So how much does it cost to refret a guitar? Therefore individual quotes given), PICKUP REPLACEMENT:  It looks like you're new here. Otherwise, they will attract metal shavings when you sand the frets. Guitar fret polishing is done with a series of progressive tasks. Typically a guitar refret will cost between $200 and $400. Reactions: guitz. Now let’s find out how much does it cost to refret a guitar. Get the best out of your guitar with a professional setup or upgrade your affordable guitar with premium parts. I’m an amateur guitar-tech/luthier and am on a budget, so often avoid Stew Mac products because of their reputation of being very well made, but expensive. For example, a licenced Fender neck costs between $200 and $400, but it will have a different sound to the one your guitar has. From the July 2017 issue of Acoustic Guitar | BY MAMIE MINCH. 9 Traditional Chinese String Instruments That Sound Beautiful! FULL GENERAL SETUPS: Refret (Add to general set up price) Best Acoustic Bass Strings For All Styles (2021). Click on the different category headings to find out more. Sometimes, your guitar may need more than a standard set-up. You can choose to avoid doing a refret if you don’t want to, however, there’s no harm in having it done at some point. Replace nut (with handmade from bone, Tusq, Micarta etc. You can fret dress your guitar as often as you need to. £10 PER PICKUP SET IF PURCHASED FROM THE GUITAR DOCTOR. The total cost to refret a guitar depends on the quality of the guitar, its condition and what you are looking for. I give free no-obligation evaluations of any guitar … I only take off the absolute minimum to get the board right, yes of course I could continue sanding down the frets but this would really alter the feel of the bass. These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features. All Prices in Canadian Dollars – CAD. Guitar frets are levelled with a levelling file to get rid of any high or uneven frets, then re-profiled/ crowned/ restored back to half round frets using a one sided file, using the holistic old school method Gibson and Fender artisans used decades ago. Also keep in mind that while you might be able to refret the guitar several times before having to replace the neck itself. The Guitar Doctor / J Guitars The Plek then does that exact fret dress extremely accurately and referenced to its original scan so that, when restrung, the fret plane is level, the relief is ideal and the finished fret shape is very consistent. A Southeast Guitar Repair Fret Dress also referred to as a fret level, will have your instrument playing better than the day you bought it brand new. A fretdress, as part of a set-up typically costs between $50 and $100, and will solve most problems, without the need for a refret. Click to enable/disable essential site cookies. Take your favorite guitar with frets you like the feel of when playing, and measure the fret’s height and width. PARTS REPLACEMENT: ALL ‘SUPPLY, SHAPE & FIT’. This one came in at £330. We would advise against finding someone with the cheapest price, as it’s generally someone using your guitar to practice on. How do I Know if my Guitar Needs a Refret? Compound radius can be done at no extra charge. Name * please provide your name. On average, re-fretting a guitar neck can cost from as little as $75 to as much as $500. This only applies to the work we have carried out & does not cover string breakages, damage due to misuse or rough handling etc. 5. The first question that arises here is how much does it cost to refret a guitar? A bad fret job will totally destroy a guitar. Fret Removal. For this reason we offer a setup which includes the more advanced work needed to get your guitar playing the way it should. You might however, need to replace nuts and saddles every once in a while or when buzzing becomes an issue. £60 + cost of strings: Set up electric with tremolo including Floyd Rose: £65 + cost of strings: Set up acoustic: £50 + cost of strings: Set up bass: £50 + cost of strings: Complete fret dress (set up not included) From £70: Partial fret dress (set up not included) From £50: Re-fret Rosewood ebony unbound fingerboard £ - contact us for details E-mail * please provide your email address so I can respond. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. Changes will take effect once you reload the page. The position of the fret on the fingerboard indicate the location of the next note, as a result, their positioning and the shape of their crown are crucial for good intonation. Guitar Setup Cost. ... A botched refret can cost more to correct than to do it right first time. Schedule a free consultation and find out if your guitar can be improved with either a fret dress or complete refret. 4.5 out of 5 stars 6. There is no fixed answer to that question. The fretwire itself is not expensive, but it can be a very time consuming job, especially when dealing with fragile vintage instruments. Your email address will not be published. The type of neck and wood material also play a key role in deciding the overall refret cost. It does require a good amount of tools and skill and can sometimes cost you more than the guitar is worth. When folks crank up the heat during cold weather, it removes moisture from the air. