Nicely done. I bought a decent Cordoba from a shop because an Amazon comment on the guitar suggested I do that, if the shop checked and fixed any minor flaws they found in the guitar, as you have shown so nicely here. Anyone buying a guitar from Amazon might consider doing the same thing. I got my Cordoba from Calido Guitars, I couldn't be happier with it. They lowered the action, checked the frets, made sure there was no buzzing, etc.
I use a longer abrasive block (eg box section alu) for dressing the frets to ensure final flatness. I like your protective "bibs". You cover essential details to regarding sound and action. It is a fine guitar maker who can get the fretting right first time without the slightest buzz!
I like your determination. There is nothing like experimentation and mistakes. When I made my first mandolin I also made a case. I put the latches on upside down. It worked but it was inconvenient. I showed the instrument and case to an old Spanish trained luthier and he said, " You'll never do that again."
Thanks for the compliment. In 1965 I started to imported Jose Ramirez guitar from Spain with my father. From that time I had opportunities to observe many great Spanish makers. In the 1980's I was supplying soundboard wood to Spanish makers. At that time I made a mandolin from a book. I taught myself French Polishing and then was tutored by a master French cabinet makers. By the 1990's I was importing Spanish guitars full time and needed to learn to do repairs.
This luthier knows of what he speaks.... All that was missing was showing what relief (not all classicals have a truss rod) is and bridge height. Thanks for passing on your knowledge in this vid, Ron.
In 1994 I spent 2 months making a video with Benito Huipe on making guitars with hand tools. Through the 90's I visited the Esteve, Sanchis and Mervi workshops in Madrid and shops in Granada, Cordoba and Madrid. In 2000 I finally attended a luthery school for 10 days and learned techniques of Kenny Hill. My membership in the Guild of American Luthiers has given me the opportunity to speak with and observe American and Canadian Luthiers. For 2 decades I also have visited makers in Portugal.
Well, I have learned a bit by watching you, and I appreciate the video. It seems you are really good at dressing frets and use your time efficiently, I tend to take way too long doing fret work. I like how you polished the frets with a rotary tool; its much more efficient than using my hands. I am glad there are people like you making videos. There are some other videos on the net that aren't very good. Thx for the response to my question. :)
Let me tell you what I did this With an expensive Jackson and it works the guitar buzz is all gone al playing power cords at any spot on the neck sound incredible I just did it today it only took about 2 hrs the thing sounds like it did when i bought it I think some of the frets I used more than others over this past Yr. caused immature ware to it Im so relieved. Thank You Dan!!
@FernandezMusic This is a good question. The simple answer is you learn by experience. The way I think of it is that I try first to hammer the fret in and then I check it with a straight edge across 3 frets. If the hammering did not work I look at the fret slot from the side to see whether the fret slot was sawed deeply enough. If I determine that I cannot hammer the fret in deep enough I sand the fret. I continually check my work with a small straight edge. I hope this helps.
@musicofz I suspect that some Ovations have a tendency to crack on the soundboard when there is low humidity because the body is too rigid to allow for the sides to move along with the shrinking of the soundboard. According to Jose Oribe's book the Fine Guitar, a spruce soundboard of a classical guitar expands across the lower bout by 3mm when the humidity changes from 25% to 95%; a western red cedar soundboard expands by 2mm.
Fantastic video. This is great information for me. I am building my own experimental guitars, and I know nothing about fret work. The only thing i dont' have is a crowning file, but i'll just do what I can for now. Thanks!
Interesting. Wish you'd been the one who adjusted and set up my Esteve back in 98 when I got it. Had it these 10 years with an off center nut and really high action. Didn't know how hard it was to play till I got my hands on a hand-made instrument with lower action and found I wasn't such a bad player after all. I love my Esteve but I need to get it adjusted now bcz I'm spoiled. It gets little play time now.
