@@milandjordjevic7952 Lmao. Quality is quality, couldnt care less who stole who's idea (theyve all stolen ideas) and Ive tried many different brands including SM. Especially the cheaper ones. You get what you pay for and Im very happy with my purchase, and Im not broke
@@tompoynton Overpriced in my opinion but of course people can sell files for as much as they like. Their ''great tools'' are IMHO nothing more then copies of tools made by people who invented things , people like me and those similar to me. Or they are based on those items. Guitar polish exists for metal it cost like 5 times less only it doesn't have a picture of a guitar on a tube. Then fret rocker, nut file exists for decades even with diamond, fret protector and so on. This was my idea long ago and i made difrent file but the main crucial part so called ''safe line'' was invented almost 10 years ago.
I'm a local tech here in Pensacola. I've learned a lot of killer little stuff from you man and I really appreciate your channel. Keep up the good work and good luck to everyone on that beautiful acoustic.🤘😎🤘
would you ever consider taking on an apprentice? I'm from Indiana and am looking for any excuse to leave. no one is hiring here. 600 applications ignored so far lol.
@@harshgarrettHey Bro, go to Nashville and try to get on at Gibson...I started there in 1991 and they teach you how they want things done, but I made great $$ and had a blast. I was there for 11 yrs and Gibson gave me a lifestyle I never thought I'd have. If u have the aptitude and the desire to learn, you shld give em a try. Plus you get half off list price on any guitar, and they'll spread the payments over 10 weeks and deduct it from your paycheck pretax. I dont think I got a full paycheck for the first 5 yrs I was there.
I'm a 67 year old man with 8 guitars worth between $1700 to $4500 each. Now I'm living on Social Security and a very small pension. I love my guitars and want them well cared for. I like working with tools and want to keep my guitars in great shape. Thanks for this video.
@@Peterbrendanalbert I've had some cheapo guitars that just played right and sounded good when they did it. Sigma acoustics and Danelectros come to mind. I had a Takamine that played really nice, it was my #1 for a while.
You could be me in 3-4 years except I only have 1 upscale guitar. A 2001 EBMM Steve Morse blueburst. Wanna start a bar band for giggles and a couple bucks here and there? As if I'm lucky enough for You not to be on the other side of the country, lol
My tech was actually saying he preferred the old Stewmac files over the Z file. I have the older Stewmac one's, however I will be getting this new S file looks fantastic!
I am not a tech, but I usually do minor repairs and adjustments to my guitars. Right now, I have two acoustic guitars with one or two high frets that would be good candidates for the tool you demonstrated in the video. Thank you.
Oh if hasn’t already been mentioned but the music nomad tool that has the string height, pick up height and string height, measure also doubles as that tool to check for high frets.
The point you made about the cost, so true. You pay as much or even less for the tool than paying someone to do it and you save money in the long run next time you have the same project. I once paid to have someone rout a hole in my guitar for a humbucker and realized later I could have bought a small router, the cutter and templates for less, and done a better job.
Do these have a lifetime warranty like the StewMac Z-files do? Just wondering how MusicNomad is if you get a bad one, it gives out or wears out type thing.
Nice acoustic . Thank you for the videos and especially the live streams on a Friday evening Phil . I hope you and the family and the dog are all well .
Back in my guitar tech days. I messed up a cheap guitar trying to do a fret level and plain once. I didn't realize the fret file was a two sided tool with two different sizes. It was s shop guitar and i was in training but I never tried to do that job again but I'd do everything else to a guitar (I'm no longer a guitar tech). my latest guitar purchase needed a fret level and plain. I paid a tech $95 to do this job. Next time this comes up I'm buying these tools and doing the work. I know i feel such a sense of accomplishment if i can learn to do this job properly.
Nothing replaces 'mileage' (doing a particular task often and recently)....so don't be too rough on yourself for messing up a cheap guitar back in the day Hey, at least it was a cheap guitar!
@@fullscanproductions I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I agree with the sentiment of repeating a task and doing it recently. This was thankfully preached to me in art school but I think i was due for a reminder. so thank you. Gotta keep that muscle memory tight!
First thing to do when you find a high fret is to try tapping it back into place. Learning this tip has saved me a lot of work. Don't file unless you really need to!
Phil, have you seen the new fret guards that cover ALL the frets at once? only short coming is you need one for each of the common scales, but since 25.5 covers almost all my electrics and even 2 of my acoustics that one I'll have to get. it's called fret shield also from music nomad.
Thank you for the demo of the nomad crowning file I was actually shopping to find the right one that would safeguard the sharpie line on top when crowning a fret, now of course is going to be getting one haha.
Just ordered the fret kisser today.. got my music nomad s file over the weekend and yep, it's awesome and pretty much fool proof. After I leveled my frets, i crowned with the music nomad s file and tried to purposely make a fret unlevel and couldn't, it remained level while giving a nice even crown. Now onto the fret kisser when it arrives. Have a fret guru dagger 2.0 which is okay, but not as fail proof as the s file. Still might get a z file but ahhh.. pretty happy with the nomad s file. Nice to have a little assortment of files, also use a homemade 3 sided file with edge's grounded smooth to keep the fret rolling crown technique alive lol. And have the cheap little Amazon kit you used on the slick guitar, that's what got me started doing fret work and not being intimidated by it, and I thank you much for that video of confidence. Can't believe I was afraid of doing my own fretwork, lol geeze..
