Fret slot

The narrow saw cut in the fingerboard into which a fret's tang is pressed or glued.

Its width must match the tang or the fret will be loose and will rock in use, and its depth must clear the tang so the crown can sit flat on the board surface. Saws are available in specific tang widths, and slots in a bound fingerboard are cut after the binding is fitted so the ends do not show. A slot cut too deep can split the board, and one cut too shallow leaves the frets sitting high across the whole neck.

Example: a refret on a bound fingerboard means cutting each slot part-way through the binding, which is why the ends are nicked rather than left open.

Fret slot

See also