Levelling Frets

This is the way I do it. I'm not saying that it is the right way. I get good results and the way I go about levelling my frets is exactly the same whether I am working on an electric guitar or an acoustic.

Start to finish it takes me about half and hour.

First step in the process is to make sure the neck is dead straight, otherwise its a pointless exercise. Use a straight edge or naked eye if you dont!

Sight down the length of the neck to check and tighten or loosen the truss rod if necessary.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...zqj-Photo0.jpg
Whack off that plastic nut and send it to DB,he just loves 'em. The nut is going to be in the way of the work you need to do so it can't be there, so remove it even if you plan on keeping it.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...c54-Photo2.jpg
Clean the glue, etc.from the spot previously occupied by the nut with a file.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...346-Photo3.jpg

Next grab yourself a permanent marker such as the one shown here.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...17w-Photo4.jpg
You should mark each of the frets with the markerby drawing a line accross the fret from left to right, right down the centre of the fret as shown below.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...sq0-Photo5.jpg
The blue marker that I have used will mark each fret. When I begin to level the frets the process will remove the colour where the frets are too high. Too high frets equals lots of ugly fret buzz. Where the colour remains the frets are too low... Whenall the colour is removed your frets will be level!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...hai-Photo6.jpg

Now that you have marked the Frets its time to begin the levelling process. However,one important detail. You need to know the radius of your fret board. Most electrics will be around 12! If you get this wrong your frets and your fretboard will look rather silly and so will you!

http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...j87-Photo7.jpg

Now that I know I am working with a 12 foot radius fretboard I can grab my (12 foot radiussed) 20cm sanding block with 220 grit Stewmac Sandpaper (as compared to Bunnings - Don't use their stuff for important things)and begin to gently 'sand' the frets fromthe first fret to the last fret. I check constantly to see where I need to focus my attention. Where the frets are still blue is where most of the work is needed.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...2ye-Photo8.jpg

You can see how the 'middle' fret must have been higher than the frets around it. It would have gotten DB's fret rocker 'a-rocking' that's for sure! So,the process of gently and evenly sanding the frets will give a better playing action and generally better experience for theplayer.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...8dd-Photo9.jpg

Here are some sample photo's I took while preparing this neck.

The top of the fretboard at the nut always seems to go fairly quickly. It's looking pretty decent here..
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...n9v-Photo1.jpg

...but a check at the opposite end and all the blue still on the 'crown' / 'crest' of the frets suggest there's still some work to do!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...6n1-Photo2.jpg

Ahhh! much better now. It's fine if there is blue marker pen on the sides of the fret. It is the crown that needs to be down to the bare metal!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...q09-Photo3.jpg

Now that we have destroyed the crowns of the frets in our bid to get them level, the next step is to re-crown them!

I use these very fancy diamond crowning files. A 150 and a 300 grit. About 20 strokes across the frets with first the 150 and then the 300 usually does the job. To re-crown the frets,you have to be careful to protect the fretboard from sharp tools. This is why the crowning tools I use are worth their price. They do the job in quick time and there is almost no risk of stabbing the fretboard to death as you go!

Use the tool from bottom to top of the fretboard in even strokes.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...uxq-Photo4.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...1wl-Photo5.jpg

..and if you do it right it should end up looking something like this. :P
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...ce3-Photo6.jpg

One thing that guitarist's hate is feeling the Frets biteinto their fingers as they move their hand upand down the fretboard. This fretboard is no exception and needs work! Another tool with a 30 degree file to give that perfect uniform bevelled fret look! However, before allowing it to sothe work it was designed for I use it vertically as shown the ensure there are no sharp edges that the bevelling procedure might miss.

Here it is in the verticle position being run up and down the edge of the fretboard.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...ii7-Photo7.jpg

And here, same procedure but flat on the frets... it doesnt scratch the frets as it has a plastic base.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...02s-Photo8.jpg

With the edges done,and guitarist around the world expressing their gratitude, we now move to polishing the frets.

First,cut about 5 strips of 320 grit sand paper as shown.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...pfx-Photo9.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...f2-Photo10.jpg

Grab your fretboard protector. These as a few bucks at SM, well worth the price and something perhaps the lad's might soon stock?

http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...203-Photo1.jpg

Holding the fret protector in one hand, and using the stronger hand to do the polishing; run your finger with the sandpaper attached to your finger(it needs to be adhesive)up and down each fret until it no longer has any visable scratches. Usually around 15 runs will do it! Use each strip of sandpaper economically as it has a top, middle and bottom section in this application.Do notdo morethan 2 frets before shifting finger position on the sandpaper.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...c44-Photo2.jpg

..and then it should look like this.....!!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...73b-Photo3.jpg

And what would Fret Levelling be without the obligatory 0000 (Super fine) steel wool?
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...ez1-Photo4.jpg

Proceed exactly as you did with the 320 grit sandpaper and finger exercise. Rub those frets until you are happy that they shine. This isthe final step for the frets so make it count.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...25l-Photo6.jpg

Now because I have binding on this neck I have proceded to finish the fretboard.If I didn't have binding and hence a barrier between the neck and the fretboard I would have stopped at this point. Reason being that I'm going to add wax to the Fretboard which would wind up in an argument with Wudtone without the barrier...