Always into learning new home DIY tech work. Forced myself to start learning about a year ago or so. Now I enjoy it whereas it freaked me out as a teenager. Subscribed. Enjoyed this video!
if its anything like diamond sharpenung stones, they need to be broken in before theyre at the correct grit because some of the grit will fall off initially so its technically coarser than it should be
What a blessing you are to me. Ive been a musician since 8 years old (ill turn 65 on 2-21) i learn valuable tips from you with every video you post. I look forward to starting my week with you. Thank you Philip. Kurtiss (Citizen Joe from Silverado Ca and lake havasu AZ) 🙏👍
Wow! both tools are still worth the amount with the positive results at the end. Especially if we own more than one guitar 😂 The acoustic sounds beautiful. I loved its tone when you played it on Fridays show live. Today’s tone is just as sweet. Thanks for sharing Phil 👍🤘
It will not do a complete fret level though will it? Many guitars that come into my shop need a complete fret level. This file is a nice tool but it only does what the StewMac Z-File has been doing for years. The best thing about StewMac tools are that they have a lifetime warranty so when a tool wears out, you get a free replacement. I'm happy with my Z-File :)
Most guitars in general only need a couple frets worked on, but as soon as it is above 4 frets, especially at different ranges of the fret board a proper level becomes necessary. Most of the time musicians deal with some imperfections, but outright buzz all over is where the techs get their work from.
I love musicnomad stuff. I have their nut files and action gauges which have served me oh so well. I'm glad to see they have a fret crowning file. looks similar to the hosco set I have, tho all in one piece. The hosco ones aren't diamond but the ridged file kinda thing (don't know what it's called).. I'm so happy to see more accessible tools for average joes. It's a good way to help maintain your guitar, but also a good start into small luthier tasks.
Really cool new tools. Especially the Nomad crowning tool. Amazon is sold out at the moment. As a note, all my acoustics are trashed now, one needs frets and the other needs bracing repairs. That acoustic guitar is really gorgeous and I love that pickup, I'm a magnetic guy. Great video!
The problem is that even the best made diamond file will wear much faster than a normal file costing more money to replace. These are ok for the diy several in 5 years doing fret work. For those who do multiple guitars a month or year a good safe edge triangle file and a well made leveling beam with sandpaper on it to level frets is still the best choice. Look up diamond file manufacturing methods and materials to see if ANY diamond file is worth your money. Some are definitely better than others.
at 7:10 pm Central Time - 40 min ago you posted info - Amazon- #1 New Release in Guitar Tools (Congrats Phil - you are the man!) - out of stock now... "We don't know if or when this item will be back in stock" or something to that effect... @@What11235
Especially when doing new frets, I would already have the board taped off for levelling, crowning, end dressing etc, so I prefer autosol metal polish and a dremel on slow speed with a polishing disc. Never had smoother, shinier frets :)
I have several fret crowning tools including the one from StewMac, the Dagger, and one from England with a wooden handle that all cost about the same. This does look better and easier to use, but I hate to replace expensive tools when mine still work just fine. I wish this was available when I bought the others.
Yes, you want as little contact between fret wire and the bottom of the strings as possible. Flat wide frets do nothing but buzz no matter what you do to the guitar
This looks great. The smooth center of each groove is clever. May actually be something to convince me to get in addition to the Fret Guru crowning file.
@kiratheshepsky I'm an Aerospace machinist for 39 years....any light oil...even, yes, vegetable oil will do. Wd40 would be too light...a drop of clean engine oil....any light to medium oil.
NO WE DON'T! I have been saying "Level and crown" in that order my whole career as a luthier! Also The Z file is not concave just at an angle, so not really the closest comparison, but there are a few concave ones other than the Music nomad which I prefer and use, and diamond files are overrated: the diamonds don't wear, but they do fall out eventually. A properly hardened regular file lasts just as long, and due to Diamond bonding techniques and electrolysis between certain dissimilar metals, some will lose their diamonds faster on stainless! After you "Polished" AKA removed more metal from the fret, instead of not using that file but one that has a course and a fine side so you have to sand far less, and never the very center like you did and actually made it lower: checking it again is silly because it couldn't possibly have gotten taller! Not checking the one behind and in front of it to see if the rocker drops onto the fret you just cut down too far is self deception. Any sanding you do will take height of the fret! There are reasons real pro's prefer to level the whole fingerboard, crown them all and never touch the very center, which shouldn't bee too round as they will just wear down that much faster for there being less contact material. Only touch the centers once down to steel wool (You can use two stages of fine), and use the same amount of pressure and strokes on each one. BTW: There were no Intonation problems with the old Gibson's, AKA "frettless wonders", that had very low and flat frets, and also the string will always bottom out on a fret nearest the center; basic geometry It's also a matter of preference too. The difference between frets of differing flatness is negligible, especially if they are all the same flat, and just your playing pressure can throw it off far more. I can charge more than others, because I get to fix others mistakes all too often, because they think the tools make the craftsman: They don't, you need a deep understanding of what you are doing, how, and why! Lucky for me I studied metalworking down to high accuracy and precision before I did my first fret job, and studied quite a bit of physics and electronics: I deliver "Criminally low action", but too bad nothing lasts, as neck creep, or any other distortions of the wood take the frets with them, so it really helps to have a very stable neck to begin with, and Most manufactured guitars, especially as they get less expensive have unstable necks, not even your $3000+ custom shop Fender, or any Fender for that matter, nor most copies! Kiesel is #1, and Ernie Ball #2 in that department, oh, and me and other seasoned independent builders too! I actually did it the way Kiesel (ex Carvin) does it now, before Carvin ever did, so in the early 80's, when carbon fiber in the right dimensions was very hard to find, often only sold in bulk wholesale so out of reach, and like ten times more expensive than it is now. The file also doesn't save much time at all, as the feeling of how the file grabs tells me the exact same thing, as you hearing the change in sound, which I bet comes with a change in feel, like my files change in feel comes with a change in sound too, just way more gradual, and so it's not going to lower how much a tech charges, because it's the same amount of work unless the tech is the mess up/do over frequently type.
