Choosing A Fret Leveling Tool
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- In this video, I will explain what to consider when shopping for a fret leveling tool. If you would like to help support my channel and get something cool in return, please consider the following:
www.eguitarplan...
/ highlineguitars
![Comparison: [FRET LEVELLING TOOLS] Diamond File vs Levelling Beam vs Radius Block](/img/1.gif)
I'm starting my refret journey. The tools are slowly arriving at my house. They are not stewmac quality but also not amazon quality. They are bought at luthier chops which sell their own brand. I didn't purchased all at once because that was too much money. I have 13 guitars and at least 3 of them could benefit from a refret. When I would pay a decent luthier for refretting and set-up the guitars it would cost me a lot more. I'm starting off with a cheap but good Epiphone Dot (ES335 clone) for practicing. Eventually I alsowant to do this for my guitar playing friends if needed . It's a hobby inside the hobby. I already set-up my own guitars with great results but some of them I cannot get optimal because of fret issues. Your videos teach me a lot of things so thank you for that. I'm subscribing.
Having the tools and the skill to level the frets is also good for buying guitars, if you’re looking for a guitar to play and not a collector, you can by a more budget friendly guitar and do a little fret work and setup work and save money
I really enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice video. Question regarding using the 12” home built tool for fret leveling- even if the height increased due to the fret wire, wouldn’t it still keep the same radius?
I compare it to setting the action height for strings. If you add 5/64 for string height across the 12th fret on all strings, isn’t that also matching the radius of the fretboard?
I really like the leveling beam, and before I bring it out, I go over the frets with the fret rocker and a file, to take down the higher frets first. I find this gets the leveling done quicker, and I don't have to remove more material than I have to.
Thanks for the video, Chris!
Cheers.
100% agree on spot leveling first. It also helps you examine the frets for any other flaws like ends popping up.
@@michaelmenkes8085 - Exactly, loose ends are common, and can be over-looked if simply leveling the whole board.
Have a great day!
Thank you sir. Where do you get the strips of sandpaper with the adhesive on it?
Stewmac.
the mask tape on the 13th to 14th fret to CREATE the falloff angle ....
this was THE TIP on this video for me. thanks a lot man.
Fantastic video. I love it - a calm, thorough, unbiased explanation of various tools and their pros and cons. This is what RUclips should be. Subscribed.
Wow, thanks!
Very annoying when your pointing at something and we don't get to see it....the camera is in the wrong position
I'll fire the stupid cameraman.
I just subscribed. Best videos on RUclips. You really have me in a conundrum on that 12 inch radius difference between nut and end. My brain is telling me that 12 is 12 and that's that. Anyway , I agree .047 is almost microscopic. Thanks for taking the time to create these fantastic videos !!
I use a vintage, cast aluminum, 18" level from the 1950's. Double sided tape and different grits on each side like yours.
Here's an interesting point of truth in mathematics:
if a person is using a flat beam to radius the frets on an already radiused fretboard, and you're matching the fretboard curve, then yes the radius at the height of the frets would be 12.047".
however, if you're using a pre-curved radius beam to create the radius on the fretboard (and later the frets), then the beam *MUST* produce a 12" radius in both cases, and both the fretboard and frets will be radiused to 12". it's the centerpoint which shifts by 0.047". The fretboard and frets will have two different center points.
That said, like Chris pointed out, it's not a significant enough difference for the hands / fingers to feel.
Totally agree
Absolutely correct !
I knew he was going to pull out the fret kisser
Hes right. That's why I'll be using a truss rod to level
Excellent job explaining the technique you use. I just my Black & Red guitar and Stay Calm Shirts. Very nice, soft, the designs are well printed. Can’t wait to wear the Red Guitar shirt to the Yngwie Concert in 3 weeks.
Thank you for the video! I'm also interested in learning what files you like to use for fret leveling.
The masking tape is a great tip. I had a guitar that had a super high 23rd fret, and it made it so that anything played on the 22nd and 21st frets were all the same note. Adding in a slight slope with my beam tidied that all right up.
Great info! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
No video on the painting of the guitar??
This video isn't part of that series. Part 14 will premiere in a couple of weeks.
