when to fret level?

[racnis]

hey guys, i got a slight issue with a fender showmaster of mine. it has this unbearable buzz ONLY on the first fret(this buzz is the annoying one not the one that comes with low action) ive installed a new nut, set up the bridge, intonated it and still! im wondering does this mean i need a fret level? or do i have an alternative? thanks in advance guys

[Rich#6]

Does the 1st fret look high? The nut may need to be shimmed. Also does the guitar have a string tree or bar? I just built a project that the 1st fret only buzzs but stops if I put pressure on it above the nut. I don't have a bar/tree on it yet. Unless the frets have dips or look uneven as you look down the neck fret leveling probably it's the answer.

[Grandturk]

You need a fret level, crown & polish when:

A. The action must be raised to an unnacceptable level in order to stop buzzing, string damping and bend choking

B. The frets are flattened to the point where intonation suffers and the guitar does not play "in tune"

C. The frets are flattened or pitted to the point where they are uncomfortable to play

Assumptions - based on the radius of the fretboard, higher action may be required in order to prevent choking out on bends in spite of perfectly level frets.

[MetalMedal II]

it has this unbearable buzz ONLY on the first fret

Do you mean it's buzzing when you're fretting the 1st fret? If so, it sounds like the 2nd fret wire could be too high. Is it happening across all strings at that location?

If the buzz is occurring in the open position and the buzz looks/sounds like it's coming from the 1st fret (string coming into contact w the string at the 1st fret), the string slots in the nut could be cut too deep.

[racnis]

it buzzes when i fret the first fret. i do have string trees. so far it seems that i might have to level it

[MetalMedal II]

If it's only buzzing when fretting the 1st fret only, the 2nd fret may be too high. The second fretwire could have unseated and lifted up a bit. Then, I'd take it to a luthier to tap and glue it down. If it didn't unseat, then the fret may be too high to begin with and needs to be filed down (again, if it were me, I'd go to a pro to get it done).