Grooves in my fretwires

[KevinAnderson]

Changing strings on my 4 year old strat (Mexico) and noticed grooves in the 4 highest strings from the first fret to the 6th fret. Some frets, strings are only slightly grooved, however visible. I looked at my 2 year old tele (US) and noticed slight beginnings of fret grooves too. This isn't normal is it? Do I need the frets smoothed or replaced?

I consider my self a beginner / intermediate player, not a hard use player but I try to play almost every day, I doing a little bending (as in Beginning Blues Guitar Unleashed, Blues Guitar Unleashed and Classic Rock Guitar Unleashed).

The second part of my question is what are the benefits of jumbo frets, assuming my guitars are "standard" frets??

Appreciate your replies, Kevin

 

[Elio]

4 years seems awfully soon to need a fret replacement. How deep are the grooves? Are they deep enough to catch a string or to feel while bending? If they are slight, polishing the frets with steel wool will probably help and will also make strings bend more smoothly. I think there is a tendency for newer players to clamp down on the neck much more tightly than necessary, which tends to be harder on frets. That was definitely the case with me, so I have been trying to make it a point the past few years to really lighten my touch, which has a side-benefit of helping with playing faster. The tip-off in my case was that I was breaking strings left and right until it was pointed out to me that when bending I was directing all the pressure downward and grinding the string into the fret. In reality, there really needs to be very little downward pressure. As long as the string is making contact with the fret, the key is to direct the pressure across the fretboard, rather than downward onto it.

Jumbo frets are really more a matter of preference but they do seem to make bends a little easier for some people because your finger is elevated from the fretboard, so there is less drag. My 2012 MiM strat came with medium-jumbo frets but I don't really notice a huge difference from other guitars that have "medium" frets, although I don't think there is much consistency as to how various sizes are labeled.

 

[JohnHurley]

Send some pictures please.

From your description it sounds like the "grooves" are in the string not in the frets right?

If so maybe just change your strings more often.

Pictures will help us understand better what you are seeing.

 

[KevinAnderson]

Send some pictures please.

From your description it sounds like the "grooves" are in the string not in the frets right?

If so maybe just change your strings more often.

Pictures will help us understand better what you are seeing.

Hey John, appreciate your reply, the grooves are in the frets, and I change strings 2-3 times a year.

Pictures added, not too bad I hope.
Kevin

 

[KevinAnderson]

4 years seems awfully soon to need a fret replacement. How deep are the grooves? Are they deep enough to catch a string or to feel while bending? If they are slight, polishing the frets with steel wool will probably help and will also make strings bend more smoothly. I think there is a tendency for newer players to clamp down on the neck much more tightly than necessary, which tends to be harder on frets. That was definitely the case with me, so I have been trying to make it a point the past few years to really lighten my touch, which has a side-benefit of helping with playing faster. The tip-off in my case was that I was breaking strings left and right until it was pointed out to me that when bending I was directing all the pressure downward and grinding the string into the fret. In reality, there really needs to be very little downward pressure. As long as the string is making contact with the fret, the key is to direct the pressure across the fretboard, rather than downward onto it.

Jumbo frets are really more a matter of preference but they do seem to make bends a little easier for some people because your finger is elevated from the fretboard, so there is less drag. My 2012 MiM strat came with medium-jumbo frets but I don't really notice a huge difference from other guitars that have "medium" frets, although I don't think there is much consistency as to how various sizes are labeled.

 

[KevinAnderson]

Hey Elio, appreciate the reply, I may need to lighten up. Seeing some UTube videos about using steel wool to buff them, being careful to not remove the peak of the fret. Don't think they are too bad, I have noticed the strings hang sometimes on a bend. As you mentioned, a lighter touch and maybe push the strings up instead of pushing down hard while bending. Makes sense now, . Please note the pictures I posted on Johns reply.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts, best wishes!
Kevin

 

[Iheartbacon]

That does look like death grip fret wear. Want to learn to lighten up? String your guitars with a set of super slinky .08’s. If you want to play in tune, you will be forced to learn a lighter touch as any type of death grip will quickly push notes sharp. After you get the hand trained, you can always switch back to heavier strings.

