Examples of Bad Fret Work

Some of the fingerboard replacements I've done were necessary due horribly executed refrets which left the board in shambles.

Hmmm.....I don't think words are necessary
  Ooooo, just say no! This one needed a new board. Replacing a board which is heavily inlayed, bound and finished can be expensive, especially if it is not readily available from the factory. Anytime we can have a machine do the handiwork we will normally save on the price. But,  if all steps must be done by hand man hours and expense adds up quickly.

Binding Sanded Over and Rounded, A definite No No
 The first major problem with this Les Paul is the fact that the binding had been rounded off (look closely and you will see that the fret can not extend further than the fingerboard). With binding nubs removed the fret wire must now extend over the top of the binding. No chance of that here, now the outer E strings roll off of the fret as the fret is not as wide as it once was.

      
Are Those Fret Slots?

 The next problem was that the fret slots were terribly chipped, cut very wide and a few inlays had be cracked and reglued. Woof!
 

Poor Fret Work (Rolled Frets)

Here's a typical example of poor fret work. This job was done at the factory. If you look closely at the ends of the frets you will see that the crown tilts to the right on both of the these frets. This happens when the fret wire rolls to one side while being installed. Not only does it look terrible, it provides some nice sharp edges and it is likely the frets will eventually rise and pop out of the fingerboard.

Loose (Sprung) Fret Ends

While this can occur as a result of poor fret work (not seating the frets securely-not cutting the fret slot deep enough) it is often times the result of heat or fingerboard "dehydration". Excess heat and dryness cause the fingerboard to shrink. The frets can then become loose and pop up. If more than just a few have sprung it's usually a good idea to refret. Fixing 3 or 4 frets, leveling and recrowning them only to have a few more pop loose later is a bad decision. This is not uncommon on older instruments.