But barrier willing, a little application of Ax Wax.....
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...58p-Photo7.jpg

...and 30 minutes since starting out we have a completed Fretboard!! :D :D
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...nt5-Photo8.jpg

Wow Gavin, that is a very thorough job indeed!

Now taking into consideration that most of our builders won't have the same extensive toy collection... Whoops, I mean tool collection that you and I posses there are a few modifications I would suggest.

Once the neck has been adjusted so it is as flat as possible, support the neck on a cut off jeans leg filled with sand.
Eyeball the frets and see which ones are not quite seated properly and give these a whack with a nylon faced hammer to get them seated properly.

Radius block: you can substitute this with a short spit level, some spray adhesive and Norton sand paper.

Of course you will need to be very careful to sand the frets evenly. To do this start in the centre and work out to the edges.
Once you have gotten rid of the blue marker it is time to break out the masking tape and triangle file.
Mask either side of the frets to protect the finger board and carefully re shape the fret crowns.

Then sand as per Gavin's method and steel wool.

If you take your time, you will still end up with an even set of frets. :D

Thanks Gavin, I think I might regret having asked the question............ ignorance is indeed bliss.

Such a detailed tutorial, much appreciated. Just what I needed.

And thanks to DB for making it a little less scarey. At first glance it looked quite daunting, but having now digested all the info supplied by Gavin and realizing that there may be work-arounds, it is "do-able".

Thanks Gavin and DB. It is so good having professionals on the forums who are willing to share their time and experience with the rest of us.

Cheers
rob

Nice article Gavin!!!

The key take-out from my article is this. If you spend the time (and a little money) with the right tools you can achieve an excellent fret job. This in turn will add to the asthetics of the guitar but most importantly to the playability. I was hopeless at workwork as a kid. I don't think too much has changed and hence I use good quality tools to minimise stuff-ups! For me I love a low action on a guitar and the better the Fret job the lower your action can go without picking up any fret buzz. If you use the frets as they are there is a good possibility that your action will need to be higher as a result of accomodating the highest crowned frets. Secondly, a gigging guitarist is very likely to complain that they are 'feeling' the sharp edges of the fret-ends. A bit of work will eliminate these issues. I think it is worth it!

Wot Gavin said!

It is true that it is good money well spent on buying the right tools for the job.
I could not operate without my special toys!

Big problem is once you start collecting tools you just can't stop! 8O

As my TL-1A Tele kit has become a real experimental project, I thought I may as well be the guinea pig for Gavin and DB's fret levelling masterclass. A big thank you to Gavin for his detailed instructions and for DB's additional guidance. I should point out that I'm a complete novice in guitar building, still in the process of working on my first kit, and I have none of the fancy-smancy lutherie tools the more privileged among us posses ;)

So, with very little confidence, less ability, shaky hands and some basic tools I embarked upon my perhaps ill-advised attempt to level the frets on my TL-1A neck (I should point out, an unfinished and not even sanded neck).

First removing the nut: I wanted to keep it intact as I will need it to either match it with a pre-made (bone) nut or to make my own, so cutting it was out. Instead I took the big hammer, VERY soft tap approach. Using a short length of soft dowel I tapped EXTREMELY gently on the side of the nut at each end of the fretboard side then centre, then repeated on the headstock side, switch back and repeat. I'm talking VERY gentle taps (the large hammer allowed me to move it only fractionally to get the force I wanted, rather than needing large swings). Imagine tapping you own teeth with a hammer… that's how gentle and careful you need to be. Hopefully you'll hear the slight crack/creak of the glue breaking (rather than the wood of the nut seat splintering), and slowly the nut will start to come free. I wouldn't recommend everyone attempt this (for F-style nut slots) as things could go HORRIBLY WRONG… but this is how I did it, and the nut came out intact without any damage to the neck (crime scene photos below).



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...moving_nut.jpg

Fret Levelling: Due to my lack of tools, ability and experience, I decided to tape the neck at the very start just in case… and at the very least that saved me from getting permanent marker on the neck during the first steps.

The previous night I had loosened the truss rod and the neck had gone from a slight back-bow to completely straight, which was a good start. I have a nice 600mm steel rule that used at various points on neck that seemed to indicate a few frets needed to be levelled, particularly around frets 10 and 11, and a couple up at 15+. A couple of quick taps had already helped to seat a high spot on 14. Anyway, my neck was straight so I taped it up and marked the frets as per Gav's instructions.

