The Fractal Fret Press grants the ability to accurately press non-traditional radius boards without using hammers or multiple cauls. The Fractal Fret Press is a self-conforming press that evenly applies pressure over a fret down to the fretboard surface. There is no adjustment needed to fret a fingerboard with a compound radius. Standard radii boards also see a benefit of being pressed to the board rather than against a fixed caul in job quality and speed. There is no need to change cauls from job to job either. Non-traditional radius boards include: fanned frets which have a varied radius to the frets even if the fingerboard has a fixed radius, non-straight/squiggly frets, fingerboard shapes that are non traditional like trapezoidal or elliptical, traditional fingerboard refrets that have rounded edges or have changed dimensions, and boutique instruments that may not be a standardized fixed radius due to being hand-mand.

As of summer 2024, the Fractal Fret Press is available on my website. If it is not in stock, add your email to the waitlist on the product page and you will be notified when in stock again.

Yes!

Yes! The Fractal Fret Press seats all fret material types. Like any good fret job, prep is critical. Pre-bend and properly size your slots.

The Fractal Fret Press will fit in the common 3/8” arbor press. You can also chuck the tool in a drill press. Please make sure the tool is completely inserted and the chuck has sufficient purchase on the arbor shaft only. If you require special arbor sizes or interface accommodations, please reach out to me at Jerame@Jedwardsguirtars.com.

While speed was not the motivation to develop the Fractal Fret Press, many shops have reported back as much as a two times decrease in labor time. Additionally, the perfectly seated frets require little-to-no post-press fret leveling which also saves time.

Many fret jobs require the fret ends to be hammered down over binding, or a rounded fingerboard edge. The press can lay these fret ends over with predictable control. Leave some excess fret material over the edge of the fingerboard and bring the press to the end of the overhang while maintaining all 8 contact points with the surface of the fret. The press will hold the seated fret against the fingerboard surface as the fret ends are rolled over the edge to your desired pitch.

Grooves in traditional cauls serve two functions: Indexing the fret parallel under a narrow 1/8” caul to prevent the caul from falling off, and maintaining the fixed radius of the caul. The Fractal Fret Press can be used slightly skewed which helps reduce time to fret. It is however best practice to maintain parallel as much as possible. The wide foot also allows non-traditional shaped frets to be pressed.

6” round, but can be modified for even smaller radii. The press will press all the way up to flat and even concave surfaces.

Brass is much more expensive than steel, however it is easier to machine with precision. It also makes for a visually appealing item! The tool has been tested to extreme pressure and duty cycles. The brass structure maintains its integrity even in hard tests beyond the pressures of fretting. Some parts of the tool may transition to steel in the future, but brass will remain the primary interface for the frets. The interface between the fret and press must be malleable as to not deface or damage the fret. The brass feet are designed to allow some compliance and wear-in over time while leaving the fret surface unharmed. The wear of the feet do not affect performance as long as a gap remains between the lobes of each foot.

The Fractal Fret Press is made in the U.S.A, deep in the heart of Texas. The parts are machined and assembled in my workshop by me. Each step is at my attention from procuring materials to mailing presses. Every step of QC is under my scrutiny as a luthier and craftsman.

I will be open to making custom sized units in the near future for shops that have a longer minimum fret width. This tool was purposely designed to be 1.5” wide - the narrowest fret of a jazz bass. The press can only equalize pressure if all contact points are engaged. If the press is wider than the fret it is pressing, the overhang of the tool will have nothing to work against and the inner feet will bottom out. Small but mighty, the press can tackle even the widest frets by simply moving across the fret.

While not ideal tools to use exclusively in conjunction with the Fractal Fret Press, prototype adapters for use with F-clamp style presses have shown great benefit when fretting acoustic guitars over the body. Reach out if you would like an adapter for F-clamp presses. Locking plier clamp adapter/tools are pending development.

The compliable nature of the brass against harder fret materials such as nickel and stainless steel will work-harden the contact points of the feet. This does not affect the functionality as the foot lobes are designed to work-harden while maintaining a gap that allows articulation.

The Fractal Fret press is expected to be a career-long companion for the average luthier with proper use. The tool was designed to tackle a very specific problem. There are 31 individual components that make up the Fractal Fret Press. Due to the small stature, moving parts and high pressure environment, the tool can be considered “consumable” to extreme high-volume shops. Currently, there are manufacturers across the globe that see up to 50 steel fret necks per day that use the fractal fret press.

Yes! If you find you have exceeded the duty of a component, please reach out to Jerame@Jedwardsguitars.com.

You must have contact with any fret surface you wish to press down. If the fret is wider than the 1.5” span of the tool, the tool must be situated over the unseated portion of the fret.

Check fret slot size against fret tang width. If the fret requires excessive force to be inserted, it is likely the slot is too narrow. If the fret pops out of the slot the frets slots are too wide. This is a critical step of every fret job.

Not in most cases. See: elasticity vs. plasticity. You may conservatively press the frets in steps to closely maintain the pre-bent shape, or completely seat portions at a time. Most frets can be completely seated in portions with no damage or deformation of the fret.

I do not have an explicit warranty or guarantee. I do stand by my craftsmanship and the performance of the tool if used as intended. If you do have a problem or question, please reach out to me at Jerame@jedwardsguitars.com.

I am continually making improvements to the press. The core of the tool has not been changed, but fasteners, cosmetics and materials have changed and may be subject to change. All presses that have been distributed will function the same.