|
Post by budg on Oct 31, 2020 15:59:13 GMT -5
A while back I bought a MIM Players Strat. Great guitar , but the fretwork wasn’t great, adequate, but could have been better. So I ordered a crowning file from StewMac and got some steel wool ,painters tape and manicure set from Walmart. It was pretty time consuming , but it came out really well. The frets were fairly level, but the ends needed some attention. Not terrible, but I knew they could be a lot better. Restrung it and now it plays great. It feels comparable to my AVRI strat . I don’t know why I waited so long to try it.
|
|
|
Post by funkykikuchiyo on Oct 31, 2020 19:07:26 GMT -5
Did you do the play surface, or just the ends? I use a crowning file on the ends sometimes, though it certainly isn't necessary. You're a flat block and sticky paper away from doing the whole thing.
|
|
|
Post by budg on Oct 31, 2020 21:06:33 GMT -5
Did you do the play surface, or just the ends? I use a crowning file on the ends sometimes, though it certainly isn't necessary. You're a flat block and sticky paper away from doing the whole thing. I really just did the ends. They were rough and I bought one of those fret end dressing files. Got some cuticle files and 0000 steel wool to polish them smooth. Decided to polish the whole frets .what do you use to level everything? Stew Mac makes some nice stuff, but kinda pricey.
|
|
|
Post by Sharkie on Nov 1, 2020 10:53:00 GMT -5
Did you do the play surface, or just the ends? I use a crowning file on the ends sometimes, though it certainly isn't necessary. You're a flat block and sticky paper away from doing the whole thing. Congrats budg on your successful job! Funkykikuchiyo - I’m blinking at making my *first* attempt at a level and crown on a guitar here. I have the appropriate radius blocks, sanding paper and crowning file (I believe); but every YouTube video I look at for tutorial purposes seems to use a different technique. Any information you or others could share would be appreciated. TIA.
|
|
|
Post by budg on Nov 1, 2020 13:11:44 GMT -5
A fret leveling and crowning is on my next todo list. I am going to get the proper tools first. This one was a MIM with bothersome fret ends. I checked the leveling with a straight edge and just decided to do the ends . There seems to be some good info on Stewmac, but im finding their tools a bit pricey. Amazon has cheaper tools.
|
|
|
Post by Leftee on Nov 1, 2020 13:16:08 GMT -5
Congrats!
Once you dive in to this there’s no going back. And that’s a good thing.
|
|
|
Post by Peegoo 🏁 on Nov 1, 2020 14:17:23 GMT -5
but the ends needed some attention. Outstanding--that you're fearless enough and careful enough to approach fretwork. There's really no magic involved...just some careful work using a light touch. The results can make a "meh" guitar a really good player, and a good guitar a holy-grail player. Far as the fret ends go, modify a fretboard shield like the one pictured. Hold it against the end of the fret, and scrub the end of the fret with 400 grit paper, then 600, then 1000. I place the fret shield in a small vise so when I bend a 90-degree angle and gently tap it with a small hammer to create the corner, it leaves me with a little slot 1/8" long at the end.
|
|
|
Post by funkykikuchiyo on Nov 1, 2020 14:44:38 GMT -5
ah, fret END dressing file... I was picturing a proper crowning file.
If you're good at setups, you can sight down necks easily and can cut the nut back down afterward, then a fret dress is very easy. If you're shaky on that stuff or you have an approach where you keep tweaking until you get something you like, then it can be tricky. I wouldn't show a raw beginner how to do a fret dress, but if someone has put in their time doing setups and has that under their belt, then there is no reason for them to NOT be doing fret dresses.
Good fret dresses take time, but aren't hard. It is one of the most common cut corners on factory work, and as Peegoo mentioned, you can bridge the gaps of perceived quality levels pretty well.
Radius blocks are 100% unnecessary for fret leveling, and I would actually recommend against them because they tend not to be very flat from end to end. I use them to hone in the radius during refrets, and rely on my flat blocks for straightness.
Lots of options for blocks. Longer is better, flatter is better. If you use a mostly flat (assessed solely by eye, no tools or references used) block that is only 6-8" long, and you use long strokes until all the frets have scratches on them, you'll get pretty good results, and a real improvement over what you had every time. You can sight down the neck to find the twists and humps and focus on those spots. A very long block that is dead nuts flat will beat a plek. A good piece of hardwood trued up on a flat block (piece of granite tile, those granite blocks at the woodworking stores, piece of glass, etc.) will be darn good. I have a long beam from LMI that works great and a smaller maple block (8-9") that I true up from time to time. Sometimes the beam isn't practical if I'm working with small frets and I am only shooting for "good enough" since perfect would require a refret. I have some 11" aluminum beams that I don't use much anymore, but those are a really good size.
I find I get better results when they are light weight, as pushing down a lot when doing leveling doesn't give good results. I have ideas why, but I'm not entirely sure. I just know I've gotten better results when I don't push. I also like good edges to grip, so I say no to weird handles that might make it twist around. I have played with the idea of making something with a handle and tote like a Stanley bench plane, but I don't see myself getting around to that any time soon.
If the fingerboard is finished, tape the whole thing off. Painters tape and a razor will get you there. Non-finished fingerboards don't need to be taped off unless you plan on sanding the frets lengthwise which would be against the grain on the wood (I do this sometimes with stainless, it is generally unnecessary otherwise). I put a couple of layers of tape over the nut so that if I bump it with my block it sort of rides up above it instead of breaking it. Make sure pickups are lowered down so you don't hit them. Adjust the neck straight. Chances are it will have a twist or S curve... pick the point that averages out all of the points. Occasionally I'll dress bass side and treble side with different truss rod adjustments, effectively giving another twist in a more advantageous way (another reason to leave the radius blocks alone for fret dresses). Supporting the back of the neck so it doesn't trampoline on you will give you better results, but you'll still get good results if you don't do this.
That's all I can think of off of the top of my head.
|
|
|
Post by budg on Nov 1, 2020 14:45:55 GMT -5
but the ends needed some attention. Outstanding--that you're fearless enough and careful enough to approach fretwork. There's really no magic involved...just some careful work using a light touch. The results can make a "meh" guitar a really good player, and a good guitar a holy-grail player. Far as the fret ends go, modify a fretboard shield like the one pictured. Hold it against the end of the fret, and scrub the end of the fret with 400 grit paper, then 600, then 1000. I place the fret shield in a small vise so when I bend a 90-degree angle and gently tap it with a small hammer to create the corner, it leaves me with a little slot 1/8" long at the end. That’s a great idea! I felt the fret protector was awkward on the ends . Makes working on the fret ends easier. I will say that the playability of the guitar from before is night and day. Thanks to both of you ! Great advice. Funky , in my pre retired life I did a lot of precision meticulous work , so this feels really in my wheelhouse. I’ve been doing basic setups on all my guitars , so this is really a logical step forward.
|
|