Common Frets Mistakes to Avoid

I've spent enough evenings fiddling with pedals and necks in a spare room to know that most fret problems aren't really fret problems — they're the result of a small, avoidable mistake made weeks or months earlier. Here are the ones I see most often, and how to sidestep each one.

Mistake 1: Judging Wire by Its Name Alone

"Jumbo," "medium-jumbo" and "vintage" sound like fixed technical terms, but they aren't standardised across manufacturers. One supplier's medium-jumbo can sit closer to another's jumbo. If you're specifying frets for a refret or comparing new guitars, ask for the actual width and height in inches or millimetres. The name on the packet is marketing shorthand, not a specification.

Mistake 2: Blaming the Frets for Every Buzz

Buzzing feels like an obvious fret problem, so it's the first thing people blame. In reality, a tired truss rod, a low nut slot, worn-out strings or heavy-handed technique can all cause the exact same symptom. Jumping straight to "I need new frets" without a proper diagnosis means you might pay for fretwork that doesn't actually fix anything.

Mistake 3: Attempting a DIY Level-and-Crown Without the Right Tools

Levelling and crowning look simple in a video — run a flat file over the tops, round them off, done. In practice, it's precision work: remove too much material and you've shortened the life of every fret on the neck, not just the high one you were trying to fix. A proper fret rocker, a truly flat levelling beam and a correctly radiused crowning file aren't optional extras; they're the difference between a fix and a much bigger problem.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Sharp Fret Ends

Wooden fingerboards move slightly with the seasons, contracting when the air turns dry and expanding again when humidity returns. When they contract, fret ends that were once flush can start to poke out very slightly — often called "fret sprout." Left alone, this feels uncomfortable and can eventually catch on your hand during a slide. It's a quick, inexpensive fix for a technician, but only if you actually get it looked at rather than just living with it.

Mistake 5: Choosing a Size Purely on What Looks Impressive

Tall, wide fret wire looks the business, and plenty of players choose it for that reason alone. But taller frets give a string more room to be pushed sharp under firm pressure, which can actually work against players who fret hard. Choose based on how you actually play — how much you bend, how hard you press, whether you rely on vibrato — not on which wire looks most impressive in a photo.

Mistake 6: Skipping Maintenance Between Fret Jobs

A level-and-crown isn't a one-off fix you never think about again. Keeping the guitar in a stable environment, wiping strings and frets down after playing, and having a technician check things over periodically all extend the time between proper fretwork. Neglect that and you'll likely need attention sooner than the frets themselves would otherwise require.

Mistake 7: Assuming a Refret Fixes Everything

Fresh frets are not a magic reset button for a guitar's playability. Relief, action, intonation and nut height all still need checking and adjusting afterwards, because installing new frets slightly changes the geometry the rest of the setup depends on. A refret without a follow-up setup is only half the job.

Mistake 8: Not Telling Your Technician How You Actually Play

This one's easy to overlook. A technician can only recommend the right wire, height and profile if they know how you actually play — how hard you press, how often you bend, whether you rely on heavy vibrato, even what genre you mostly play. Turning up and simply asking for "whatever's best" hands away a decision that's genuinely personal. Five minutes of honest conversation before any work starts saves a lot of second-guessing afterwards.

A Quick Checklist to Avoid Repeating These

• Ask for exact dimensions, never just a profile name
• Get a proper diagnosis before assuming it's the frets
• Leave levelling and crowning to someone with the right tools
• Have sharp fret ends checked as soon as you notice them
• Choose size based on your own playing, not appearance
• Always budget for a setup after any fret work
• Tell your technician honestly how and what you play

The Bottom Line

Most fret regrets come from skipping a step or trusting a label over a real measurement, not from bad luck. If you want the full background first, our overview of frets is a solid starting point, and our buyer's guide covers exactly what to ask for before you pay anyone. Curious what actually represents good value? See the best frets for the money. And if you're newer to all this, our beginner's guide starts from first principles.

Frequently Asked Questions