@FernandezMusic Thanks for the response. 6th string-low E, measures 4.77mm @ 12th fret. 1st string-high E, measures 4.39mm @ 12th fret. Saddle is projecting 4.33mm @ 6th string and 3.86 @ 1st string. Your suggestions would be much appreciated. This being an inexpensive guitar I think the saddle is plastic, not bone. and it measures 1.87mm thick. Again I do not know yet if the saddle is glued in or not. I am assuming the nut is glued in place as the top is exposed
I agree that stability of the fretboard is a good idea. A good neck jig could be very helpful. We should look at your design. When I refret a guitar I secure the head of the guitar with clamps in my bench vise, however, when I dress frets I simply rest the neck on a cork block which has a surface upon which the neck doesn't tend to move. I should point out that whether you use a neck jig or not, the checking of your work with the little straight edge over 3 frets at a time is very important.
hi ron: that was great tecnique to file and level d frets.another technique is to tighten the truss road all the way an then use a C clamp at the headstock with a little piece of wood in between.now clamp it and tighten the C clamp until you get the neck straight(this way you are simulating string tension on d neck in real playing position).
Ok thanks for the clarification. What I am ultimately wanting to do is lower the action closer to the nut. I have researched two different ways to go about this... 1.) Taking the nut off and sanding it down slightly from the bottom. 2.) Filing down the string grooves a bit so they sit in the nut a bit lower. I am leaning more towards option one. Any input would be appreciated.
The fretboards of some electric guitars are lacquered or there is binding and purfling along the edges which must be protected, or there are inlays in the fingerboard which should not be scratched. The classical guitar fretboard is raw wood without inlays or edge binding. We do not worry about scratching it because we have very fine sandpapers to smooth it and steel wool to polish it if we wish.
Hi Mr Fernandez, I have a new classical guitar with a truss rod. What's the proper initial setting for the trussrod? Or rather, how do you know when the rod needs to be adjusted vs the saddle or nut needs to be filed vs the frets needing to be dressed since it is a brand new guitar. And I noticed that you sanded the frets by checking their levelness using a straight edge on 3 frets at a time. Why wouldn't you use a longer straight edge and level using the whole length of the guitar neck? Thanks!
Hi, awesome video/tutorial !!! Can u give some adviceabout a problem i have ... ? My acoustic guitar fell down and it kicked the first E string in 12th fret, so now there is mark in it, a cut, which bothers me since i cant do pulls on that fret now without the string stucking in the little gap ... is there a way that i can fill that little thin cut with something and "sand it out" so that i dont need to replace the fret? Thank you !!!
Thanks Sir i was thinking on leaving there my first guitar now i would like to did it what you do to feel it great again, its bad cuz in around here there's not good luthiers
Great video. I have a Yamaha G-55A classical giutar and wanted to know how to lower the action on it. I'm not sure if the nut or the saddle are glued in on my guitar. Is there any other way to lower the action? And is sanding the saddle the prefered method for lowering the action?
@filmwatcher999 This is absolutely the correct way to check the levelness of 3 frets at a time. In this video I am concerned with eliminating high frets. The issue of "neck relief" is a different matter. Neck relief is a slight curvature in the neck which is necessary to reduce string buzzing. Steel string guitars usually adjust neck relief with a truss rod. For classical guitars a slight amount of neck relief is worked into the fretboard.
Ive seen videos where they tell you the name of the special tape, its not just called masking but a special tape that luthiers use to protect the fretboard wood from being scratched. Im sorry I did not know the name of the special tape, but I know as a professional that you know what your doing. I suspected it was because the metal frets on a classical may be much larger then on an electric. I respect your abilities and do not question them, I just wanted to learn. Thank you Sir !!!
