"fret dress"

[arjepsen]

I wonder if it is normally necessary (or a good idea) to get a "fret dress" done to your new warmoth neck?

 

[Watershed]

I think the majority of people on the forum will tell you that it is not.
There are always the exceptions though.

I would say that if you set it up, get the intonation and action sorted out, and have no buzzing....then no.

I usually give the frets a little love, but only because I have the tools and time to kill.

 

[-CB-]

If you have a maple fretboard, and Warmoth did the finish, then you'll have to scrape the finish off the frets.  I personally, have "played" the finish off, and that works, but it faster and cleaner to scrape.  You also get a nicer tone, brighter attack etc, since you're not fretting on the finish.

After that, I'd suggest that you make corrections as needed.  W takes great care in their fretboard flatness, and with the frets pressed upon it, you're going to have  very even frets.  Nine necks now, and only one raised fret (#22), on one neck.  It tapped down ok.

You "might" see some fret end sharpness.  That can be smoothed with a ladies flexi nail board thingie (the rubbery ones).

Thats about it really.