when to dress frets

Is there any reason to dress wear out of fretwire before it begins causing playability or intonation issues?

-- h

If you're happy with the way it plays... no.

If there are no problems leave it alone. If you are selling it you may want to make it look pretty.

Normally, playability issues (mostly in the form of buzzing) are the indicator that the frets need some attention. It's not really something you do as preventative maintenance.

Take a look at your frets. If there are divots, then a dressing will help. If they're dull, polishing will help. If neither of those things are true... leave it.

I got a few minor dips developing on the d, g, b, little e strings from the 5th fret back to the nut... Not bad but I can see it when looking across the fret, G has developed a ring at times.. How much does a normal fret leveling run??

I am pretty much a DIY type guy, but some jobs are just better to leave to a professional due to the time and effort vs. cost... Is this one of those jobs..

I've done a few now, and would say gohead and do it yer self.
Take the time and read the sticky on fret leveling your tele.
http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-technical/201556-fret-leveling-yer-tele-101-a.html
Take your time, I just use 400 grit crocus cloth on my leveling bar, it goes slow but so am I.
Have fun, and enjoy a job well done.

Depending on your area and who you go to, typical prices range from around $65 to $100.

This is a precision job that is best done with some specialized tools. It's not impossible to do, but it does have a learning curve. For jobs like this my usual advice is that you get the tools and learn to do it if it's something you'll have to do a lot of. If you just have one or two guitars to take care of, you'll spend less and get better results going to a pro.

I don't know whether to believe this or not, but years ago, someone in the fret-wire manufacturing biz (I can't remember exactly which one) told me that the further you go into a fret, the softer the metal is. If that is true, then every time you do a level/crown, you've got frets that are a little less wear resistant than they were before. Of course it was in this person's best interest that worn frets get replaced with new frets as much as possible !

Thanks, guys.

-- h