Hi,
These are how the frets look on an older Ode banjo that has not been refretted. Is there normally extra space under the frets like this on some banjos? My current banjos are constructed differently and there’s no space there. Just curious about this.
Thanks!
Michelle
There must be some space in the slots under the fret tangs in order for the frets to seat fully, so yes, there is normally space there. The space is often filled with something that matches the fingerboard, more or less, so it is not always visible. There is often binding covering the ends of the fret tangs also.
Edited by - sunburst on 08/01/2026 07:02:21
That’s only slightly more than what I cut out for the frets. Maybe the tangs don’t go in quite as deep with that particular fret size. Either way it looks good to me.
sunburst Thank you so much! That is reassuring. I looked at the mando my husband made at Rockygrass Academy and indeed there are spaces on in, albeit tiny ones.
Every Deering banjo I own has space like that. It’s reassuring to me, to know that whenever I have a refret, they will accommodate various tang depths
The amount of clearance between the ends of fret tangs and the bottoms of the fret slots seems to me to be excessive. The amount of clearance appears to be equal to the length of the fret tang. If you purchased the banjo new, and the frets have never been replaced, I suspect that this is a quality control issue.
The space under the tang will allow a fingerboard sanding redress at the time of refretting.
You can put yer weed in there eh 
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