Winter Fret Sprout - How To Dress Sharp Fret Ends on your Bass or Guitar using Hosco Fret End Files

Every winter, I see lots of guitars and basses come in shop with sharp fret ends - dry conditions cause the wood to shrink on the neck and the fret ends stick out. This makes the neck very uncomfortable to play and should be addressed seasonally as required. Luckily, it is not to difficult to fix if you use the right files for the job. I like the Hosco Fret End dressing files for my shop and I show you how to use them in the video. It is a DIY project that you can tackle in an afternoon with one tool, some sandpaper and fretboard conditioner. I hope you enjoy the video!
-Steve
Manotick StringWorks
Ottawa, Ontario
[e-mail]
#fretends #sharpfrets #fretfiles #fretsprout #frets #guitars #bass
HOSCO Files at SoloMusic Gear
www.solomusicgear.com/product...

[@normbarrows]

That Hosco file is interesting - seems to combine a fret end dressing file with a concave half-round crowning file. These days I'm using a fret end dressing file, a quarter round file, a concave half-round crowning file, and rolling with sandpaper to get hemispherical ends on pre-installed frets. I follow this with polishing with Dremel and rubbing compound. For bad fret sprout I'll use a fret end beveling file first and bevel until i get about a half mill chamfer on the fretboard edge, then I'll round the fret ends, then polish.
The only downside is that Hosco can be pricey and hard to find. Same scene with a Gurian quarter round fret end dressing file. They start at about $67. Believe it or not, Stew Mac actually has the best price on these files.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Hosco is well priced in Canada on the Solomusic website

[@russwood127]

Good stuff! I’m about to tackle some minor fret sprout, thanks for the lesson.

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Great info presented here. I just did my Sterling SS-4 short-scale and it plays like a dream-now. Really took-my-time and it came out phenomenal. I have the Stew Mac, but I will purchase the Medium file for my Bass. 2 questions: which file do you recommend for doing Taylor Acoustic & Suhr-electric? Do you like the Dunlop neck-cradle? oNe LovE from NYC

[@scottdunn2178]

I've got a Jackson Soloist SLX with binding... any special tips (besides using stewmac type tape, not commercial-grade low-tack)? You could shred hash browns with my fret tangs.

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Scott, check our Phil McKnight's video
th-cam.com/video/GeNy4LmrOMs/w-d-xo.html

[@marcellob.8893]

Great video, thanks! Would you worry about taping the pickups when doing this job?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Not really - very small amount of metal filings generated... you can if you want to, it wouldn't hurt. If I was profiling the edge of the frets I would tape the pups

[@johns1159]

Thanks for posting Steve. Great job! I was wondering if you ever used any StewMac files or tools for fret sprout?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

I have a Z file for fret crowning from StewMac... that is the only one. The rest of my files are from Hosco. I hope you have subbed to my channel?

[@christianr.8885]

Will it work on stainless steel frets?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

Yes, just needs more work and time...plus harder on the tools

[@bernardm3066]

Hi. I only have the 3mm one. Is it ok to use it to do some fret dressing for medium jumbo frets?

[@ManotickGuitarTech]

You just need to sit the file on the end of the fret and see if it fits the concave of the fret properly - the edge of the file should not touch the fretboard, ideally.

[@Dave-tw9ib]

U forgot u have to pull the neck to do the hight frets u can't get at them

[@Dave-tw9ib]

tape it off for beginners