Fretting Kit

beandip

beandip

Frito's Better Half
I'm making this thread in response to a few PM's I've received about "shopping around" for tools. The most popular is the fretting kit (that seems to be the thing everyone wants to learn), so I took Stew Mac's Essential Fretting Tool Kit and broke it down piece by piece, and come out with a total of about 120 before shipping compared to 170.90 before shipping, with much better tools and more variety.

Check it out fellas.

Stew Mac
Fret End File - 12.96
6" Fret Leveling File - 39.74

Grizzly Guitar Products
3 in 1 Fret File - 34.95

Widget Supply
10oz Deadblow buckshot brass faced hammer - 9.97

Woodworkingshop.com
Fret Dressing Stick - 2.95

As for fret cutters and nippers, it's rather easy to go to Home Depot, pick up some diagonal cutters and some nippers, grinding them flush and using them. 10 bucks for both, replace as needed.

Fret rocker, make your own. Cheap, and very easy.

Now I'm not saying that the tools used for Stew Mac are not quality, but some of us, especially the novices aren't able to spring for almost 200 dollars just to learn. With this, you're able to spend about as much as you would on a decent set of pickups, and if you decide not to continue, you can get rid of them rather easily.
 
Re: Fretting Kit

excellent post - vaultworthy!

what is your opinion of those metal straight edges with the notches for the frets and other specialty types of tools for doing setups, etc?

thank you
 
Re: Fretting Kit

I have both, because sometimes you need to read the frets, and sometimes you have to read the neck. They're surely useful, whether one believes it or not.

There's several tools out there that are "make the job much easier" that most regular guys don't need. They were created for the repairman who's doing several of the same repairs a week or month.

Don't feel the need to run out there and buy the long aluminum cauls for fretting, when the 6" blocks will do just fine for the average guy. They're meant for those who are doing 2 refrets a month and still has a stable full of other repairs.
 
Re: Fretting Kit

great advice

yeah, i scroll through the stewmac site and see all these cool toys that i hope to learn how to use in my retirement hobby

can you give the 'cheap and very easy to do yourself' instructions for making a rocker? what are the 4 dimensions? what is the best way to fabricate it so as to maintain enough precision in the straight edges?
 
Re: Fretting Kit

Though it doesn't come with the Stew mac kit, how do you plan on bending the fretwire to match the radius of the neck? Does the fretwire bend into the correct radius if you press it in the fret slot?
 
Re: Fretting Kit

jmh151 said:
Though it doesn't come with the Stew mac kit, how do you plan on bending the fretwire to match the radius of the neck? Does the fretwire bend into the correct radius if you press it in the fret slot?
Click to expand...

also interested in the answer to this :)
 
Re: Fretting Kit

tone4days said:
great advice

yeah, i scroll through the stewmac site and see all these cool toys that i hope to learn how to use in my retirement hobby

can you give the 'cheap and very easy to do yourself' instructions for making a rocker? what are the 4 dimensions? what is the best way to fabricate it so as to maintain enough precision in the straight edges?
Click to expand...

I cut mine with a jewelers saw out of pickgaurd material. Cleaned up the edges with some sandpaper, and all was well in the world. I'm not sure of the measurements, since I just traced out a stew mac one, but if you'd like Bill, I can either give you the numbers or send you a tracing.
 
Re: Fretting Kit

As for bending wire, I use a pair of modified pliers. They're a lot like the fret bending pliers sold by stew mac, except they're about 10 years old and I shaped them with a hacksaw and grinding wheel.

They're quite simple, grab one end, and bend into a radiused shape. They're not as fast, or as accurate as a radiusing roller thingy ma-jiggy, but they work for me. I'm not doing 4 refrets a day were the extra 2 minutes saved with the roller adds up. Maybe once a week or so am I replacing frets, so spending a few extra moments to radius the wire isn't a time killer for me.

The pliers are some regular slip lock pliers, with the teeth ground flush, a notch in one side for the tang, and a ridge in the other for the crown. Grinding wheel, hacksaw, round swiss needle file.

Anyway, getting ready to head of to work, I'll shout at you guys later.
 
Re: Fretting Kit

Like Beandip said the Stew-mac kit is good for novices ,But Pros have their own Lil' tricks and do dads. Having a tool to pre radius your fret wire is great! But if you do only one fret job a year, It's not necessary. Although time consuming , You can bend the wire by hand,Or in my case I have a big ole' spool of fret wire I've been using. When I cut a 2" piece, It's roughly around 7 1/4. I bend it by hand so its closer to 9 1/2. As long as the fret seats properly? Your good. In a perfect world ,Or a pro shop this might be unacceptable. But for a Kitchen table tech.. It's fine. Remember these are my own guitars , Not like I get paid to do this to other peoples guitars.:28:
 
Re: Fretting Kit

Thanks for the Widget Supply info!

I got my order today, and now I have some new hammers. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top