FYI if you’re going to buy stewmac tools or products you should sign up for the StewMac $50 membership because StewMac charges a lot for shipping. With the membership you get free shipping and deals, which will save you money in the long run. I bought the StewMac neck rest and the StewMac work bench mat and it was $20 for shipping.
Nut files 100% agree! I ruined 3 nuts trying to do it the cheap way and finally broke down and bought the files. First try and done, wish I had saved myself the time and headache from the start.
Get the 4.5" fretbar, you won't regret it. Kills neck end humps under string tension or any of those start/ end of truss rod spots. I use it to lightly bevel and cure fret sprout
Good video man, I do some guitar work as well and I have each of the tools you listed here excet for the Z file. I do have two other types of crowning files via SM though, I believe they are for either narrow or medium fret heads. I might give the Z file a go though, seems like it'll make it easier from your description, thanks 👍
Thank you thank you thank you! I had been wondering if they make a fret file where you could not mess up the top of the fret and that Z file is exactly what I need! I was not even aware this file existed so seeing this video changed that. Also I bought one of those fret kissers! Worth every penny! Thanks again for the info on the Z file.😎👍
Great info. I am not as advanced as you, but I am working towards-that. I love this stuff. I have been doing all my own maintenance, repairs, intonation, fret-dressing & polish and set-ups for the past 8 years. ( Acoustic's Bass & Electrics ) It always comes-out exactly the way I want it. Enjoyed your video. oNe LovE from NYC
Having the right tools makes all the difference. I just attempted a fret levelling with nothing but some sandpaper and a triangular file on a new Epiphone. It was horrible. 14 out of 22 frets were not level. Must have been a monday model haha. The nut was also not cut. I have the Hosco files and got the nut right, but I sent it back to Thomann. After 2 attempts to level the frets I gave up. It was unplayable out of the box even after a proper setup. Anyway, I used to work at a guitar shop and we had actual proper tools for this stuff and it makes it so much easier. That fret kisser looks awesome.
My guitar tech history consists of a few years of maintaining guitars at a middle school. That big dumb metal bar that stewmac sells for fret leveling (you stick that sandpaper tape on it works great for that. I can't imagine trying to level frets without it....
Solid information - thanks! The 60fps video action is not an improvement, unless you want to get silly with some slo-mo footage. Your 24fps looks quite lovely. Thanks for having the Godin prominently displayed...
I've tried all kinds of different things but my favorite to date is the micromesh sanding pads. I work through all 9 grits it is in the pack. Here's a link: www.amazon.com/Micro-Mesh-Assortment-Pack-18-Pieces/dp/B00HJC156U/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=micromesh+padded+sanding+pads&qid=1646971599&sprefix=micromes%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-10
Thank you for posting this content. I have a set of Ibanez Gauged Files (10-46). They are 3.75" x .50" in size. Do you think I could still use the File Backers with these? Thx🤓
@@LucasFowler Great....Thx for responding so fast! From the pics, it looks like I could catch at least 3 of the set screws. Have never tried this before. Like you said, the thin files are pretty wobbly! I bought a budget Ibanez AZES31....I am slowly learning how to set it up myself.🤓
Hey Lucas! I have a few guitars that have sharp fret ends that I might try to fix myself. Would you recommend the Stew Mac fret end file (the small red one) and the 6 inch Fret File Block? I'm not a tech and I heard they're the best eventhough they are kinda pricey. Any advice? Thanks!
Great question. I'll tell you what Bill Nash told me: Use a hard pink eraser with some 600-800 grit sandpaper wrapped around it. Go up and down the sides of the board, trying your best to touch only the ends of the fret that are sticking out. Then if the corners of the fret are sharp use one of those files(like the stewmac one) and gently roll them. Then use 0000 steel wool(or I use the lightest scotchbrite) to follow your sanding. If you feel it necessary you can buff any light scratches from the wool/scotchbrite back up to gloss, but your hand will do it naturally in short order. Hope that helps!
@@LucasFowler Interesting! I'm assuming you tape the board up first lol. The light scotch brite is the white kind right? I got some 600 sandpaper I'll give it a shot. Thanks Lucas!
