Please bear in mind that you also should file the nut slots to the new fret level (picture the nut slots as the zero fret). Nut slots that are too high create a situation where the guitar is difficult to play due to the high action in first positions. They can also throw off the tuning and intonation. The ideal nut slot height, in terms of playability, is subjective - much like string action height at the bridge. Some players like the slots to be cut up a little higher - like slide players - , and some players want them cut down as low as possible so the guitar plays very easy with no fight - that would be me ;-).
Thank you so much for this helpul video! I am learning luthier work, but am on a budget. This video was straight to the point and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you showing how to make home made tools. Thank you!! One question though, when rounding frets edges, is there a certain amount of the fret to remove? Any specific things to pay attention to?
@@Roman-wm4ji Just make them comfortable round. Don't remove material from the top of the fret ends thereby making the centerline of the fret shorter. If the fret ends are too much angled the strings could glide of the fret ends. Crimson Guitars has a great video on dressing fret ends although they're using more "sufisticated" tools ;-) th-cam.com/video/MFHcavzk80Q/w-d-xo.html
thanks for the great video. I'm experiencing buzzing in one string, and I suspect this video will help me figure out a way to fix it. Regarding the nuts, my impression is that depending on the strig you'll have a different width on each slot, to lodge properly the string according to the caliber. This way they can sit on the same level... That's another problem I'm experiencing: I'll have to widen some nut slots a bit to make sure they are leveled from the bottom. Makes sense? thanks
I have the jem but my fretts seem abit uneaven I definitely think it is needing this done as I have lots frett buz,I've tried all the basics set ups adjustment s like the kneck!! Raising the saddles the bridge ect but I ain't raising it too much past 2mm low E that be too hard to play,seems only my low E that has lots buzz up and down kneck strange one!! I do feel it would be beneficial to level off the fretts and do this,I feel very confident after watching ur video many many thanks buddy thank u
Since you're using some Stew Mac stuff, I think I got several widths of masking tape (blue) and use the narrow rolls on the high frets. I use a piece of granite with double stick 320 to get flat using your basic technique. Ive used several crowning tool, but I use a 3 corner file, but grind one side smooth and polish the corner, and you can get pretty surgical with the frets that way. I got a cheap diamond crowning file, and if you're working on multiple guitars I wouldn't skimp on this tool. I also use the StewMac gritty erasors, and finish by buffing frets with a cloth dremel wheel and simichrome polish.
And why not use a dollar or two worth of ‘blue painters’ tape? I believe in saving money when it makes sense, but most old style ‘masking tape’ has some pretty nasty adhesive. When I compare the extra dollar for tape, to the value of my guitar neck, it’s a ‘no-brainer.’ It doesn’t have to be the 3m kind. Just keep an eye out for any sort of dollar store, it’s worth a look, because most of them now carry a cheap version of blue painters tape.
After a quick trip to Lowe's, I just followed this video step by step. Amazed at how doable it actually was and very glad to save $100+ on tools I won't really use again for years. Thanks so much!
I took my guitar into Guitar Center for a tune up, never thinking this would be an issue, but it was... After taking my money and not letting me know about this problem, which I am sure they spotted when they originally tested it, they were more than happy to let me know when I brought it back the next day. So, now, on top of the $50 bucks I spent on the tune up, I now have to give them an extra $125 to level the frets?? No thanks, I am doing it myself! This is a great video and I am certain that I will have no issues completing this project successfully. I have all the tools, but more importantly, this video has given me the confidence to succeed. I will never take my guitar into Guitar Center again! I realized that getting my guitar serviced at Guitar Center is no different than having my car serviced at one of those $10 oil lube places! Live and learn!
Just if anyone is new to that, the file at 3:58 needs the edges ground off to get safe edges. The regular sharp edges will eat through the masking tape and destroy (in this case) the finish of the neck and the wood beneath it. Good video, lowered the hurdle with the self made tools.
Thank you very much for the tips. I am a beginner (6 months) and my cheap €90 Stratocaster has 3 slightly higher frets. I learned a lot about proper set up (neck relief, inntonation, string hights, pick up heights etc) and was wondering how to do this without special tools and also learn. I also watched your DIY kit, i was looking into a telecaster DIY kit (love the tele twang) and again learned alot. Much appreciated.
Your vid was direct to the point less than 19 minutes and completed a fret job...So yes i loved it.. Any vid of this process more than 20 minutes will not get my look.
This is great! I have been delaying a fret leveling on one of my guitars because of the over priced cost of the luthier tools, it is hard to justify that cost especially when the total cost of those tools nears the cost of new neck. This is great information thank you!
This is easily the best video on the subject by far. Your directions are distinct, you speak clearly, and actually show us everything you're doing. Thank you!
Great no bullshit approach. Seriously, I like how this doesn't require me to buy expensive stuff and establishes what needs to be done.. Though, I'll probably spend at least for the crowning file, only because I'm not confident enough to do the final shaping. But for the leveling stuff, I'll get the cheap stuff you mentioned, I never thought it would be that easy.
It’s Brian here on my dear wife’s iPad. Mine is opened up for a screen digitizer replacement in my “studio.” Thanks for a thorough discussion on fret level and crown procedure. Your video gave me the confidence to proceed as a DIY amateur luthier with old school attitude about fixing what you own and love when necessary. I’d collected new locking tuners, graphtech saddles, TUSQ nuts and a bridge, a Bigsby B30 and a Bourne split coil harness and I was about to order a pricey 6” leveling file to address two guitars of 4 I own and play, a 2000 Epiphone 335vs and a1988 Fender Strat. The Strat has moderate fret wear, divots and some buzz and the maple neck and fretboard will be stripped and treated with boiled linseed oil over Japan drier, then new saddles and nut. The Epi gets light fret dressing, new harness, the the Bigsby and bridge with Towner down pressure bar into a Graphtech Rotamax Bridge , ditching the OEM Rotomatic with steel saddles. . The other two are a 2019 LP Plus Top Pro VS which needs nothing and a 1952 Martin 018 on which if the two jobs above turn out as well as expected I will also do a fret restore. As refined and vintage sounding as it is it will likely regain what’s been worn away these years….Already refinished the neck myself, had a pro luthier in upstate NY reset that and repair/ stabilize some checking. It was my mom’s, I started playing that when I was 9 or so, now I’m 72. The roughly $65 saved from the leveling file (I own a new FretGuru 2.0 crowning file as of yesterday) I’ll roll into locking tuners for the Strat, save all the OEM hardware removed and all the tools in a box for whoever inherits my guitar collection when I ride off into the sunset. .
