Fret leveling and crowning

[rgorke]

Do you guys do your own leveling and crowning? I have a neck that had several places that buzz and I believe I am in need of a good leveling and subsequent crowning. I have done some working the google on the interweb machine and it seems like this should be a skill one should eventually learn.

Or shell out a couple hundred $$$ to have someone do it for me.

What do you all do? What are your essential tools?

[somethin'else]

Yes! And THIS is the thread.

•Stew Mac Fret File.
•Sanding block on ebay, mentioned in that thread. AWESOME.
•Painters tape to protect the neck.
•Take the neck off, jig up a vise of sorts to hold 'er steady. (I took the tuners off so it could lay flat, flat)
•Don't forget to adjust truss rod to level the neck before starting, use long, good straight edge (metal ruler, best I could do) to check straightness.

I had the heebee-geebees first time, but it's really cake. I've done a couple minute deals since, *sweet*.
Take yer time, do the prep, take yer time filing and polishing.

•Bonus, get some cheapo flat files at Harbor Freight (diamond or not) to shape the sides up if you wanna go quasi-pyramid. Sand one edge of a triangle file and polish it so it doesn't dig into your fretboard.
•MicroMesh to finish.

The only thing I didn't like was having my guitar "down" for a day or two.

Party on!

[Coot Boy]

Down for a day or two? Geez I do this in 10 minutes. I was just typing a how to and somehow deleted it all so seeing as you posted that link I'm not gonna type it all out again but it's really a 10 minute job.

[somethin'else]

Yeah, well like ah says, I was skeered! And I like to drink a beer or few, read the news, jam out, double check instructions, slide around in my Ozzie slippers, etc. etc..

It really is a quickie, and if you're good you don't even need to tape your board.

[Coot Boy]

Yeah, well like ah says, I was skeered! And I like to drink a beer or few, read the news, jam out, double check instructions, slide around in my Ozzie slippers, etc. etc..

It really is a quickie, and if you're good you don't even need to tape your board.

Exactly bro, I don't tape, if it's a rosewood board I'll use a smidge of teak oil on a rag to clean up, if it's maple I just use the 0000 steel wool or if I'm fussy some fine car polish will tune up the lacquer on the maple board. Very quick and if you don't take much off the frets you don't even need to crown, 320 white paper, then 600 wet n dry followed by 1200 wet n dry followed by the 0000 steel wool and you'r ready to put the guitar back together. Some dudes like to make out fixin guitars is rocket science but it ain't ness-e-cellery so.

[garbeaj]

Levelling and crowning shouldn't cost more than $100 if you get a good tech to do it. Assuming you don't need a complete refret...either way, I let the big boys do that shit. I just play 'em...

[somethin'else]

Exactly bro, I don't tape, if it's a rosewood board I'll use a smidge of teak oil on a rag to clean up, if it's maple I just use the 0000 steel wool or if I'm fussy some fine car polish will tune up the lacquer on the maple board. Very quick and if you don't take much off the frets you don't even need to crown, 320 white paper, then 600 wet n dry followed by 1200 wet n dry followed by the 0000 steel wool and you'r ready to put the guitar back together. Some dudes like to make out fixin guitars is rocket science but it ain't ness-e-cellery so.

Right on... I thought you said "Mess O' Celery!"

Levelling and crowning shouldn't cost more than $100 if you get a good tech to do it. Assuming you don't need a complete refret...either way, I let the big boys do that shit. I just play 'em...

Yeah man, if you gotta guy that you know for years you're some of the lucky ones. If all you got's Guitar Center, then you ... well, I shouldn't take it that far.
But if you're building and tweaking yourself, then that $100 or less is totally worth it. + the experience.

[rgorke]

Wow, thanks for the posts.

Ok, I got home and before I checked here, I did the straight edge three fret rock test. It appears I have three high frets: 3rd, 11th and 13th. Seems like a bit of overkill to do the entire neck. Should I just lower those three a hair. It is an almost brand new neck.

Thoughts.

here is what I was watching on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZHI4dpkc14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Coot Boy]

Wow, thanks for the posts.

Ok, I got home and before I checked here, I did the straight edge three fret rock test. It appears I have three high frets: 3rd, 11th and 13th. Seems like a bit of overkill to do the entire neck. Should I just lower those three a hair. It is an almost brand new neck.

Thoughts.

here is what I was watching on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZHI4dpkc14" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A lot of people don't know this but brand new necks usually require a fret level, so do it all mate, it's better to do it all than one or two and you won't take much off the frets. Cheers.

[rgorke]

I was gonna order a leveling tool on the 'bay but there is a kitchen counter place not too far away...

[Coot Boy]

I was gonna order a leveling tool on the 'bay but there is a kitchen counter place not too far away...

Don't get carried away with some of those You tube vids, it's a very simple thing to do, we're talking about levelling right, not a complete refret so forget about the fret ends unless you have sharp ends, if so, well you just saw how to fix em right?
Here's my elaborate set of tools for doing a level. You will need to grind the under ends of the file round so they don't catch, use a bench grinder, if you haven't got one, take it to the local garage n beg the dude to do it.

The file is half a mil file, snapped off in the vice, as long as it's a fine grade you're right, I epoxied the handle on one day n 20 years later and umteen jobs later it's still going so I just never bothered to change anything.
After marking your fret tops with the black marker just hack into them with the file til you get all the ink off the tops, it will take 30 seconds, try NOT to ram into your nut. Most of the work will be above the 12th fret.
Then with the cork block, hit it with 320 white paper, then 600 wet n dry then 1200 wet n dry. Then get some 0000 grade steel wool and polish the frets up using the fret protectors, hell you don't even need them if you have a rosewood board, you can use tape if you wanna take all day about it. That's it. No biggie. I'd rather spend my money on myself than give it to someone to do this simple job.

[rgorke]

Which do you all like the best?

THis one

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or this one?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm leaning toward the first.

[Coot Boy]

Which do you all like the best?

THis one

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or this one?

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm leaning toward the first.

Mate, you won't need to crown a brand new fret that has just been leveled.

[rgorke]

Damn internet, got me too much thinking a lot. and to top things off, I've got kids.....

got it. I'm off tomorrow and will go at it. I think I have my set up figured out.

How long is your file?

[Coot Boy]

Damn internet, got me too much thinking a lot. and to top things off, I've got kids.....

got it. I'm off tomorrow and will go at it. I think I have my set up figured out.

How long is your file?

Oh about 8 inches mate, oh sorry, the file? yeah 8 inches mate, as for those stew mac crowning files with the replaceable blades, I bought one of those in 82 and it's a piece of shit, the cutters wear out in no time but the worst thing is that because they're so short you can easily gouge out the fret board when you run over the edge off the cliff so to speak, the longer ones are the go. You'll find that the 3 grades of sand paper will roll the fret edges nicely.
Stew Mac has some wonderful tools but they are ALL way too over priced and a hell of a lot of them you can actually make yourself but they are good for showing you what kind of tools are available but as I said, too pricey by far. Good luck with your leveling bro, I like a bloke who'll have a go, just go to your nearest hardware store for the file and use a good epoxy, none of that 5 minute shit. I used 24 hour Araldite, not sure if you can get that in your parts, made by Selleys.