I have the fret end dressing fileand it is awesome, i dont even use the fret beveling file block, but im not making a living at this yet, just have been learning and working on brining dead accoustics back to life
ooh...nut file backers....I have a bunch of the nut file from when I was building kit guitars, and those would have saved me from hassles... I like the fret kisser but I do set ups for myself and an occasional kid in my HS math class, so I can't justify the expense. I have leveled my own frets and it turned out great, but I just live with the flatness...I tried to crown with a triangle file, and it just...never seemed to make any progress... Also, lol, the ad in the video was from Stewmac, but for their guitar kits...
Did you run into any issues with the charvel san dimas bridge change I’ve hunted around and found the Sophia 2:92 pro is that the term system that you installed ?
Do you find you only need certain files for regular common strings 9s and 10s for personal use do you think I should get them all or you only really need 3 or 4 and not all 6?
How long have the nut files lasted you? Are they still cutting the same as new? Interested in getting some but I have heard they wear pretty quickly. Thanks
I've had this set for about at least a year now and I've done 100's of nuts with them. They are still cutting well for me, but I haven't used them to cut anything harder than bone.
Basically, when I was about 19 or 20 I bought an expensive guitar that I couldn't get to stay in tune. I took it to 3-4 different techs and even sent it back to the factory and it still wouldn't stay in tune with modest tremolo use. At that point I thought I needed to figure this out myself because I can't afford to pay people to fix my stuff all the time. So I slowly learned from reading forums and watching videos on early TH-cam. Then I got a job in a music store a few years later as a salesman and spent a lot of time shadowing the luthier that worked there, which helped quite a bit. After I left that job I had built up enough skill and confidence to start doing work for other people. I've never had any formal training, everything I know is learned from reading, watching others work, trying things and "real world" experience. I've been doing it for about 15 years now and I'm still not even scratching the surface of the master luthiers!
@@LucasFowler Great story. I'm in my 70's and i own a few expensive archtops that i'm very hestitant to take anywhere for work. Been exploring doing set ups and spot fret leveling on them myself. I worked with my hands all my life, so handling tools like that isn't foreign to me at all. Just very nervous about diving into it. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Hey Lucas this has nothing to do with your video here, but I've been researching Planet Tone pickups and would like your opinion on something: do they sound like Seymour Duncans or Dimarzios? I'm a SD guy myself.
So this is kind of a hard question, but I'll try my best. They don't sound like SD's or Dimarzios to me. Dimarzios almost always have a "stiffness" to them in feel and they feel kind of "dry" to me, if that makes sense. SD's are less stiff and feel more "saturated" to my ears, but they also tend to have a certain color to them, no matter the model. Planet Tone's pickups are VERY transparent to me, which is why I like them so much. Very clear without every being shrill. All 3 brands sound good, but Planet Tone is the sound I hear in my head.
Z file all the way bro nothing does quite as good of a job I've tried sandpaper blocks and the whole works I have one additional tool for you thevunderstring level beam with the angled diamond understring fret files the ability to do the job with tension is undeniably beginner friendly and accurate.
I am not a professional Luther just for my own, i have a set of music nomad files they work great not for a professional, a word about stew mac files they are made by hosco, i saw a set when in Japan that were exactly the same as stew mac
Some of these tools are OK but stuff like that WAY OVERPRICED screwdriver set is a joke! Just go to Sears, Home Depot or Harbor Freight and get the same thing for under $20. They are just common drivers, nothing special.
FYI if you’re going to buy stewmac tools or products you should sign up for the StewMac $50 membership because StewMac charges a lot for shipping. With the membership you get free shipping and deals, which will save you money in the long run. I bought the StewMac neck rest and the StewMac work bench mat and it was $20 for shipping.
With StewMac, you buy once and it’s good for life. The stuff on Amazon is so cheaply made.
Nut files 100% agree! I ruined 3 nuts trying to do it the cheap way and finally broke down and bought the files. First try and done, wish I had saved myself the time and headache from the start.
Fret kisser is used on every build I do . Best $125 I’ve spent !!! Great video
Get the 4.5" fretbar, you won't regret it. Kills neck end humps under string tension or any of those start/ end of truss rod spots.
I use it to lightly bevel and cure fret sprout
Great list
I got everything you mentioned... and yep, they work flawlessly!
Good video man, I do some guitar work as well and I have each of the tools you listed here excet for the Z file. I do have two other types of crowning files via SM though, I believe they are for either narrow or medium fret heads. I might give the Z file a go though, seems like it'll make it easier from your description, thanks 👍
Sixty frames tracks quite nicely but I had no issue with 24. Very cool video, we use a lot of the same tools.