Don't forget the self proclaimed luthiers. Ya the ones that know how to do the super basic things like replacing pickups or intonation. I just want to scream at those guys. "Frakenstiening your own guitar doesn't make you a luthier!"
Luthier is one of the most misused words in the English language. Luthier means: (noun) a maker of stringed instruments such as violins or guitars. I have been repairing guitars for over 30 years and would never use that word to describe myself or anyone, except the few I know who actually build guitars.
@@YesuAiNimen the full definition of the word can include those who repair stringed instruments with a tone box as well, it depends on the scope of your repair work
Hallo Fabian, ich wollte danke sagen, für das tolle Video. Ich fahre jetzt nach Canadian Tire um mir die notwendigen Sachen zu besorgen Im pretty confident I can do this. Thank you so much!
Good job man and I enjoyed your video. Most people focus on how careful you need to be but you didn't hold back. I like your style. It was killing me that you weren't blowing off the metal shavings with compressed air like I would've been doing each step lol. Get you a compressor and an air pistol attachment. I use it for anything and everything around the house
Thank you sir for this video. Like others have said, you have made this plain and simple without unnecessary waffling. My bassis buzzing at the 12th fret only and was wondering how to file down the offending fret. Thank you so much for your lesson.
I paid a "luthier" (Firehouse Guitars, Muskegon) to do this once on a brand new guitar. He wrecked the frets, filed them down to almost nothing and totally uneven from high to low side. When I gave it to them it had some buzzing, high frets, when I got it back it was worse than before with totally dead notes and deep file chatter all over the place.They refunded my money but refused to fix the issue, claiming I did it myself, "It was fine when it left here (an hour and a half before), get out, you're no longer welcome here", etc. I had not even played the thing yet other than to drive it home and check if it was playable, then head straight back to the store. /madface Then I learned to do a complete refret and level, made it into a great playing guitar, and never looked back. F@#$ that guy, and f#$% Firehouse Guitars!
I thought I'd get back into guitar again after many years not playing. Bought a "beginner" pack and I would not have the confidence to set up a guitar like this video :-P
It's amazing what clear and detailed yet plain instructions can do for one's confidence! I am now fully confident that I will be able to do this to my guitars, though I will be investing somewhat into a proper diamond crowning file and radius block to make life a little easier. Many thanks! Edit: Update - done and done. Might go over the crown again in the future as I think I'd get better results with a traditional 3 corner file. My polishing, while adequate, isn't quite mirror finish - really can't afford to skip grits there! No more weird zingy notes though!
Right to the point. I love it. I cannot stand fret buzz, not at all. I watched some video's that said fret buzz is ok, it is normal. No it is not, back in the day, when i was a kid, if you had a really nice guitar, there was no such thing as fret buzz, but today, it seems to be the norm of ALL guitars, it sucks, you should be able to buy a high end guitar with no fret buzz. Very good video..
Thank you for the knowledge, now I know I will be heading to my local luthier soon to have a professional handle my fret work. I know I will screw this up and end up there anyway. Thanks again.
The minimalistic approach is very understandable and encouraging for a newbie like me. If there's one, I'll watch your fret replacing video, too. Keep up the good work!
Good tutorial. I’m gonna try this. I think the challenge will be maintaining fairly consistent fret height as wear tends to concentrate below unwound strings between 1st and 17th frets. I quess you just have to take more from the areas with less wear. But not to worry, if I overdo it, next I will be learning how to scallop a neck.
Here in the US you can get a notched straight edge for under $30. Even if you're not doing a lot of fret work, it is an indispensable tool for setups. I personally wouldn't trust a piece of cardboard. Also, you can buy a $5 slim taper file at Home Depot, "safe-sand" the corners, and you have a fantastic crowning file akin to a high-dollar crowning file.
Thanks for the really informative video. I'm about to try my hand at some fret leveling for the first time, and I feel your video gave me a good sense of what to do.
Hey, Just throwing it out there.. spend the money on a crowning file. I've leaned a lot of guitar oriented tools are just common or obscure tools repackaged for guitar work, but crowning is hard. If you're not already proficient with a file or woodworking, you'll either mess it up the first time or spend far too long doing the frets. Sometimes it's worth it to have a purpose built and purpose bought tool for the price of, maybe, a set up with new strings.