If you do go for a fret replacement, another option is to get stainless frets as they tend to be harder and wear a lot less. That is going to cost a lot more than learning a lighter grip, but it is an option.

 

[snarf]

This isn't normal is it? Do I need the frets smoothed or replaced?

Normal to one may not be normal to another. Here's my take. You're a heavy handed player. If you pay attention to it, you may get a lighter touch and you may not. Whether you do or don't, don't stress over it.

Me? I tend to be a heavy handed player, and all my guitars look like yours after a while. It just means that I need to have fretwork done a little more often. My heavy handedness doesn't show up in bends. I don't break strings because of it. As Elio said, on a bend, the pressure should go across the fret and not onto the fret. My heavy handedness shows when I'm playing a chord and my hand is just hanging out on the fretboard. If I play anything lighter than 10s on my electrics, I fret everything sharp. When I play acoustic a lot (12s and 13s), I notice that my grip gets heavier, and even with the 10s I have to make a conscious effort to lighten up.

If you've got some steel wool or fret erasers, you can smooth those divots out some if you really want or if you feel the string catching on bends. Looking at yours, I wouldn't worry about having the work done until it needs it. When you do have the work done, you can get stainless frets, and they don't wear nearly as easily as what you've got.

If it means anything to you, granted he probably plays a lot more than any of us, but I remember reading somewhere once that Robert Cray has a heavy enough hand that he has to replace his frets once a year.

 

[Elio]

Hey Elio, appreciate the reply, I may need to lighten up. Seeing some UTube videos about using steel wool to buff them, being careful to not remove the peak of the fret. Don't think they are too bad, I have noticed the strings hang sometimes on a bend. As you mentioned, a lighter touch and maybe push the strings up instead of pushing down hard while bending. Makes sense now, . Please note the pictures I posted on Johns reply.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts, best wishes!
Kevin

Yeah, looks like you got a heck of a grip. Make sure to warn me in advance if we ever shake hands A good friend of mine is a professor of music who teaches jazz guitar at a local university. I don't remember who it was now but he told me the story of meeting a jazz guitar legend years ago and talking to him about technique. The question came up about how much pressure needs to be used. The advice he got was that when the string just makes contact with the fret you will feel the string vibrating against it, and that is the minimum amount of pressure needed to sound a note. That's as hard as you should press. My friend tells his students that when you fret lightly, that makes the string happy and it gives your finger a little massage in return (it's corny, but it gets the point across). The upside is that strings don't break, frets last longer, and you can play a lot faster!

EDIT: The main benefit to a light steel-wool polishing is that bends will be a bit smoother, so you will get some more life out of them and the divets won't hang up the strings as easily.

 

[PapaBear]

I have a guitar with frets that look like that, but it's forty years old!

 

[tommytubetone]

I think you have a lot of life left on those frets. The frets on my American Strat are in worse shape, especially around the 5th fret high E. I keep thinking it’s time to have fret work done, but with the proper neck relief and possibly raising the action of the high E slightly, I have been able to buy some time, YMMV

 

[MarkRobbins]

My four year old guitar (the one in the picture on the left) looks kinda like yours on the first 3 frets. I just had it in for a set up (first time since the one immediately after I bought it.) I picked it up this afternoon, the guitar tech said not to worry about it. He polished them up some. Since I'm not very good, and am playing almost entirely rhythm, I spend a lot of time fretting up at the head end of the neck, so it's logical that the wear would show there first.

 

[CaptainMoto]

That does look like death grip fret wear. Want to learn to lighten up? String your guitars with a set of super slinky .08’s. If you want to play in tune, you will be forced to learn a lighter touch as any type of death grip will quickly push notes sharp. After you get the hand trained, you can always switch back to heavier strings.

If you do go for a fret replacement, another option is to get stainless frets as they tend to be harder and wear a lot less. That is going to cost a lot more than learning a lighter grip, but it is an option.

Great advise.