I don't like the leveling beam for this because you may be leveling in a vertical sense, but you can't guarantee you've maintained your radius because the leveling beam doesn't have a radius. I tend to spot-level high frets individually with my three-corner file and when I no longer get rock from the fret rocker I give it several passes with my radius block. I don't want to be contacting 20 frets with sandpaper just to level individual frets. I am dealing with all those little peaks and valleys with every stroke and taking material off perfectly good frets.
and you're wrong on the radius block creating different radius based on width of the fret. If you radiused your trapezoid with a rectangular radius block with even radius across it, you are giving the board the same even radius, then fretting to that radius.
No, I am not wrong. It's simple physics. If you press a fret wire into a fretboard with a radius of X, the bottom of the fret wire will have the same radius as the fretboard (X) . The top of the fret wire, however, will have a radius equal to the fretboard (X) plus the height of the fret wire (Y). If X=12" and Y=.047" the bottom of the fret wire will have a radius 12" while the top of the fret wire will have a radius of 12.047". If you were to draw the radii as full circles centered on each other, the fretboard and the bottom of the fret wire will have a diameter of 24" while the top of the fret wire will have a diameter of 24.094". If you were to copy the 24" circle and move it up to intersect the top of the 24.094" circle you will see the 24" circle shrinks in from the 24.094" circle as you follow their circumference. Therefore, if you were to use a 12" radius sanding block to level these frets, you would grind down the ends of the fret wire before the center of the block contacts the top center of the fret wire. In reality, the amount of material you would grind off the ends of the fret wire is so fantastically small, it's not worth fussing about.
@@michaelmenkes8085 The radius of the fingerboard and the radius of the leveled fret crowns will be the same--12" R--but they will not be concentric.
The radiuses of the crowns and bottom edges of fret tangs on pre-radiused fret wire are concentric. However, after those frets have been pressed into a 12" R fingerboard and subsequently leveled by running a 12" R sanding block over them very slightly more metal will be removed off the top of the frets toward the outside edges of the board versus at the apogee along the centerline of the neck.
If hypothetical for example the pressed-in frets are .047" tall, the radius of the fingerboard and the tops of the frets will be the same after level sanding using the 12" R block however the radius center points are offset by .047". Thus why the resulting 12" R of the fingerboard versus the 12"R of the tops of the frets will not be concentric.
As an example, think of how we can draw a crescent shape using a circle template--4" Dia template for example--by making two 2" R semi-circular arches with the ends touching to close the shape simply by shifting the center point of the circle template up from the center of the first semi-circle.
@@YTPartyTonight all of that is irrelevant to the process and it’s a false math. The arc defines the radius. The arc of the board and arc of the fret are identical. You are layering the same circle on top of the original, not creating a larger circle.
@@michaelmenkes8085 Nonsense, there's no false math.
The radius of the fingerboard and the radius sanding block is the SAME--12" R. The resulting radius across the top of dressed frets, created by the radius sanding block is also the SAME--12". With that method of fret leveling, you will NOT create a circle or radius larger than 12" R--CORRECT.
HOWEVER (read carefully here), by that method, you will NOT be layering a 12" R circle ON TOP OF the other/original 12" R circle--that would be impossible unless you were to sand the frets away, down to flush to the fingerboard, leaving only the fret tangs in the slots; effectively creating what would be called a lined fretless guitar.
What you're not factoring in is the height of frets, measured to their crown from the fingerboard. Jescar 47090 fret wire is .047" tall, not including the tang. 12" + .047" = 12.047" This is math, not false math.
These are the facts of the matter. Take it or leave it. Whether any of these facts are irrelevant to you is irrelevant to me. Good luck with your adventures in luthiery.
Cool video, to fret under tension or not? Of course i can ask this here. thx in advance for potential answer
Are you asking if it's okay to install frets while the neck is under string tension?
@@HighlineGuitars Sorry i'm asking to file down frets aka fret leveling under the string tension. What is your opinion about it, is it necessary or not? Some people do it and i see it's hit last few years, so i was hoping for your opinion on that topic. I do it without string tension, some other say it's must to to leveling under string tension. Thx in advance
@@bobibobik5903 I don't do it because I make brand-new guitars with mostly level necks. If I have around 10 thou of relief at the 8-9th fret, that's not enough to warrant leveling under actual or simulated string tension even if the guitar is set up with super low string action. I think leveling under string tension is more useful to luthiers who specialize in repair work since vintage instruments can have rollercoaster necks.
