Fret Love

[Michael_B]

Having spent 5 seconds searching the forum archives and about 30 seconds searching Google, I feel I've exhausted my research, so I'm turning to you kind and knowledgeable folks to ask about fret love.

I'm getting some buzzing on the upper frets of my Artist P90- likely due to my sloppy playing.  But, it got me curious about fret leveling.  My Google searches linked to a notched straight edge, which in turn led to a leveling beam. 

Any opinion on the idea of the self-fret-love, these tools or alternative tools would be welcome.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

The notch straight edge is invaluable (I have a few of varying scale lengths as I run a repair / set-up shop) but rather than buy a levelling beam (which is a great tool but takes practice), buy a radius block that fits the radius of your guitar! You can't go wrong with a radius block. Make sure your neck is set to your playing position before you level frets! Not all guitarists play with a perfectly straight neck as we like a little relief to compensate for string vibration around the middle frets...

I have video's on fret levelling on my Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA9GKN0Du0r_Oa5A8K4_b7w

[Jeff R]

I've written a couple blogs very recently about fret leveling and refretting. Go check out the blog section at www.TheFretShack.com. As the lead-ins say, they're not how-to columns, but more the 5Ws/basic understanding on what's going on.

Before you get mentally vested in the DIY idea, tooling is not cheap. My leveling work alone includes a leveling bar (every job involving frets) and notched straight edge (virtually every guitar that comes in my shop, one of my MVP tools actually) so those are good starts. But other items to consider are a jig (ouch $$ even if you build your own, but a serious consideration if top-tier results are the goal) and crowning files (I have several and my main/favorite was over $100). You'll also need a nice stock of abrasives. I go through 13 steps using wet/dry papers and micromesh pads ending at 12K grit in my polishing phase. Luckily that stuff is cheap because I go through a lot of it.

And definitely plan on some guinea pig/test dummies before you go attempting to level your Artist. Taking fret material away is easy, putting fret back is more complex and more intensive.

 

 

 

   

 

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

I built my own jig as buying and importing a StewMac one would have cost me around £500 (GBP); 

 

 

I spent around £700 (over $1000) on tools last year. All of the above is great advice

[Jeff R]

Want to have fun? Go to popular luthiers forums and ask "what is your favorite fret crowning file?"

It will be like asking "what is your favorite overdrive pedal?" at The Gear Page. I'll bet you Vic is laughing out loud with me right now.

They are literally like artists' brushes. I have my favorites, Vic surely has his favorites, Murkat and BCR Greg theirs, and you will have your favorites. And if we were all in the same room showing each other our files, we might have well over a dozen different file types between us. All with a price.

[Ting Ho Dung]

Did you check to see if it is just a simple truss rod adjustment? Since our weather has changed drastically this week that may be all it is. It's usually a tell-tail sign when the first frets start buzzing suddenly. I've done both and can help you out if you want.

[murkat]

1. is the guitar new to you? Have you obtained recently or have had it for a bit.

[Michael_B]

19 minutes ago, murkat said:

1. is the guitar new to you? Have you obtained recently or have had it for a bit.

No, I've owned it and have played it fairly regularly for about 14 months.

 

31 minutes ago, Ting Ho Dung said:

Did you check to see if it is just a simple truss rod adjustment? Since our weather has changed drastically this week that may be all it is. It's usually a tell-tail sign when the first frets start buzzing suddenly. I've done both and can help you out if you want.

I'm just noticing it now, because until recently I have rarely played chords above the 15th fret.  I think it's more likely my sloppy fingering, but now I'm curious.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

19 minutes ago, Michael_B said:

I think it's more likely my sloppy fingering...

That's what she said

[Michael_B]

13 minutes ago, Vic Croll (Concrete Sox) said:

That's what she said

As long as it makes her buzz.

[Ting Ho Dung]

1 hour ago, Michael_B said:

No, I've owned it and have played it fairly regularly for about 14 months.

 

I'm just noticing it now, because until recently I have rarely played chords above the 15th fret.  I think it's more likely my sloppy fingering, but now I'm curious.

Once again I have my directions backwards. I thought when you said upper frets you meant 1, 2, and 3. (that's the Oxford comma there, baby)

[murkat]

most of the time, but not always....

Late sixties, early seventies some Les Paul Customs had/ have a problem

what is known as "rising tongue".

rising tongue is a when the high fretted area become whacky, higher than what they where a week ago....

The rising tongue situation....

