Does my guitar need a Fret Dress and Setup? 

The Fret Dress & Setup is the perfect way to optimise the performance of your instrument if it is suffering from either fret wear, uneven fretting, or uneven areas of the fingerboard, ensuring the very best play-ability! This is highly recommended on even brand-new instruments as factory fretwork does not receive the same level of care and detailed attention needed to ensure a perfectly even playing surface and silky smooth fretwork. 

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What is a Fret Dress? 

The Fret Dressing process involves first assessing the current condition of the frets and the neck shape. Once a thorough assessment has been completed, the strings are removed and the guitar is prepared for fret leveling which includes protecting the guitar and setting the neck relief. The frets are then leveled by hand with a set of fret leveling files. Once the frets are perfectly level with any pre-existing fret wear or minor neck twists/humps/kicks removed, we can then re-profile the frets. After leveling the frets, they will have a flat spot on the top which we call the land of the fret. Using Diamond fret files, we reintroduce the correct round shape to the fret and reduce the width of the land on top of the fret to a very thin strip which ensures accurate intonation up the neck and clean notes. From here, the fret ends are filed flush to the fingerboard edge then profiled to a comfortable rounded shape, and then the frets start the 6-stage fret polish which results in a silky smooth mirror finish. 

What does the Fret Dress and Setup with Fret Polish Include? 

- Levelling of the frets to ensure a perfectly even playing surface

- Re-profiling the frets to the correct round shape

- Fret ends rounded to ensure comfort

- 7-stage fret polish to ensure smooth bends and a silky feel

- Truss rod adjustment to achieve optimal neck relief for your playing style

- Nut slots cut to correct height to ensure comfort

- Nut slot sanding and lubrication for optimal tuning stability

- Action (string height) set based on your playing style and needs

- Pickup height adjustment for either even volume between pickups or a bridge pickup boost

- Intonation set to ensure your guitar is in tune the whole way up the neck

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A fresh set of strings is required for this service and is not included in the price. However, we can supply strings for you.