@@GunsandGuitars Hey man, big fan! Quick question though... I've used a dremel and a polishing wheel before, but it get super dirty right away. Sans using a new wheel for every fret (which is a bit ridiculous) do you recommend using the same dirty wheel on every fret to polish? Thanks for all of your work! Have a great day! Clay
Dan, I don't know how to get a hold of you directly so I'm leaving this here instead. just bought one of the Kaish Baroque fret files based on your recommendation. Please be advised that they have changed the design since you received yours; the file they are now shipping is junk. The slots are supposed to be 1/2/3mm, are actually 2.4/2.5/3.2mm. They are also not profiled properly and are ridiculously course, probably sub-80 grit. Fortunately, the new design is easy to spot. While your file has flats between the file slots, the new design is completely round between the slots. This file is to be avoided at all costs.
I got the gen 3 off eBay, came in the same small soft case and instructions but I couldn't get on with it as a fret file, used it once maybe so a bit gutted about that, I did suspect if it was a different design or knock off copy due to the rounded edges but no idea, looking for recommendations for more though, just bought the kalico fret file which is great but would like to try another slotted one.
0:08 how do we know for sure you can't see us??? Also Dan i cant believe i hadn't already subscribed to you i could've swore i did awhile ago but ya know
Ive learned that you buy the name rather than the quality of the product behind the name.. ive bought ten dollar tools that last way better than 100-200$ tools...
Great video. The only thing I would like to point out is the use of an adecuate dust mask or respirator. You don't want to be breathing those particles in the long term.
Fret rubbers are pretty good, they basically replace sandpaper at various grits but much easier to use. You can get them from StewMac, Crimson Guitars and also Hosco make some as well. If you want more rounded fret ends (more comfortable to play, higher end feel) then you'll need a fret end dressing file. There's loads of videos around of how to use them correctly to get the perfect shape. Good luck with your new venture. Also check out Autosol polish, I think it is a chrome polish, seems to be popular for frets.
Be careful when buffing frets or you can undone the leveling. Also make sure you can touch the fret after and while buffing since they are usually glued in and the way to get them out is to use heat. Buffing them too much can cause excess heat and the frets to move depending on the initial installation.
For anyone watching now, if you use the dremel and jeweller’s rouge wear a mask as it fling’s everywhere and you don’t want to breathe it in. Plus do not get the frets too hot or you’ll break the glue you used when re fretting. The skipping to the buffing stage will create shiny frets but you do need to smooth the tops of the frets also as they may look shiny but still feel gritty when bending if you don’t go up all the grits. If you’re doing a budget guitar at a budget price then level crown use scotchbrite red the grey then steel wool and dremel. As you can’t charge for much time. The scotchbrite pads do a great quick job. You can have quick and cheap or quality and expensive. If you want high quality you can’t skip stages
Hey Dan! Love the videos. Thanks for being so open with sharing information! In the spirit of such, one great time saver is; put a strip of tape (whatever brand and tack you prefer for fretwork) on either side of the neck. Then, if you're inclined to tape between each fret, when you pull up each side strip, it takes all the others with them! Cheers!
What a truly fantastic channel. Dan is a great, entertaining and inspiring host. I have always wanted a top end guitar but could never justify the cost. However, I like great value (I'm tight) and Dan has de-mystified everything for me from electronics, to maintainence to upgrading. I have described him as inspirational because he has made me feel brave enough to build my own guitar. As I like unusual, I've bought a cherrystone headless guitar kit for £98.00. I'm hoping to fit it with Epiphone LP pups and I will finish it in Yellow wood stain and TUNG OIL. My wife also benefits as I've promised to take a week off work to clear the Attic. What she doesn't know is that I'm doing it to create a guitar mainenance work area in which to build my guitar...and make my own tools.
I really like how you stressed consistent, repeatable results. When you're kicking out multiple necks, the ability to have them all come out identically is paramount.
Hey man, big fan! Quick question though... I've used a dremel and a polishing wheel before, but it get super dirty right away. Sans using a new wheel for every fret (which is a bit ridiculous) do you recommend using the same dirty wheel on every fret to polish? Thanks for all of your work! Have a great day! Clay
A serated blade say on a letherman multi tool gently while Dremel runs (put Dremel in a vise to hold steady)... It may look a bit rough but is the best way to clean any unwanted dirty polishing compond out ofnit
Hey Dan! Love all that you do - and I'm very interested in (almost) everything related to building and maintaining instruments. I was wondering if you would consider making a (or several) tutorial video for the different aspects of elevating the quality and playability of a guitar? Like you did on here, with the frets? I'm talking a video that delves into the basic terms, tools and 'moves' used in achieving the same quality of results as you. I'd especially like to see such a video of you explaining the pickup circuits and techniques used to properly shield pickups. Lot's of love from Denmark!
