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Fret dressing |
You may think that your guitar needs a re-fret when actually the old frets just need 'dressing' (levelling). This cures fret buzz and dead notes caused by the grooves worn in old frets, or from loose frets that have risen up. Sometimes a fret has a groove or dent caused by string contact after an impact. Providing the groove or dent is not too deep, the frets can be dressed and the guitar will play like new - often better than new! Frets are secured if found to be loose and the frets are then levelled, crowned, and polished. The price for all guitars is from £30.00 in addition to the setup price, as the guitar needs setting up after a fret dress. Certain guitars may need more time spent securing loose frets in which case there may be an additional labour charge for this. You will be informed of any potential extra costs before work is started. |
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Refrets |
Unfortunately only a limited number of fret dresses can be done before the frets need replacing. Some guitars are easier to refret than others. Some require more time e.g. those with lacquered maple boards. All prices are 'from' as I cannot give a firm quote before seeing the condition of the guitar first. I will happily give a free, no obligation quote on inspection of the guitar. Refrets average a basic £160.00 - it's a time consuming job! Some guitars may need a new nut fitting if slots have worn or been lowered on account of the worn frets, which obviously incurs extra cost. All refret prices include high quality fret wire and a full setup. Lacquered boards cost from £190.00 as they require relacquering as part of the refret. Most guitar technicians refret Gibson style bound boards by removing the 'nibs' from the binding that cover the fret ends. This is the easiest option and therefore the cheapest. Some players actually prefer this as the new frets overlap the binding and therefore are longer, giving a bit more ‘leeway’ for the outer strings. It is, however, possible to retain the original look of the instrument by cutting each fret exactly to length and VERY carefully fitting them so as not to push out the binding. This is extremely time consuming and so greatly increases the cost. It is an option though and if you have a Gibson and would like to retain the original look, please contact me. |