 

[Jay Dee]

It looks to me that the frets have never been properly crowned. You could try having them leveled then crowned and polished, A lot cheaper than replacing and really pretty easy to do yourself. Also the fret ends look very sharp.

 

[OG_Blues]

I would have levelled and re-crowned those long, long ago, but that doesn't mean it's a problem for you.
Just my personal preference to have really nice, crowned frets that are level lengthwise up and down the neck.

 

[KevinAnderson]

That does look like death grip fret wear. Want to learn to lighten up? String your guitars with a set of super slinky .08’s. If you want to play in tune, you will be forced to learn a lighter touch as any type of death grip will quickly push notes sharp. After you get the hand trained, you can always switch back to heavier strings.

If you do go for a fret replacement, another option is to get stainless frets as they tend to be harder and wear a lot less. That is going to cost a lot more than learning a lighter grip, but it is an option.

Thanks Again for your reply, I was in the process of changing to a set of eights when I noticed the grooves. I can bend just fine on the tele so I won't change out the nines. The eights on the strat sound lighter and I don't prefer it. But, the guitar is so smooth now, I'll work on the amp and tone settings. Maybe have a question for you there.
Enjoyed the chat, Kevin

 

[KevinAnderson]

Normal to one may not be normal to another. Here's my take. You're a heavy handed player. If you pay attention to it, you may get a lighter touch and you may not. Whether you do or don't, don't stress over it.

Me? I tend to be a heavy handed player, and all my guitars look like yours after a while. It just means that I need to have fretwork done a little more often. My heavy handedness doesn't show up in bends. I don't break strings because of it. As Elio said, on a bend, the pressure should go across the fret and not onto the fret. My heavy handedness shows when I'm playing a chord and my hand is just hanging out on the fretboard. If I play anything lighter than 10s on my electrics, I fret everything sharp. When I play acoustic a lot (12s and 13s), I notice that my grip gets heavier, and even with the 10s I have to make a conscious effort to lighten up.

If you've got some steel wool or fret erasers, you can smooth those divots out some if you really want or if you feel the string catching on bends. Looking at yours, I wouldn't worry about having the work done until it needs it. When you do have the work done, you can get stainless frets, and they don't wear nearly as easily as what you've got.

If it means anything to you, granted he probably plays a lot more than any of us, but I remember reading somewhere once that Robert Cray has a heavy enough hand that he has to replace his frets once a year.

Good to know about the fret erasers, thanks, I'll start there. Put a set of eights on and it makes a big difference. I have struggled with basic cord changes to the extent I am not progressing (speed and accuracy). My focus now (and its working) when making a cord change, I think about relaxing my hand and let my brain form the cord. Its a process, guess that what brings me back each day.
Thanks for your help, good to meet you.
Kevin

 

[KevinAnderson]

That does look like death grip fret wear. Want to learn to lighten up? String your guitars with a set of super slinky .08’s. If you want to play in tune, you will be forced to learn a lighter touch as any type of death grip will quickly push notes sharp. After you get the hand trained, you can always switch back to heavier strings.

If you do go for a fret replacement, another option is to get stainless frets as they tend to be harder and wear a lot less. That is going to cost a lot more than learning a lighter grip, but it is an option.

The eights are great, need to deepen the tone a little to bright for me, but otherwise very nice. I like the stainless idea and thanks for your reply.

Sincerely,
Kevin

 

[KevinAnderson]

I think you have a lot of life left on those frets. The frets on my American Strat are in worse shape, especially around the 5th fret high E. I keep thinking it’s time to have fret work done, but with the proper neck relief and possibly raising the action of the high E slightly, I have been able to buy some time, YMMV

Good to know its not that bad. Need to work on my technique I think. Appreciate it! Kevin

 

[KevinAnderson]

It looks to me that the frets have never been properly crowned. You could try having them leveled then crowned and polished, A lot cheaper than replacing and really pretty easy to do yourself. Also the fret ends look very sharp.

I really like the learning part of guitar, it keeps me going sometimes, thanks for the note.
Best Wishes
Kevin