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Fret Polishing

Fret Polish, Mirror Finish Frets

Fret polishing is indeed an art. Over many years, I have developed systems that will yield spectacular results on your frets. I have three levels of Fret polishing, depending on the service or package. Even the "Basic Fret Polish" level will be a huge improvement for any frets. However, the "High Luster" fret polish is well above standard, (most would call this level, mirror finish) and the "True Mirror Finish" fret polish level is transformative. This work does indeed get more labor-intensive as the levels go up, but the results are well-worth the time and effort. Polishing frets is my favorite aspect of guitar setup & maintenance. 

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On all 3 levels of fret polishing, each fret is polished individually!

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Level 1: Basic Fret Polish

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  • Three grits of high-grit sanding

  • Application of ultra-fine liquid polishing compound.

  • Hand buffing of each individual fret (please see Hand Buffing Over Time below)

Level 2: High Luster Fret Polish

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  • Five grits of high-grit sanding

  • One grit of ultra-fine solid polishing compound (aka Rouge) Dremel polishing

  • Application of ultra-fine liquid polishing compound.

  • Hand buffing of each individual fret (please see Hand Buffing Over Time below)

Level 3: True Mirror Finish

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  • Eight grits of high-grit sanding

  • Three grits of fine to ultra-fine solid polishing compound (aka Rouge) Dremel polishing

  • Application of ultra-fine liquid polishing compound

  • Hand buffing of each individual fret (please see Hand Buffing Over Time below)

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Although the level 2 "High Luster"  fret polishing is what most would call a "mirror finish," there are levels of shine and smoothness that go way deeper than you may expect. Each fret is like a precious jewel, the most important points of contact. In my mind, they are like jewels, however, they must be perfectly level, sans a tongue dressing of the final 7-9 frets.

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Hand Buffing Over Time

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This is a step often bypassed by most, if not all, guitar tech/ luthiers. Immediately following the fret polishing process, the onset of oxidation (technically) begins to set in, albeit subtly. More significantly, impurities and residue persistently surface for a duration ranging from 24 to 48 hours post-polishing. Prior to stringing your instrument, It is imperative to hand-buff the frets individually, over time spanning no less than 24 hours. Utilizing a pristine 100% white cotton cloth, I traverse the frets with only untainted sections of the cloth, repeating the process until no trace of impurities and residue remain. Hand buffing over time is crucial, and the key to superbly polished frets. 

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