How to Tell if a Guitar Has Bad Frets

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  • Опубликовано: 21 авг 2017
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    / drewsguitarshop
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    Drew's Guitar Shop
    West Seattle Guitar Repair
    Used and vintage Instruments
    www.drewsguitarshop.com
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Комментарии • 63

  • @zeppelin_guitar
    @zeppelin_guitar 24 дня назад

    I was today years old when I learned why "crowning" is so important. Thanks!

  • @lukebancroft5649
    @lukebancroft5649 3 года назад +2

    I appreciate how good you are at explaining things! Like your in no hurry but don’t blab or waste words or speak distractingly. I actually feel like I’m retaining and understanding what you are saying which isn’t the case with a lot of luthiers on RUclips.

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  3 года назад +1

      Thank you so much for the feedback! I appreciate it. Thats what I hope for with my videos.

  • @morsl47
    @morsl47 5 лет назад +2

    You have my sub. The only video I found that would help me diagnose my problem. I thought as much but I'm not a luthier and it's always better to be able to make an informed decision. Thank you.

  • @MrBikboi
    @MrBikboi Год назад +2

    This is simply great, thanks for making this and informing us as the consumer.

  • @SonOfCreator69
    @SonOfCreator69 5 лет назад +2

    This was a Great video! Very Thorough! Thank you!

  • @Fantech100
    @Fantech100 4 года назад +1

    It doesn't get any better than this for an explanation, great job!!!

  • @leoolivero963
    @leoolivero963 2 года назад

    Very detailed. Thank you!

  • @jasonepperson8243
    @jasonepperson8243 6 месяцев назад +1

    Heck yeah man thanks you you told me just what I needed to know

  • @beep8771
    @beep8771 6 лет назад +2

    Really informative. Thank you very much from germany :)

  • @Rohitsinghlive
    @Rohitsinghlive 2 года назад

    Very well Explained. Thank you!!

  • @ianybanez6884
    @ianybanez6884 2 года назад

    Amazing knowledge 🙌🏽

  • @westsguitar4046
    @westsguitar4046 3 года назад

    Very informative. Thank you

  • @budandbean1
    @budandbean1 7 лет назад +1

    Hey Drew, really enjoyed your video today, it was really nice to see all the different examples you listed. Hope you have time to do more videos, yours are really great, thanks.

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  7 лет назад

      Thank you! I am really glad! Yes, I definitely plan on making more videos like this one. The idea is to put them into a playlist of things to look for when buying used guitars. Thank you!

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  5 лет назад

      Thank you! :)

  • @uk7769
    @uk7769 6 лет назад +12

    Wow those frets gave their all! Worn flat.

  • @rickschiaffo618
    @rickschiaffo618 6 лет назад +1

    Excellent video. Thank you.

  • @randolphwalker
    @randolphwalker 3 года назад

    Excellent tutorial thank you

  • @kenhughes4715
    @kenhughes4715 5 лет назад +2

    Excellent video. Frets are the first thing I check when looking at used guitars.

  • @williamjahn7514
    @williamjahn7514 Год назад

    I have built my own electric guitars from scratch not kits and did frets and everything including slotting the board . I always made a point of test cutting slots to be certain the fit was perfect.
    I have bought a few lower priced acoustics new because at my age now can't afford much.
    One brand made in China I had to send back 2 to get one that actually was playable. It was in the $200 range. They used odd sized bridge pins so I reamed them to fit 3 degree which was close. The Reverb dealer did at least check it out and did a bit of leveling mostly from the 14th to 20th fall away I prefer maybe 3 fret fall away but it is what it is but they didn't re crown them. I just replaced the tuning keys with better ones these were copies of Kluson I used open gear still made in China but better. Beside they didn't even bother to line them up.
    I am about to fix the sprout but not because of board shrinkage just bad installation many have complained about on this brand. I later bought another of the same brand that was at the $400 mark it's much better , frets are level but not crowned and of course none ever round the bevel edges.
    Some I have are in the $400 range and did a much better job. I only have 5 acoustics. Odd the cheap under $200 range the frets are perfect also made in China.
    The one I'm working on now and I don't do repair work for anyone else will be fine once I get the frets level and crowned even with the fall away and the fact I use the entire 20 frets when I play. I don't see loose frets but can get .002" paper under all so they are seated just not the best frets on earth where the crown meets the tang.

  • @dungeonwolf7274
    @dungeonwolf7274 6 лет назад +6

    Hey Drew, why is that machine head attached to the side of the guitar neck (12:53)?

