How to Polish Your Frets

FRTLZR Tutorials · Fret Care
How to Polish Your Guitar Frets to a Mirror Shine

Dull, tarnished frets drag on your strings and make bends feel rough. Here's how to bring them back to a clean, mirror finish with the FRTLZR Fret Polishing Kit — including which grit to start with for your frets' condition.

Level: Beginner-friendly Time: ~15–30 min You'll need: FRTLZR Fret Polishing Kit (Basic or Premium)

Why polish your frets?

Frets pick up oxidation, tarnish and fine scratches from playing and string changes. Polished frets let strings glide, so bends and vibrato feel smoother — and clean frets simply look like a professionally set-up instrument. It's one of the quickest, most satisfying upgrades you can do yourself. The FRTLZR system removes oxidation, scratches and grime and works on fret sizes from 2.0 mm (regular) to 2.8 mm (jumbo), including stainless steel, down to a minimum fret height of 0.8 mm.

What's in the kit

Fret Polishing Kit — Basic:

  • 1 FRTLZR® Polishing Block
  • 1 Long-Life® rubber ring
  • 2 sets of polishing grit — 800 · 1500 · 3000 · 7000 (paper, made in Germany)
  • 1 FRTLZR® Fretboard Protector

Fret Polishing Kit — Premium:

  • 1 FRTLZR® Polishing Block + Long-Life® rubber ring
  • 1 set of MicroMesh polishing grit — 1500 · 2400 · 4000 · 8000
  • 1 FRTLZR® Fretboard Protector
  • 1 FRTLZR® Fret End Block with two sets of strips (800 · 1500 · 3000 · 7000, made in Germany) for polishing the fret ends

Also handy: a soft cloth, and optionally fretboard conditioning oil for rosewood or ebony boards.

Which grit should I start with?

Always work from your lowest grit up to your highest. Where you start depends on how bad the frets are — never begin coarser than you need. You're only removing enough metal to erase the existing scratches, then refining up to a shine.

Fret condition Basic kit — start at Premium kit — start at Finish at
Light haze, fingerprints or mild oxidation — no scratches 3000 2400 7000 / 8000
Dull with very fine scratches (a typical well-played neck) 1500 1500 7000 / 8000
Visible scratches or heavier tarnish 800 1500 7000 / 8000
Right after a fret level & crown 800 1500 7000 / 8000

Premium's MicroMesh starts at 1500: because MicroMesh cuts finer and more evenly than paper, MicroMesh 1500 handles what 800 paper does on the Basic kit. The Premium Fret End Block (800–7000 strips) is for the fret ends, not the crowns.

Not a polishing job: deep string grooves or flat, dented fret tops are wear, not tarnish — no grit will polish them out. That's a leveling & crowning job first (see the Damon FatBeam and Damon Crowning File), then polish.

Step-by-step

  1. Loosen or remove the strings

    Detune and slip the strings aside, or take them off completely for full access. A string change is the perfect moment to polish.

  2. Protect the fretboard

    Slide the FRTLZR Fretboard Protector over each fret so only the metal is exposed. This keeps grit off the wood and inlays — essential on rosewood and ebony.

  3. Fit your starting grit and work the fret

    Fit the grit for your fret condition (see the chart above) onto the Polishing Block with the Long-Life rubber ring, and polish each fret along its length.

    Tip: polish along the fret (following the wire), not across it. Even, light passes beat heavy pressure.

  4. Step up through the grits

    Move up one grit only once the previous grit's scratches are gone and the fret looks uniform. Repeat all the way to your finest grit (7000 on Basic, 8000 on Premium) for full shine.

  5. Polish the fret ends (Premium)

    If you have the Premium kit, use the Fret End Block and its strips to bring the fret ends up to the same finish as the tops.

  6. Clean, condition & restring

    Wipe every fret clean. On a rosewood or ebony board, this is the ideal moment for a little fretboard oil (skip oil on maple or lacquered boards). Then restring, tune up and enjoy the glide.

Basic vs. Premium — which do you need?

Both get you to a mirror shine. The difference is the abrasive and how far it goes.

  Basic Premium
Abrasive Paper grit (800–7000) MicroMesh grit (1500–8000)
Grit sets 2 sets included 1 MicroMesh set + Fret End Block strips
Fret ends Polish with the block Dedicated Fret End Block included
Best for Regular upkeep & great value Finest, most even finish + fret-end detailing
Quick guide: choose Basic for routine polishing at great value. Choose Premium for the smoothest, most even MicroMesh finish and to detail the fret ends too.
Shop the Basic Kit Shop the Premium Kit All tutorials

FAQ

How often should I polish my frets?

A light polish (finest grit only) at every second or third string change keeps them clean. A full progression is only needed when frets are visibly tarnished or scratched.

Will polishing remove fret wear or grooves?

No. Polishing restores shine and smoothness. Deep string grooves need leveling and crowning first — see the Damon FatBeam and Damon Crowning File — then polish.

Can I use it on stainless steel frets?

Yes. The FRTLZR system works on stainless steel and on fret sizes from 2.0 mm to 2.8 mm, down to a minimum fret height of 0.8 mm.

Do I need to mask the fretboard?

Yes — always. The included Fretboard Protector makes it quick and keeps grit off the wood and inlays.