need to bail out of the fret job you have time to work before the epoxy dries. Five minute epoxy does not give you this luxury. Mix the epoxy well at 50/50 in a small paper dixie cup. Next take a paper towel and wipe the fretboard down with alcohol use either denatured or I use the regular kind you get in a store.

The next step is to take the epoxy and spread it out on the fretboard. Only put the glob's in the middle of the board because we don't want to get any on the neck if possible, I tried taping off the neck with masking tape once but that turned in to a big mess so now I just don't get any epoxy on the necks sides. Spread the epoxy evenly down the fretboard using a nylon or rubber squeegee and make sure that all the slots are filled up. Wipe the excess epoxy off the fretboard and let the neck sit for a few minutes so that the epoxy sets in the slots.

I use a modified piece of wood that has half the slot depth sanded away on it I use this to clean out the epoxy in the slots half way down, the purpose of this is so that when I place the frets in, the excess epoxy only comes up to the top of the slot and none comes out and onto the fretboard.

After all the frets are placed in the neck, one more time wipe the board down with the alcohol. To hold the frets in place I made a clamp that just touches the frets ends and the middles are snug because the radius matches the board. Use the clamp and wooden cam clamps to hold the frets in place while the epoxy dries overnight, don't clamp too hard remember you are just holding the ends down.

The next day remove the clamps and finish the fret job like any other one.