# Does My Guitar Need Fret Work?



## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

I noticed that my high B and E strings were getting a little buzzy from frets 1-5. Looking closer I see some indentations on frets 1, 2 and 3.

Does my guitar need fret work? Fixing or do they need replacing? Is the binding going to cause a problem/make this more expensive?

How much would that cost? This is my "cheap" guitar so if I'm looking at more than say $150 I would just buy a new one as the Yamaha 700 series is like $250.

I only learned recently that leaving a capo on a guitar when not in use is a bad idea.


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2016)

I had guitars with worse indents and they played alright.
I'm wondering if giving the neck a little relief would solve the buzzing?
or even placing a thin shim under the bridge saddle would do it.
Don't go by what I say until some more options are presented though.
I may be wrong.


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## Taylor (Oct 31, 2014)

_Really _don't think they'll need to be replaced. A level, crown, and polish will almost definitely solve the buzzing (the binding won't be problematic), and you _might_ only need the first few frets done, depending on your nut height. Might be remedied to playability with a tiny truss rod adjustment, which shouldn't cost much, or a new nut and saddle, which is also quite inexpensive.
As with most services, the cost varies a lot depending on the luthier you go to, and whether or not they give you a proper set-up to go with it. I've seen prices as low as $40, and as high as $120, but the lower end of that range is more typical.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Seems odd that it's the same price to setup an acoustic guitar vs an electric guitar. You would think an electric setup would take much longer.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/imgs/c...s/Long & McQuade Guitar Repair Price List.pdf

I'll try and adjust the truss rod and see if that helps.

Any visit to the repair shop is going to cost at least $80 and it's hard to justify even spending $100 on a repair/setup when a brand new Yamaha that sounds just as good as this guitar is only $240.

https://www.long-mcquade.com/10360/Guitars/Acoustic/Yamaha/FG700S_-_Spruce_Top_with_Gloss.htm


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## Gearhead88 (Nov 7, 2013)

I've got one that's a lot worse , it's not buzzy at all but the frets are beat up real good and the fretboard wood has some serious divots .

For a 42 year old guitar that was $250 new , I'm not complaining about wear and tear at all.

It plays fine and I use it almost everyday.


I should mention ......... it sounds fuckin awesome.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

It's worn, but not so bad that it's an issue yet. Adding just a hair more relief should probably do the trick. Sure, they could use a polish, but after leveling the others you end up with less meat on the frets, reducing the overall life of the frets themselves. I usually wait for a fret dress until it really becomes an issue that a setup won't completely solve. You can only really dress them once or twice before they're toast.


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## Guyfrets (Aug 20, 2012)

Hey Guncho,
It looks like your strings are pretty much shot based on the photo in your OP. A good place to start might be putting on a new set. If you still get buzzing after restringing your guitar then try adjusting the truss rod. If that doesn't get the job done then it's probably time for a fret dress.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

JBFairthorne said:


> I usually wait for a fret dress until it really becomes an issue that a setup won't completely solve. *You can only really dress them (frets) once or twice before they're toast.*


Wow!! ..really! This is a big surprise to me.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Well, for me, you can only do them a couple times (once might be an extreme example). Mostly because I wait until the grooves are pretty bad before doing 'em, mainly because usually, shaving down a few indented frets requires shaving them all down, including many that have no issues, just for leveling purposes. 

I suppose you might be able to do it 3 or 4 times if you're finicky and do 'em when slight indentations appear. Fret dress is just a fancy way of saying file the frets down until you're below the lowest point of any indentation. The deeper the grooves, the more you've gotta file off. There's only so much fret there. Eventually there's not enough metal left to dress.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

I thought a fret dress is what you do after you do after the fret leveling job is done...
but dont take my word for it cause i really dont know much about this stuff.

And as far as the leveling goes, depending on the divots, 
there is a limit as to how much and how many times you can shave the frets before there is not much left.

As for the original poster, like others have said, what you probably need is a new set of strings and a truss rod adjustment.
Thats what I would do first...
G.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

It's my understanding that "fret dress" is kind of a catch-all term for varying degrees of leveling, re-crowning and polishing of the frets.


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## Guyfrets (Aug 20, 2012)

JBFairthorne said:


> It's my understanding that "fret dress" is kind of a catch-all term for varying degrees of leveling, re-crowning and polishing of the frets.


Mine too.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

JBFairthorne said:


> It's my understanding that "fret dress" is kind of a catch-all term for varying degrees of leveling, re-crowning and polishing of the frets.


This explanation does make sense to me....thanks for posting.
G.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Guyfrets said:


> Hey Guncho,
> It looks like your strings are pretty much shot based on the photo in your OP. A good place to start might be putting on a new set. If you still get buzzing after restringing your guitar then try adjusting the truss rod. If that doesn't get the job done then it's probably time for a fret dress.


Why would the age of strings be a factor in fret buzz. Fret buzz basically comes down to the height of the strings off the fret board no?


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## Pedro-x (Mar 7, 2015)

I don't think those look bad at all. I have guitars with more wear that i wouldn't consider ready for fret work. Like others said the buzzing could possibly be reduced with a truss rod adjustment. Depending on the humidity in your house this is also the time of year where dryness can make things shift. So a bit of humidity may make a difference as well.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Chances are that if your high E and B strings are buzzing it is due to a low nut, a high fret somewhere or insufficient relief. I've never experienced buzzing as a result of grooves in the frets. To check the nut, fret the first position. If the buzzing goes away it's likely the nut. If it does not it is possibly too little relief or you need a fret level and dress. By the way, your frets are still in good shape and those grooves are nothing to be concerned with.


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## Guncho (Jun 16, 2015)

Sounds good everyone. Sounds like I need to tweak the truss rod. It's pretty dry in my basement so that's probably why.


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## Guyfrets (Aug 20, 2012)

There's no question that string height and fret wear are common causes of buzzing and rattling, however; string wear is also an issue. As strings age they lose their elasticity, or in other words, they become stretched and uneven. Intonation problems and fret noise are two consequences of worn out strings.


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