This is a pretty good video. Is this mainly to be done on new guitars? It seems a topic that was missed is the general straightness of the neck, though I suppose on classical guitars the lower string tension will not warp a neck like steel strings. But isn't that something that you should check for?
ronfernandez: ok, I thought that one on d video had a truss road.i run a little guitar repair/set up in one of my rooms mostly electrics sometimes I get acustics and like you mentioned sometimes d buzz comes from loose braces.saddle or truss road vibrating in its channel under the fretboard.thnks for your great video im in westminster ca.would b nice to know why OVATION GUITARS usually crack at the top.
It is an Esteve 7 made in Spain. The present Esteve 7 has different tuners. I have been importing Esteve guitars since the early 1990's. I have imported 13,000 guitars from Spain and I have set-up and dressed the frets on the last 8,000 of these guitars. I also import guitars of Juan Hernandez, Manuel Adalid, Vicente Sanchis and Felix Manzanero. In the mid-1960's my family and I imported guitars from Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Arcangel Fernandez, Juan Alvarez and Manuel de la Chica.
Scotch/3M makes a blue tape called Painter's tape and Shurtap has a tape called 14-Dat ShurRELEASE BLUE. There is a warning with both of these tapes not to use on lacquer or uncured finishes. There is a white tape which has a very light adhesive which I sometimes to it is called Drafting tape. It is usually used to keep paper edges down for architects.
I do not know what strings Rollins uses and it would be nice to find out. While the tension of the strings is a important factor in string height there are a few others such as the neck inclination, the amount of neck relief, the right hand technique of the player, saddle height AND the stiffness of the lower bout of the soundboard. Stiffness is largely a result of the inherent quality of the wood, thickness of the top, amount of doming, and height and placement of braces.
If I sent you a guitar for a check up like you demonstrated in this video, what would you charge? I have a Yamaha F-310 acoustic guitar that needs some minor fixes like this and I believe you're the man for the job. Its not an expensive guitar, but it's what I learned to play on and sounds really nice so I would like it fixed up some. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
@weaponx29 you can but the safe way would to keep the nut you have now and put the locking nut just behind that one. If there isn't room then make sure that you DO NOT cut into the fingerboard, cut in from the nut slot back towards the headstock, you will in intonate right if you do
Oh wow, what kind of model guitar is that? Mine has the SAME tuning machine plates, as well as the machines themselves. Mine is a Kremona Orpheus Valley Granada built in Bulgaria. The video was interesting, always nice to know how to do it if needed.
@weaponx29 you can replace it with a locking nut but you'll have to modify your guitar, it would be a good idea to take it to a pro at this point. but if you want to do it yourself just remember that if you cut into the fret board towards the bridge you wont be able to intonate correctly.
Thanks for your comments. There are various techniques for dressing frets. What I have shown is the way I currently work on frets for nylon string guitars. I do not know if what you are suggesting is an improvement or not over the way I refine the frets on classical and flamenco guitar. Perhaps someone else could make a video so we could see the benefit of the technique you mention.
So is it safe to use them, as the warning makes me nervous...another words, have You with your experience....have you used it on like a Fender Strat or Gibson and had good results ??? Thank you so much for your time you have given me on this subject. I really am considering becoming a amateur luthier who can do minor setups for people who dont know how, and there are almost none in my area unless you drive 30 miles or more. Thank You !
Sir, how do you adjust a bent classical guitar neck? I have one and it's very hard to play the high frets when the neck bent too much but I can't find the truss rod.
@1950sparks. They should but they don't. Go check the guitars at your local guitar store and you will find high and uneven frets on most of the classicals. The nut and saddle are usually set too high at the factories because the stores do not want the guitars to buzz. Generally, uneven frets are found on factory guitars but I have found then also on very expensive handmade guitars. Also it is important to realize that fret work is altered by humidity changes.
@fatrat440 Greetings. How high are the strings right now? Measure the height of the 6th string and the 1st string at the 12th fret--measure from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. How much bone saddle is projecting above the wood of the bridge? Do these measurements with a millimeter ruler and tell me what they are and I might be able to make a suggestion on how to proceed.
