I've ALWAYS wanted a Shoreline Gold Strat.

So I picked up a 2001 American Strat in Shoreline Gold with a HSS pickup config ad a maple neck from a guy in Craigslist. Got it for a real good price.

I should have checked it a little closer.

If I wear out frets it's usually the high E around 2nd or 3rd frets. I got the guitar home and was crushed to find grooved frets under the G string from the 2nd fret to about the 7th.

I took it to a reputable repair guy who basically said it would be cheaper to replace the neck with a Warmoth than re-fret and then level and crown the fret board.

I've asked the guy for my $$$ back. Not holding my breath on that.
Any advice for me, other than check that the next time.

How much cheaper? I would rather keep the fender neck myself and pay the extra. Or you could buy a used neck on Ebay. American necks go for about $250-$300. Just make sure the frets are good first.

I don't think you need a reftret... from what I understand you (a luthier) can grind down the fret smooth again. I heard you can do this once or twice before refretting the guitar. I don't know this for sure, but I was told by someone who has been playing for 30+ years... It's worth looking into. I would have someone else take a second opinion.

Unfinished warmouth necks run around $115 I believe. But changing that will make your guitars value drop in price considerably.

Best bet if you can have it ground: Sell it on ebay, but another on ebay.

The repair guy you took it to is a joke.

Why not just replace that one fret and level that fret to the rest of the guitar.

Thats the extreme case. The majority of the time it will be ok with a good crown and polish. Imagine my dismay when I found my own heavyhanded playing had caused the same on my customclassic. No new neck for me. A bit of a fretstone, crowning and metal polish and its as good as new.

Find a new tech, the one you took it to is a clown. You can replace a good few frets (like 22) before you come near the cost of a new neck. It costs what £180 to get a neck plek'd, around £130 for a complete refret and £250 for a half decent new neck.

It aint rocket science, its not even algebra 101 to see the way the numbers work.

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No no and no

I'll have to get another opinion then. He was concerned how much fret would be left.

I got it for $600.

He quoted me $10 per fret and said I needed 7. So $70.
Then it would be $160 for level, crown and guitar setup.

So $230 total.

Again, not a luthier, but I believe it would have to be some serious wear to replace 7 frets. Also, I would skip the setup, they're pretty easy to do and I think every guitar player should learn how to do it.

Your setup should be in with the price of any work done. After all, if anyone with a good business ethic does work on your guitar thay want you to take away a guitar thats exactly to your liking. Not have to come back, complain and have some BS answer like "thats a setup, not fret level thing".

If you work on someones guitar the way it feels to them ensures repeat custom. Your only as good as your last job. #
Now ok he could be thinking, "this is the way you like your guitars". But a good tech will always check. A setup is 5 minutes work whilst your re-stringing a guitar after a fret level. Expect it, dont pay for it.

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No no and no

$10 a fret? WTH, I've never heard of that before. Most refrets are much more expensive, if it is even needed. Maybe it is that damaged, but I'd get a second opinion

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SG.
"Walls" video from Zero in the Sun by Villains of Yesterday

I tell you what if he said $10 a fret he's cheap!!!! And he don't know what he is doing!!!!

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Well, all I'll say is that this isn't a guy in his basement doing this. He has a shop that's attached to a custom amp builder that most of you gear head types might recognize. I know the amp guy but had never been to his shop before I called him looking for someone and he told me about this guy.

We went through a few options so I emailed for clarification.

I can believe a full fret job for $230. thats not bad low actually but individual frets $20 to $25. each minimum $60. plus! You have to remember a full fret to doing a couple is priced differently. Thats how it is with me.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Unless fretware makes it unplayable, you can live with it. My 85 LP has it and the fingerboard gouging which comes with years of use.

I had a Strat Ultra receive the Plek treatment a few months ago... best thing you can do for your guitar, in my opinion. I have a CS '66 Strat that will be needing it soon, too... I can't remember how the frets were when I bought it, but after a year's playing they're developing sharp edges where they've been worn flat. At about $150 the treatment may seem pricey, but your guitar comes back with perfect frets, intonation, action, neck relief as good as they can possibly be. A talented guitar tech may well be as good as a Plek machine, but they will not be better.

I find that I wear my frets flat on the G, B and high E strings from the fifth fret to the fifteenth, with the odd light gouge on the areas of the fretboard with the most traffic. As long as there's still about 0.5 mm of fret left above the fretboard you can get all your frets to be perfect again. Less than that and you might be looking at replacing frets.

Uhmm, I`m surprised...here in Indonesia a decent luthier mostly will do that for about Rp.500.000 is about +/- US$50...

You can get a surprising number of goods and services in Indonesia for US $50, though...