agreed, you can buy a decent kit for $10.00 .... loved the home made fret sanding tool from a block of wool .... Sorry StewMac www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Fret-Crowning-Luthier-File-Leveling-Grinding-Tool-Kits-Guitar-Repair-Tool/223235176398?hash=item33f9da77ce&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&enc=AQAEAAADMKvsXIZtBqdkfsZsMtzFbFsbX3WcW5fmB%2Fx7ZbaZTyexqLRTmHPDQOa6MFtb3GhMulYgkhtz0hhWJ%2BpMzfr72b5Iye%2BM6efrToeJAzSp%2BYsO8VTQSpLAvOkeR5wnuQUmL3RW5pWJal6cSoAeh5D88Tsyo2n4v4CJfX0Gb%2FX8uaXPjixfhWCLZpzljjA3U7kv41iu4DUGZwNeobTlGexRSVdnPZhbJE4deykUpZWckObtav%2F2UG1BEAA6GIbwiaZa%2FNAZrTH0muQrXzjBGJTkQWwB0v0U2IPQBqtea5MmUDWsiTZy4OKfZezHRSKE0a7g353LVg7eycKhb2JqUSjwoYrztbu75PGdKwumwl4od6nGRwz05kTgrBUvrkf3y4bnBte0ldTqwOvnPyQQOXs0C0o2LVpacjZNAMIi20kOUgu04mhUrPlO3AJZC69A1pe5dLNorEXLrLv9h3jdXAlqOJG04Yg4dV%2FxyDBewUEzjkXmzBbH7EngDxZrUg9l2VlPUZk4cl0d9UUhD9uOmaDihPHrys2Bc%2BuBluJB8KjRQKpRm88HGD9qKmeyP8iHN1nAVmQ3rO9qDFku3%2FqsMRs6r1TnvSXV18fnZbbTXDfHn9vZnmdzI28%2Bodsk4TDMZYZBNVXT%2FAJ8X7ZjfrqU99wDsr4p6X%2BgJQwONCCt2zkwNKic%2FwP9PskkbPziC6lWQCD63YgUwv0jNQ2eeaR%2F3fZ%2F4bJ9cV4m2emE%2FtllWbGoLgY8%2BR90RloEOr%2Fd1%2BkC7kouHStl9llVmDLH3MliajLFIk3g0I7GQ5EwoQX%2BYbzHhYZnZu%2F7vXfRbjkd%2F%2B12ISOfXkd%2F37bLoYeQh5ckPO7DMIyO%2Flfk3rN7vXJmXZ9DIUPx25lDXK3OFKVsAa%2FHIXTD8YnqdLqdE%2BFD%2FljjXwoAO2gIn9v28RTlnTzegAKLgbe1UC2n%2B0h2bUSKa4JwBFbZ%2BcnrGVZPfXG7iQVm2iL%2B%2FKv4rAbQK6lMOICKN45kerPdo1A30GaB%2FRp2Ve16gD87wKpKX43TI1L2VRSZkIfjyVOQt7wEmCex67CI0BX%2FE9b0DfBF2fj%2FPqTzgzH6c9Ta6w%3D%3D&checksum=223235176398c1af72c1f1b44886875e812429b8ef1e
@@Mr.Steve-O I bought one of those sets, and the included 'crowning file' took off the tops of the frets and put ugly scratches in them. This type of file should not be abrasive at the top, but the Chinese ones are. The diamond coating is uneven and coarse which is what can cause long deep scratches. You don't necessarily need to buy Stew Mac files, although if you can afford it and plan to do many fret jobs, it is probably worthwhile although the price is hard to stomach. Anyway, a three corner file with safe edges works too, and after the useless Chinese file had ruined a couple of frets, I switched to a three corner file, watched a few tutorials on them, and got very decent results for a first try.
@@meadish I got some tools from Crimson guitars in UK ... They do.the trick and since I got a few cheap basses I figured spending a little in some good tools to make them super playable is better than paying for expensive bass and marketing. I saw Highline guitars made a crowning file our of some soft balsa wood, a good fret and some sandpaper.
I would highly recommend just spending the money and getting a good fret crowning file to use to crown the frets with. You won't regret it. The rest of the instructions is good though.
@@generalawareness101 I did buy my $40.00 fret crowning file from Amazon. However I have never done fret leveling before and have not yet started so I do not know if that file is junk. And yes Stew Mack what ever they sell is top quality and also top quality money
@@generalawareness101 baroque I think they're called make a decent fret crowning file its like $40 U.S. but it's got the 3 sides for the 3 basic fret sizes. If you want to see some in depth detail and see it used there's a TH-cam channel called gunsandguitars just look for his fret leveling and crowning video
@@generalawareness101 I use the "Hosco" brand crowning file from amazon. Works great and has held up very well. Definitely avoid the chinese files below 30$
Good video, but I'd suggesting buying and using an aluminum fret-leveling beam. The problem with wood is that a piece that's dead straight this week can be warped next week, even by just a few hundredths of an inch. And for a DIY'er, that just creates the potential to make a mess. Fret-leveling beams can had be had relatively inexpensively.
I saw a friend of mine on Facebook talking about leveling the frets on his guitars and wanted to know what exactly this is all about. This video was very informative but also showed me that this is something I will never ever attempt to do myself XD
I am glad there are videos for amateurs like me who can't the afford StewMac tools. Not knocking them, I know they're great, but I just make my tools for now.
Hi again,pitty cant show u pics on TH-cam,I've level all my fretts all good,now I'm crowning I was abit nervous yesterday as I no I had to crown them frets and worried incase I muck them up! But I've done 2 frets haha took me half hour as I really had to take my time find my way to get into swing of it u no,I think I feel ok now,I sharpy the lines on my 2 fretts and now I have same thin line remaining now and looks rounded so far no perfect round yet as I no I have still lots work to do,but thanks for giving showing me how to do this many thanks,so many vids on here but dont explain it the way u have done,I have some metal polish in my house so I'll probably use that at the end to,oh and I have no table to use I'm using my wife's ironing board for clothes hahaha
NOT METAL POLISH! I did that mistake when I wanted to polish frets in my brand new guitar and now I am wainting for arrival of the new frets for replacement because it took too much of those frets. Apparently for frets you need to use car polish.
Thanks to your video, I was able to get my very first and favorite Washburn electric finally playing right. For years I've had problems with it and I just pretty much stopped playing. I thought the fret buzz I kept getting in placed was an adjustment issue... So I adjusted and adjusted to no avail . I finally started examining the frets and noticed very small intentions in the frets in certain places. I used about 8 dollars worth of stuff and used your method and it's playing great now. Thanks so much for this video
I have a piece of leather glued to a piece of wood. I normally use this for chisel sharpening. It works great for final polishing frets. Use jeweler's rouge or whatever you have avalable on the leather and have at it. You get a mirror finish!
