Stickmangumby Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 Hi everybody. I'm a self-confessed n00b, trying to learn some fairly basic guitar maintenance. I haven't got a tool in the world apart from a small screwdriver set and some allens keys. My guitar seriously needs it's frets levelled and crowned, and I'm on a budget! I've been to the tutorials section and read this DIY guide on how to Level and crown frets, but I got fairly confused as to what was happening and why the guy seemed to be doing the same thing several times over! Keeping in mind my amateur nature, can anyone explain to me in laymans terms how to crown my frets? What is the difference between crowning/dressing/levelling frets? What tools will I need to do it? What is the actual procedure? All input is welcome Thanks for your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shimmy Posted May 18, 2005 Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 First of all, why do you frets need leveling????If strings are buzzing, it quite possible your trustrod may need adjusting......but anyways... first of all you have to level the frets (a bastard file works fine for me)...blacking the frets first with a marker is a good idea and will help to determine when all of the low spots have been remedied... Second, you will end up with flat spots on your frets which means you need a special crowning file (can be found at www.stewmac.com ) which is used to file the tops of every fret to give them the natural crown again.. Thirdly, Dressing is simply using a small file to file the ends of the frets lightly to remove any sharp edge..(this shouldnt be very necassary if you are only lightly leveling and existing fretjob) Hope this helps, Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickmangumby Posted May 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2005 (edited) The frets need levelling because they are fairly worn... I was playing some pretty heavy slide on this guitar until I realised the damage it was doing to the frets. There are quite literally shallow grooves cut into some of the frets. I don't think they are deep enough to warrant a refret, but then again, I'm no expert. Let me get this straight... - Levelling the frets flattens the tops. - Crowning the frets makes them curved again          _                      __         /  \      rather than         |  | - Dressing the frets removes sharp edges from the far left and right edges of the frets, where the fretboard joins the neck Is that right? Thanks for the help so far. Edited May 18, 2005 by Stickmangumby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shimmy Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 yep ....thats it... depending on how much fret you have to work with, a refret may be in order..(might I suggest some fat frets) I refret every guitar I buy new or not with fat frets...they feel beautiful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Doing a great fretjob is a skill all it's own. So don't be scared to jump right in and experiment if you think you have a pretty decent grasp on everything. The worst you can do is have to pull out the new frets and do it again. So, as long as your learning, I say go for it. Just don't do it to a guitar that you value a lot at this time. First off, your going to need some tools. You'll need fret cutters, which can also be used to pull the frets out, so they are really needed. Also, you'll need some various files, and radius sanding block of the correct radius if you want a professional job. If your frets have small dips or grooves where the strings sit after pressing down to make chords, then you'll need to at least level the frets. I'd start off by finding how much fretwire height you have to play with in the first place. You could use a small straightedge over two frets and slide feeler guages until you found out the measurement. I personally use a pair of digital calipers that have a notch cut out in them to measure the fretwire height without having to remove the frets. If it looks like you have enough wire, then go for a leveling. You want to use a long 18" straightedge and hold up in the center of the fingerboard, adjust the truss rod until it's as straight as you can get it, this way when you level you will take bare minimum of fretwire away when leveling. You can use a carpenters level (I use the Stew Mac's Steel tube one) 18" or so with adhesive sandpaper 320 grit or higher to level the fingerboard if you don't have any other tools. You will mark the tops of the frets with a Sharpie, then sand parrallel with the neck at all times being sure to cover the whole area, until the mark at the center of the fretwires are gone. There are a million ways to level frets and this is just one of them. I personally go for my 18" long Radius Sanding Block, to level, so that I don't lose my fretboard radius and everything is leveled at the same time, instead of using a small radius block and trying to hit all the areas of the neck. This method usually ends up making the middle of the guitar have a slight dip since the smaller radius block when used back and forth, will travel over the middle more than any other frets. Most people don't even realise this problem, but if you have a long radius block that hits all the frets at one time, then all the frets will level the same.. This should get you started real good, but this is only the leveling process. There is also crowning, and dressing to consider. And don't forget to bevel the sides of your frets. I highly recommend you getting a Dan Erlewine video or book on fretting, you won't be sorry. Matt Vinson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickmangumby Posted May 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2005 Thanks for the posts guys, they were both very helpful. ATM I'm looking for a decent book on guitar maintenance and repair work, does anyone have a recommendation? Looks like I'm off to get some tools Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devon Headen Posted May 20, 2005 Report Share Posted May 20, 2005 Dan Erlewine "Guitar Player's Repair Guide". Very comprehensive book by 'The Man'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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