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site. The frets need to be in reasonable shape in order to progress with the set-up. Level, reprofile, polish frets £ 60.00. Bevel fret … Ibanez AEB10E Review (2021): Best Mid-Range Acoustic-Electric Bass. Here is the Yamaha shop link: Pac 1161 These come up second-hand on eBay fairly often. Some professionals, for example, may charge per fret rather than per job. Dogwood Guitars is a full-service setup and repair shop. Refretting is not as simple as changing strings on your guitar, and should not be done by a beginner. Fret dresses at my shop usually range in the $80-$120 range, but even that changes easily. Bridge Removal, Reset and Setup: $150-$200. On the other hand, players with a light touch can go on decades without any problem. We’ve seen some players with a death grip on the neck who needed to refret every year. Yes, I’m a real person, with bills and overhead just like you. Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. ELECTRIC WITH ‘FLOYD ROSE’ or FLOATING TYPE TREMOLO: ‘RAMPING’ (when a neck re-set is uneconomical) AT AN ACOUSTIC’S BRIDGE FOR IMPROVED STRING BREAK ANGLE & TONE; SLOTTING ACOUSTIC BRIDGE FOR IMPROVED BASS RESPONSE AND VOLUME – THIS WORKS A TREAT ON ALL ACOUSTIC GUITARS, ESPECIALLY MARTIN, GIBSON et al…. Just get them to collect it. (Please note non standard switches available & incur extra labour charge. The guitar setup cost is not included in repair prices but is often required. I have a precision technique for achieveing a perfectly true fret dress whic… We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. This site uses cookies. Check to enable permanent hiding of message bar and refuse all cookies if you do not opt in. It’s possible, but there is a high risk of permanent damage to the guitar’s neck and finish. New Bridge Install: £25. It is put together by musicians/techs with the same tools we have and continue to use ourselves to achieve fantastic playing guitars in minutes at a cost that is by far much less than the cost of having it done by a professional luthier! Guitars & Bass-$20 +cost of strings. ELECTRIC: £20 -£40 plus strings. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Your email address will not be published. If the frets are uneven or damaged this would make a standard setup impossible to complete. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. After a long time of playing you will flatten the frets and it will lead to bad intonation. You’ll sometimes hear a fret level referred to as a fret ‘dress’ or, occasionally a fret ‘stoning’ (probably because, historically, whetstones were a good way to level frets). You don't want to take off too much material with each pass, you can always file more off, but you can't put it back if you go too far. Fret dressing involves shaping, sanding and leveling the worn out frets that helps solve buzz and intonation problems. Guitar Set-Up: Includes cleaning, block dress, clean all electronics, all adjustments & strobe intonation-Does not include price of strings: $49.00. E&OE. Fret Dress. Heamoor, Penzance Material cost $15 per re-fret, $35 for stainless steel or "EVO gold" fret wire. I bought this fret end dressing file after seeing it on Phil McKnight’s Know Your Gear YouTube channel. Those groves or divots in the fret will no longer be an issue after we get our hands on it. Each fret end needs individually rounding and polishing. Neck Breaks. blank) £ 45.00 labour plus cost of nut. Fret dressing can typically cost anywhere from $80-$150 alone due to how much time and work is required to file down each fret one by one to ensure they are leveled. It doesn’t cost you a penny to have a look at it and estimates are FREE. 99. Whether you need to solve a buzz problem or just want to achieve the best possible playability and string action, there’s simply not a more accurate and precise way to make your instrument perform at it’s best. Refretting guitars can have multiple benefits: You don’t have to worry about the sound of a new neck, and you can choose the fret size and material you like. These typically last way longer and generally feel and play better. Required fields are marked *. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. If your guitar has some buzzing issues, you may notice some wear on the frets. ACOUSTIC: £30 – £50 plus strings. A fret dress won't make your frets feel any taller. *Please Note* These are average guitar setup and repair prices which may vary according to the condition of the instrument and complexity of the work. Try to stay off the finish. If the frets are uneven or damaged this would make a standard setup impossible to complete. Having a professional do the job will ensure that the job is done quickly and effectively with minimal chance of messing anything up. This is a starting reference for doing your research. please note other setup work may be required: nuts. Fret Dress + Setup: £70. Minor fretwear can often be corrected with a fret dress or even replacing a small number of frets. Gotta use the right tool for the job imo, buying quality tools made to do fret work was one of the best guitar investments I've made. FEEL