One more thing: Unless there's no radius in the fingerboard (which these days even classical's have a radius) any file can be used to spot level you just have to know how to use it right! Again, basic geometry: You always have a high spot where the file makes contact!
Respect❤’ some DYI people enjoy ( practicing the craft), for professional people it’s a different story. And I have turned back for all you professional to do that every day and have decades and decades of experience still never be able to reach the level of sophistication that you have, unless they make it a career.
@@gergemall DIY'rs and places like Guitar center help keep me in business, and sometimes fixing others bad work is a much bigger job than had it been done right the first time.😁 I always did my best to do my homework in great detail, and do things right the first time. By not doing as much trial and error as most would, and better prep and practice before I try it on anyone's instrument, I became good rather quick, and it has payed off big time. Be very careful, because RUclips is loaded with the blind leading the blind.
Thanks Phil, old players and techs like me ( I do all of my own work and setups) love hearing about better tools. I'll definitely be adding one of those to my box.
I would really be interrested in you making a vidéo tour of this impressive workshop, explaning all these tools around you, why you’ve sélect them, for what purpose. Even if it a 5 parts series with nerdy details I thing it would be awesome !
What Matt Pinfield was to rock music, you are to guitars. Like you know everything about it. So you're iconic in that way. Much love and thanks for helping us to know our gear. 💯
had a music nomad diamond file nut slotting set. the diamond coating fell off and the files were useless. The stew Mac Z file has been going strong after hundreds of uses.
this is a good idea. if you're doing a re fret. not so much of you are re crowning older worn frets. not knocking it. just pointing out. right tool for the right job.
Very cool! the problem I always encounter with diamond plated files is that they don't last very long on stainless steel frets. if you work on your own guitars is fine, but if you do tens of fretboards every month, that thing is not going to last. Nothing beats a very good single cut file in that case (or a Plek 😁).
Cool tool. I would still recommend using a sharpie. Also, let the tool do the work, Don't force it. You don't get the deep grooves and the diamond coated grit will last longer.
Do you still need something else for dressing fret ends? These two tools are the leveling and crowning tools. But fret ends can be an issue as well. Any recommendations there? Thanks for all that you do!
When you file doen the fret you are changing the profile of the fret maybe fret needs to be reset in the fret board fret wire is precise so allways check and make sure fret is flush with fret board
Thanks for the video, superbly presented as usual. If you don't mind I will give my small review of it after purchasing and using it last night. In all honesty I wasn't as impressed but admittedly that could 100% be my own fault as I'm a bit of noob into the guitar world (1.5 yr). After levelling to the best of my ability I gave the S File a whirl. For the most part I could neither hear nor feel when it was done, it was literally guess work other than actually looking at it of course. The finish absolutely destroyed the metal as it had rather large slices taken from the steel frets. After a couple of hours of attempting to smoothen them off eventually they are for the most part OK at the very tops but jeez that was hard work. Needless to say my guitar still buzzes and no matter how many videos I watch I can't quite get it spot on with any of them. I also have no experience with other files to compare and have never attempted to re-crown frets before. Hopefully this doesn't put anyone off but just bare in mind not everyone is as good as our mate Phil :)
The Fret Kisser is great for sorting out 1 or two high frets, but to get all the fretwire right with each other you'll never beat a proper full fret level. I always like to see what Music Nomad bring out and I do like the look of the crowning file. Already got the Z File and two of the smaller Z Files for crowning over the body area and they work great, so I can't see me changing for a while. Plus Music Nomad stuff takes ages to filter on to the UK markets
These are cool and I’ll probably buy one but the “safe zone” in the center accomplishes exactly the same thing as the cross section of the Z file- keeping the abrasive off the top of the fret crown.
You mentioned the micromesh pads for fret polishing, those kits typically come with five or so different grit levels. I'm sure that's probably ideal to get a perfect polish, but let's be honest, I'm very unlikely to spend the time to go over every single fret with multiple passes of five different grit levels. Is there one grit level that you think is the most versatile or maybe just two stages that you think gives a viable polish without necessarily needing the others? Like with whetstone sharpening a kitchen knife, you can get many stages for a perfect mirror edge or you can get 1000 and 6000 and do as good of a job as you'd ever realistically need to.
Thanks Phil. I have the fret kisser and can say it really helps with spot leveling. I use the Z-file as well. Both great products. I'll have to check out the Music Nomad one. Appreciate your reviews and insight.
I'd be okay with techs charging a little too much if I could just find one that really knew what he/she was doing. I quit looking for one and am learning through trial and error on an older guitar so this helps a bunch. Thanks.
It's great to see a tool like this at that price point! 6-7 years ago I bought the StewMac S shape diamond coated fret files. There are 2 sizes, and each uses both sides. They were $150 each! There is a lot of diamond dust in/on them and they cut fast. You couldn't do what Phil did here. I run a chisel tip sharpie across the top of the fret, for a visual reference. That way you can see exactly what you cut/rounded, and what remains. It comes right off with polishing. They last a long time, as the Music Nomad ones should, I'm still using them today w/not much wear. Although expensive, they really reduced the time it takes crowning frets. JMHO --gary
@@stoneysdead689 Thanks for the info!! I thought there must be some process to get so many, so uniform in size/shape. When I first got them I over cut a fret, and had to replace it! They cut NiAg like crazy, and SS pretty fast. I'm 72, we never had anything like these. Thanks again, --gary
Go ahead and buy the tool! Just remember a craftsman may have to do a fret job if the frets are worn too much! Thanks for the tips! Y’all be careful out there! I have ruined a few guitars when I was learning to do this!