Unfortunately, my spirit level doesn't have a usable edge (as per DB's suggestions) and I don't have a radiused block, so I had to find an alternative for the sanding. What I did have was a ~15mm x 400mm off-cut that I know has a straight and square edge… so with some 320 grit paper and some thin double-sided tape, that became my fret leveller (see first set of pics below). I chose to use 320 grit instead of anything lower as I was worried about taking off too much too quickly. The 'tool' actually seemed to work quite well, and produced pretty much the same sequence as Gav's images, with the high points wearing down and eventually taking the marker off the crowns of all the frets. I even re-did the marker at one point just to double check.

Re-crowning the frets without a professional tool was more challenging and, for me, was the most difficult part. In the end I made a sort of 'crowning tool' by cutting a narrow groove into the opposite side of my levelling tool with a micro triangular file (producing a narrow V), embedding double-sided tape in it and then pressing in some 400 grit paper. The flats of the sandpaper either side of the groove I ground down by rubbing the tool on a concrete floor, thus only leaving the grit in the groove itself. This then was just rubbed back and forth along each fret to re-crown then, and it seemed to have worked OK-ish (see the second series of pics below). Not perfect, but not too bad for a first attempt. I think doing each side of the fret separately may produce a better result next time… with an angled block and some double-sided tape ;)

I used my levelling tool again for the fret ends bevel and then some 400 grit stuck to my finger with double-sided tape for the scratch removal/clean-up. And, then, finally used some 0000 steel wool for the polishing (using my stainless steel fret board guard for the finger sanding and steel wool procedures). The end result looks ok, I think. The frets still have their radius, so I didn't ruin that. My straight edge no longer shows any hight spots and doesn't rock, so the frets now appear to be level. And, visually the frets now look more even. I have noticed that there is still one little sharp'ish point on the high E side of the 2nd fret, but that's an easy fix. As the neck is unfinished the frets will gets some scratches when I finally sanded it, so they will need to be cleaned up and steel wooled again anyway. See the final set of pics below for the end result. And, as I said before, I found the re-crowning to be the most challenging aspect of the process.

But, overall, I think with some thought, patience and care (and advice from our generous experienced forum members) amateurs like myself can level their frets (if needed) with only a few basic tools… if you are willing to accept the fact that you *could* make a complete mess of it. I guess, ultimately, I won't truly know if I have made a mess of it until I finish the damn guitar and try to play it ;)



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...el_frets_1.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...el_frets_2.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...el_frets_3.jpg

Well done Scott. I see the humble beginnings of a Luthier coming through. Sure sign is the ability to put together your own tools!!!

Quote:

---

Quote from Gavin1393 on March 24, 2013, 09:15
Well done Scott. I see the humble beginnings of a Luthier coming through. Sure sign is the ability to put together your own tools!!!

---

I can see DB's smile through the screen right now...

Nice work around!

As Gavin said, the makings of a Luthier. :D

Both full-tool and -DIY-tool versions of this tutorial are very good to have on hand. I'll be applying the DIY-tool version to the Red Menace project in the coming week or so. Credit will be paid where due!

a little while ago I spent £33 on a tool which enables me to level frets accurately under string tension, a poor mans plek machine if you like. Its the best luthier tool I have , enables super low buzz free action ( lower than most customers prefer). The point is under string tension a neck has a different curve ( a kind of s curve) so being able to actually level under tension is going to deliver better results. OK so the tool is this ( I have no association with these guys )http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TECHNOFRET...item2a113c9eec and it is simple. You don't get a lot for your money, but what you are paying for is dead accurate flat surfaces. Here is what I do. After bolting on neck, checking alignment fitting bridge, I use a nut blank so the strings ( at the top of the neck are a few mm above the frets. I don't cut the nut at this stage apart from a couple of minimal slots to stop the 1st and 6th strings from sliding off the nut but that's it at this stage. OK, string up ( don't worry about crap action), leave a for a couple of days for neck to settle under tension.

OK , so now I lay the guitar on a worktop ( use something the same thickness as the neck plate as a spacer) so its level and pop a clamp on the body ( near edge of body behind the bridge) ( I will take a pic next time I do it) , then I use spacers under the machine heads until after clamping down the headstock, the neck is perfectly straight. Now you know when it is perfectly straight using the three small alloy blocks ( one goes behind first fret , one between 8th 9 th frets , one after 15th ) and straight edge supplied with the tool. So you now have guitar securely clamped, neck is perfectly straight under string tension and the strings are 2-3mm above the frets making it easy to get the sanding bar under them to level . This sanding bar is basic 3 sided box section , but its accurately flat ( needs to be ) and has 400 grit / 600 grit paper stuck on it. Mark frets with a nobo marker pen to help you see when you have taken something off each fret so you have perfectly level frets under string tension. Slide the sanding under each string in turn and sand , you don't need much movement. It is interesting how most necks seem to need the most taking off 15th to 18th frets under the 2nd third strings to catch the 10th 12th frets , exactly where you don't want things fretting out. Once that is done, cut the nut lower, rough set action and check for any buzzing fretting out. I have never had anysince using this tool. It manages about 10 guitars before you need to replace the 400/600 grit strips which cost a few quid. All in all very confident to be able to get the best action possible using this tool and method.