I bought one of the green compound bricks for my strop and polishing anything metal around the shop, 8 euros for a giant brick ill probably have to pass down the family lol
Outstanding. I have a fairly cheap ES335 copy which has a great sound but several high frets - this video is EXACTLY what I needed. I've seen others which make the job look very tricky ... your approach is very straightforward. Many thanks.
great tutorial thank you I found that you can buy a pretty cheap aluminium Water level, they are milled totally flat from the factory and I use the same method on these: stick on sand paper with double sided sticky tape I just use a piece of sandpaper with my fingers to crown the frets after levelling After the steel wool I use Autosol metal polish, the frets get really shiny :-)
If you have a machine bed or a flat piece of marble, check if it's really flat. It often isn't, especially on the cheap ones. But it's a good start and with that surface and some sand paper taped to it, the beam can get there. After a number of strokes, turn the beam around to get a more uniform result.
Hey, please. Could you elaborate how to make the straight notched edge with the cardboard? I can figured it out, but is always helpful to know how someone else had already done it. Thanks!
The material doesn't matter, the main thing is that it has a straight edge. I used a piece of hard cardboard. But a long ruler works better. Mark where the frets are located and use a file to file the notces so the straight edge can rest on the fret board.
I love this guy's accent -- a combination of Elmer Fudd and Arnold Swarteneggar. But, he's right. One doesn't need to purchase all that expensive shit from Stew Mac or LMI or others. Just look around your wood shop, use your head and talent and come up with cheaper, better alternative tools that will do the job just as well. Most of us don't have a lot of extra cash, but, since we aren't in a race, we have a good bit of time to experiment and devise our own tools. I made a homemade fret tang remover, you know? For getting rid of the tang end so the fret can fit over binding. It didn't cost fifty bucks and it works very well. I measured what was left after I filed away the tang end. Come out to be the height of the fret crown every time (.040" for the fret material I'm using for a mando refret job I'm doing for a friend.) My payment? A six pack of my favorite brew. He might even bring two while I level and crown and do the set up. Then we'll play some music on his new frets. Life is good.
very well done. Short and impressive. One thing is missing: the frets in the middle area get about double sanding than the first frets. Look at the file. It is not moving over the first fret(s). Ok, nut is mounted = nood good. No chance to slide over the first frrets. But even the upper frets only get the same sanding if you sand the whole lenth over *all* frets. Sorry for that long discription. In other words: if you do it in that way, lets say 5 times in the life of your frets, you will see the result on the lower frets. I don´t want to invalidate your fine video Fabian. The message is not against you. ;) Its for "the world". Like your super video is. How about making a short addition or set some text inside?
I see your point, that why I use a long straight beam. Because it's straight it is not possible to remove more material in the middle than from the first and last frets. I see it that way, it's not possible to sand a bow with a straigt sanding beam.
from 14:00 this guy is showing another quit perfect method how to sand/file. You can see that upper frets need more sanding. th-cam.com/video/CqnFDAhdH_E/w-d-xo.html But there is another video showing he problem which I mean.
Please bear in mind that you also should file the nut slots to the new fret level (picture the nut slots as the zero fret).
Nut slots that are too high create a situation where the guitar is difficult to play due to the high action in first positions. They can also throw off the tuning and intonation.
The ideal nut slot height, in terms of playability, is subjective - much like string action height at the bridge. Some players like the slots to be cut up a little higher - like slide players - , and some players want them cut down as low as possible so the guitar plays very easy with no fight - that would be me ;-).
Thank you so much for this helpul video! I am learning luthier work, but am on a budget. This video was straight to the point and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you showing how to make home made tools. Thank you!!
One question though, when rounding frets edges, is there a certain amount of the fret to remove? Any specific things to pay attention to?
@@Roman-wm4ji Just make them comfortable round. Don't remove material from the top of the fret ends thereby making the centerline of the fret shorter. If the fret ends are too much angled the strings could glide of the fret ends.
Crimson Guitars has a great video on dressing fret ends although they're using more "sufisticated" tools ;-)
th-cam.com/video/MFHcavzk80Q/w-d-xo.html
@@FabiansTinyWorkshop Thanks so much! just watched his video :)
thanks for the great video. I'm experiencing buzzing in one string, and I suspect this video will help me figure out a way to fix it. Regarding the nuts, my impression is that depending on the strig you'll have a different width on each slot, to lodge properly the string according to the caliber. This way they can sit on the same level... That's another problem I'm experiencing: I'll have to widen some nut slots a bit to make sure they are leveled from the bottom. Makes sense? thanks
I have the jem but my fretts seem abit uneaven I definitely think it is needing this done as I have lots frett buz,I've tried all the basics set ups adjustment s like the kneck!! Raising the saddles the bridge ect but I ain't raising it too much past 2mm low E that be too hard to play,seems only my low E that has lots buzz up and down kneck strange one!! I do feel it would be beneficial to level off the fretts and do this,I feel very confident after watching ur video many many thanks buddy thank u
This is a great example of how videos should be done. No clickbait and straight to the point! Thank you, Sir.
Quick tip! place a piece of tape down the neck on each side before applying fretboard masking for quick removal.
thanks!
Since you're using some Stew Mac stuff, I think I got several widths of masking tape (blue) and use the narrow rolls on the high frets. I use a piece of granite with double stick 320 to get flat using your basic technique. Ive used several crowning tool, but I use a 3 corner file, but grind one side smooth and polish the corner, and you can get pretty surgical with the frets that way. I got a cheap diamond crowning file, and if you're working on multiple guitars I wouldn't skimp on this tool. I also use the StewMac gritty erasors, and finish by buffing frets with a cloth dremel wheel and simichrome polish.
@@briantinsley7864 I also use a dremel and Simichrome. Great stuff
Nice tips! Thanks ☺️
And why not use a dollar or two worth of ‘blue painters’ tape? I believe in saving money when it makes sense, but most old style ‘masking tape’ has some pretty nasty adhesive.
