How Many Times Can You Refret A Guitar?ĭid you know that Stevie Ray Vaughan had to stop playing his favorite guitar? In early videos, you can see his Stratocaster named “Number One” in almost every show. Needless to say, if you play five or ten hours each day, then you might need to consider refretting your instrument after a while. Furthermore, your playstyle or how hard are you on the frets will also play an important role.Ī lot of bending and vibrato will wear out frets faster, but the refretting time will still measure in decades. If you have more than one guitar and you keep playing all of them, there is a high chance that you won’t need to refret it any time soon. Many players spend decades using the same guitar without refretting it, and it is not the most common procedure. But it depends on your playstyle, the amount of time you spend playing the guitar, the quality of the instrument, and so on. How Often Should You Refret Your Guitar?įor the average player, it will take decades before they will need a fret job. Instead of replacing all of them, they can often eliminate the problem with the existing frets. Sometimes, all you need to do is take your guitar to a local service, and they can file down frets and make them even. If there are notes that aren’t sharp, or if they are losing sustain or any other problem with notes, then you might need to do something about it.īut this doesn’t mean that you’ll need to replace frets. If you were wondering whether your guitar needs new frets, all you need to do is play it. But this isn’t the primary concern and even if there are visual differences, you might not need to refret the instrument. So, the first thing you can do is check your frets and see if they are worn out. Using vibrato while playing can help you wear out your frets naturally and evenly which won’t cause you problems. Naturally, this isn’t something that you’ll notice after a couple of months of playing.īut after a few years, dents in frets will become more noticeable, especially if you play without vibrato. And each time you do this, it will leave a dent on the fret. Whenever you play the guitar, you will press the string against the fret. How Do I Know If My Guitar Needs New Frets? If the answer is yes, then you should do it. You should ask yourself if it is worth repairing it and if you can afford it. However, if you love your guitar, and want to fix it, then it is ok. I already mentioned that the price is between $200 and $400, and if you have a $150 guitar, it might not be worth the price. But in theory, the guitar is worth a lot less than you’ll pay for refretting. If you need to refret, let’s say, your first guitar, then it might not be worth the price. But what happens if you have your old instrument instead? If you own a Strat from the fifties or vintage Les Paul, you would want to keep it in the best possible condition, and you will need to invest in the guitar if you want to keep it playable. Vintage instruments can cost a couple of thousands, and adding a few hundred on top of it is just part of maintenance. If you own an expensive instrument, refretting it is undoubtedly worth the price. Needless to say, you need to replace frets without damaging the instrument. But the process can be quite complex and requires a lot of work. The reason for this is that you can get a set of frets for the guitar for around $10.
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Firstly, you might notice that I never mentioned the price of frets. You might ask why this is the case, and why refretting is so expensive. The more expensive and fragile the instrument is, the higher the price will go.
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So the cheapest options are guitars like Stratocaster with rosewood fretboards. Moreover, if your guitar doesn’t have binding, the price will go even lower. In essence, rosewood necks are a lot cheaper than maple, and you will need to pay less for bolt-on necks. Needless to say, if you have a vintage instrument that’s rather expensive, you will need to pay even more for refretting. And each part of the guitar or neck can further affect the price. Furthermore, the wood may also play a role in the price you’ll need to pay.Īnd if your guitar neck has the binding on it, it will only increase the price. Usually, the price is different for bolt-on and set-in necks. The first thing that may have an impact on the price is the type of guitar, or more precisely neck. As you all know, each guitar is different, and there are many variations that depend on the brand, model, and so on. There are so many things that may affect the price when it comes to refretting. 8 Summary The Cost Of Refretting A Guitar