I still think steel wool can play a role in the fret finishing expediency equation... or what about a very fine soft-fibred small wire wheel that fits in your Dremel just prior to the cloth wheel process...?? Waaachoobeetinkin' Mon?
Hi Dan, great tips. From my experience, you can save more money if you use Jif cream detergent instead of the polish you used in this video. I usually use 800 sand paper then apply jif cream over the fret and use the back soft side of the sand paper to polish it. It works like magic. I'm sure you can save more time and effort if you use the rotating shaft.
Federico Ferrari there is only a few things about different frets. First is size, which depends on the person. I found it's easiest to just measure the fret size on a guitar that plays how you want. Medium frets for me, most people seem to like jumbo frets. Medium frets are smoother on slides. Jumbo frets are more for speed. Small frets are almost non-existent. The second is material. Stainless steel lasts a lot longer, but it's also harder on tools and harder to work with. If I refret, I always use stainless steel, unless the person wants regular frets.
Try powdercoating tape: no residue, holds up to 400F, protects fingerboard, slick surface. I switched over to crowning/polishing single frets & moving the tape, too!
Well, I’m hoping you give those frets a closer examination. It could be because of angles, but the fret you polished, looked as though it was more flat than round at the top. The polishing with a dermal with a cloth wheel, I started using about 10 years ago, and it sure beats hand polishing. Years ago, an elderly gentleman, helped me with my first guitar on the do’s and don’ts of setting up my own guitar. I didn’t have a clue what a luthier is/was or that Mr. Rose was a luthier. In saying this, it’s great to see young gentleman as yourself, willing to share knowledge such as this. Because of the person I mentioned, the ability to make needed repairs, set ups, etc… were usually not very costly, the first guitar I bought from a person who played but wanted other things, was a badly damaged Fender Strat. As I said, I wasn’t quite 12 in 1970, when I pulled the covers to check the pots, there was only 3wires connected, it took the better part of the next 6 months and most of my paper route money that I didn’t have to save. Never got to actually play that guitar through an amp, other than testing control pots and pick ups, we went on vacation for several weeks,and someone broke into our home, took my acoustic and that one. Thing I always wondered, did I make that old guitar sing again? It was still beat all to crap, but with the repairs and only what was a have to new part, it should have came alive for the right person. Never did find out what year that guitar was made. If looks were a tell tale, I’d say about 50:
As always, there's a million variables. I've done this. And this may be good on unfinished necks, but I would not be comfortable doing this one someone else's guitar. And on a vintage guitar? Forget it. That stray polish is just another job to sort. Unless you tape more thoroughly. And then, if it's an old guitar - you BETTER be careful with the tape that you use! Because some of those old finishes are just looking for an excuse to come off with the tape. I've been through the mill with methods on levelling/crowning/polishing/etc and I've still found nothing more quick and thorough than taping the board fuly (having tape widths from 24mm down to 6mm makes this very quick and saves all the fiddly tape cutting) crowning with your chosen file. Then up and down the full board with 600, 800, 1000, fret erasers and Autosol. The time spent on the taping saves the time on the polish as you don't have to go crazy on individual frets and get finger cramps - you can just hit the neck in big sweeps (plus you actually protect the board and neck). Rounds the fret ends beautifully too and you basically end up with mirrors at the end.
Thank you for sharing your experience and its awesome results. At 65yrs. I think about what is going to happen with all the guitars that Im accruing at the end. However, useless thoughts as such seem to go away as I prowl the pawn shops for another needy guitar adoption. Grooming a new puppy (old guitar) is very gratifying to me. Time is of essence. Lol. I thank God for you. You are a teacher who wastes no time. You've shown me how to save time with grade A results as my fret work abilities become 'more shiny'. 'Right On' and thanks again. P.S. 'Have Amazon will Travel' ordering that file.
Hey Dan, I can’t find any brown polishing compound on Amazon, I’m not sure if they make it anymore, I do have a harbor, freight, semi-close to me, but I’m wondering if you can recommend some other polishing compound.
Quick hint- adhesive backed sandpaper is expensive. Get yourself an Elmer's glue stick. Works great. Saves money by using store bought paper. Just make sure to not let the glue harden by leaving it till next day. Just peel it off after use and a damp paper towel removes the still soft glue.
I just bought this baroque fret crowning and I already broke a few frets because of it, can you please make tutorial on how to use this thing correctly?
Great and for your business. Nothing to do with quality work, just how fast you can do it. That's the problem with just about everyone in the service industry. The Walmart version of guitar repair/maintenance.