When I compare the extra dollar for tape, to the value of my guitar neck, it’s a ‘no-brainer.’ It doesn’t have to be the 3m kind. Just keep an eye out for any sort of dollar store, it’s worth a look, because most of them now carry a cheap version of blue painters tape.
The clearest video about crowning and leveling I've seen so far. Thank you!
Yes!!!
Yes I agree straight forward thank you very much.
No frills, no expensive tools and no nonsense. Great video thanks
After a quick trip to Lowe's, I just followed this video step by step. Amazed at how doable it actually was and very glad to save $100+ on tools I won't really use again for years. Thanks so much!
what did you get at Lowes?
I took my guitar into Guitar Center for a tune up, never thinking this would be an issue, but it was... After taking my money and not letting me know about this problem, which I am sure they spotted when they originally tested it, they were more than happy to let me know when I brought it back the next day. So, now, on top of the $50 bucks I spent on the tune up, I now have to give them an extra $125 to level the frets?? No thanks, I am doing it myself!
This is a great video and I am certain that I will have no issues completing this project successfully. I have all the tools, but more importantly, this video has given me the confidence to succeed. I will never take my guitar into Guitar Center again! I realized that getting my guitar serviced at Guitar Center is no different than having my car serviced at one of those $10 oil lube places! Live and learn!
So glad this video isn’t telling me to buy expensive tools 🙏
Just if anyone is new to that, the file at 3:58 needs the edges ground off to get safe edges. The regular sharp edges will eat through the masking tape and destroy (in this case) the finish of the neck and the wood beneath it. Good video, lowered the hurdle with the self made tools.
Thank you very much for the tips. I am a beginner (6 months) and my cheap €90 Stratocaster has 3 slightly higher frets. I learned a lot about proper set up (neck relief, inntonation, string hights, pick up heights etc) and was wondering how to do this without special tools and also learn. I also watched your DIY kit, i was looking into a telecaster DIY kit (love the tele twang) and again learned alot. Much appreciated.
Clear and concise instructions and straight to the point with no garbage in between , great video matey thank you .
Your vid was direct to the point less than 19 minutes and completed a fret job...So yes i loved it.. Any vid of this process more than 20 minutes will not get my look.
This is great! I have been delaying a fret leveling on one of my guitars because of the over priced cost of the luthier tools, it is hard to justify that cost especially when the total cost of those tools nears the cost of new neck. This is great information thank you!
Cheers! Glad you like it!
This is easily the best video on the subject by far. Your directions are distinct, you speak clearly, and actually show us everything you're doing. Thank you!
Thank you! I truly appreciate that! :)
Great no bullshit approach. Seriously, I like how this doesn't require me to buy expensive stuff and establishes what needs to be done.. Though, I'll probably spend at least for the crowning file, only because I'm not confident enough to do the final shaping. But for the leveling stuff, I'll get the cheap stuff you mentioned, I never thought it would be that easy.
It’s Brian here on my dear wife’s iPad. Mine is opened up for a screen digitizer replacement in my “studio.” Thanks for a thorough discussion on fret level and crown procedure. Your video gave me the confidence to proceed as a DIY amateur luthier with old school attitude about fixing what you own and love when necessary.
I’d collected new locking tuners, graphtech saddles, TUSQ nuts and a bridge, a Bigsby B30 and a Bourne split coil harness and I was about to order a pricey 6” leveling file to address two guitars of 4 I own and play, a 2000 Epiphone 335vs and a1988 Fender Strat. The Strat has moderate fret wear, divots and some buzz and the maple neck and fretboard will be stripped and treated with boiled linseed oil over Japan drier, then new saddles and nut. The Epi gets light fret dressing, new harness, the the Bigsby and bridge with Towner down pressure bar into a Graphtech Rotamax Bridge , ditching the OEM Rotomatic with steel saddles. .
The other two are a 2019 LP Plus Top Pro VS which needs nothing and a 1952 Martin 018 on which if the two jobs above turn out as well as expected I will also do a fret restore. As refined and vintage sounding as it is it will likely regain what’s been worn away these years….Already refinished the neck myself, had a pro luthier in upstate NY reset that and repair/ stabilize some checking. It was my mom’s, I started playing that when I was 9 or so, now I’m 72.
The roughly $65 saved from the leveling file (I own a new FretGuru 2.0 crowning file as of yesterday) I’ll roll into locking tuners for the Strat, save all the OEM hardware removed and all the tools in a box for whoever inherits my guitar collection when I ride off into the sunset.
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Appreciate it :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!
The 17 dislikes are from Luthiers :)
Don't forget the self proclaimed luthiers. Ya the ones that know how to do the super basic things like replacing pickups or intonation. I just want to scream at those guys. "Frakenstiening your own guitar doesn't make you a luthier!"
@@ladyjulia4038 Fruthier?
Frankerier? Frankuthier?
Ya take bread out of there mouth .it's like learning to work on your own car mechanic s hate that,
Luthier is one of the most misused words in the English language. Luthier means: (noun) a maker of stringed instruments such as violins or guitars. I have been repairing guitars for over 30 years and would never use that word to describe myself or anyone, except the few I know who actually build guitars.
@@YesuAiNimen the full definition of the word can include those who repair stringed instruments with a tone box as well, it depends on the scope of your repair work
Very good, straight to the point.
Thanks for the great video.
It is also important to check for strightness of the neck once truss rod is adjusted
Hallo Fabian, ich wollte danke sagen, für das tolle Video. Ich fahre jetzt nach Canadian Tire um mir die notwendigen Sachen zu besorgen
Im pretty confident I can do this. Thank you so much!
Good job man and I enjoyed your video. Most people focus on how careful you need to be but you didn't hold back. I like your style. It was killing me that you weren't blowing off the metal shavings with compressed air like I would've been doing each step lol. Get you a compressor and an air pistol attachment. I use it for anything and everything around the house
So helpful! The double-sided adhesive method looks like a great idea.
