Tried leveling frets for the first time...

[Furtive]

...on a cheap new hollowbody I picked up on ebay. The 9th fret would not fret properly, and there was some scarring on other frets.

My disclaimer is that I have no idea wtf I am doing.

Made a few attempts - 1st with my 12" Great Plane (bought just for this project about a year ago) with 600 grit, then a 6" sanding block with 600 grit, then an 8" sanding thing meant for plaster and drywall with 400. The last one worked best. Made a tremendous improvement, although it didn't completely fix the problem. Going to lower the nut a little, then go over the frets one more time.

Also made an attempt at crowning which turned out ok. Finished by polishing the frets with 0000 steel wool. Again, I'm happy with the results - the guitar definitely plays better, and the longest part of the process was taping everything up. I used a red sharpie to mark the frets.

Great, cheap project for anyone that wants to give it a shot. It is not brain science.

[the_gunslinger]

Originally Posted by Furtive

...on a cheap new hollowbody I picked up on ebay. The 9th fret would not fret properly, and there was some scarring on other frets.

My disclaimer is that I have no idea wtf I am doing.

Made a few attempts - 1st with my 12" Great Plane (bought just for this project about a year ago) with 600 grit, then a 6" sanding block with 600 grit, then an 8" sanding thing meant for plaster and drywall with 400. The last one worked best. Made a tremendous improvement, although it didn't completely fix the problem. Going to lower the nut a little, then go over the frets one more time.

Also made an attempt at crowning which turned out ok. Finished by polishing the frets with 0000 steel wool. Again, I'm happy with the results - the guitar definitely plays better, and the longest part of the process was taping everything up. I used a red sharpie to mark the frets.

Great, cheap project for anyone that wants to give it a shot. It is not brain science.

I messed up the frets on one of my Les Paul copy guitars trying to do this. Now it needs a complete refret. I definetly need more practice before I attempt another fret job.

[cptnitty]

Originally Posted by the_gunslinger

I messed up the frets on one of my Les Paul copy guitars trying to do this. Now it needs a complete refret. I definetly need more practice before I attempt another fret job.

oooh maaannnn this is why I am to scared to do to one of mine, I bought fret wire and everything , chickened out , and sold the wire back to the shop and got a piece of bone for the bridge.

[Furtive]

I believe what kept me safe from wiping out the frets was watching instructional vids on youtube, and erring on the side of caution - taking off as little fret material as possible.

[WRGKMC]

Did you have a radius block to match the radius of the neck, and did you loosen the truss rod first? Two first items you need for proper leveling.

[Furtive]

Originally Posted by WRGKMC

Did you have a radius block to match the radius of the neck, and did you loosen the truss rod first? Two first items you need for proper leveling.

Ok, maybe it is brain science. But it still plays much better than it did before.

[customtele]

I've made 2 leveling blocks so far. One 12" & the other 7.5" radius. I used scrap 2X4 8" long. I just stuck 400 grit on them with a light coat of spray adhesive. Worked OK. I'm guessing you used the red sharpie to highlight the low frets as you go? I can see marking all of the frets & stopping just when all the red is gone? I got good restults the way I did it but relied on my untrained eyes to tell me when to quit.

[roycew93]

How did you get the radius in the 2x4? I’d like to try making one.

[customtele]

I have radius guages and I made a reverse template off of those. Then I shaped the wood with a course file followed by a fine file checking as I went along.

[katillac]

Congrats, Furtive!! I did the neck of my Baja guitar using a flat block. It just takes gentle pressure to keep from taking off too much at one time, and making sure to move the block lengthwise along the same line, moving over a little each time.

Furtive, you're supposed to start with the 400 grit, them move to 600 grit. The higher the number, the smaller the particle. If you're back north again, you can find up to 1500 grit at Walmart. They have up to 600 in the hardware section and up to 1200 or 1500 (depends on location) in Automotive. If you have an auto parts place nearby (isn't there an Auto Zone every 5 blocks, along with a Walgreens?) they should have higher grits too. That's probably why you have some scratches. Steel wool would take like forever to polish out gouges from 400 grit sandpaper.