You should check out the Rio Grande website. It's a jewelry supply. After your filing, instead of sanding by hand they have different bits for the dremel for sanding. They have radial bristle disk and knife edge disk that are made of silicone rubber and other flexible materials with grit embedded inside made for shaping and finishing jewelry. They come in all grits from 20 to way into the thousands for polishing. Now they are not cheaper!! But they are way more accurate and would make the job easier and way faster.
I got a $9 pack with a small fret level, it works, but only a few uses probably. Only intend to use it on a couple guitars anyway so it’s ok. I also am not even bothering to protect the fret board, but im going to 400/600 grit all fret board edges after so it has that work feel, pretty low effort I do it in my lap
I got an even faster way to polish your frets without leaving behind buffing compound. Steel wool. But put tape over your pickups BACKWARDS before you do this because it's magnetic and will f yo shite up if you get those fibers sucked up into the windings etc.
Is the stumack file a higher grit equivalent? Should have asked a much higher? Though I suppose unless you’re doing at least several each month the extra work won’t justify the extra cheese. The juice just won’t be worth the squeeze.
I saw that hat fret crowning file @ online shop here in the Philippines and it is slightly expensive than I thought but I wish to buy one because it is 4 sided with different sizes...
The easiest fastest way? Buy like a 12 pack of pre-filed pre-cut frets from China to fit your guitar style (i.e les pauls, strats). You can get them in order so that the first fret is designed for the first fret on your guitar, because if you do this yourself and you do a sloppy job or if just one fret is not close to perfect you’ll sound like s#%! in a live setting. Buy them cheap from China get some fret clippers (flush) to pull out old ones and a rubber hammer to pound in new ones. It’ll save you heartache.
I just bought a schecter demon 7 and I hate how tall the frets are. I played with it for a few hours tweaking the neck and bridge and I found a good sweet spot and it sounds nice BUT the action is waaay too tall... This is due to the 7th string that had a wicked fret buzz that pretty much much made it unplayable... It's playable now and the normal e through e strings sound phenomel... Unfortunately though in addition to the high action that 7th string sounds flat and it's very temperamental when it comes to tuning it (I drop tune) even though the string is fully intonated... Any tips you can give me?
@GUnsnguitars Question!;;; If these guitars come with new fret wire, ans still need to be leveled, is the flaw (unevenness) in the milling process? Basically, why does a new neck with new frets need to be leveled?
Some frets on my epiphone les paul still feel pretty rough after polishing them with the dremel + polishing compound method. Maybe i need to spend more time on those individual frets? Or maybe they need a complete new crowning job rather than just polishing them?
Dude....just show us the tools and how you suggest to use them. Doesn’t it feel weird standing there talking by yourself for 3 or 4 minutes? because its painful on my side. It took 6 minutes of blah blah blah before we start the fret work. I understand you really like seeing and hearing yourself talk on camera, but do us all a favor....just show us the work
Another tip I discovered. When the fret is worn flat and the guitar is not worth a $150 dollar fret job. O,r like me, you're a cheap bastdige, you can beef it up with some electrical solder and file that down as desired.
What do you think of the stew mac 3 piece crowning file? Just got it today in the mail and looking for some input on what people think of it. I believe it's called the Gurian 3 piece for small medium and jumbo frets.
One thing a lot of people don’t realise with diamond files is that you don’t use force, be gentle and allow the diamonds to cut, also use cutting fluid.
I'm cheaper. I put a piece of 320 grit sand paper face up on a good fret. Then I took a piece of pine block and sand out the groove using the good fret as a template. Then when I have a good notch sanded into the block of pine I take the sand paper and pressing the sand paper into the groove you have produced, I use it to sand a perfect crowned fret. Then I hit it with polish. Dremel if you choose. Sorry about your arm man. That must have hurt.
Maaaaaaan I just came here to get some ideas on how to service my neck. 6 minutes in and all I’ve had is self promotion and paid product placement. Just useless content that TH-cam doesn’t need man.
Great vids and builds you do, love it! I do scratch removal with rubber blocks 400, 600, 1000..mostly super bright already ..but agree with the dremel with blue paste and then a softer wheel and red polish makes em mirror bright..
Does it get rid of all of the deep 100 grit scratches/scratches left by the crowning file? I know that it will polish the frets to a mirror shine And make them look great, but usually you want to make sure that all of those scratches are gone?
I bought the Generation 4 of this crowning file and it was awful. The machining was really sloppy and the grooves were not deep enough to crown properly.