Thank you sir for this video. Like others have said, you have made this plain and simple without unnecessary waffling. My bassis buzzing at the 12th fret only and was wondering how to file down the offending fret. Thank you so much for your lesson.
good video on fret levelling, you make it look easy, thanks! Good job!
This video is GOLD
Thank you
Great video,, worked a treat on my Bass guitar,,,,,, thanks buddy
beautiful, you are really sharing knowledge!!! thank you very much!!
Thanks a lot for this video. Very helpful for people on a budget.
Watching such films, I become convinced that I can do these things myself with my guitars, instead of paying the luthiers.
I paid a "luthier" (Firehouse Guitars, Muskegon) to do this once on a brand new guitar. He wrecked the frets, filed them down to almost nothing and totally uneven from high to low side. When I gave it to them it had some buzzing, high frets, when I got it back it was worse than before with totally dead notes and deep file chatter all over the place.They refunded my money but refused to fix the issue, claiming I did it myself, "It was fine when it left here (an hour and a half before), get out, you're no longer welcome here", etc. I had not even played the thing yet other than to drive it home and check if it was playable, then head straight back to the store.
/madface
Then I learned to do a complete refret and level, made it into a great playing guitar, and never looked back. F@#$ that guy, and f#$% Firehouse Guitars!
You can. Through trial and error, and learning.
I thought I'd get back into guitar again after many years not playing. Bought a "beginner" pack and I would not have the confidence to set up a guitar like this video :-P
Wow, danke Fabian! Was für eine geniale Anleitung!!! Gold wert!!
Danke für das Lob!
It's amazing what clear and detailed yet plain instructions can do for one's confidence! I am now fully confident that I will be able to do this to my guitars, though I will be investing somewhat into a proper diamond crowning file and radius block to make life a little easier. Many thanks!
Edit: Update - done and done. Might go over the crown again in the future as I think I'd get better results with a traditional 3 corner file. My polishing, while adequate, isn't quite mirror finish - really can't afford to skip grits there!
No more weird zingy notes though!
Just use a Dremel with a buffing wheel and compound for the polish
flash .......................... but wish I could afford them
Thank you for this video.
I'am gonna use this on my Martin T1k Ukelele.
I have only oké change.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thank you so much I had a buzzy guitar this fixed it
Thanks for the instructional demo, looks like I need much less tools than I thought.
Thankyou for sharing how to dix fret leveling. It helps. Godbless
oh yeah, and I bought a really cheap (but straight) 60 cm aluminium ruler and filed it down to allow for the frets to check the neck straightness
thanks for making this simple!
thank you sir
Right to the point. I love it. I cannot stand fret buzz, not at all. I watched some video's that said fret buzz is ok, it is normal. No it is not, back in the day, when i was a kid, if you had a really nice guitar, there was no such thing as fret buzz, but today, it seems to be the norm of ALL guitars, it sucks, you should be able to buy a high end guitar with no fret buzz. Very good video..
Thank you for the knowledge, now I know I will be heading to my local luthier soon to have a professional handle my fret work. I know I will screw this up and end up there anyway. Thanks again.
Wow thank u so so much I'm really needing to do my jem so thank u so much
You can probbably use a dremel with a buffing wheel and compound to eliminate muchof the polishing work
This is what I do and it works great. It's quick too.
I do this too, i go from 1000 to 2000 and then buff with the dremel. Mirror finish
This is great, thank you! I guess I might actually pick up the courage to do my guitar which is badly in need of some fret leveling and re-crowning.
Did you say you are gonna do your guitar!!!? No shame in your game,,, lemme know how that goes. Ummmm does your guitar have a sister???
Good practical stuff w/o the expensive tools.
The minimalistic approach is very understandable and encouraging for a newbie like me. If there's one, I'll watch your fret replacing video, too. Keep up the good work!
Worked for me on a cheap semi hollow body! Thank you
Good tutorial. I’m gonna try this. I think the challenge will be maintaining fairly consistent fret height as wear tends to concentrate below unwound strings between 1st and 17th frets. I quess you just have to take more from the areas with less wear. But not to worry, if I overdo it, next I will be learning how to scallop a neck.
Gonna try my first fret leveling job next week... hope petient will feel better :D
Here in the US you can get a notched straight edge for under $30. Even if you're not doing a lot of fret work, it is an indispensable tool for setups. I personally wouldn't trust a piece of cardboard.
Also, you can buy a $5 slim taper file at Home Depot, "safe-sand" the corners, and you have a fantastic crowning file akin to a high-dollar crowning file.
Thank you!
Thanks for the really informative video. I'm about to try my hand at some fret leveling for the first time, and I feel your video gave me a good sense of what to do.
"and I make sure not to bump against the nut " ...... next pass , bumps against nut . :-)
just a slight touch ;-)
Some tape would work
I've ended up on this guys videos for just about every task on this current build. Perfect video! Quick and to the point!
Hey, Just throwing it out there.. spend the money on a crowning file. I've leaned a lot of guitar oriented tools are just common or obscure tools repackaged for guitar work, but crowning is hard. If you're not already proficient with a file or woodworking, you'll either mess it up the first time or spend far too long doing the frets. Sometimes it's worth it to have a purpose built and purpose bought tool for the price of, maybe, a set up with new strings.