The glue expands and contracts within the neck to body tongue joint area.

The area swells as humidity levels rise, the area contracts, shrinks during low humidity levels.

this symptom is well known to Gibson type luthiers and owners of that are in the know of.

Gibson Co. completely ignores and dismisses the symptom to this day.

There is no real way to fix it, but to adjust the guitar accordingly for play-ability when it happens.

I have personally owned a few, I have personally witnessed the symptom many times on different set neck type guitars.

This could be your situation, then it may not. getting the guitar in the hands of a luthier to do a proper diagnosis would be appropriate

then playing a guessing game of.

[Jem]

4 hours ago, Michael_B said:

I'm just noticing it now, because until recently I have rarely played chords above the 15th fret.  I think it's more likely my sloppy fingering, but now I'm curious.

Curious is good but check the general set up before attacking anything with files and abrasive's, I've had a few occasions over the years when mates have got totally carried away without fully assessing the situation for something glaringly obvious and have been more than slightly pissed when I've told them it'll be best to start from scratch and re-fret the whole neck, and have been especially pissed when I tell them i'd charge 'em for doing it ("but man, we're mates" - yeah right, so next time call me first !)

If you do fancy having a go at fretting yourself, my suggestion is to sink 20 bucks into a piece of bootfair crap (I think you call them Swapmeet's) and practice on that first. As mentioned, tools are expensive and although you can re-fret a guitar with little more than a pair of cutters, a file and a dead blow hammer, get more involved than that and the cost escalates.

You mentioned a notched edge, which is great at telling you what the fretboard's up to but not the frets so you'll need a proper straight edge, and a , and a, and a - the list goes on and on LoL  

[Michael_B]

Sound advice, guys.  I'll leave removing materials to the experienced.  I'll use an ordinary straight edge on the frets and either buy/make a notched edge.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

1 hour ago, Michael_B said:

Sound advice, guys.  I'll leave removing materials to the experienced.  I'll use an ordinary straight edge on the frets and either buy/make a notched edge.

A notched edge can double as a straight edge if you position it correctly. I'm lucky enough to have all tools needed from fret/neck work...

[Jeff R]

You'll get better results and save much money buying a fret rocker for frets versus a true straightedge.

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

1 minute ago, Jeff R said:

You'll get better results and save much money buying a fret rocker for frets versus a true straightedge.

Both is better! A fret rocker will only show the relationship between 3 adjacent frets where a straight edge will show how level they are along the whole length of the neck. If you want to do the job properly, be prepared to spend a lot of money on the correct tools. As mentioned earlier, I spent £700 on luthier (hand) tools last year and my workshop is far from complete...

[triodecr]

I bought a notched straight edge and fret rocker from this shop on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/madpark2008/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Very happy with both and much cheaper than StewMac.

[triodecr]

1 minute ago, triodecr said:

I bought a notched straight edge and fret rocker from this shop on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/sch/madpark2008/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

Very happy with both and much cheaper than StewMac.

 

Oops, same seller as you linked to on Amazon.  Carry on.....

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

I rarely by tools form StewMac as they are available elsewhere for half the price! Considering I spent £700 last year, imagine what I'd have spent at StewMac! And yes, I only buy top quality tools as cheap will cost more in the end. Good purchases

[BubbaVO]

umm...£1,400

[Victor (Fret Friend)]

15 minutes ago, BubbaVO said:

umm...£1,400

I suppose I asked for that

[gorch]

47 minutes ago, BubbaVO said:

umm...£1,400

We even have a calculator on the experts forum. Great to know. 

Anyhow, I think £1400 is pretty much of an invest on tools though.

[Armitage]

Sometimes it's as simple as having too much neck bow and your bridge set too low. Yet the smartest thing to do is read murkat's posts at least twice.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

On 4/30/2016 at 5:22 PM, Vic Croll (Concrete Sox) said:

 If you want to do the job properly, be prepared to spend a lot of money on the correct tools.

This is one of the most underrated life's lessons I've ever heard.  Never really articulated it until I read it here and it resonated.

[unfun75]

On April 30, 2016 at 9:58 AM, Ting Ho Dung said:

Did you check to see if it is just a simple truss rod adjustment? Since our weather has changed drastically this week that may be all it is. It's usually a tell-tail sign when the first frets start buzzing suddenly. I've done both and can help you out if you want.

Yep, my acoustic needs a tiny adjustment every year around this time. Also a good time to restring and clean.