Can’t beat a number 4 cut triangle file, a saw sharpening file. Put it on a sander to create a safe edge then sand up to 800 grit to stop it marking the fretboard. Job done
Hmmm! Another potential use for the dremel my dad got me for last Christmas! :3 (Leave it to the man who has like... five of them in his own woodshop for various uses to understand the incredible versatility and usefulness of the dremel; he had a go at my Amazon wishlist that was full of nothing but Dremel stuff. XD)
I'm new to this but it looked like the polish leaked into the fret groove making a black stain and you talked crap for seven minutes before showing how to do anything.
Just returned one of these files today and went back to my triangular file. Much more control and easier to use, in my experience. Neat trick w/ the polishing wheel, though.
@Guns and Guitars I recently bought a fret crowning file almost identical to the one you have only unbranded with a black handle for about 15 bucks free shipping on ebay. It works unbelievablely for the price and hasn't warn down at all after use on a couple necks. Thanks for all the vids!
I play the Greek bouzouki for over 40 years professional , my 4 bouzoukia cost each about 4 to 5 thousand ....on all of them I prefer the frets NOT TO BE SO ROUNDED ....from my experience and also from others ....it is a lot better to have more FLAT TOP ON THE FRETS ........and LOW IN HEIGHT FRETS.....it helps much better for fast solo melody's , and sound !!! ......My fingers when I press the strings down ....touch also the ebony fretboards !...Low frets and mostly flat !!!....Of course the sides are all well sanded !!!
Heh....I have the same "Dremel" and agree I like it a whole lot better. Never thought the flex extender was a worthy purchase, but this has convinced me.
You're not really showing people the angle of that tool you're using or just babbling on and babbling on you're not professional at all I do not recommend you
Stu mac has great tools. But some of the cheap ones work just as well. I highly recommend wearing goggles when you're using a Dremel those little pieces of Polishing Compound can hurt
The neck joint should be tighter where you should be able to lift the guitar just by the neck. This helps the resonance transfer between the neck and body.
I took your advice and ordered a baroque file. I build a dozen or so custom guitars a year and am amazed I didn’t find this earlier. Works great and is now my go to crowning tool. Appreciate you posting this vid. Saves me a substantial amount of time in the shop. More time to make dust, lol.
How is the Baroque Fret Crowning File now after 4 years?
I love him because he's a cheapo, but a damn smart cheapo
Best compliment I’ve ever got
Guns and Guitars make the ES 335 you cheapo
I wish I knew about his channel two years ago.
took the words out of my mouth
I wish I'd known about this channel six years ago when I was studying guitar building and maintenance
"Good to see you"
*Deep insecurity kicks in*
"Well by that I meant ...."
F
Yes that lays him right open to trolls..does'nt it!
can you spell ICUP
That body shape looks great! Has a Gibson M3 vibe to it. Classy and practical.
Thanks max!
I see more of that classic Ricky look.
@@GunsandGuitars Hey man, big fan!
Quick question though...
I've used a dremel and a polishing wheel before, but it get super dirty right away. Sans using a new wheel for every fret (which is a bit ridiculous) do you recommend using the same dirty wheel on every fret to polish?
Thanks for all of your work!
Have a great day!
Clay
Look like a pine wood...... No bueno
Dan, I don't know how to get a hold of you directly so I'm leaving this here instead. just bought one of the Kaish Baroque fret files based on your recommendation. Please be advised that they have changed the design since you received yours; the file they are now shipping is junk. The slots are supposed to be 1/2/3mm, are actually 2.4/2.5/3.2mm. They are also not profiled properly and are ridiculously course, probably sub-80 grit. Fortunately, the new design is easy to spot. While your file has flats between the file slots, the new design is completely round between the slots. This file is to be avoided at all costs.
Thanks for the info! I’ll look into this and maybe see if I can get a sample of the new files to review.
I also had this problem
You have the choice of gen 3 or gen 4 , pick gen 3
There was a choice btwn gen 3 and gen 4, return and pick gen 3 you'll get the round one
I got the gen 3 off eBay, came in the same small soft case and instructions but I couldn't get on with it as a fret file, used it once maybe so a bit gutted about that, I did suspect if it was a different design or knock off copy due to the rounded edges but no idea, looking for recommendations for more though, just bought the kalico fret file which is great but would like to try another slotted one.
If your fret bars are only tarnished, you can use a white soft art eraser. I learned that trick years ago at Mars Music.
0:08 how do we know for sure you can't see us???
Also Dan i cant believe i hadn't already subscribed to you i could've swore i did awhile ago but ya know
Ive learned that you buy the name rather than the quality of the product behind the name.. ive bought ten dollar tools that last way better than 100-200$ tools...
Great video. The only thing I would like to point out is the use of an adecuate dust mask or respirator. You don't want to be breathing those particles in the long term.
