How low can the frets go before a refret?

[the low one]

I have a 57 reissue P bass and I thought I needed a refret recently so took my bass in for repair and the guy said it only needed a fret dress. He filed all the frets down and set it up. All the frets are filed level now and I can still see some of the marks on the affected frets around the 3rd to 5th frets from the original wear and tear.

I still get a little bit of buzz in those areas so I’m wondering if he should have done a refret. As long as the all frets are level, and they are, how low can they go before a refert becomes necessary?

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by the low one

I have a 57 reissue P bass and I thought I needed a refret recently so took my bass in for repair and the guy said it only needed a fret dress. He filed all the frets down and set it up. All the frets are filed level now and I can still see some of the marks on the affected frets around the 3rd to 5th frets from the original wear and tear.

I still get a little bit of buzz in those areas so I’m wondering if he should have done a refret. As long as the all frets are level, and they are, how low can they go before a refert becomes necessary?

If you can still see the worn places after a fret dressing, you have received a very shoddy job and you are not at all out of order to demand that the dressing be done over. If, for whatever reason, the tech cannot correct the problem with a do over, the cost of the dressing should be deducted from the price of a refret.

To return an instrument with a visibly defective repair is pure laziness at the best and incompetence at its worse. It would be impossible for the tech not to have known that he stopped short of removing enough fret material to clear up the worn spots.

I'm pretty sure that I would try to get a refund and take it to a competent repair person.

[the low one]

Originally Posted by pkr2

If you can still see the worn places after a fret dressing, you have received a very shoddy job and you are not at all out of order to demand that the dressing be done over. If, for whatever reason, the tech cannot correct the problem with a do over, the cost of the dressing should be deducted from the price of a refret.

To return an instrument with a visibly defective repair is pure laziness at the best and incompetence at its worse. It would be impossible for the tech not to have known that he stopped short of removing enough fret material to clear up the worn spots.

I'm pretty sure that I would try to get a refund and take it to a competent repair person.

Thanks.

I know it's personal choice but if I go for a refret should I go "like for like" with the vintage style frets or maybe go for medium jumbo that most Fender basses seem to have these days?

[pkr2]

Originally Posted by the low one

Thanks.

I know it's personal choice but if I go for a refret should I go "like for like" with the vintage style frets or maybe go for medium jumbo that most Fender basses seem to have these days?

Like you said, it's really a personal choice. The bigger the fret, the longer it will last before a redress is needed, generally speaking.