  • @zelrius8714
    @zelrius8714 Год назад

    Thanks for this video. My mom gave me a used guitar someone gave her and I think the frets are too low. I realized I had to press down really hard like it felt uncomfortable and like i had to press down too far. I’m new so I had no clue if I couldn’t press it or if the guitar was the problem. I have no clue what to do now

  • @legalsolutions07
    @legalsolutions07 5 лет назад +1

    Good vid. What's the minimum fret height needed (on a solid body electric) to perform a crown/dress/polish?

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  5 лет назад

      Well, that depends who you ask. IMO, my answer would depend on the guitar. I'd take a student level something down farther than I would take something high end. The answer you might get from a roberto venn instructor would be something like "40% of the original fret height" but personally, I don't like that answer because there would be a big diff in some instances. I think I'd avoid going lower than about .030" or so but this is the sort of thing I eyeball these days.

    • @christianboddum8783
      @christianboddum8783 4 года назад +1

      @@DrewsGuitarShop totally agree. In milimeters it's 0,8 mm. FYI

  • @techno31
    @techno31 Год назад +2

    This video was super helpful. I bought a guitar on Craigslist, and after watching your video I think it has fret issues 😞 it’s a 2008 esp ltd h401fm. Beautiful guitar but I’m scared to ask how much a fret job would cost. I bought it without knowing these possible issues. if it’s not worth it to get it fixed, should I just sell the guitar and buy a brand new one?

  • @mymadeupdreams
    @mymadeupdreams 6 лет назад +1

    Really informational, thank for posting this. I had bought a Martin from the 90s at almost half its current cost from the original owner. The action was really high so I adjusted the truss rod until I didn't have any string buzz, but it's still a bit hard to play compared to my other acoustic. There's a bit of fret wear (definitely not as bad as the one in this video) but certain frets get a buzz. Aside from adjusting the truss rod and dressing the frets, are there any other factors that contribute to the guitar's playability?
    Can't wait to see what else you have to teach!

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  6 лет назад

      I've been meaning to do a video, or probably more likely a series of videos about action and setups. Its a really complex thng to explain though with lots of variables and is also such a common thing to ask about that I want to be sure to do a really high quality and thorough video when I do one, so I'm still mulling that one over/waiting for a good example to two to come across the bench. In your case, I'd say that it could likely be a setup issue instead of or as well as a fret issue. With the truss rod, I'd want to make sure that the relief is running between .004 (I think this is way too light but its supposedly what Dan Erlewine likes) to .015 ( think this is heavy, but its what I have seen a number of qualified people prefer). I like to set mine on acoustics around .010 to .012 depending on the scale and gauges. Too little or too much relief can cause buzzing and playability issues. The rest of the action on an acoustic will come down to what the nut,saddle, top are doing. I'd say that taking it to a good shop would probably be my best advice.

  • @ranman58635
    @ranman58635 3 года назад +1

    I made exactly the mistake you warned of. Found one fret that has a few dents in it. Darn! Will cost me now.

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  3 года назад +1

      You might be able to get away with a partial refret depending on the condition of the rest of them. I wish you luck.

  • @Esperia-ef9xh
    @Esperia-ef9xh Год назад

    ❤❤❤

  • @deg050607
    @deg050607 5 лет назад

    I have a 1984 Washburn acoustic that has wear marks under the first 5 frets at the B and E strings.And especially under the 2nd and 3rd frets...I can't properly tune this guitar anymore.Should I try taking the frets off (I have never done any guitar repair) and swap them out somewhere else on the guitar or flip them 180 degrees and put them back on ? Is fret work hard to do ?? Or should I junk it? I paid 3 hundred for this guitar in 1984..I think you mentioned fret replacement as costly. Any advice would be greatly appreciated....

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  5 лет назад

      I'd not attempt a fret job unless you were sure of your skills or are willing to sacrifice the guitar to a learning experience. $200-$300 is typical for a full refret but you should take it to a qualified luthier so they can see it in person and give you both and opinion and an estimate.

    • @deg050607
      @deg050607 5 лет назад

      @@DrewsGuitarShop Thank you for the info...If I didn't live a thousand miles or so east of Seattle I'd bring it to your shop......

