How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

[wasteofo2]

I've an SG style guitar which I like ALOT, but on the upper frets, when I bend a note it starts hitting against other frets and getting muted. I know how to keep my neck straight, and it has about .5mm relief at the most dipped point, so it's not that. I'm pretty much positive it's that some of my frets aren't level. So, anyway, how much should I expect to pay for having like 10 frets leveled off?

 

[aleclee]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

I paid ~$120 for a fret level a while back.

My advice is that fretwork is not a good place to economize. If the tech screws it up, you could be looking at even more expense in the form of a refret. Find a tech with a solid rep or a reference from someone you trust.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

wow. $120?!? I asked Mike at the shop around the corner and he said on a 99' Gibson he could do it for about $30.

$120, sounds more like a refret though?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

I did a fret level for Curly on a Tele neck he sent me. Took about 3 hours! Most of that time was scraping the super thick finish off between the frets enough that I could fit my crowning file over the frets to recrown them after leveling.

Every fret job is a little differant...some go fast/some get complicated.

Some necks are straight when you do the fret level, then when you string them up to pitch, humps and dips appear and the job has to be redone.

At 55 years old, I don't do anything for less than $35 as hour...unless it's for someone like Curly.

I think about $100 is fair for most jobs.

Lew

 

[boonhogganbeck]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

I paid $100 for fret leveling and crowing on a Wolfgang.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

Fret leveling is difficult and exacting work. And if you're working with a player with an aggressive picking attack or someone who insists on very low action and no buzzes it can be difficult to satisfy such players. Sometimes it's impossible if they don't understand the limitations of thier guitar - someone who insists that thier vintage Fender style neck should play as easily as thier Les Paul for example. There's also all the time it takes talking to customers...most of whom you end up giving free advice to! After 20 minutes of discussion you get a: "OK...I'll think about it." and you never see them again. :smack: Repair people and amp techs spend alot of time getting thier brains picked by people who are only pretending they are going to give you some work! Lew

 

[54stratlover]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

I paid around 75-80 for the last few I have had done.

 

[TheProphet]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

Paid $185 CAN for a fret dress .... came back levelled and NOT crowned ....


Not going back

 

[Zerberus]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

I dress frets (This includes Leveling, crowning, reradiusing the edges if necessary and a polish to a mirror surface, and a full setup of the axe to the players specs) for 120 EUR+strings, on more than 24 frets add another 5 EUR per fret above 24

 

[rspst14]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

My Hamer is in need of a refret at the moment, so I decided to invest in some tools and a cheap neck to practice on. I must admit, I'm a real sucker for getting good deals on "fixer-upper" stuff, so I figure it's a good idea to learn fret and nut work. That may be something to consider if you're a DIY type of person...by the time you buy all the necessary tools, you won't be saving much money this time around, but I think it's worth it if you can learn to do it yourself for future projects.

Ryan

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

Paid $185 CAN for a fret dress .... came back levelled and NOT crowned ....


Not going back

Where did you go?

 

[B2D]

Re: How much shuold some fret-leveling cost?

usually runs me about $80 and that includes setup at my local shop.