fret leveling

Why do frets become unlevel if it's not worn down?
The fret board is flat.
Fret wire is uniform, and is designed to sit flush.

It seems to me that as long as it's pressed in, the frets should naturally be level.

Why is the recommended fix for leveling to grind high frets down, instead of pressing it back down? It seems to me pressing it down would solve both the leveling issue, and the exposed ends, where as if you grind it, you have to recrown, and re-dress the ends, which seems less good.

spookelele said:

Why do frets become unlevel if it's not worn down?
The fret board is flat.
Fret wire is uniform, and is designed to sit flush.

It seems to me that as long as it's pressed in, the frets should naturally be level.

Why is the recommended fix for leveling to grind high frets down, instead of pressing it back down? It seems to me pressing it down would solve both the leveling issue, and the exposed ends, where as if you grind it, you have to recrown, and re-dress the ends, which seems less good.

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That is a good question. It seems to me, that if something was level and straight at one time, then gets wonky, there is probably a reason for it. I would think that figuring out the reason and correcting it would be a better approach than just filing and sanding away.

Wood moves more than you may think.

Ive tapped a loose fret down with a dab of crazyglue before after watching a video on it. I think the proper answer is to properly evaluate the problem and correct it accordingly.

Now the problem is when a person grabs a file and starts flattening frets including the zero fret on a Risa stick without knowing what hes trying to accomplish. That's a real crime.

BTW if the fret ends have become exposed its likely that the poor little thing is drying out and needs humidity.

Even if the fretboard is flat, hammered in frets are not level, as well as pressed frets, UNLESS technology allows you to press exactly perfect. There are still a number of builders who do NOT press frets.

There are too many variables as to why frets are not level, as well as how to address them.

Bottom line, we're dealing with thousanths of an inch as the difference between buzzing, or not.

I hammer my frets in, didn't like the "press them in method" at all. Like Kekane says, there are too many things that the eye doesn't see no matter which method you use. Many times I get new guitars and ukes in my shop where the frets have not been dressed and the owner can't see why the damn thing buzzes here or there. The neck looks great, but it ain't great, just new. Once dressed, and done right, the problems go away.