Question:
I have a steel string acoustic guitar and I keep wearing grooves in the
first few frets of the G and E strings. I have had the fingerboard
frets reworked once and have only had the guitar for about four years.
Are the frets too soft? About how many times can you rework the frets
before they or the guitar needs to be replaced?
Answer:
My Martin D18 is 28 years old with countless hours of playing. I notice
wear on my frets but the guitar still plays exactly the way I like so
I've never had it re-fretted or re-worked. The hardness of the metal
used in the frets has alot to do with it. The frets can be re-worked
only as many times as the fret material will allow. When the frets get
too low, they will eventually need replaced. Some professional electric
players have their guitars re-fretted once a year because the fret wear
affects bending the strings and the sustain on the note while bending.
If the repair person is good, you should be able to have it re-fretted
with no problem. It's not a simple job to do but if he's experienced,
no damage to the guitar should occur. Make sure he uses good quality
fret wire so the frets will last a long time.
Gman ( o )==#