Scratchy frets

[Doughboy]

My SS frets are beginning to feel scratchy & less slippery. Can I buff them with sand paper or steel wool to bring back the slippery smoothness?

Anyone done this before?

 

[stratamania]

Yes but I used wet and dry and micro mesh paper. I then use a chrome polish and a dremel but hand work would do just as well.

There's a few photos and discussion after the tremelo claw.


http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=22445.msg338072#msg338072

 

[Cagey]

My SS frets are beginning to feel scratchy & less slippery. Can I buff them with sand paper or steel wool to bring back the slippery smoothness?

Anyone done this before?

Steel wool is unlikely to have too much effect as you're trying to scrub a hard metal with a soft one, and the stuff is nasty anyway, but polishing papers will. Be sure to work side-to-side, not along the length of the neck. I would also recommend taping off the neck so you don't affect the fretboard. Start with the green, then gray, then blue - past that point you enter into diminishing returns. Depends how fine you want things. The finer the paper, the longer it takes to get any results, but you can get the things to a mirror finish that will last a long time on stainless. Very satisfying.