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Frets Don’t Last
Well, yeah – if you rarely take your guitar down from the wall and play the thing, your frets may last “forever”. But really, they’re meant to be replaceable.
Every guitar neck eventually wears down — even the best ones. Grooved or uneven frets cause buzzing strings, dead notes, and poor intonation.
At St. Pete Guitar Repair, we specialize in precision fret leveling, recrowning, and full refrets that bring your guitar back to life.
Whether you play vintage Les Pauls or budget Strats, you’ll feel the difference the moment you strum.
Signs You Need Fretwork
- Buzzing or choking notes when you bend strings
- Uneven fret heights or visible grooves under the strings
- Sharp fret ends that catch your hand
- Notes that go sharp even after setup
- Persistent high-action issues that a setup alone can’t fix
If you notice any of these, it’s time for a professional inspection — we’ll evaluate your frets free of charge.
I’m going to let you in on a secret that can make your frets last three or four times longer than they otherwise might. But first, let’s look into how frets wear..
How Fret Wear Works
When you play on new frets, or newly filed and polished frets, the strings contact each fret at various places several thousandths of an inch this way or that. In other words, the wear gets spread a bit, beneath each string.
After awhile, tiny grooves appear under strings, where the strings had made the most frequent contact. Guess what happens when those grooves appear? Go ahead, I’ll wait..
That’s right! Strings no longer spread the wear across the frets. Nope – they take the path of least resistance – the bottom of those grooves.
Now that the wear is being concentrated in one tiny spot on each fret, your frets are wearing exponentially faster, and faster. Before you know it, you need a refret, and those are costly!
The Secret to Long-Lasting Frets
Your St Pete guitar techs at Hank’s Guitar Shop use a special tool, designed by Hank back in the seventies. He calls it a “Fret Renewal Tool”. If we catch the fretwear before it gets deep enough to require a Level & Crown (explained in a bit) or worse – a refret, this little gadget makes that wear go away, while keeping your fret crowns. Yup, it’s like magic!
All Complete Setups (now called “MasterPro Gold” guitar setups), include this fret wear disappearing act – worth the cost of the setup by itself!
Levels of Fret Wear & Remedies
- If wear is in beginning stages, we eliminate it as part of our MasterPro Gold Setups
- If wear is too deep for Fret Renewal, but not requiring a refret, a Level & Crown will make those frets like new again
- If some frets are too far gone for Level & Crown, we may be able to do a partial refret
- If too many frets are worn, flattened or damages, a full refret may be required.
Our Fret Leveling & Refret Process
Each guitar gets individual attention — no shortcuts or mass sanding.
Step 1 – Diagnose: We measure fret height, neck relief, and fingerboard radius.
Step 2 – Re-Seat: We locate loose frets then re-seat them. Skipping this step can spell disaster for your guitar!
Step 2 – Level: Using precision diamond files and radius blocks, we level frets to the same height within 0.001″.
Step 3 – Crown & Polish: Each fret is reshaped and polished to a mirror shine for smooth bends and accurate intonation.
Step 4 – Setup: We reset neck relief, action, and intonation so your guitar plays better than new.
For worn-out frets, we offer partial or full refrets with nickel-silver wire, matched to your playing style.
Why St. Pete Guitarists Trust Us
- Experienced Techs: Decades of hands-on fretwork experience — not just theory.
- Fast Turnaround: Most fret levels in 7 days or less.
- Precision Tools: Digital straightedges, radius gauges, and StewMac luthier tools.
- 90-Day Warranty: If any fret settles or buzz returns, we fix it free.
- Local Shop: Serving players across St. Petersburg, Gulfport, and Pinellas County from Clearwater.
How to Know How Bad Your Fret Wear Is
This one’s easy! Just bring your guitar(s) to Hank’s Guitar Shop – no appointment needed, and we’ll immediately inspect those frets and your guitar’s overall condition. We’ll show you what we find and explain what your options may be, what the costs would be and how long it will take.
Speaking of time, how long will this inspection thing take? About two minutes! And we’ll do it as soon as you step up to the counter. What does this cost? Nada. Zilch. Nothing. It’s a free service we offer to all customers.
We’re a bit north of St Pete, in Pinellas County in a little ‘burb called Clearwater. We’re on the west side of Highway 19 between the exits of Countryside and Sunset Point. We’re open weekdays 10-6, weekdays 10-2 and we’re closed on Wednesdays.
St Pete’s most trusted guitar shop –
Hank’s Gutiar Shop
25008 Hwy 19
Clearwater, FL
(727) 228-0125