Thank you thank you thank you! I had been wondering if they make a fret file where you could not mess up the top of the fret and that Z file is exactly what I need! I was not even aware this file existed so seeing this video changed that. Also I bought one of those fret kissers! Worth every penny! Thanks again for the info on the Z file.😎👍
That multi-tool screwdriver set is essential. I use almost it every day,. I like StewMac, but not their pentagon prices.
Great info. I am not as advanced as you, but I am working towards-that. I love this stuff. I have been doing all my own maintenance, repairs, intonation, fret-dressing & polish and set-ups for the past 8 years. ( Acoustic's Bass & Electrics ) It always comes-out exactly the way I want it. Enjoyed your video. oNe LovE from NYC
60 FPS looks really good. Almost 3D-ish.
Lucas, could you do a video on how to deal with dented frets?
Having the right tools makes all the difference. I just attempted a fret levelling with nothing but some sandpaper and a triangular file on a new Epiphone. It was horrible. 14 out of 22 frets were not level. Must have been a monday model haha. The nut was also not cut. I have the Hosco files and got the nut right, but I sent it back to Thomann. After 2 attempts to level the frets I gave up. It was unplayable out of the box even after a proper setup. Anyway, I used to work at a guitar shop and we had actual proper tools for this stuff and it makes it so much easier. That fret kisser looks awesome.
My guitar tech history consists of a few years of maintaining guitars at a middle school. That big dumb metal bar that stewmac sells for fret leveling (you stick that sandpaper tape on it works great for that. I can't imagine trying to level frets without it....
All I know is that if I were running Stew Mac, I'd want to pay you to make more of these kinds of videos :-p
Love the Grand Funk shirt Lucas! Rock on.
Now I see that the shirt was actually prophetic! :-D
They probably are! Most of that stuff is way overpriced!
@@georgelackey622 I assure you, they are not paying me or giving me anything, I wish they would!
Solid information - thanks!
The 60fps video action is not an improvement, unless you want to get silly with some slo-mo footage. Your 24fps looks quite lovely.
Thanks for having the Godin prominently displayed...
Great video! What would you recommend to polish frets after crowning?
I've tried all kinds of different things but my favorite to date is the micromesh sanding pads. I work through all 9 grits it is in the pack. Here's a link:
www.amazon.com/Micro-Mesh-Assortment-Pack-18-Pieces/dp/B00HJC156U/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=micromesh+padded+sanding+pads&qid=1646971599&sprefix=micromes%2Caps%2C95&sr=8-10
Lucas great channel, subbed!,
Thank you!
Thank you for posting this content. I have a set of Ibanez Gauged Files (10-46). They are 3.75" x .50" in size. Do you think I could still use the File Backers with these? Thx🤓
The file backers are open at the ends, like a channel- so as long as the width of the files fit, you should probably be fine.
@@LucasFowler Great....Thx for responding so fast! From the pics, it looks like I could catch at least 3 of the set screws. Have never tried this before. Like you said, the thin files are pretty wobbly! I bought a budget Ibanez AZES31....I am slowly learning how to set it up myself.🤓
Any advice on the z-file? do you roll the file at all, or you just file "straight" following the radius of the fret of course.
Do you know LittleBone fret files and Buzz Killer tool?
Hey Lucas! I have a few guitars that have sharp fret ends that I might try to fix myself. Would you recommend the Stew Mac fret end file (the small red one) and the 6 inch Fret File Block? I'm not a tech and I heard they're the best eventhough they are kinda pricey. Any advice? Thanks!
Great question. I'll tell you what Bill Nash told me:
Use a hard pink eraser with some 600-800 grit sandpaper wrapped around it. Go up and down the sides of the board, trying your best to touch only the ends of the fret that are sticking out. Then if the corners of the fret are sharp use one of those files(like the stewmac one) and gently roll them. Then use 0000 steel wool(or I use the lightest scotchbrite) to follow your sanding. If you feel it necessary you can buff any light scratches from the wool/scotchbrite back up to gloss, but your hand will do it naturally in short order.
Hope that helps!
@@LucasFowler Interesting! I'm assuming you tape the board up first lol. The light scotch brite is the white kind right? I got some 600 sandpaper I'll give it a shot. Thanks Lucas!
