Re: Alvarez Mandolin a900?
Many players here on the Cafe, including me, find larger (wider) frets to be easier to play. Many mandolins come with slightly taller and skinnier frets, including most of the Asian import mandolins from the '70s. Some will refret with banjo frets or even guitar frets like I did on a Kentucky KM850 several years ago (also from the '70s). I found the wider frets much, much easier to play on. Maybe this is what your repair guy means by this. However, I have never heard anyone refer to them as "beginner" or "professional" frets. I recall the Alverez a900 to be a pretty decent mandolin and lots of people played them with the frets that they came with without any issues, so unless it needs a refret because the frets are worn, I wouldn't do it. Maybe sometime down the road, when it really needs it, you might want to consider larger frets, but it's expensive to do if it isn't necessary.
Larry Hunsberger
2013 J Bovier A5 Special w/ToneGard
D'Addario FW-74 flatwound strings
1909 Weymann&Sons bowlback
1919 Weymann&Sons mandolute
Ibanez PF5
1993 Oriente HO-20 hybrid double bass
3/4 guitar converted to octave mandolin
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