Additional tip for my friends here on DIY: Forget the over-priced wadding polish in the little can. Triple-0 (#000) and #0000 steel wool works very well and if you use a strong magnet, it'll help keep little bits from going everywhere. Along with that, putting some GEL toothpaste in a little wad of steel wool will really put a shine on frets. It makes it harder to handle, but once you get the initial shine on the frets, add the toothpaste in and give it another going over. It'll make your guitar smile pretty

Sorry, I had to throw that in there.

[WRGKMC]

I have used a flat block many many times myself but its difficult to get right. I use a different method for leveling with one. I have an old rubber sanding block I'll use and work across the frets vs down the neck. This lets me target specific areas on the neck usually the lower notched frets from the strings. This can get rid of the unevenness too when using a fret rocker.

You do need to recrown afterwards so you dont have string buzz from flat frets. My method for that is unique too. Instead of using the raw file itself (Unless its needed for really bad frets) I'll take a strip of super fine sand paper and fold it over the fret file tightly so it matches the groove. Then I'll work the frets with the sandpaper. Its good for maybe a fret or two before you need to refold fresh sandpaper over the file. The groove of the file makes the frets round and the super fine sandpaper buffs the fret super smooth at the same time. Depending on how worn the paper is it can semi polish the frets. Then all you need is some super fine steel wool to finish the polishing.

[Average_Joe]

Originally Posted by WRGKMC

I have used a flat block many many times myself but its difficult to get right. I use a different method for leveling with one. I have an old rubber sanding block I'll use and work across the frets vs down the neck. This lets me target specific areas on the neck usually the lower notched frets from the strings. This can get rid of the unevenness too when using a fret rocker.

You do need to recrown afterwards so you dont have string buzz from flat frets. My method for that is unique too. Instead of using the raw file itself (Unless its needed for really bad frets) I'll take a strip of super fine sand paper and fold it over the fret file tightly so it matches the groove. Then I'll work the frets with the sandpaper. Its good for maybe a fret or two before you need to refold fresh sandpaper over the file. The groove of the file makes the frets round and the super fine sandpaper buffs the fret super smooth at the same time. Depending on how worn the paper is it can semi polish the frets. Then all you need is some super fine steel wool to finish the polishing.

I recently did something similar to this. Only I used a knife sharpener. I took the stone section off of this diamond stone: http://www.knivesplus.com/DMT-Knife-...-DMT-F70C.HTML
I taped off the face of it with scotch tape (thinner than masking tape) except for a section in the middle wide enough to hone a fret. It allows you to use the two adjacent frets as a guide going across the fret board (if you're reasonably sure those two frets a right) Then I went to sand paper. I didn't get a perfect crown matching the rest of the frets, but enough that it don't buzz. And if someone wants to get close enough to see the difference between that fret and the rest, I just poke 'em in the eye.

[WRGKMC]

Stone blocks can be used. I bought a bunch from the dollar store for a dollar each. They hace two sides, one rough and one corse. After using them enough they eventually get a radius to them. I only use them for new frets that need major leveling any more. I use the radius block and sandpaper for most everything else.

[musicdog400]

I saw a cheap acoustic guitar in a store. The neck was so bad, bar chords at the 5th fret wouldn't sound. I offered them $50 for it and they accepted, and that became my first fret level attempt. When I got done, it felt like a Taylor (didn't sound like one though). I use double sided tape to attach sandpaper to a level. I am more concerned with the straightness on the plane of the string, than the radius. Most of the stuff I build does not have a radius.

[mrbrown49]

Originally Posted by musicdog400

I saw a cheap acoustic guitar in a store. The neck was so bad, bar chords at the 5th fret wouldn't sound. I offered them $50 for it and they accepted, and that became my first fret level attempt. When I got done, it felt like a Taylor (didn't sound like one though). I use double sided tape to attach sandpaper to a level. I am more concerned with the straightness on the plane of the string, than the radius. Most of the stuff I build does not have a radius.

Radius can matter a lot for a player like me though who bends a lot. I could feel the difference in radius on my first level with a straight block when I bent strings. I went back with the straight block and did a few strokes parallel to the fret wire and that fixed it, but lost more height than I would have liked. I still use a straight block to do it though and just make sure I pay attention to the radius as I go. I've run into a few necks where even though the spec says a given radius they weren't, and they were actually somewhere in btw the readily available radius blocks. For that reason I got away from using radius blocks.