The 'Fret Maestro' is also an excellent double duty simultaneous fret leveler-crowner precision tool. It is Radius specific per tool and costs more but there is no "learning curve" involved and the Fret Maestro only removes the Bare Minimum amount of metal necessary to level each specific fret so that your fret life will also be as maximum as possible. The inventor says it's like having a Plek machine in your hand and of course there is a built in filing depth safety.
Aloha and Mahalo Phill! Due to covid I ended up with a lot of higher end Epiphones. I haven't move into my housey; yet, I need to consider which tools to buy for routine maintenance. Yes also bought some Fender CS.
Music Nomad makes a lot of great tools but, I just got my grubby hands on the Fret Guru Dagger crowning file. It's a Diamond file as well. There are some very cool new tools out there that can allow even a Fred Flinstone like me to do all of my own work. I figure, once you get past 5 to 8 guitars, it's time to invest in tools and skills. With all of that said, if I can get it through Stew-Mac, I will do that, why? It's a small business in Ohio and I would hate to see it close. All of us can vote with our hard earned dollars and as a matter of loyalty, I would pay a few more dollars with a local business instead of the big box stores. Every guitarist/bassist can be their own tech. To be sure, nowadays we really don't know how good the local tech is. If they even care about their work. That's why I just do it myself. I will try any repair on my stuff
Haha, nice to see the PG Spark 40 on your bench! Still liking it Phil? Love, love, love my OG Spark 40. 3+ years and still going perfectly and its been 100% off AC Grid for 99% of its life. XD
I knew exactly which tool it was before pressing play. I just installed some SS frets and this is the tool I’ve been looking into. For sure buying one soon, thankfully only a frets are off after installing because I’m horrible at crowning so I’m not going to finish off the leveling and crowning till I buy one of these.
I saw Music Nomad's Tri Bar straight edge which I placed on my Amazon wish list. So I would suggest that along with file and rocker. I would be bad to file a fret that seemed high because the neck wasn't straight, I would think.
Wow! both tools are still worth the amount with the positive results at the end. Especially if we own more than one guitar The acoustic sounds beautiful. I loved its tone when you played it on Fridays show live. Today’s tone is just as sweet. Thanks for sharing Phil
I have a Z file and I’ve tried everything else. The Z file is amaaaazing. It makes a nice tight crown and actually reduced a lot of buzz with large frets that have a wide crown (which drives me nuts)
For that i do the job with a crimson guitars 3 corner file , is difficult at the beginning to use but then is amazing to use and very good but that file of music nomad is very amazing too i think ,very good idea
I like the under string diamond spot file and the diamond z file. Fastest tools out there for a high fret. I like the music nomad nut files for fine tuning the slot height - take it out of the holder- 🤷🏼♂️
The Music Nomad tool kits I bought are excellent. Will absolutely be adding one of these to the kit.
Yeah very underrated, they have some great tutorials too
@@tompoyntonAbsolutely. Music Nomad and Stewmac should be everyone's go to tutorials.
@@milandjordjevic7952 Lmao. Quality is quality, couldnt care less who stole who's idea (theyve all stolen ideas) and Ive tried many different brands including SM. Especially the cheaper ones. You get what you pay for and Im very happy with my purchase, and Im not broke
@@tompoynton Overpriced in my opinion but of course people can sell files for as much as they like. Their ''great tools'' are IMHO nothing more then copies of tools made by people who invented things , people like me and those similar to me. Or they are based on those items. Guitar polish exists for metal it cost like 5 times less only it doesn't have a picture of a guitar on a tube. Then fret rocker, nut file exists for decades even with diamond, fret protector and so on. This was my idea long ago and i made difrent file but the main crucial part so called ''safe line'' was invented almost 10 years ago.
I'm a local tech here in Pensacola. I've learned a lot of killer little stuff from you man and I really appreciate your channel. Keep up the good work and good luck to everyone on that beautiful acoustic.🤘😎🤘
would you ever consider taking on an apprentice? I'm from Indiana and am looking for any excuse to leave. no one is hiring here. 600 applications ignored so far lol.
@@harshgarrettHey Bro, go to Nashville and try to get on at Gibson...I started there in 1991 and they teach you how they want things done, but I made great $$ and had a blast. I was there for 11 yrs and Gibson gave me a lifestyle I never thought I'd have. If u have the aptitude and the desire to learn, you shld give em a try. Plus you get half off list price on any guitar, and they'll spread the payments over 10 weeks and deduct it from your paycheck pretax. I dont think I got a full paycheck for the first 5 yrs I was there.
I'm a 67 year old man with 8 guitars worth between $1700 to $4500 each. Now I'm living on Social Security and a very small pension. I love my guitars and want them well cared for. I like working with tools and want to keep my guitars in great shape. Thanks for this video.
@@Peterbrendanalbert A good playing guitar is worth more than its initial price sometimes.
@@Peterbrendanalbert I've had some cheapo guitars that just played right and sounded good when they did it. Sigma acoustics and Danelectros come to mind. I had a Takamine that played really nice, it was my #1 for a while.
@@Peterbrendanalbert The two Danos that I owned were set up by the luthier that I bought them from. I loved them.
You could be me in 3-4 years except I only have 1 upscale guitar. A 2001 EBMM Steve Morse blueburst. Wanna start a bar band for giggles and a couple bucks here and there? As if I'm lucky enough for You not to be on the other side of the country, lol
Pmsl 😂@@TheArmchairrocker
I recently did a fret level, and had a heck of a time getting a good crown. I just ordered one of these. Thanks Phil!