....I thought about the same as you and just ordered a crowning file.
agreed, you can buy a decent kit for $10.00 .... loved the home made fret sanding tool from a block of wool .... Sorry StewMac www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Fret-Crowning-Luthier-File-Leveling-Grinding-Tool-Kits-Guitar-Repair-Tool/223235176398?hash=item33f9da77ce&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&enc=AQAEAAADMKvsXIZtBqdkfsZsMtzFbFsbX3WcW5fmB%2Fx7ZbaZTyexqLRTmHPDQOa6MFtb3GhMulYgkhtz0hhWJ%2BpMzfr72b5Iye%2BM6efrToeJAzSp%2BYsO8VTQSpLAvOkeR5wnuQUmL3RW5pWJal6cSoAeh5D88Tsyo2n4v4CJfX0Gb%2FX8uaXPjixfhWCLZpzljjA3U7kv41iu4DUGZwNeobTlGexRSVdnPZhbJE4deykUpZWckObtav%2F2UG1BEAA6GIbwiaZa%2FNAZrTH0muQrXzjBGJTkQWwB0v0U2IPQBqtea5MmUDWsiTZy4OKfZezHRSKE0a7g353LVg7eycKhb2JqUSjwoYrztbu75PGdKwumwl4od6nGRwz05kTgrBUvrkf3y4bnBte0ldTqwOvnPyQQOXs0C0o2LVpacjZNAMIi20kOUgu04mhUrPlO3AJZC69A1pe5dLNorEXLrLv9h3jdXAlqOJG04Yg4dV%2FxyDBewUEzjkXmzBbH7EngDxZrUg9l2VlPUZk4cl0d9UUhD9uOmaDihPHrys2Bc%2BuBluJB8KjRQKpRm88HGD9qKmeyP8iHN1nAVmQ3rO9qDFku3%2FqsMRs6r1TnvSXV18fnZbbTXDfHn9vZnmdzI28%2Bodsk4TDMZYZBNVXT%2FAJ8X7ZjfrqU99wDsr4p6X%2BgJQwONCCt2zkwNKic%2FwP9PskkbPziC6lWQCD63YgUwv0jNQ2eeaR%2F3fZ%2F4bJ9cV4m2emE%2FtllWbGoLgY8%2BR90RloEOr%2Fd1%2BkC7kouHStl9llVmDLH3MliajLFIk3g0I7GQ5EwoQX%2BYbzHhYZnZu%2F7vXfRbjkd%2F%2B12ISOfXkd%2F37bLoYeQh5ckPO7DMIyO%2Flfk3rN7vXJmXZ9DIUPx25lDXK3OFKVsAa%2FHIXTD8YnqdLqdE%2BFD%2FljjXwoAO2gIn9v28RTlnTzegAKLgbe1UC2n%2B0h2bUSKa4JwBFbZ%2BcnrGVZPfXG7iQVm2iL%2B%2FKv4rAbQK6lMOICKN45kerPdo1A30GaB%2FRp2Ve16gD87wKpKX43TI1L2VRSZkIfjyVOQt7wEmCex67CI0BX%2FE9b0DfBF2fj%2FPqTzgzH6c9Ta6w%3D%3D&checksum=223235176398c1af72c1f1b44886875e812429b8ef1e
And I really don't think a piece of cardboard is good for a straightedge. Just saying....
@@Mr.Steve-O I bought one of those sets, and the included 'crowning file' took off the tops of the frets and put ugly scratches in them. This type of file should not be abrasive at the top, but the Chinese ones are. The diamond coating is uneven and coarse which is what can cause long deep scratches.
You don't necessarily need to buy Stew Mac files, although if you can afford it and plan to do many fret jobs, it is probably worthwhile although the price is hard to stomach.
Anyway, a three corner file with safe edges works too, and after the useless Chinese file had ruined a couple of frets, I switched to a three corner file, watched a few tutorials on them, and got very decent results for a first try.
@@meadish I got some tools from Crimson guitars in UK ... They do.the trick and since I got a few cheap basses I figured spending a little in some good tools to make them super playable is better than paying for expensive bass and marketing.
I saw Highline guitars made a crowning file our of some soft balsa wood, a good fret and some sandpaper.
I levelled my frets following this tutorial and my guitar turned out great.
We did a great job with our frets thanks to your video. Thanks. Greetings from Serbia!
Superb video thanks
I would highly recommend just spending the money and getting a good fret crowning file to use to crown the frets with. You won't regret it. The rest of the instructions is good though.
You are right. I bought a fret crowning file and it is idiot proof. I find with just a basic file one if not careful can easily damage a fret.
Besides StewMac do you have a place for one? Amazon is a hodge podge of junk, or so say the reviews on them.
@@generalawareness101 I did buy my $40.00 fret crowning file from Amazon. However I have never done fret leveling before and have not yet started so I do not know if that file is junk.
And yes Stew Mack what ever they sell is top quality and also top quality money
@@generalawareness101 baroque I think they're called make a decent fret crowning file its like $40 U.S. but it's got the 3 sides for the 3 basic fret sizes. If you want to see some in depth detail and see it used there's a TH-cam channel called gunsandguitars just look for his fret leveling and crowning video
@@generalawareness101 I use the "Hosco" brand crowning file from amazon. Works great and has held up very well. Definitely avoid the chinese files below 30$
Great video, thanks a lot!
Thank you! Just what I was looking for! Very informative!
Thanks a lot for sharing it
Great video thanks!
Good video, but I'd suggesting buying and using an aluminum fret-leveling beam. The problem with wood is that a piece that's dead straight this week can be warped next week, even by just a few hundredths of an inch. And for a DIY'er, that just creates the potential to make a mess. Fret-leveling beams can had be had relatively inexpensively.
thanks. very clear
This is concise and straight to the point. You have a natural teaching talent, thanks for posting!
Thank you very much!
Beautiful job my friend. I’m pretty sure with a toolbox of tools, you could probably build a house!
I saw a friend of mine on Facebook talking about leveling the frets on his guitars and wanted to know what exactly this is all about. This video was very informative but also showed me that this is something I will never ever attempt to do myself XD
Straight and to the point,, great workarounds for the non-luthier in the family. Thank you so much.
That was awesome, thank you so much for sharing.
I am glad there are videos for amateurs like me who can't the afford StewMac tools. Not knocking them, I know they're great, but I just make my tools for now.
Great informative post. Thanks for this!