Brand new shecters coming like this from the factory. So here i am learning how to crown them smh
Fret rubbers are pretty good, they basically replace sandpaper at various grits but much easier to use. You can get them from StewMac, Crimson Guitars and also Hosco make some as well. If you want more rounded fret ends (more comfortable to play, higher end feel) then you'll need a fret end dressing file. There's loads of videos around of how to use them correctly to get the perfect shape. Good luck with your new venture. Also check out Autosol polish, I think it is a chrome polish, seems to be popular for frets.
0000 steel wool is also good but keep something magnetic around to make cleaning the splinters up easier
@@someoneelse101 Cool
Be careful when buffing frets or you can undone the leveling. Also make sure you can touch the fret after and while buffing since they are usually glued in and the way to get them out is to use heat. Buffing them too much can cause excess heat and the frets to move depending on the initial installation.
I would love to see your DIY take on refretting a guitar. :)
For anyone watching now, if you use the dremel and jeweller’s rouge wear a mask as it fling’s everywhere and you don’t want to breathe it in. Plus do not get the frets too hot or you’ll break the glue you used when re fretting.
The skipping to the buffing stage will create shiny frets but you do need to smooth the tops of the frets also as they may look shiny but still feel gritty when bending if you don’t go up all the grits.
If you’re doing a budget guitar at a budget price then level crown use scotchbrite red the grey then steel wool and dremel. As you can’t charge for much time. The scotchbrite pads do a great quick job.
You can have quick and cheap or quality and expensive. If you want high quality you can’t skip stages
Hey Dan! Love the videos. Thanks for being so open with sharing information! In the spirit of such, one great time saver is; put a strip of tape (whatever brand and tack you prefer for fretwork) on either side of the neck. Then, if you're inclined to tape between each fret, when you pull up each side strip, it takes all the others with them! Cheers!
Be careful with the Dremel, you can really over heat the frets...
i use a tringle file with an edge ground off safe for crowning. Takes a bit of skill but better control once you master it.
Dude I'm so glad I found you, I'm about to start my first build on a Squire Stratocaster and these videos, MAN! Do they help!
What a truly fantastic channel. Dan is a great, entertaining and inspiring host. I have always wanted a top end guitar but could never justify the cost. However, I like great value (I'm tight) and Dan has de-mystified everything for me from electronics, to maintainence to upgrading. I have described him as inspirational because he has made me feel brave enough to build my own guitar. As I like unusual, I've bought a cherrystone headless guitar kit for £98.00. I'm hoping to fit it with Epiphone LP pups and I will finish it in Yellow wood stain and TUNG OIL. My wife also benefits as I've promised to take a week off work to clear the Attic. What she doesn't know is that I'm doing it to create a guitar mainenance work area in which to build my guitar...and make my own tools.
What happened with your line of guitars?? >.>
I really like how you stressed consistent, repeatable results.
When you're kicking out multiple necks, the ability to have them all come out identically is paramount.
Hey man, big fan!
Quick question though...
I've used a dremel and a polishing wheel before, but it get super dirty right away. Sans using a new wheel for every fret (which is a bit ridiculous) do you recommend using the same dirty wheel on every fret to polish?
Thanks for all of your work!
Have a great day!
Clay
A serated blade say on a letherman multi tool gently while Dremel runs (put Dremel in a vise to hold steady)... It may look a bit rough but is the best way to clean any unwanted dirty polishing compond out ofnit
That is a great time and money saving tip. Thanks Dan!
I swear you actually saw me, pretty sure it happened, just saying. Time travel and everything.....
Hey Dan! Love all that you do - and I'm very interested in (almost) everything related to building and maintaining instruments.
I was wondering if you would consider making a (or several) tutorial video for the different aspects of elevating the quality and playability of a guitar? Like you did on here, with the frets? I'm talking a video that delves into the basic terms, tools and 'moves' used in achieving the same quality of results as you.
I'd especially like to see such a video of you explaining the pickup circuits and techniques used to properly shield pickups.
Lot's of love from Denmark!
25 bucks thats not cheap I will only use it once or twice
You could save money by paying someone $150 to do it for you.
GUNS AND GUITARS?!? Why have I never heard of you?! This is my dream channel and most perfect channel.
Video begins at 8:43
I still think steel wool can play a role in the fret finishing expediency equation... or what about a very fine soft-fibred small wire wheel that fits in your Dremel just prior to the cloth wheel process...?? Waaachoobeetinkin' Mon?
I gotta try that file. I normally use a 3 corner file the old school way but it is time-consuming.
The file for sale on Amazon is NOT the same file as he is using here. Bait and switch??
@@nogripes Just bit the bullet and bought a StewMac Z file. $90, but a fantastic file!