My tech was actually saying he preferred the old Stewmac files over the Z file. I have the older Stewmac one's, however I will be getting this new S file looks fantastic!
Trustworthy, informative, honest! Why I look forward to your new videos
I am not a tech, but I usually do minor repairs and adjustments to my guitars. Right now, I have two acoustic guitars with one or two high frets that would be good candidates for the tool you demonstrated in the video.
Thank you.
Thanks again, Phil. I usually watch on TV so don’t comment, but I wanted to throw one in because I have the chance tonight.
Oh if hasn’t already been mentioned but the music nomad tool that has the string height, pick up height and string height, measure also doubles as that tool to check for high frets.
The point you made about the cost, so true. You pay as much or even less for the tool than paying someone to do it and you save money in the long run next time you have the same project. I once paid to have someone rout a hole in my guitar for a humbucker and realized later I could have bought a small router, the cutter and templates for less, and done a better job.
Do these have a lifetime warranty like the StewMac Z-files do? Just wondering how MusicNomad is if you get a bad one, it gives out or wears out type thing.
I actually just got mine 2 days ago....it's excellent 👌
That orangewood is BEAUTIFUL!!
‘Thanks as always’ for your informative unbiased reviews.
I was complaining about this issue yesterday while crowning. I need this safe zone file so badly. Thanks man!
Bro the shit sold out already 😵💫😵💫😵💫
Nice acoustic . Thank you for the videos and especially the live streams on a Friday evening Phil . I hope you and the family and the dog are all well .
Back in my guitar tech days. I messed up a cheap guitar trying to do a fret level and plain once. I didn't realize the fret file was a two sided tool with two different sizes. It was s shop guitar and i was in training but I never tried to do that job again but I'd do everything else to a guitar (I'm no longer a guitar tech). my latest guitar purchase needed a fret level and plain. I paid a tech $95 to do this job. Next time this comes up I'm buying these tools and doing the work. I know i feel such a sense of accomplishment if i can learn to do this job properly.
It’s ‘plane’, right?
If your big brain is so small that you need proper spelling in order to gain context, then you've really let yourself down.@@Zerpersande
@@Zerpersande WTF? you go around spell checking randos comments? i'd try out getting a life if i were you.
Nothing replaces 'mileage' (doing a particular task often and recently)....so don't be too rough on yourself for messing up a cheap guitar back in the day Hey, at least it was a cheap guitar!
@@fullscanproductions I appreciate the kind words and encouragement. I agree with the sentiment of repeating a task and doing it recently. This was thankfully preached to me in art school but I think i was due for a reminder. so thank you. Gotta keep that muscle memory tight!
First thing to do when you find a high fret is to try tapping it back into place. Learning this tip has saved me a lot of work. Don't file unless you really need to!
Phil, have you seen the new fret guards that cover ALL the frets at once? only short coming is you need one for each of the common scales, but since 25.5 covers almost all my electrics and even 2 of my acoustics that one I'll have to get. it's called fret shield also from music nomad.
Thank you for the demo of the nomad crowning file I was actually shopping to find the right one that would safeguard the sharpie line on top when crowning a fret, now of course is going to be getting one haha.
Just ordered the fret kisser today.. got my music nomad s file over the weekend and yep, it's awesome and pretty much fool proof. After I leveled my frets, i crowned with the music nomad s file and tried to purposely make a fret unlevel and couldn't, it remained level while giving a nice even crown. Now onto the fret kisser when it arrives. Have a fret guru dagger 2.0 which is okay, but not as fail proof as the s file. Still might get a z file but ahhh.. pretty happy with the nomad s file. Nice to have a little assortment of files, also use a homemade 3 sided file with edge's grounded smooth to keep the fret rolling crown technique alive lol. And have the cheap little Amazon kit you used on the slick guitar, that's what got me started doing fret work and not being intimidated by it, and I thank you much for that video of confidence. Can't believe I was afraid of doing my own fretwork, lol geeze..
Always into learning new home DIY tech work. Forced myself to start learning about a year ago or so. Now I enjoy it whereas it freaked me out as a teenager. Subscribed. Enjoyed this video!
if its anything like diamond sharpenung stones, they need to be broken in before theyre at the correct grit because some of the grit will fall off initially so its technically coarser than it should be
Man what a fantastic idea for a new design! It's one of those things where I can't believe it took so long for it to be created.
What a blessing you are to me. Ive been a musician since 8 years old (ill turn 65 on 2-21) i learn valuable tips from you with every video you post. I look forward to starting my week with you. Thank you Philip. Kurtiss (Citizen Joe from Silverado Ca and lake havasu AZ) 🙏👍
What a coincidence! I turn 65 on the 19th, and have been playing guitar since I was 13.
Wow! both tools are still worth the amount with the positive results at the end. Especially if we own more than one guitar 😂
The acoustic sounds beautiful. I loved its tone when you played it on Fridays show live. Today’s tone is just as sweet. Thanks for sharing Phil 👍🤘
It will not do a complete fret level though will it? Many guitars that come into my shop need a complete fret level. This file is a nice tool but it only does what the StewMac Z-File has been doing for years. The best thing about StewMac tools are that they have a lifetime warranty so when a tool wears out, you get a free replacement. I'm happy with my Z-File :)
Most guitars in general only need a couple frets worked on, but as soon as it is above 4 frets, especially at different ranges of the fret board a proper level becomes necessary. Most of the time musicians deal with some imperfections, but outright buzz all over is where the techs get their work from.