I have the fret end dressing fileand it is awesome, i dont even use the fret beveling file block, but im not making a living at this yet, just have been learning and working on brining dead accoustics back to life
ooh...nut file backers....I have a bunch of the nut file from when I was building kit guitars, and those would have saved me from hassles...
I like the fret kisser but I do set ups for myself and an occasional kid in my HS math class, so I can't justify the expense.
I have leveled my own frets and it turned out great, but I just live with the flatness...I tried to crown with a triangle file, and it just...never seemed to make any progress...
Also, lol, the ad in the video was from Stewmac, but for their guitar kits...
Get the original Buzz Killer. Costs much less and does much more. You would also help the inventor to release more innovation.
Did you run into any issues with the charvel san dimas bridge change I’ve hunted around and found the Sophia 2:92 pro is that the term system that you installed ?
Stewmac nut file prices have skyrocketed! Hosco is a better deal, IMO.
How can you get work on doing fret jobs when you are starting out doing repair work
Do you find you only need certain files for regular common strings 9s and 10s for personal use do you think I should get them all or you only really need 3 or 4 and not all 6?
How long have the nut files lasted you? Are they still cutting the same as new? Interested in getting some but I have heard they wear pretty quickly.
Thanks
I've had this set for about at least a year now and I've done 100's of nuts with them. They are still cutting well for me, but I haven't used them to cut anything harder than bone.
@@LucasFowler wow that's great to know! Have read people saying "they lasted me 10 nuts" but I think that's just not true now.
Curious how you got into doing this type of work? Are you primarily self taught ?? Thanks.
Basically, when I was about 19 or 20 I bought an expensive guitar that I couldn't get to stay in tune. I took it to 3-4 different techs and even sent it back to the factory and it still wouldn't stay in tune with modest tremolo use. At that point I thought I needed to figure this out myself because I can't afford to pay people to fix my stuff all the time. So I slowly learned from reading forums and watching videos on early TH-cam. Then I got a job in a music store a few years later as a salesman and spent a lot of time shadowing the luthier that worked there, which helped quite a bit. After I left that job I had built up enough skill and confidence to start doing work for other people. I've never had any formal training, everything I know is learned from reading, watching others work, trying things and "real world" experience. I've been doing it for about 15 years now and I'm still not even scratching the surface of the master luthiers!
@@LucasFowler Great story. I'm in my 70's and i own a few expensive archtops that i'm very hestitant to take anywhere for work. Been exploring doing set ups and spot fret leveling on them myself. I worked with my hands all my life, so handling tools like that isn't foreign to me at all. Just very nervous about diving into it. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Hey Lucas this has nothing to do with your video here, but I've been researching Planet Tone pickups and would like your opinion on something: do they sound like Seymour Duncans or Dimarzios? I'm a SD guy myself.
So this is kind of a hard question, but I'll try my best. They don't sound like SD's or Dimarzios to me. Dimarzios almost always have a "stiffness" to them in feel and they feel kind of "dry" to me, if that makes sense. SD's are less stiff and feel more "saturated" to my ears, but they also tend to have a certain color to them, no matter the model. Planet Tone's pickups are VERY transparent to me, which is why I like them so much. Very clear without every being shrill. All 3 brands sound good, but Planet Tone is the sound I hear in my head.
How well do those fret tools work on stainless?
I haven't yet tried them on a stainless set, but I'll let you know when one comes into the shop :)
Stewmac has some tools that are better bought elsewhere.
Affiliate link for a nut-backer? Jk
Nice video! I appreciate the advice as a novice.
I use HOSCO (Japan ultra Quality) Fret and Nut files....and save a ton of $$$$$$$$$...over Stewmac
Z file all the way bro nothing does quite as good of a job I've tried sandpaper blocks and the whole works I have one additional tool for you thevunderstring level beam with the angled diamond understring fret files the ability to do the job with tension is undeniably beginner friendly and accurate.
I am satisficed...
I am not a professional Luther just for my own, i have a set of music nomad files they work great not for a professional, a word about stew mac files they are made by hosco, i saw a set when in Japan that were exactly the same as stew mac
The filebackers are now $16. You shouldn't have said anything.
The z file is a ripoff of a patented design.
Some of these tools are OK but stuff like that WAY OVERPRICED screwdriver set is a joke! Just go to Sears, Home Depot or Harbor Freight and get the same thing for under $20. They are just common drivers, nothing special.