Hi Dan, great tips. From my experience, you can save more money if you use Jif cream detergent instead of the polish you used in this video. I usually use 800 sand paper then apply jif cream over the fret and use the back soft side of the sand paper to polish it. It works like magic. I'm sure you can save more time and effort if you use the rotating shaft.
would you mind (if not already) made a video about how many types of frets there's out in the market, the differences and your preferences ?
thks !
Federico Ferrari there is only a few things about different frets.
First is size, which depends on the person. I found it's easiest to just measure the fret size on a guitar that plays how you want. Medium frets for me, most people seem to like jumbo frets. Medium frets are smoother on slides. Jumbo frets are more for speed. Small frets are almost non-existent.
The second is material. Stainless steel lasts a lot longer, but it's also harder on tools and harder to work with. If I refret, I always use stainless steel, unless the person wants regular frets.
Here's a webpage with most of what you'll need to know about fret sizes: www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/FretSizePop.aspx
Have you tried any Fret end file from amazon? If so,wich one?
Try powdercoating tape: no residue, holds up to 400F, protects fingerboard, slick surface. I switched over to crowning/polishing single frets & moving the tape, too!
Well, I’m hoping you give those frets a closer examination. It could be because of angles, but the fret you polished, looked as though it was more flat than round at the top. The polishing with a dermal with a cloth wheel, I started using about 10 years ago, and it sure beats hand polishing. Years ago, an elderly gentleman, helped me with my first guitar on the do’s and don’ts of setting up my own guitar. I didn’t have a clue what a luthier is/was or that Mr. Rose was a luthier. In saying this, it’s great to see young gentleman as yourself, willing to share knowledge such as this. Because of the person I mentioned, the ability to make needed repairs, set ups, etc… were usually not very costly, the first guitar I bought from a person who played but wanted other things, was a badly damaged Fender Strat. As I said, I wasn’t quite 12 in 1970, when I pulled the covers to check the pots, there was only 3wires connected, it took the better part of the next 6 months and most of my paper route money that I didn’t have to save. Never got to actually play that guitar through an amp, other than testing control pots and pick ups, we went on vacation for several weeks,and someone broke into our home, took my acoustic and that one. Thing I always wondered, did I make that old guitar sing again? It was still beat all to crap, but with the repairs and only what was a have to new part, it should have came alive for the right person. Never did find out what year that guitar was made. If looks were a tell tale, I’d say about 50:
As always, there's a million variables. I've done this. And this may be good on unfinished necks, but I would not be comfortable doing this one someone else's guitar. And on a vintage guitar? Forget it. That stray polish is just another job to sort. Unless you tape more thoroughly. And then, if it's an old guitar - you BETTER be careful with the tape that you use! Because some of those old finishes are just looking for an excuse to come off with the tape. I've been through the mill with methods on levelling/crowning/polishing/etc and I've still found nothing more quick and thorough than taping the board fuly (having tape widths from 24mm down to 6mm makes this very quick and saves all the fiddly tape cutting) crowning with your chosen file. Then up and down the full board with 600, 800, 1000, fret erasers and Autosol. The time spent on the taping saves the time on the polish as you don't have to go crazy on individual frets and get finger cramps - you can just hit the neck in big sweeps (plus you actually protect the board and neck). Rounds the fret ends beautifully too and you basically end up with mirrors at the end.
PLease make the video of how to install a floyd rose in a strat. I'm so waiting after you announced it in the custom guitar vid
Thank you for sharing your experience and its awesome results. At 65yrs. I think about what is going to happen with all the guitars that Im accruing at the end. However, useless thoughts as such seem to go away as I prowl the pawn shops for another needy guitar adoption. Grooming a new puppy (old guitar) is very gratifying to me. Time is of essence. Lol. I thank God for you. You are a teacher who wastes no time. You've shown me how to save time with grade A results as my fret work abilities become 'more shiny'. 'Right On' and thanks again. P.S. 'Have Amazon will Travel' ordering that file.
Just bought a crowning file and wished I’d bought it YEARS AGO!! Well worth it. Good luck with your guitar line - I’ll keep an eye out \m/
Really needed this for an old bass I got with a wacked up neck. Keep doing what your doing please
Same GarageBand drum sample that was used on Umbrella by Rihanna. Change my mind.
I think stew mac just doubles the price of what their products would normally sell for
Hey Dan, I can’t find any brown polishing compound on Amazon, I’m not sure if they make it anymore, I do have a harbor, freight, semi-close to me, but I’m wondering if you can recommend some other polishing compound.
2:48 to get to the subject at hand. Seriously, that's like television wait times.
Quick hint- adhesive backed sandpaper is expensive.