re fret crowing shaping, I do fret ends individually by hand using a £2 triangular needle file that has had each apex sanded smooth so it doesn't mark the fret board. All I use to re crown the frets is a piece of hard maple. Drill down 3 inches (drill size to suit fret size) ,sand off along the drilled hole just to leave a groove not quite as deep as a semicircle). masking tape each side of fret to protect the fretboard and re crown the frets using the groved maple with 600 grit 1000 grit then shine up with tcut ( cutting compound on a piece of cloth wrapped around wood). I will share some pics at some point which will hopefully clarify. chrs Andy Preston

Thanks Andy,

I am so going to get one of these tools! :D

Similar idea to the KATANA Fret Leveller. No idea which is best, but they both look like cool toys erm tools to have.

rob

For a cheap(er) fret crowning tool, I've just tried one of these from ALS (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/261164032...84.m1439.l2649). Just using the replacement burr - the file itself may be OK as well, but I figured for a couple of guitars, this'd do me until I want to go the diamond option. All up ~$19 buck option and seems to work OK. For a grip, I've tried just holding it in my hands or, putting it in the jaws of a small clamp. Follow it up with some sandpaper going through the grits (320, 400, 600, 800 & 0000 steel wool) looks to be going OK.

Got myself some new toys... errrm.. tools yesterday.
1 Katana under string fret leveller for Bass
1 RectifyMaster Lite under string fret leveller for Guitar
Used the Lite on the Butterscotch Tele today, 15 minutes and all done and dusted

AWESOME!

Where did you get the Rectifymaster from DB?

Sorry, in my excitement I neglected to put the web address up.....

www.rectifymaster.com

Once you have the frets levelled, DB, i guess you have to take the strings off to recrown....did the whole thing take 15 minutes or just the levelling.

Yep, strings off and a few strokes with the little dohickey device (little bone) that comes with the recharge kit, a quick polish with steel wool and strings back on.

15 minutes work, 5 minutes restringing.

Ok....getting one!

Get Two! I would recommend the Katana, I got the Bass version and it is amazing... will upgrade from the Lite for Guitar version soon as well.

I got the guitar one from the website you posted. I think that s the Katana?

The one with an adjusting knob on the end is the Katana.

Ok, i got the right one but i think I fluked getting that right as I could only find the Katana's and could not find any of the other equipment. Only when i went back now I got to the full page!

Hi DB, Gav and others.

I was just about to start a post about fret levelling tools, but decided to have a look in the forum and found this thread.

So, before this thread I had already brought a diamond flat file from Carbatec when I was in there 'playing' (similar to http://luthierssupplies.com.au/produ...roducts_id=564) and my plan had been to use that to level, and then to buy something like this to re-crown:

http://luthierssupplies.com.au/produ...roducts_id=307

SO, for starters, would that work?

I'm sure I could always return the diamond file if absolutely necessary, or I could keep it and instead of the fret files above just buy a radiused block, assuming those two things are basically interchangeable?

If so, for my ST-1 what radius block do I need?

Also, I happen to have an electric plane and router, so surely I can craft my own block? I can find quite a few sets of instructions online for how to do this, but they all look over complicated to me. Surely if I knew the profile I needed to achieve I could just make parallel passes with the router, slightly adjusting the plunge depth for each pass until I came to the centre of the block, and then replicate it symmetrically on the other side?

Thoughts on the best way to go? I'd spend the extra money on a technofret/rectify master/katana if Gav/DB were to tell me that its not only brilliant, but bloody easy to use.

The Katana is bloody brilliant and easy to use! :)

The frets are best re crowned with a proper fret file, you will need the narrow guage one to do this properly.

Return the flat diamond file and get a credit! I still use the radiused blocks only because i have been too lazy to look at the Katana video! DB is right about the fret crown...use your refund to buy the 300 grit offset file from Stewmac....

The Pit Bull Guitars have a 12' radius....

Thanks gents. I'm starting to get a little time and budget conscious, so would these do the same job as the stewmac offset file. They're less than had the price and will get to me much quicker. http://luthierssupplies.com.au/produ...roducts_id=307

To be honest Gav I haven't watched the katana vid, and had thought it both levelled and recrowned and was thus a one-stop toy, I mean tool.