I love musicnomad stuff. I have their nut files and action gauges which have served me oh so well. I'm glad to see they have a fret crowning file. looks similar to the hosco set I have, tho all in one piece. The hosco ones aren't diamond but the ridged file kinda thing (don't know what it's called).. I'm so happy to see more accessible tools for average joes. It's a good way to help maintain your guitar, but also a good start into small luthier tasks.
Really cool new tools. Especially the Nomad crowning tool. Amazon is sold out at the moment. As a note, all my acoustics are trashed now, one needs frets and the other needs bracing repairs. That acoustic guitar is really gorgeous and I love that pickup, I'm a magnetic guy. Great video!
The problem is that even the best made diamond file will wear much faster than a normal file costing more money to replace. These are ok for the diy several in 5 years doing fret work. For those who do multiple guitars a month or year a good safe edge triangle file and a well made leveling beam with sandpaper on it to level frets is still the best choice. Look up diamond file manufacturing methods and materials to see if ANY diamond file is worth your money. Some are definitely better than others.
Good luck finding one in stock for the next month or more! :p
I called sweetwater rep they said they get more in early March
@@What11235 18 now 😬
at 7:10 pm Central Time - 40 min ago you posted info - Amazon- #1 New Release in Guitar Tools (Congrats Phil - you are the man!) - out of stock now... "We don't know if or when this item will be back in stock" or something to that effect... @@What11235
@@What11235 gone now
Amazon has zero now.
Especially when doing new frets, I would already have the board taped off for levelling, crowning, end dressing etc, so I prefer autosol metal polish and a dremel on slow speed with a polishing disc. Never had smoother, shinier frets :)
I have several fret crowning tools including the one from StewMac, the Dagger, and one from England with a wooden handle that all cost about the same. This does look better and easier to use, but I hate to replace expensive tools when mine still work just fine. I wish this was available when I bought the others.
Why do t they make fret wire triangular, or wedge shaped, to get even less metal touching the strings?
Yes, you want as little contact between fret wire and the bottom of the strings as possible. Flat wide frets do nothing but buzz no matter what you do to the guitar
If you have a high fret, first, check to make sure it's seated before you go filing it down..
You the man Phil. ALWAYS APPRECIATE your videos brother.
If StewMac is Whole Foods, and Amazon is Wal-Mart, then Music Nomad is Target. Perfect middle ground, decently high quality for a bit less
Congrats on 350!
Just stumbled across this video and you absolutely sold me on picking one of these up as soon as I can. Thank you!
You’re the best guitar tech on RUclips
This looks great. The smooth center of each groove is clever. May actually be something to convince me to get in addition to the Fret Guru crowning file.
Huge tip...on diamond files, use a little oil and it will work better and last MUCH longer 😀
What kind of oil?
@kiratheshepsky
I'm an Aerospace machinist for 39 years....any light oil...even, yes, vegetable oil will do. Wd40 would be too light...a drop of clean engine oil....any light to medium oil.
Tip appreciated! Thanks!
What oil would be good to use that would not affect or damage the fretboard? Thanks for the info!
@knowyourjoe8826
Clarinet bore oil is what I dress my fingerboard with...it would work fine...less than 10 bucks on Amazon.
This was such a good idea that they sold out before I could get mine LOL. I did finally get mine and what a nice crowning file!
Music Nomad now makes a set of fret kissers. I'm going to order a set
Cool file. Add some music nomad nut slot files and with a little time and patience you can make any guitar play like a dream.
Congratz on 350!
NO WE DON'T! I have been saying "Level and crown" in that order my whole career as a luthier! Also The Z file is not concave just at an angle, so not really the closest comparison, but there are a few concave ones other than the Music nomad which I prefer and use, and diamond files are overrated: the diamonds don't wear, but they do fall out eventually. A properly hardened regular file lasts just as long, and due to Diamond bonding techniques and electrolysis between certain dissimilar metals, some will lose their diamonds faster on stainless!
After you "Polished" AKA removed more metal from the fret, instead of not using that file but one that has a course and a fine side so you have to sand far less, and never the very center like you did and actually made it lower: checking it again is silly because it couldn't possibly have gotten taller! Not checking the one behind and in front of it to see if the rocker drops onto the fret you just cut down too far is self deception.
Any sanding you do will take height of the fret! There are reasons real pro's prefer to level the whole fingerboard, crown them all and never touch the very center, which shouldn't bee too round as they will just wear down that much faster for there being less contact material. Only touch the centers once down to steel wool (You can use two stages of fine), and use the same amount of pressure and strokes on each one. BTW: There were no Intonation problems with the old Gibson's, AKA "frettless wonders", that had very low and flat frets, and also the string will always bottom out on a fret nearest the center; basic geometry It's also a matter of preference too.
The difference between frets of differing flatness is negligible, especially if they are all the same flat, and just your playing pressure can throw it off far more.
I can charge more than others, because I get to fix others mistakes all too often, because they think the tools make the craftsman: They don't, you need a deep understanding of what you are doing, how, and why! Lucky for me I studied metalworking down to high accuracy and precision before I did my first fret job, and studied quite a bit of physics and electronics: I deliver "Criminally low action", but too bad nothing lasts, as neck creep, or any other distortions of the wood take the frets with them, so it really helps to have a very stable neck to begin with, and Most manufactured guitars, especially as they get less expensive have unstable necks, not even your $3000+ custom shop Fender, or any Fender for that matter, nor most copies! Kiesel is #1, and Ernie Ball #2 in that department, oh, and me and other seasoned independent builders too! I actually did it the way Kiesel (ex Carvin) does it now, before Carvin ever did, so in the early 80's, when carbon fiber in the right dimensions was very hard to find, often only sold in bulk wholesale so out of reach, and like ten times more expensive than it is now.