Get yourself an Elmer's glue stick.
Works great. Saves money by using store bought paper.
Just make sure to not let the glue harden by leaving it till next day.
Just peel it off after use and a damp paper towel removes the still soft glue.
I just bought this baroque fret crowning and I already broke a few frets because of it, can you please make tutorial on how to use this thing correctly?
Use less pressure and 4x the amount time you used
did you get the idea for the name from Tanks and Piano's.
Great and for your business. Nothing to do with quality work, just how fast you can do it. That's the problem with just about everyone in the service industry. The Walmart version of guitar repair/maintenance.
Mate...do you really have to have that background music? It’s so hard to hear you over that crap.
You should check out the Rio Grande website. It's a jewelry supply. After your filing, instead of sanding by hand they have different bits for the dremel for sanding. They have radial bristle disk and knife edge disk that are made of silicone rubber and other flexible materials with grit embedded inside made for shaping and finishing jewelry. They come in all grits from 20 to way into the thousands for polishing. Now they are not cheaper!! But they are way more accurate and would make the job easier and way faster.
I got a $9 pack with a small fret level, it works, but only a few uses probably. Only intend to use it on a couple guitars anyway so it’s ok.
I also am not even bothering to protect the fret board, but im going to 400/600 grit all fret board edges after so it has that work feel, pretty low effort I do it in my lap
I got an even faster way to polish your frets without leaving behind buffing compound. Steel wool. But put tape over your pickups BACKWARDS before you do this because it's magnetic and will f yo shite up if you get those fibers sucked up into the windings etc.
too much talking not enough crowning
Is the stumack file a higher grit equivalent? Should have asked a much higher? Though I suppose unless you’re doing at least several each month the extra work won’t justify the extra cheese. The juice just won’t be worth the squeeze.
I saw that hat fret crowning file @ online shop here in the Philippines and it is slightly expensive than I thought but I wish to buy one because it is 4 sided with different sizes...
The easiest fastest way? Buy like a 12 pack of pre-filed pre-cut frets from China to fit your guitar style (i.e les pauls, strats). You can get them in order so that the first fret is designed for the first fret on your guitar, because if you do this yourself and you do a sloppy job or if just one fret is not close to perfect you’ll sound like s#%! in a live setting. Buy them cheap from China get some fret clippers (flush) to pull out old ones and a rubber hammer to pound in new ones. It’ll save you heartache.
I just bought a schecter demon 7 and I hate how tall the frets are. I played with it for a few hours tweaking the neck and bridge and I found a good sweet spot and it sounds nice BUT the action is waaay too tall... This is due to the 7th string that had a wicked fret buzz that pretty much much made it unplayable... It's playable now and the normal e through e strings sound phenomel... Unfortunately though in addition to the high action that 7th string sounds flat and it's very temperamental when it comes to tuning it (I drop tune) even though the string is fully intonated... Any tips you can give me?
@GUnsnguitars Question!;;; If these guitars come with new fret wire, ans still need to be leveled, is the flaw (unevenness) in the milling process? Basically, why does a new neck with new frets need to be leveled?
Some frets on my epiphone les paul still feel pretty rough after polishing them with the dremel + polishing compound method. Maybe i need to spend more time on those individual frets? Or maybe they need a complete new crowning job rather than just polishing them?
Dude....just show us the tools and how you suggest to use them. Doesn’t it feel weird standing there talking by yourself for 3 or 4 minutes? because its painful on my side. It took 6 minutes of blah blah blah before we start the fret work. I understand you really like seeing and hearing yourself talk on camera, but do us all a favor....just show us the work
Another tip I discovered. When the fret is worn flat and the guitar is not worth a $150 dollar fret job. O,r like me, you're a cheap bastdige, you can beef it up with some electrical solder and file that down as desired.
Guns and guitars……wow. If you start giving fishing tips, I might have to stalk you lol
Nice video brother…..
Just tried polishing frets with a Drexel. Damn!! This ain’t rocket surgery- why didn’t I think of that?🤪
What do you think of the stew mac 3 piece crowning file? Just got it today in the mail and looking for some input on what people think of it. I believe it's called the Gurian 3 piece for small medium and jumbo frets.
Dude stop whining about the cost of handtools. Quality costs. Has it ever crossed your mind to buy USA Made instead of that cheap junk?
One thing a lot of people don’t realise with diamond files is that you don’t use force, be gentle and allow the diamonds to cut, also use cutting fluid.
I'm cheaper. I put a piece of 320 grit sand paper face up on a good fret. Then I took a piece of pine block and sand out the groove using the good fret as a template. Then when I have a good notch sanded into the block of pine I take the sand paper and pressing the sand paper into the groove you have produced, I use it to sand a perfect crowned fret. Then I hit it with polish. Dremel if you choose.