[customtele]

I keep learning. Great forum. I should go searching for guitars that need fret work, fix them & sell them on Ebay. I wouldn't make much money but it would keep me out of the bars & off the streets. The guitar repair sideline thang has slowed way down for now. That seems to come in spurts. None for a while & then I get hit with 3 or 4 guitars/basses all at once. And naturally they "need" their instrument back yesterday.

[mrbrown49]

Originally Posted by customtele

I keep learning. Great forum. I should go searching for guitars that need fret work, fix them & sell them on Ebay. I wouldn't make much money but it would keep me out of the bars & off the streets. The guitar repair sideline thang has slowed way down for now. That seems to come in spurts. None for a while & then I get hit with 3 or 4 guitars/basses all at once. And naturally they "need" their instrument back yesterday.

It'll be good practice too! Most used (as in well played) guitars at least need a recrown and possibly a level to play great. If you can find good enough deals you may even turn a profit doing it.

[WRGKMC]

Theres one other poor mans method I call it to level and it crowns at the same time. It was my first method of leveling and it actually works good.

One note, this is best on rosewood fretboards, if you want to protect finished bards or inlays you need to tape them off.

The method is to take a half of sheet of super fine sndpaper, and to put it in the heel of the hand, then run the paper lengthwise up and down the neck using the heel of the hand to bump over the frets. You basically work by a feel technique and frequent inspection to how its going. The bumping over the frets puts a crown on them at the same time.

You still need to polish the frets afterwards, but if you let the paper wear down it becomes less abrasive and gets rid of a good deal of scratches.

Then use a small strip of the same sandpaper rubbed with the thumb tip across the fret. This can be painful because you want to apply pressure so the thumb tip curves to the fret maintaining a crown. using a flat block merely flatens the fret tops, with this method, you can remove buzzing.

Lastly some 00000 steel wool and your good. if you want a super shine, use a buffing wheel and jewlers roughe for a super fine shine. The shine prevents premature wear. If scratches are left, it evcelerates fret wear bending notes. I'm a real bendmeister, and if it doesnt feel like glass it really cramps my playing style. If I bend up and theres friction, my ~ notes can be off or I have to overly focus on vibrados and all it slows me down.

I usually give the neck a good paste waxing afterwards to remove dirt, restore some protection from moisture and cut down on friction.

[katillac]

Originally Posted by customtele

I keep learning. Great forum. I should go searching for guitars that need fret work, fix them & sell them on Ebay. I wouldn't make much money but it would keep me out of the bars & off the streets.

That's crazy talk! You can save some money by not going to bars and instead bring some beer home. You won't be drinking alone as long as you talk to your shop helper. She looks like a good listener.

Originally Posted by WRGKMC

One note, this is best on rosewood fretboards, if you want to protect finished bards or inlays you need to tape them off.

I've never owned a guitar with a maple fretboard (not yet anyway but hopefully that'll change) and I still tape mine off, even if it's just for a fret polish. I'm going to be even more firm with that rule after the mess I left from using the steel wool the last time around. That reminds me: I need to pick up some more magnets because I lost my last one before I learned about the magnet in steel wool trick.

[WRGKMC]

A finished maple board is a pain in the ass to do fret work with. It wouldnt be so bad if fender put decent frets in, the crap they use now is likely recycled tin cans. The frets wear out within a year with my playing.

You can make a neck protector, take a piece of plastic and cut a stencil fret slot then put it over the fret with the fret through the hole. This prevents damage to the finish, but its onlt good for 1 fret at a time. Taping off is just as easy.

Whats toughest is refretting. Many times the laquer is right up to the fret edge and pulling the frets either cracks the finish around the frets, or its left behind making the new frets hard to reseat. Then you need to remove the excess finish so the fret will seat properly against the wood, and then you're into refinishing the neck.

I'm getting ready to redo my Tele Neck. I been putting it off by getting as much life out of the existing frets, but the import frets are as cheezy as they can get. I'm having to recrown and polish with every new set of strings.