Long Fret End
© Frank Ford, 4/25/00; Photos by FF
If the end of a fret hangs way out over the edge of the fingerboard, it's really easy to give it a bit of a bend as you tap the fret down:
Look carefully, and you'll see that the center of the fret has lifted as a result of the downward bend at the end. Add to that the fact that the fret has dug into the surface of the fingerboard a bit right at the edge, and you have a fret that's not worth trying to save.
Best to keep the ends no more than 1/8" over length. That's enough to give a nice margin of error in lateral placement, and too little to kink by tapping normally.
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