Sorry about your arm man. That must have hurt.
Maaaaaaan I just came here to get some ideas on how to service my neck. 6 minutes in and all I’ve had is self promotion and paid product placement. Just useless content that TH-cam doesn’t need man.
Great vids and builds you do, love it! I do scratch removal with rubber blocks 400, 600, 1000..mostly super bright already ..but agree with the dremel with blue paste and then a softer wheel and red polish makes em mirror bright..
Does it get rid of all of the deep 100 grit scratches/scratches left by the crowning file? I know that it will polish the frets to a mirror shine And make them look great, but usually you want to make sure that all of those scratches are gone?
How about some safety protocol? Oh sure there will never be any of that polishing compound that flings off of that Dremmel tool. But just in case!
I bought the Generation 4 of this crowning file and it was awful. The machining was really sloppy and the grooves were not deep enough to crown properly.
Wind the video forward for about 3 days before he stops talking and does something
Can’t beat a number 4 cut triangle file, a saw sharpening file. Put it on a sander to create a safe edge then sand up to 800 grit to stop it marking the fretboard. Job done
Hmmm! Another potential use for the dremel my dad got me for last Christmas! :3 (Leave it to the man who has like... five of them in his own woodshop for various uses to understand the incredible versatility and usefulness of the dremel; he had a go at my Amazon wishlist that was full of nothing but Dremel stuff. XD)
The easiest way to crown frets is to use the Little Bone Fret File.
My two favorite things in the world guns and guitars 👍🏻 new subscriber here
Thanks for the sub!
I'm glad you went over this method. I wondered if I could use my dremel/cloth wheel to polish my frets, thanks Dan!
I buyed 3rd generation. Doesn't properly crown...
Leaves deep gouges top of the frets. Useless tool.
SO is the one you recommend the 2nd gen crown filer? I believe they only have the 3rd and 4th gen. The 4th gen with the square handle.
I'm new to this but it looked like the polish leaked into the fret groove making a black stain and you talked crap for seven minutes before showing how to do anything.
Just returned one of these files today and went back to my triangular file. Much more control and easier to use, in my experience. Neat trick w/ the polishing wheel, though.
@Guns and Guitars I recently bought a fret crowning file almost identical to the one you have only unbranded with a black handle for about 15 bucks free shipping on ebay. It works unbelievablely for the price and hasn't warn down at all after use on a couple necks. Thanks for all the vids!
Can you make me a LP body guitar with 3-60s vibe single coils??????
Just fyi that fret file is 97. On amazon now I don’t know if that’s because I’m in Canada but just so u know
Anyone know where to get the file in the EU?
Edit: Ebay ships them world wide: www.ebay.com/itm/163192934450
Thanks Dan! I’ve been looking around for a fret file. I’ll give this one a shot.
I play the Greek bouzouki for over 40 years professional , my 4 bouzoukia cost each about 4 to 5 thousand ....on all of them I prefer the frets NOT TO BE SO ROUNDED ....from my experience and also from others ....it is a lot better to have more FLAT TOP ON THE FRETS ........and LOW IN HEIGHT FRETS.....it helps much better for fast solo melody's , and sound !!! ......My fingers when I press the strings down ....touch also the ebony fretboards !...Low frets and mostly flat !!!....Of course the sides are all well sanded !!!
The New Version is total Rubbish , are they going to revert to the original style ?
What about if i have a compund radius? Its making me nervous. Ive got a 10 to 14 inch comp rad
Heh....I have the same "Dremel" and agree I like it a whole lot better. Never thought the flex extender was a worthy purchase, but this has convinced me.
You're not really showing people the angle of that tool you're using or just babbling on and babbling on you're not professional at all I do not recommend you
Im confused about the fretboard. He says its ebony but isnt ebony black? Somebody help me out here please.
Why do you have to upload this when I just did a fret leveling and crowning yesterday for a build. Lol
Stu mac has great tools. But some of the cheap ones work just as well.
I highly recommend wearing goggles when you're using a Dremel those little pieces of Polishing Compound can hurt
The polish link is down. Can you update with a comparable product link?
excellent work and info thanks for sharing. cheers NZ
The neck joint should be tighter where you should be able to lift the guitar just by the neck. This helps the resonance transfer between the neck and body.
I took your advice and ordered a baroque file. I build a dozen or so custom guitars a year and am amazed I didn’t find this earlier. Works great and is now my go to crowning tool. Appreciate you posting this vid. Saves me a substantial amount of time in the shop. More time to make dust, lol.
It was not a perfect dome shape as it was flat on top, but it is as perfect as we will ever get.