Stainless Steel Refrets in Manhattan
Stainless steel frets don't wear. Nickel silver frets on a gigging guitar are grooved in a few years; stainless looks the same after twenty. They also feel slicker under bends and keep a fresh-level feel for the life of the guitar. The trade is a harder install, which is why most shops charge extra for it, and so do we.
What you get
A refret ($350 base) plus the stainless add-on ($150) covers pulling the old frets, cleaning and truing the slots, installing stainless wire and dressing the ends. We recommend adding a level, crown and polish ($225) so the new frets are perfectly even, and a setup ($145) so the guitar leaves playing as it should. Nut work is quoted if the new fret height changes the slot depth.
Wire choices
We stock Jescar stainless in medium-jumbo and jumbo and can order narrow-tall, vintage and bass sizes. If you don't know what you have, we measure the existing frets and match or go one size up.
Add-ons that apply
Bound fingerboards, maple boards with finish over the frets, and set-neck guitars each add $100 because the fret ends and the finish need extra care. Twist correction on an unfinished board is $100. Evertune and Floyd Rose guitars need an advanced setup ($200) afterward instead of a standard one.
Prices
| RefretBase price, pull and install | from $350 |
|---|---|
| Stainless Steel Frets Add-on | +$150 |
| Fret Level, Crown & PolishRecommended with every refret | $225 |
| Set-neck, Bound or Maple Add-onEach that applies | +$100 |
| Twist Correction Add-onUnfinished boards | +$100 |
| Standard SetupAfter the refret | $145 |
| Advanced SetupFloyd Rose, floating trem, 12-string | $200 |
See the full repair and setup menu for everything else we do.
A typical stainless refret on a bolt-on with a rosewood board, with level and setup, runs about $870 labor. Refrets take 1 to 2 weeks. Fret wire is included in the stainless add-on; strings are extra.
Get a free quote
Common questions
- How much is a stainless steel refret in NYC?
- Refret from $350 plus $150 for stainless frets at Brothers Guitar Shop, so $500 for the refret itself. With the recommended level and setup it's about $870 on a typical bolt-on.
- Do stainless frets change the tone?
- Slightly brighter attack is the usual report, mostly from the fresh crown and polish. Most players can't pick them out blind. What you will notice is how slick bends feel and that they never groove.
- Will stainless frets wear my strings faster?
- No. Polished stainless is smoother than nickel silver, so if anything strings last longer.
- Can you refret a maple neck with finish?
- Yes. Finished maple boards add $100 because the finish around each fret has to be scored and touched up.
- How long does a refret take?
- 1 to 2 weeks. Ask for current lead times when you drop off at 316 East 84th Street.