banner

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #16
    Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

    Originally posted by Chistopher View Post
    Working on guitars is fun because it means that with my own skill I can have a guitar that is ten times better then the exact same guitar as the guy next to me, even if I keep it stock.
    That’s how I started out doing it for other people. Plus a subpar refret job I had done back in the 70s that I had to fix myself.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

      I've always had others do this, and I appreciate the very cool instructions provided. I'd want to be around someone who does it a few times before I tried it myself. How long does it usually take?
      Administrator of the SDUGF

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

        Depends on what tools you have. Radiused sanding beams and diamond fret files speed things up considerably. If you are doing an entire neck and not just one high fret, it can take a couple of hours. The leveling is the fastest part. Its the crowning and polishing that takes so long.

        Comment


        • #19
          Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

          PRS core series. Wood dried to 6% or less. Neck takes about 30 days to complete. Result = neck no move. Actually give a crap about installing the frets correctly and you have a guitar with no problemos. Only other guitar I've ever played that was in the ball park in the fret board department was an ancient Carvin DC127 that I picked up local for 200 bucks. The secret is the wood. All the fretwork in the world means f-all if the neck moves.

          Comment


          • #20
            Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....



            I just dropped off my Les Paul Custom for a re-fret. Can't wait to get it back.

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

              I can attest that wood moves: I bought three kiln-dried walnut neck blanks a couple years ago and nevef got around to using them. They were dead flat when I got them. A couple years in my climate-controlled house and all three have developed slight humps and/or twists! Not excusing the manufacturers, just agreeing with DavidRavenMoon.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                Originally posted by Mincer View Post
                I've always had others do this, and I appreciate the very cool instructions provided. I'd want to be around someone who does it a few times before I tried it myself. How long does it usually take?
                Not difficult at all -and kind of fun to dial your own guitar.

                The basics are available at Stew Mac but honestly Home Depot has everything you actually need.

                I re-fretted 2 of my guitars -both in hotels over a summer of travel -mainly to learn how and for the experience -it's worth learning to.

                I don't do it myself every time at all, but worth it.
                “For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts.” Yvonne Chouinard

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                  There is a lot of stress in wood due to the grain...how the tree grows. After a piece of wood is cut, those stresses will slowly cause the wood to warp. After time (after those stresses have been relieved) the wood will be stable.

                  Like Dave said, Had a perfectly flat and straight piece of wood 7/8" thick that I needed to trim for a fretboard (about 1/4" thick). As soon as I cut it to thickness, some of those inner competing stresses were relieved and the 1/4" piece was warped. It was correctable with clamping and drying over time.

                  But, yes, wood warps.
                  Originally Posted by IanBallard
                  Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                    Don't friggin use a flat sanding device to initially level the frets, use a radius block. It does a perfect job whereas with a flat block, you're guessing.
                    The things that you wanted
                    I bought them for you

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                      Agree with the radius blocks...$30 from StewMac and worth it. Not as convenient on a compound radius board, however.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                        I've got several radius sanding blocks, but my all time favorite for absolute accuracy is this one...


                        Yes, it's very expensive. But if you want accuracy and want to spend less time getting it, then this is worth its weight in gold. By the way, the neck is the most important part of the guitar where accuracy is a must. Don't skimp here.
                        Originally Posted by IanBallard
                        Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                          Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
                          I've got several radius sanding blocks, but my all time favorite for absolute accuracy is this one...


                          Yes, it's very expensive. But if you want accuracy and want to spend less time getting it, then this is worth its weight in gold. By the way, the neck is the most important part of the guitar where accuracy is a must. Don't skimp here.
                          I *love* Stew-Mac, but I purchased a (shorter version) of this from Philadelphia Luthier Tools, and it's accurate and super heavy-duty, for around half the price:
                          Aluminum radius sanding beam for sanding and shaping guitar fingerboard. Availalbe in 7.25", 9.5", 10", 12", 14", 15", 16" and 20" radius


                          Larry

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                            I bought my lp special used. Holy freakin cow, dead spots on bends anywhere past the 15th fret on the high e. I honestly don’t think guitar center would have known how to take care of it properly. Spent $75 additional and had it fixed up professionally.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                              Originally posted by larryguitar View Post
                              I *love* Stew-Mac, but I purchased a (shorter version) of this from Philadelphia Luthier Tools, and it's accurate and super heavy-duty, for around half the price:
                              Aluminum radius sanding beam for sanding and shaping guitar fingerboard. Availalbe in 7.25", 9.5", 10", 12", 14", 15", 16" and 20" radius


                              Larry
                              Yes, I have several shorter ones too (8" long wood blocks), way less money, but I had no idea what I was missing until I got this long one. Now I will never buy a short one again. I only use my short ones for roughing-in the radius or for spot sanding small high areas. They can't even come close to doing the precision job that the long aluminum blocks can do.
                              Originally Posted by IanBallard
                              Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: If you can't level frets yourself, don't buy a new guitar....

                                My point is that their 20" (I prefer longer blocks, as well) is about half the price of the long Stew-Mac.


                                Larry

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X