HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

J

jackson111

New member
Hey guys I needed to know how complicated it is to level frets and crown them. I have a fret work book that is written by Erick Coleman and Dan Erlewine. I also have fret leveling files from stewmac, fret crowning files, fret calipers, and some basic knowledge I gained from watching youtube videos and reading my book. it seems simple. is it really that easy?
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

It's a simple procedure that is easy to screw up, so a light touch coupled with being attentive to details and having the right tools (and the knowledge + experience to use them well) will yield a good job.

So in a sense, it's easy but difficult at the same time.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

It can be.... IF you don't have some weird compound radius neck and IF you get the neck set straight before you begin leveling, which required a special straightedge with cutouts for the frets. It is still a lot of work to do a full level and recrown/polish, but I didn't ruin the first one I tried it on and I'm no mechanical genius. Just take off as little as necessary and work with everything very stable and supported. Make sure your recrown file matches the fret size and tape off the fretboard to avoid cuts.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

I agree with the posters above + first try to do that with a cheap instrument, or an instrument you are sure it gets a refret soon. There are many online guides available. Study them and you'll be fine. If you have many guitars to maintain, but no spare money or time to search for pros, in the end, you'll find it is much easier if you do the job yourself. I started with simply fret leveling jobs and some basic pup changes, and i ended up never going to pros again. In my view if you have many guitars and rotate them, no one's frets will wear as fast or you wont live that long till any guitar needs a refret. So if you have many guitars (>=4) go for it my all means.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

ok thanks guys. I actually have 4 guitars and I do rotate. I have a cheaper washburn wi14 and brand new it was 150.00 I have gutted it replace all the factory wiring replaces the washburn pickups with a jb and jazz. I have had to raise my action up a little higher then I would like so I was going to take off the strings get the fret board as flat as I can and use my fret rocker looking for high spots. if I found one I was going to attempt my first fret level job. thanks guys
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

There are lots of special for-purpose fret files, but the best I've found is the triangular shaped file like this http://www.amazon.com/TEKTON-6692-6...wer-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1407093989&sr=1-24 , with the edges ground down using a dremel so that the edges as smooth. I saw someone do this in a video, so it's not my own idea, but I've tried about a dozen types of files and end up coming back to that one to get the job done. You should also get a dremel if you don't have one, they come in handy a lot and are fairly cheap.

Also I recommend using two layers of masking tape instead of one to protect the fret board from pressure marks from the file if you press down to hard on the masking tape while trying to apply filing pressure to the frets.

Use a lot of pressure and move slowly, or a use light pressure and move the file quickly, but don't use a lot of pressure and move fast, that's how things get messed up or damaged.

One mistake I just made was my sharpie was leaky and some ink rolled down the edge of the fret when I was marking the tops, and it dripped down past the tape and onto the maple fret board, so.. watch out for that.

Don't forget to make the neck perfectly flat before you start.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

Are you near a guitar place that has a plek machine? Having your guitar plek'd might be a decent alternative. Good luck!
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

It's not hard actually leveling them, if you can do any sort of fine and detailed work. For example, were you ever any good at building model airplanes, or anything like that? If you sucked at it, I might work on junk guitars several times before doing fret work on a nice guitar.

It's all in the setup beforehand. You need to get the fretboard straight. A straightedge placed on top of the frets doesn't do the trick properly. You need to get the fretboard itself straight. A notched straightedge works best IME. You can make them or buy them.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

ok thanks guys I just finished on my washburn and it looks and plays pretty darn good. I did notice that I don't think I got all the fine little scratches out of the frets, I cant see any bt when I go to make a bend the string feels like its trying to grip the fret it doesn't get stuck but it doesn't slide really smooth like it should, so I will play it like this for a little while and when I go to change the strings I will polish the frets again with steel wool again to try to get them smoother. I may also get a dremel and a polish pad.

if that works out I may look at doing my chavel. which brings me to another question. my charvel has a compound radius fret board do I need to do anything special with that? or will it be as simple as this one?

oh by the way I checked my fret height on the washburn the highest fret was .041 and the lowest was .036. After I leveled them I checked the height again and I am now at .034. how low can frets get before the neck has to be completely re-fretted? just curious
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

jackson111 said:
I did notice that I don't think I got all the fine little scratches out of the frets, I cant see any bt when I go to make a bend the string feels like its trying to grip the fret it doesn't get stuck but it doesn't slide really smooth like it should, so I will play it like this for a little while and when I go to change the strings I will polish the frets again with steel wool again to try to get them smoother. I may also get a dremel and a polish pad.
Click to expand...

IME, these micromesh pads are the best tool for the job http://www.amazon.com/Micro-Mesh-So...UTF8&qid=1407127729&sr=8-3&keywords=micromesh , the low grits will take out the scratches, the high grits will polish them to a high shine. IMO steel wool is less effective and un-fun to work with, and a dremel polish wheel is overkill.

Another reason you might hear fret noise is if you didn't make the peaks pointy enough. I often fail to file the edges enough, and restring the guitar only to find that the frets are still too flat and have to almost start all over.. that really sucks.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

Steel wool is not going to get out scratches. You will need to use sand paper or polishing pads.

Start with the grit you used to level the frets, and then progressively move up until you hit 1000-1200. Then polish with compound (use a Dremel if you have one).

For stainless frets, I take the paper to 3200 and then polish with a wheel. They look like mirrors and stay that way thru several string changes.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

The 12,000 grit back micromesh pads seem to be the same exact thing women use to buff their finger nails, and when you go over the frets with that grit, they shine just like fingernails will. I have used rubbing compounds on them in the past, but the 12,000 pad accomplished similar luster without the mess and the hassle.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

I used to use take the fret thru all the grits (up to 12,000), but it was faster, and you get a better polish to stop at 3200-3600, and then use a wheel. I switch between a Dremel and my big buff wheel depending on the neck.

I would not go out and buy a Dremel just to polish frets, but having one can make it easier.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

I used a flat file on a fender I used to have. I straightened the neck.

I didn't know what else to do. :)

You need to crown the frets after. I've never done that.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

About small stratches on the frets, i think the strings themselves will act as some some of polishing tools in the long run. I would not worry about it. (Also small scratches seem to help sustain LOL)
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

oh well sorry greekdude, I didn't see your post till I redid my neck. I used my double edge crowning file again, and I noticed after I had applied black sharpy that I must not have finished crowning my frets when I started polishing last night. it took awhile but a finally got them crowned properly, then I used a sponge with 400 grit sand paper underneath it thinking the sponge would help keep equal pressure and conform to the PROPERLY crowned frets. then I did the same with 600 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit, 1200 grit, 1600 grit then I used 0000 steel wool. now the frets are great nice and smooth when I do my bends, intonation is correct, and the guitar plays better then new. I have my action set at 0.06 approx. where used to have to set it approx. 0.1 to not have buzz. I do have a little relief in my neck approx. 0.005. and it plays great. thanks guys for giving me the insight and help to do my first fret level.
 
Re: HOW HARD IS IT TO LEVEL FRETS?

You can find very high grit sanding pads at hobby shops. Well up past 12000. Little square ones in packages that go through several grades. Maybe 1-1/2"x1-1/2".

Also, I might've missed this, but isn't there a file to use to crown with? Does anyone have a resource for that? Or even a entire file kit meant for this purpose that won't fund Dan Erlewine's video budget.
 
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