The file also doesn't save much time at all, as the feeling of how the file grabs tells me the exact same thing, as you hearing the change in sound, which I bet comes with a change in feel, like my files change in feel comes with a change in sound too, just way more gradual, and so it's not going to lower how much a tech charges, because it's the same amount of work unless the tech is the mess up/do over frequently type.
One more thing: Unless there's no radius in the fingerboard (which these days even classical's have a radius) any file can be used to spot level you just have to know how to use it right! Again, basic geometry: You always have a high spot where the file makes contact!
Respect❤’ some DYI people enjoy ( practicing the craft), for professional people it’s a different story. And I have turned back for all you professional to do that every day and have decades and decades of experience still never be able to reach the level of sophistication that you have, unless they make it a career.
@@gergemall DIY'rs and places like Guitar center help keep me in business, and sometimes fixing others bad work is a much bigger job than had it been done right the first time.😁 I always did my best to do my homework in great detail, and do things right the first time. By not doing as much trial and error as most would, and better prep and practice before I try it on anyone's instrument, I became good rather quick, and it has payed off big time.
Be very careful, because RUclips is loaded with the blind leading the blind.
Thanks Phil, old players and techs like me ( I do all of my own work and setups) love hearing about better tools.
I'll definitely be adding one of those to my box.
I would really be interrested in you making a vidéo tour of this impressive workshop, explaning all these tools around you, why you’ve sélect them, for what purpose. Even if it a 5 parts series with nerdy details I thing it would be awesome !
Woot woot Phil!! Congratulations!
Cool, I’ll be getting one! I already have the Fret Kisser, so this tool will round out my tool collection
What Matt Pinfield was to rock music, you are to guitars. Like you know everything about it. So you're iconic in that way. Much love and thanks for helping us to know our gear. 💯
Cool giveaway. They just bed I’ve played are great.
That was a great tip but they already sold out! I have to remember that one.
had a music nomad diamond file nut slotting set. the diamond coating fell off and the files were useless. The stew Mac Z file has been going strong after hundreds of uses.
Uhh...maybe that's the nomad part of it? 😰 Hope the balance tips back your way.
Congrats on 350. Who knew that being honest and not shilling for a particular company is the key to success?😁 Thanks for all the hours of info Phil🙏
How is polishing out scratches in a fret not take the crown away ?
Hi, Polishing should take very little material aways. It should not shape or change the fret in any way.
this is a good idea. if you're doing a re fret. not so much of you are re crowning older worn frets. not knocking it. just pointing out. right tool for the right job.
Great video Phillip. Nice guitar to give away to someone who needs it. The fret crowning tool is the best ive ever seen or used. Have a good one.
Very cool! the problem I always encounter with diamond plated files is that they don't last very long on stainless steel frets. if you work on your own guitars is fine, but if you do tens of fretboards every month, that thing is not going to last. Nothing beats a very good single cut file in that case (or a Plek 😁).
Cool tool. I would still recommend using a sharpie. Also, let the tool do the work, Don't force it. You don't get the deep grooves and the diamond coated grit will last longer.
How are you using sandpaper on a rocker? The piece of sandpaper would have to be countersunk to be level with the rest of the rocker.
great video Phil! Can you use the safe file on guitars with fret nibs?
yeah i'd also like to know
Thanks, Phil MC Knight!
This looks like a good file, and more cost effective than the Stew-Mac z-file I have, the Stew-Mac is my most valued file for re-crowning.
Do you still need something else for dressing fret ends? These two tools are the leveling and crowning tools. But fret ends can be an issue as well. Any recommendations there? Thanks for all that you do!
When you file doen the fret you are changing the profile of the fret maybe fret needs to be reset in the fret board fret wire is precise so allways check and make sure fret is flush with fret board
Thanks for the video, superbly presented as usual. If you don't mind I will give my small review of it after purchasing and using it last night. In all honesty I wasn't as impressed but admittedly that could 100% be my own fault as I'm a bit of noob into the guitar world (1.5 yr).
After levelling to the best of my ability I gave the S File a whirl. For the most part I could neither hear nor feel when it was done, it was literally guess work other than actually looking at it of course. The finish absolutely destroyed the metal as it had rather large slices taken from the steel frets. After a couple of hours of attempting to smoothen them off eventually they are for the most part OK at the very tops but jeez that was hard work.
Needless to say my guitar still buzzes and no matter how many videos I watch I can't quite get it spot on with any of them. I also have no experience with other files to compare and have never attempted to re-crown frets before.
Hopefully this doesn't put anyone off but just bare in mind not everyone is as good as our mate Phil :)
The Fret Kisser is great for sorting out 1 or two high frets, but to get all the fretwire right with each other you'll never beat a proper full fret level. I always like to see what Music Nomad bring out and I do like the look of the crowning file. Already got the Z File and two of the smaller Z Files for crowning over the body area and they work great, so I can't see me changing for a while. Plus Music Nomad stuff takes ages to filter on to the UK markets
Phil, Congrats on 350! 👊
These are cool and I’ll probably buy one but the “safe zone” in the center accomplishes exactly the same thing as the cross section of the Z file- keeping the abrasive off the top of the fret crown.
You mentioned the micromesh pads for fret polishing, those kits typically come with five or so different grit levels. I'm sure that's probably ideal to get a perfect polish, but let's be honest, I'm very unlikely to spend the time to go over every single fret with multiple passes of five different grit levels. Is there one grit level that you think is the most versatile or maybe just two stages that you think gives a viable polish without necessarily needing the others? Like with whetstone sharpening a kitchen knife, you can get many stages for a perfect mirror edge or you can get 1000 and 6000 and do as good of a job as you'd ever realistically need to.
