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First Time Refret On Fender Stratocaster

I was gifted a very nice Fender Stratocaster which had a couple bad frets. I really like the neck so I decided to try installing new frets myself, for the first time. This isn't a how-to, just a how-I-did-it. I certainly made some mistakes but I was left with a great sounding and excellent playing…

Fender Stratocaster Refret title card — Fender Stratocaster Refret.

Preparation

The guitar had a couple of bad frets, but I really liked the neck, so instead of paying for a refret I decided to try it myself. To be clear, this isn't a how-to — it's just a how-I-did-it. First step is stripping the strings and pulling the neck. On a vintage-style Strat the truss rod adjusts at the heel, so the neck comes off anyway to get at it.

Stratocaster with the neck removed on the bench — Stripping the strings and removing the neck.

Removing the old frets

Factory frets are set with glue, so I heated each one with a soldering gun and a little solder to soften it before pulling the fret out. That first fret was the easiest — they get harder as you go.

Heating a fret with a soldering gun before pulling it — Heating each fret with a soldering gun before pulling it.

Lesson #1: use fingerboard guards

If I'd used fingerboard guards I would have been able to leverage against the fretboard instead of pulling straight out on the fret. Pulling straight up is the fast way to chip the board — and that's exactly what happened. Learn from my mistake and buy the guards.

Two stainless steel fingerboard guards — The fingerboard guards I should have used.

The aftermath

Pulling the frets left a lot of burned areas and chip-outs in the maple. The last fret was the toughest and took the biggest chips out of the board.

Maple fretboard with scorched and chipped fret slots — Scorched maple and chip-outs around the fret slots.

Cleaning the fret slots

Next I cleaned up the slots so the new frets would seat properly. I flattened the slot edges with a screwdriver shaft used as a straightedge, then cleaned out the slots with the back edge.

Flattening fret slot edges with a screwdriver — Flattening the slots with a screwdriver.

Repairing the chip-outs

The new frets covered most of the damage, but the worst chips still needed filling. I made filler from sawdust off a maple blank mixed with glue, pressed it into the chip-outs, and filed it level with the fretboard. Then I sealed the raw repair with Minwax Fast-Drying Polyurethane (Warm Satin), brushed on with the board masked in painter's tape.

Filling chip-outs with maple sawdust and glue — Maple sawdust and glue filling the worst chip-outs.

Installing the new frets

With the board repaired, I pressed in new Fender medium-jumbo fret wire using a fret caul in an arbor press, with cardboard protecting the neck. Cheap Amazon tools did the job just fine.

Pressing new fret wire with a caul in an arbor press — Pressing new Fender medium-jumbo frets with a caul and arbor press.

Lesson #2: cut the fret ends closer

I should have cut the frets much closer to the fretboard before installing them — the ends stuck way out sideways and made the rest of the job harder. Trim them close first, then bevel with a fret file, crown, and polish. I used StewMac-style files, a sanding block, and metal polish, taping the neck between steps.

New fret ends sticking out past the fretboard — The fret ends sticking out — I should have cut them closer.

The result

Once it was beveled, crowned, polished and strung back up, the guitar played great. Despite the mistakes it came out sounding excellent and playing better than I expected for a first attempt. If I can do it, anyone can.