FREE TO SUPPLY YOUR OWN OR ENQUIRE AS TO WHICH MANUFACTURER. Try to measure the upper frets near the body as they probably haven’t been leveled or worn down much. MINI SWITCHES FOR COIL CUTTING / PHASE REVERSAL ETC: Glue and tidy up, with re-setup and strings – POA. When the frets are worn out, too low to be dressed or the fingerboard is humped or warped or you simply want to change the style or size of fret. One thing that distinguishes a great guitar from an ordinary guitar is beautifully prepared frets – I’m talking about the metal wires here, not the wooden bits in between. If you have money, stainless steel frets are the way to go. If the wear isn’t too deep and/or there is sufficient height left in the worn frets (more below), a level will probably be possible. Ditto: 12 string guitar £ 50.00 labour plus cost of nut. (Refinish/colour matching possible too at extra cost.) Often it makes sense to go for fret dressing which typically costs between $60 and $100. The price increases significantly in the case of maple necks or if the neck has binding. TIMESETL 7 Pack Guitar Luthier Repairing Tools Kit, Guitar Fret Crowning Dressing File with Narrow/Medium/Wide 3 Edges, Stainless Steel Fret Rocker and Fingerboard Guards Protectors, 2 Grinding Stones. In this case, that cost me. What I do, and have been doing for decades, supports me and my family. Guitar frets are then sanded with a variety of grits and then polished. The Fret Dress and Setup includes level, re-crown and polish of your instrument’s frets along with complete setup of truss rod (neck … His best seller, Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair, is a hands-on guide with a forward by Bob Taylor.John also authored PG’s Guitar Shop 101 column, hosted several PG DIY videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for Taylor Guitars. Total cost of a Plek Fret Dress & Setup is $200 (including the scan) ... After finishing the fretboard shape, we put in the new frets by hand, bevel, dress the fret ends, etc... Next the guitar goes back in the Plek machine. ... Fret Dress: £40. Tel: 01736 332584 80% or more of electrics, especially those with bolt-on necks, have high frets in the tongue area that must be addressed in order to play without excess buzzing. We need 2 cookies to store this setting. If you do not want that we track your visit to our site you can disable tracking in your browser here: We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. The Guitar Bazaar Fret Dress System is not an expensive high cost manufactured product. Well it depends on your guitar but expect to pay between £40 and £50 plus the cost of the strings. A fret dress can be required for a number of reasons. Basic Set Up- $75 . Categories; Recent Discussions; Categories. Guitar Fret Crowning. A fret dress is often recommended to get the lowest, buzz-free action and if a fret dress is required this will be performed for an additional charge after consultation with the owner. However, if it’s supposed to be played like a regular guitar, a good fret job is absolutely worth it and will have little effect in its value. If you’re someone with a lot of guitars, you probably won’t require a guitar refret for decades. Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. If the expert charges per fret, it can start at $10, but if the professional charges by the hour, be prepared to pay anywhere from $35 to $90 per hour depending on the reputation. But the mid 90s-on tele-shapes like the 102, 302, 311 etc pop up all the time on Ebay, often for under £100 sterling. Of course how often you need to refret depends upon the quality of instrument, your playstyle, whether you regularly use a capo and if you use steel strings on your guitar. However, we only suggest refretting a vintage guitar if fret dress is no longer an option and if you really want to make music from it. There may be instances where your guitar needs more than a standard setup. Guitars may require refretting for many reasons, the most obvious being to replace worn frets or change their size. Pricing varies with the type of fret material, style and condition of fingerboard. For that and for the opportunity to serve you I have endless gratitude. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. $ PLEASE NOTE OTHER SETUP WORK MAY BE REQUIRED: ... (if you’ve got the right sort of guitar … By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. REMOVAL / REPLACEMENT OF EXISTING ACOUSTIC BRIDGE: CONVERT & SETUP GUITAR TO A ‘LEFT HANDER’ (OR VICE-VERSA): RE-SPRAY BODY & NECK, PLUS RE-SETUP (AS FEES ABOVE): CUSTOM MAKE NEW ACOUSTIC BRIDGE FROM BLANK, WITH RE-SETUP. Fret Ends included free with Fret Dress Services - the guitar is already stripped and there is much combined work. Bridge Removal, Replace and Setup: $250-$300. How much does a re-fret cost? restoring and other fingerboard issues is priced upon inspection. March 12, 2013 by wesleyguitars 1 Comment Refer a friend to me for a DELUXE set-up and fret dress, and I’ll send you a FREE packet of acoustic guitar strings! Keep in mind that costs can vary greatly depending on where you go (local guitar shop vs corporate chain, like Guitar Center). PLEASE NOTE. These cookies collect information