Interestingly, this tool is unavailable neither at Amazon nor at the company's official site.
Very interesting! :O
Do they make tools for fret sprout ?
Just fantastic Phil, always enjoy watching...
Thanks Phil. I have the fret kisser and can say it really helps with spot leveling. I use the Z-file as well. Both great products. I'll have to check out the Music Nomad one. Appreciate your reviews and insight.
I'd be okay with techs charging a little too much if I could just find one that really knew what he/she was doing. I quit looking for one and am learning through trial and error on an older guitar so this helps a bunch. Thanks.
This guy can sell you anything just on the basic benefits and strengths of a product. Mad props bro
Would a tool like this eliminate the need for a fret sanding beam if you only need to lower a few frets?
It's great to see a tool like this at that price point! 6-7 years ago I bought the StewMac S shape diamond coated fret files. There are 2 sizes, and each uses both sides. They were $150 each! There is a lot of diamond dust in/on them and they cut fast. You couldn't do what Phil did here. I run a chisel tip sharpie across the top of the fret, for a visual reference. That way you can see exactly what you cut/rounded, and what remains. It comes right off with polishing. They last a long time, as the Music Nomad ones should, I'm still using them today w/not much wear. Although expensive, they really reduced the time it takes crowning frets. JMHO --gary
They now make/grow industrial diamonds- and some jewelry grade diamonds, in the lab so- this greatly reduced the cost of diamond files and so forth.
@@stoneysdead689 Thanks for the info!! I thought there must be some process to get so many, so uniform in size/shape. When I first got them I over cut a fret, and had to replace it! They cut NiAg like crazy, and SS pretty fast. I'm 72, we never had anything like these. Thanks again, --gary
Go ahead and buy the tool! Just remember a craftsman may have to do a fret job if the frets are worn too much! Thanks for the tips! Y’all be careful out there! I have ruined a few guitars when I was learning to do this!
Amazon Link - Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.
The 'Fret Maestro' is also an excellent double duty simultaneous fret leveler-crowner precision tool. It is Radius specific per tool and costs more but there is no "learning curve" involved and the Fret Maestro only removes the Bare Minimum amount of metal necessary to level each specific fret so that your fret life will also be as maximum as possible. The inventor says it's like having a Plek machine in your hand and of course there is a built in filing depth safety.
yeah i saw the video recently and that old guy really knows what hes talking about i want to buy that tool
Aloha and Mahalo Phill! Due to covid I ended up with a lot of higher end Epiphones. I haven't move into my housey; yet, I need to consider which tools to buy for routine maintenance. Yes also bought some Fender CS.
Music Nomad makes a lot of great tools but, I just got my grubby hands on the Fret Guru Dagger crowning file. It's a Diamond file as well. There are some very cool new tools out there that can allow even a Fred Flinstone like me to do all of my own work. I figure, once you get past 5 to 8 guitars, it's time to invest in tools and skills. With all of that said, if I can get it through Stew-Mac, I will do that, why? It's a small business in Ohio and I would hate to see it close. All of us can vote with our hard earned dollars and as a matter of loyalty, I would pay a few more dollars with a local business instead of the big box stores. Every guitarist/bassist can be their own tech. To be sure, nowadays we really don't know how good the local tech is. If they even care about their work. That's why I just do it myself. I will try any repair on my stuff
Haha, nice to see the PG Spark 40 on your bench! Still liking it Phil? Love, love, love my OG Spark 40. 3+ years and still going perfectly and its been 100% off AC Grid for 99% of its life. XD
I knew exactly which tool it was before pressing play. I just installed some SS frets and this is the tool I’ve been looking into. For sure buying one soon, thankfully only a frets are off after installing because I’m horrible at crowning so I’m not going to finish off the leveling and crowning till I buy one of these.
Sold out everywhere! Thanks Phillip LOL
Great video as always Philip!
So just to confirm, you recommend the fret kisser for leveling and the music nomad for crowning?
The Music Nomad fret crowning tool is current out of stock with a message stating, "we don't know when this will be back in stock".
Wow. I am going to need to get that tool.
Entered the contest, also!
I usually do ordinary fretfile first like fretguru / triangle. Then last strokes with expensive diamond file on ss frets.
I saw Music Nomad's Tri Bar straight edge which I placed on my Amazon wish list. So I would suggest that along with file and rocker. I would be bad to file a fret that seemed high because the neck wasn't straight, I would think.
Damnit Phil now I need to get a new file 😃
Wow! both tools are still worth the amount with the positive results at the end. Especially if we own more than one guitar
The acoustic sounds beautiful. I loved its tone when you played it on Fridays show live. Today’s tone is just as sweet. Thanks for sharing Phil
I have a Z file and I’ve tried everything else. The Z file is amaaaazing. It makes a nice tight crown and actually reduced a lot of buzz with large frets that have a wide crown (which drives me nuts)
Phil I think you are the best motivation l speaker for guitar nerds , thanks for all you do
Very insightful video. Thank you for sharing
How much damage on the frets can there be to still have this tool work? Example: your frets are notched from years of use?
For that i do the job with a crimson guitars 3 corner file , is difficult at the beginning to use but then is amazing to use and very good but that file of music nomad is very amazing too i think ,very good idea
I like the under string diamond spot file and the diamond z file. Fastest tools out there for a high fret. I like the music nomad nut files for fine tuning the slot height - take it out of the holder- 🤷🏼♂️