    • @budzmanson2747
      @budzmanson2747 5 лет назад

      @@DrewsGuitarShop wow cant beleive how lucky i am tohave myown luther he gives me amazing deals

    • @robertshorthill4153
      @robertshorthill4153 3 года назад

      DEG. There are lots of good vids on how to do the job yourself. Watch twoodfrd, Randy Shartigar, or Rosa String Works, just to name a few. You can get a few tools, from StewMac, if you choose, and a hardware store and save yourself a lot of money from having it done by a professional luthier. Get a diamond sharpening plate, like a DMT, extra fine grit for leveling, a fret hammer, some proper fret wire, again from StewMac, a soldering iron, thin exacto knife with a new blade. Some fine grit silicon carbide paper at auto parts store. (It sounds like a scavenger hunt, I know, but worth the adventure and effort). Watch these vids and you will see the job can be done by nearly anyone if they just take their time. Who knows, maybe your friends will bring their guitars to you to re-fret and you can charge them a hundred bucks or so. Good luck-- I encourage you to learn how to do this, as in maybe 20 years or less you may need to re-fret this guitar again, then kiss another chunk of cash goodbye. Cheers,. Bob

  • @fenderstratguy
    @fenderstratguy 5 лет назад +2

    This is such an important topic!!!
    I have a beautiful Korean acoustic guitar that used to buzz like a madman when I bought it.
    She had some body dings and a few of the upper frets were worn and yes, she did buzz noticeably.
    But the guitar had a beautiful, lively spruce top and inlaid rosewood neck, and the seller was only wanting $65 for both guitar and a matching hard case.
    Fortunately, I own the entire StewMac refret tool kit.
    The upper 4-5 frets nearest the nut needed replacement, but the rest of the frets were not worn.
    New frets went in easily, and were a perfect match. Sanded 'em, leveled them and dressed and recrowned them. No more buzzing near the nut.
    The next issue was a persistent neck buzz in the old frets near the neck-body joint.
    Those frets above the body joint are not really accessible and no one I know plays up there.
    So several of those frets were filed down across the whole fingerboard.
    This got almost every last bit of fret buzz out of my neck. Sounds like a different instrument now, it's so clean and clear. Rings like a cannon and no more Ravi Shankar solos. Next time I change strings, I'll file a little more off the frets near that body joint, and that should kill the last of the buzzing.

  • @bome4691
    @bome4691 2 года назад

    Fret Rockers is a great name for a band.

  • @michaelzschoche2746
    @michaelzschoche2746 4 года назад +2

    I don’t understand how stew Mac charges insane prices for a piece of machined metal. They do make good tools, but they are very very expensive for what they are. A fret rocker is just a flat piece of machines metal that cost 30 when it should be like maybe 10.

    • @disco4535
      @disco4535 4 года назад +2

      They charge it because people buy it. Do you know of any good alternatives?

    • @andy_182
      @andy_182 2 года назад

      Why do you get to decide what an item sells for? Good luck making your own fret rocker for 10$

  • @michaelzschoche2746
    @michaelzschoche2746 4 года назад +1

    Doesn’t Gibson make their frets flat on the top? Every Les Pauls I’ve owned or seen all had flat top frets.

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  4 года назад

      I wont say that it's every gibson but gibson is known for it and I have had more than a few on my bench to get crowned. It's not a good thing to leave frets flat on top and it does cause issues on the gibsons where thats been the case.

  • @officialaudio1884
    @officialaudio1884 4 года назад +1

    I bought a 60$ guitar and it sounds bad, like the e string buzzs every time i strum hard, is it because it's cheap, yea maybe 100%

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  4 года назад +1

      A builder might charge anywhere from 2-30k to build a guitar. with that as a bench mark, how many corners do you suppose get cut on a $60 guitar?

  • @ronsheppard9895
    @ronsheppard9895 6 лет назад +1

    Thanks ... I wish you would have named names on problem guitar brands . Fore warned is fore armed :)

    • @DrewsGuitarShop
      @DrewsGuitarShop  5 лет назад +1

      The usual offenders are the sort of thing that most people should expect. There is a reason that to build a guitar a luthier will charge $$$$ and that reason is that that is what the time costs to build a quality instrument. If your instrument cost $$$ or worse, $$ than chances are they cut corners and frets are a really common corner to cut. Most out of the factory setups are high and hide the buzz that bad frets would cause and unfortunatly a lot of buyers dont know that and buy based on what looks good. The brands I see bad frets on would be a very long list but in general, I'd expect bad frets on anything that came out of a south east asian sweatshop.

    • @TheGovernanceNavigator
      @TheGovernanceNavigator 3 года назад

      @@DrewsGuitarShop alot of them have gotten better, but still the really cheap ones can be terrible

  • @alexpearson7693
    @alexpearson7693 3 года назад

    Mines not even worth fixing.. tried feet work and it worked for two years or so

  • @CamRebires
    @CamRebires 2 года назад

    Fret level: homeless

    • @CamRebires
      @CamRebires 2 года назад

      Nice video! You have a really natural way of explaining and presenting things