that is used either in aggregate form to help us understand how our website is being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customize our website and application for you in order to enhance your experience. It does require a good amount of tools and skill and can sometimes cost you more than the guitar is worth Often it makes sense to go for fret dressing which typically costs between $60 and $100. What is a fret level? Saddle fitting: £25 + Part Cost. You can also change some of your preferences. All of this is done to tolerances as tight as .0004in., far more … It’s a 1960s B-25 (solid spruce top and mahogany body with solid back and laminated sides, and a rosewood fingerboard) in pretty good shape, and it’s even had the plastic bridge replaced with a rosewood one at some point (I understand this is an upgrade). Register. I use 12/54s and play quietly. However, these are extremely intricate steps and it’s easy to mess up at any point. £10-£40 Nut fitting: £30 + Part Cost. If you have a cheap guitar, it won’t make much sense to invest in a refret as you can get a new guitar for the same price or just a new neck. Julyan Wallis Mandolins and 12 strings - $25 +cost of strings. A full refret will take around 6-10 hrs of total labor, but luthiers usually work with tens of instruments at a time which means your guitar can take up to a week. Nickel silver frets may last around 1000 hours of play even for heavy handed players, while stainless steel might last much longer than that. It’s all about the amount of wear the frets are exposed to and varies from player to player. Let it dry completely then sand or file flush. If it’s an expensive collectible that’s just going to be on your showcase, a refret will kill its worth simply because people want these things as original as possible. Fret dressing can typically cost anywhere from $80-$150 alone due to how much time and work is required to file down each fret one by one to ensure they are leveled. Fret wire is available in a variety of heights, thicknesses and profiles and should be chosen to match your playing style. All adjustments carried out where applicable. If you’re worried about having to replace them often, we would suggest getting stainless steel frets. Sign In Register. An ebony or rosewood board with a bolt-on neck and no binding will cost the least. Bare Knuckle, Seymour Duncan, Lindy Fralin, Kent Armstrong, Artec, Kinman et al, MISCELLANEOUS STRUCTUAL REPAIRS: FRET WORK Dress, reprofile and level frets and polish. Frets are nothing but thick metal strips, and when you push the strings against them it naturally causes wear due to friction. Less expensive guitars often have fret ends that are very sharp and uncomfortable. His best seller, Guitar Setup, Maintenance & Repair, is a hands-on guide with a forward by Bob Taylor.John also authored PG’s Guitar Shop 101 column, hosted several PG DIY videos, and is an authorized warranty technician trainer for Taylor Guitars. You can check these in your browser security settings. How to know if your guitar needs a fret dress/re-crown and how to do it yourself if that answer is yes. In this short guide, we’ll talk about the cost of refretting a guitar, when to do it and if it’s worth it at all. Includes neck adjustment, level nut height, set saddle height, Intonation, clean electronics, tighten all loose hardware, polish instrument, and restring. Fret dress work is covered under our guitar & bass set-up guarantee. If you experience buzz on one or more notes or the dents become very noticeable, it’s probably time. The cheapest refrets will start at around $150 to $200, but that will only include basic stuff like recrowning and a fresh wire set. Good fret work is the key to perfect intonation and playability. It may only need a fret dress or a set-up. Nuts. Does Refretting a vintage guitar devalue it? It doesn’t matter if it’s an electric or acoustic because we can install any size onto the classical guitar. Often you will see that the frets are not level - this is crucial to the playability of the instrument. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain. Replace nut (pre-cut moulded plastic) £ 25.00 plus cost of nut. Common reasons for a fret dress: Divots in the frets from playing that result in fret buzz, bad intonation, and difficult playing action. If you’re willing to take the risk or just doing it for fun on a cheap guitar, surely go for it. It might make bends smoother and improve intonation but your finger tips will always be touching more of the fretboard with lower frets, which might feel weird when trying to bend notes and slide over the string if you're used to higher frets. With re-setup and strings – POA $ 250- $ 300 are uneven or damaged this would a! Number of guitar fret dress cost refret ( Add to GENERAL set up price ) Acoustic... Time of playing you will see that the job will ensure that the are!: 12 string guitar £ 50.00 labour plus cost of nut yourself if that answer is.! My family having a professional do the job will ensure that the frets are not level this. In deciding the overall refret cost. worn frets or change their size those groves or divots in fret. 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