Hi again,pitty cant show u pics on TH-cam,I've level all my fretts all good,now I'm crowning I was abit nervous yesterday as I no I had to crown them frets and worried incase I muck them up! But I've done 2 frets haha took me half hour as I really had to take my time find my way to get into swing of it u no,I think I feel ok now,I sharpy the lines on my 2 fretts and now I have same thin line remaining now and looks rounded so far no perfect round yet as I no I have still lots work to do,but thanks for giving showing me how to do this many thanks,so many vids on here but dont explain it the way u have done,I have some metal polish in my house so I'll probably use that at the end to,oh and I have no table to use I'm using my wife's ironing board for clothes hahaha
NOT METAL POLISH! I did that mistake when I wanted to polish frets in my brand new guitar and now I am wainting for arrival of the new frets for replacement because it took too much of those frets. Apparently for frets you need to use car polish.
Great video on the subject. Thank you very much!
Great videos
Prima! Thanks Fabian - really demystified the process.
I just finished leveling my guitar I don't know why I'm watching this, have a like anyway.
Thank you!! Excelent video/guide
Thank you, sir. This tells me just what I need to do.
Amazing video. Thank you
Thanks to your video, I was able to get my very first and favorite Washburn electric finally playing right. For years I've had problems with it and I just pretty much stopped playing. I thought the fret buzz I kept getting in placed was an adjustment issue... So I adjusted and adjusted to no avail . I finally started examining the frets and noticed very small intentions in the frets in certain places. I used about 8 dollars worth of stuff and used your method and it's playing great now. Thanks so much for this video
Cheers! Glad you like it!
Thank you!
Easy tips & straight to the point. No babbling on about nonsense lol. Instant Sub!!
I have a piece of leather glued to a piece of wood. I normally use this for chisel sharpening. It works great for final polishing frets. Use jeweler's rouge or whatever you have avalable on the leather and have at it. You get a mirror finish!
My favorite trick is my dremmel with a polishing wheel, as a last step.
It’s like string bending on glass!
I bought one of the green compound bricks for my strop and polishing anything metal around the shop, 8 euros for a giant brick ill probably have to pass down the family lol
Outstanding. I have a fairly cheap ES335 copy which has a great sound but several high frets - this video is EXACTLY what I needed. I've seen others which make the job look very tricky ... your approach is very straightforward. Many thanks.
Thank you! Appreciate it!
Great lesson
I appreciate the alternatives, since they don't sell most luthier's tools in my country - Cabo Verde
thx so much brother
Really good tutorial. Thank you!
Great work sir. Now please do my Les Paul. It's in dire need of your expertise 🙏😬
There is no way I dont ruin my guitars if I do this myself! Haha. Very informative video though, thanks for the insight.
Excellent upload. Thanks for sharing 👌
great tutorial thank you
I found that you can buy a pretty cheap aluminium Water level, they are milled totally flat from the factory and I use the same method on these: stick on sand paper with double sided sticky tape
I just use a piece of sandpaper with my fingers to crown the frets after levelling
After the steel wool I use Autosol metal polish, the frets get really shiny :-)
If you have a machine bed or a flat piece of marble, check if it's really flat. It often isn't, especially on the cheap ones. But it's a good start and with that surface and some sand paper taped to it, the beam can get there. After a number of strokes, turn the beam around to get a more uniform result.
Thanks Fabian! You literally just stopped me from wasting quite some money on the tools I would have used one or two times =)
Hey, please. Could you elaborate how to make the straight notched edge with the cardboard? I can figured it out, but is always helpful to know how someone else had already done it. Thanks!
The material doesn't matter, the main thing is that it has a straight edge. I used a piece of hard cardboard. But a long ruler works better. Mark where the frets are located and use a file to file the notces so the straight edge can rest on the fret board.
I love this guy's accent -- a combination of Elmer Fudd and Arnold Swarteneggar. But, he's right. One doesn't need to purchase all that expensive shit from Stew Mac or LMI or others. Just look around your wood shop, use your head and talent and come up with cheaper, better alternative tools that will do the job just as well. Most of us don't have a lot of extra cash, but, since we aren't in a race, we have a good bit of time to experiment and devise our own tools. I made a homemade fret tang remover, you know? For getting rid of the tang end so the fret can fit over binding. It didn't cost fifty bucks and it works very well. I measured what was left after I filed away the tang end. Come out to be the height of the fret crown every time (.040" for the fret material I'm using for a mando refret job I'm doing for a friend.) My payment? A six pack of my favorite brew. He might even bring two while I level and crown and do the set up. Then we'll play some music on his new frets. Life is good.
The simplified and downright best fret tutorial out there!! No fancy tools like "StewMac"!!!
Thank you! I truly appreciate that! :)
"The easy way" lol. Jk, actually very helpful video.
Thank you sir !!
very well done. Short and impressive.
One thing is missing: the frets in the middle area get about double sanding than the first frets. Look at the file. It is not moving over the first fret(s). Ok, nut is mounted = nood good. No chance to slide over the first frrets.
But even the upper frets only get the same sanding if you sand the whole lenth over *all* frets.
Sorry for that long discription.
In other words: if you do it in that way, lets say 5 times in the life of your frets, you will see the result on the lower frets.
I don´t want to invalidate your fine video Fabian.
The message is not against you. ;)
Its for "the world".
Like your super video is.
How about making a short addition or set some text inside?
I see your point, that why I use a long straight beam. Because it's straight it is not possible to remove more material in the middle than from the first and last frets. I see it that way, it's not possible to sand a bow with a straigt sanding beam.
@@FabiansTinyWorkshop if I find the video I will post it for you.
It has nothing to do with the straightness of the beam.
from 14:00 this guy is showing another quit perfect method how to sand/file. You can see that upper frets need more sanding.
th-cam.com/video/CqnFDAhdH_E/w-d-xo.html
But there is another video showing he problem which I mean.