As a guitar player, there is nothing worse than an instrument with issues that deem it unplayable. There are many things that can happen to kill your inspiration to play it. The frets on your guitar can turn a good experience into a very frustrating one over time.
Like anything, frets wear when used. When your guitar begins to make buzzing noises and the notes sound dead, your frets might be worn out. This is recognizable by the divots and imperfections seen in worn frets.
As time goes by, your guitar frets begin to wear, dent, and form divots that affect the way it performs. This can create odd noises and sustain issues. This article will explain what to look for and how to correct it.
How Much Fret Wear is Too-Much?
Once your ability to play the guitar has changed because of fret issues, it’s likely too much wear. Buzzing issues and dead notes are also signs that the wear has become a problem.
But At what point is fret breakdown bad? Should you have them replaced or leveled? These parts are an item that gets overlooked. This is because they are so rarely considered until there are issues. If you notice grooves in the frets or have odd buzzing, it’s a good sign that they need leveling and crowning.
This is one of the easier ways to fix worn frets. Otherwise, it could mean a large fret replacement cost if they are very bad! Let’s explore them and get to know them better. This way you will know what to look for when they need work due to wear and what it might cost to replace them.
What Causes Worn Out Frets?
Every time you press your strings down to the frets, a series of different forces are at work. First, the pressure in which you use on the string can create dents or divots over time.
This creates high and low spots on your frets that change their level. This can begin to affect tuning and intonation, not to mention create odd noises like buzz.
The frets and strings are harder materials, always making contact. This contact and movement create friction. Over time, this will remove material from them. As you play your guitar, these things are causing a bit of wear that adds up and even creates grooves or divots in frets.
Then there is the material itself. Some wear out much faster than others. Nickel will break down much faster than stainless steel, for example. And because frets are not like strings which we change easily, they get overlooked.
How to Tell if Frets Need Leveling
When you begin to realize that something isn’t right with your frets. It’s either not very comfortable or beginning to produce noise. Perhaps notes don’t ring out anymore either? Whatever it is, I’m sure you don’t like it.
The first thing to do would be to take a good look at your frets. You are looking for visual indicators first. Things like:
- Dents
- Divots
- Flat Spots
- Grooves
Chances are they are so deep that when you press the strings, they go down so far that they are touching the other frets. This means that they are no longer level and on the same plane.
This produces things like buzz and premature note muting. Depending on how and where you play the fretboard, perhaps only a few are worn. In some cases, you may only need to level and crown guitar frets, which can be done by a professional.
Level and Crown Guitar Frets
There is a difference between needing a replacement or a leveling and crowning. Frets do wear out. But sometimes a professional will simply level and crown them to bring them all down to the same plane.
Once they are all at the same height and any divots or grooves are removed, they will play like they are almost new! This process includes using a fret leveling block and sandpaper. By running the block across the frets, any high spots will be brought down until they are all the same height.
Once this process is finished, each fret will need to be crowned to remove the now square tops made by the block. This is also done using a special file made for the job.
The newly filed frets are then polished and inspected. This is to make sure there are no imperfections. A play test is done to confirm they are like new.
How to Prevent Fret Wear
So how can we prevent them from wearing out prematurely? There are a few things that can be done to help prolong their life span. First begin by looking into your play style.
Do you press really hard on the strings? What materials are your frets and other parts? Let’s see what we can do to improve the longevity.
Excessive Pressure On The Strings
There is a point at which excessive pressure can be applied to the strings. Not only is it not necessary, but will wear your frets faster. There are many newer players who are learning the feel of the guitar. This can take quite some time to figure out.
Normally, it’s only natural to apply a great deal of downward pressure to the strings.
Over time, work on applying less pressure. Obviously, you want to make sure you are fretting the string correctly in order to get it to sound right. But learn to apply only the amount of pressure needed to get the note to sound right.
This will prevent excessive wear to the guitar frets. But it will also help you become a faster player. There is less pressure to release in your hands between changes.
Have Your Guitar Maintained
If your guitar is not set up right, it may require you to press hard on the strings. You want to make sure your guitar is in optimal shape. Strings being farther from the fretboard and tuning problems can also create wear.
We tend to then adjust our play style to a guitar that is not set up and become more aggressive in our techniques. A properly set-up guitar only requires a light touch, which helps keep it in good shape altogether!
Keep Your Guitar Clean
Whenever you are finished playing your guitar, make sure to give the strings and fret board a good cleaning. Dirt, grime and oils from our hands all come together and create more friction.
Over time, it will not only dull our strings but create additional wear to the guitar frets. Find yourself a good and easy cleaning device like the Music Nomad String care Kit. The easier the cleaner is to use, the more likely you are to use it.
The benefit in cleaning our guitar is quite large! Not only do they clean, but they also lubricate, which helps prolong fret and string life!
If you have rusty strings, change them right away. Rust will wear your frets faster than anything else! Plus, they can hurt your fingers.
Guitar Fret Wire
If you are very worried about the frets breaking down, you may want to consider the materials they are made from. Nickel strings can be used instead of steel to help lessen the wear. Because of the softer material, you will have less breakdown.
A different fret material when it’s time to change can also be considered. Stainless steel wears far less than any other material. While some players say they sound a bit different, others like them because they last much longer.
How To Tell If Frets Are Worn
So how long can you expect frets to last? To get that kind of estimation when you want to fix worn frets, consider these questions:
- How much do you play?
- What material are the frets made of?
- Do you press down harder than you need?
- Do you keep your strings clean of dirt and grim?
- What material are your strings made of?
As you can see, there are many variables that make this a tough question to answer. Even right down to how you store your guitar. Is the humidity in the room good for the instrument, or will the wood shrink?
Generally speaking, frets should be inspected for wear every string change. And most guitarists would say that every 2 years of normal play time they should be leveled at the very least.
Is Fret Wear Bad?
This is one part that is a bit of a mystery to most players. But just like the brakes on your car, they are a part that breaks down with use. At some point, maintenance or replacement is necessary. Sometimes only a few wear out.
Sometimes all the frets on your guitar do. Getting to know a good technician that you trust can help you find proper intervals for service.
FAQs
What is bad fret wear?
You will realize fret wear is very bad when the notes don’t make a sound anymore on certain strings. There might also be some very bad buzzing due to a string vibrating on another fret. Deep grooves or divots can also form over time. This makes the guitar almost not playable anymore.
Once you start to see imperfections on the frets or hear funny noises, it’s more than likely a sign of wear.
Do old strings wear frets faster?
If strings are old and damaged, there is a good chance that they can wear frets. If there is any dirt or grime built up on them, this can also do some fret damage.
This depends on the material of the frets, of course, as some are much harder than others. But regular string changes are always a good idea, both for your fingers and the guitar.