@@HighlineGuitars Thank you 👍for the answer i appreciate it a lot. Yes i know you make great new guitars, i like their look.
I'm into pickups for last 30 years, and when it comes to guitars i do repairs but also a sort of ''bolting on'' since i don't have such nice space and all those tools so i'm depending from a friend or on line orders to cut me a guitar body on a CNC and neck ( mostly shapes S, super S, and T). Then i go from there. So it's not building from zero as you do it Sir. But i hope that one i will make some small work shop.
Thx once more 👍
If your fretboard has a radius do the frets necessarily need to be radiused as well?😊
Yes.
File method still works best......several ways its the best but it takes skill to learn from a pro. Levels work ok but slowly for beginners.
Thanks!!! Nice!
I’m impressed with the content and information on the channel concerning guitar building and maintenance,good job for straight and honest stuff ,I usually learn something from watching your vids 👍😎
I'm a bit surprised by the 15th fret to 24th fall off idea. Doesn't that screw up the action on upper frets? Indeed - it seems it makes it impossible to have good action high up the neck. Would you do this as a matter of course on all necks or only resort to this if a problem came up. If the latter, it begs the question why it is a problem on some necks and not others. What do you think about using a carpenter's level as a leveling beam (with stick on sandpaper)?
Yes, fall off will affect the action at the upper frets. I only do fall off if it's absolutely necessary, which usually happens as a result of a guitar's specific design. In order for a beam to do its job properly, the surfaces where you stick the sandpaper have to be precision ground for flatness. A carpenter's level usually doesn't have precision ground surfaces. That doesn't mean you can't use one for fret leveling, but it probably won't do the job as well as a beam made for the purpose.
Its a micro measurement, your eyes will never notice it.
thank you
The Fretkisser is amazing
Out of stock everywhere
Thank you !!!!!
You're welcome!
What if you mostly only do spot leveling, but occasionally have to do a full fret level?
Would an 8 inch or 10 inch work fine? I just use the marker trick to check how much I'm sanding down, so I figure that would help me keep it even.
I think the longer beam is way more useful.
What about guitars that have a compound radius? This is pretty common on modern guitars - certainly for more heavy music oriented guitars. A beam with a fixed radius isn't going to accommodate a compound radius and you could mess up your frets. Do you recommend shorter radiused blocks to use on different parts of the fretboard?
I don't use a radius block on compound (conical) fretboards. I use a short leveling beam.
Good info. Thanks.
No problem!
Thanks, Chris.
You're welcome!
I find all of your videos incredibly informative. Thank you.
Glad you like them! More to come.
Now if you had a video about nut filing and/or a reasonably priced endorsed set that ships to UK without Gibson prices that would be cool.
I used a hacksaw blade, a ceramic tile saw, a needle file. I can't justify the Mac and Chiz $100 per file ones.
There are sets out there, be it StewMac or otherwise, for under $100. StewMac has lower prices now and it's $15 per file, or $25 for a double sided file. A set of 6 will be under $100. I don't know what the shipping would be to the UK, but there are UK luthier suppliers like CrimsonGuitars.
If you make a lot of nuts, a set of proper nut slotting files is a good investment. Also, they do wear out eventually and StewMac will replace them when that happens.
@asterisk606 maybe I should look again. The cheap (many dollars) items off the rainforest company were poor.
Nut adjustment is so fundamental and so poorly done on most mass produced guitars that a few hundred dollars can pay for itself interms of tuning at lower frets and playability. The only two guitars out of the box that were good (in my collection).
Burny LS55-s. Crafted in Japan.
Gibson Steinberger bass - that had a zero fret.
All the rest were about quarter tone out. When I was beginning on bass I thought it was my technique. Nope.
@HighlineGuitars maybe a brief review of the tools would be cool. Get an endorsement link from SM? Or any other brand you like. I recall you made a video about zero frets. I really like them but they are not common.
MusicNomad has nut files too
I use a wooden beam for fret levelling. I check it against a straight edge from time to time and it never changes. It will certainly be more stable over time than any guitar neck.