The bastard file with a wooden handle is a common tool available from luthier supply houses--it can also be easily made. I use sandpaper over the file because I can work in either direction. Whereas files become dull and can slip over the frets, new sandpaper always has the same amount of aggressive bite which allows me to have consistent control. You could also make a sanding tool from other material which are flat. In any case the important thing is to check your work with a straight edge
Hi Mr. Fernandez, I have Esteve guitar set up from your work shop. (Very nice guitar / setup) for the price. But anyway, My 1991 Jose Ramirez SP guitar (it's one of few dozen SP made from Ramirez shop) has buzzing on bass E string when I play just a bit strong. In addition when I take the finger off, it also gives longer and louder buzz than it should. Do you know what should be setup/fixed on it? If you were to take a look at it, Can I be able to take it to your shop? (I work in Irvine).
Hi. I'm interested in your comments concerning saddle set up. At 5:54 on you mention that the high edge should be toward the sound hole. I received a new classical guitar today and the low edge is towards the sound hole! Should I reverse this? If I do the the low end of the length wise slant will be at the 6th or low E string. Is this correct? Also, 6th string, 7th fret. How high in mm should the string be from the fret? Mine is 5mm! I feel this is too high. What do you think? Thanks.
@musicofz. Thanks. Since I deal with hand made Spanish classical and flamenco guitars that technique will not work because we do not use truss rods. The Spanish integrated neck-body construction (also called the Spanish foot method) is very strong so truss rods are unnecessary. In the Spanish method, the neck is carved, then the sides are inserted into slots in the neck, the face is added and then the back is glued on with the "foot" of the neck glued directly to the inside back of the guitar.
My new guitar came yesterday Taknime eg124c it was fine the first day then second day the action got higher and got difficult to play. Should I adjust the truss rod or shave the saddle?
Good looking Grandpa! My father's side was from Galicia Spain, north of Portugal, and my mother's side was from Poland. The Gallegos (people from Galicia Spain) are closely linked genetically, culturally and linguistically with the Portuguese. I was born in the area of Newark New Jersey which is sometimes know as Little Portugal, but often referred to as "Down Neck" or the Ironbound. In other videos you will see that I play the Portuguese guitarra in the Lisboa Style.
I experimented and found that with my dremel tool, the fret does not get hot at 5 seconds, at 10 seconds on the fret it is warm, at 15 seconds and longer it is too hot to the touch. I generally do not sit on the fret for a long time, if I want to shine it more I do it in short spans of time to prevent over heating. I would think that you could overheat with a rotary disc on a drill as well. It is really a matter of being aware of your work. I saw your video on locating dead frets. Thanks
@weaponx29 it depends on where they're buzzing, if they're buzzing on the 1st threw 5th fret then its most likely the nut. if it's buzzing else where then trying adjusting your bridge and or neck tention. if you have never adjusted a truss rod before go to someone who has or at least remember to not turn more then 1/4 of a turn at a time.
@stewartmcwilliams Electric guitars have some different issues: the radiused fingerboard, the adjustment of the truss rod, whether the fingerboard is lacquered and has to be protected with masking tape, whether there is an outside binding of the fretboard. I suggest that you watch all of the video on fretting steel string and electric guitars-- there are certainly things which I have missed mentioning.
@SasaYamaoka I cannot quite envision the problem. But in any case I think you should show it to an experience repair person. It does not sound like an expensive repair.
What grade steel wool are you using? I recommend 4 zero grade (0000) the finest. For most players polishing up to 1500 grit paper and rubbing with 0000 steel wood is enough. I do not expect Novus #2 to take out small scratches but it will shine the metal a bit. If you are still not satisfied you can proceed up to 2000 and 2500 grit papers (maybe 0000 steel wool) and then polish with a small buffing wheel on a Dremel tool and white rouge polishing compound.
I'm SERIOUSLY interested in becoming a Luthier,can i buy the proper books/videos online,or would one have to attend a class in person is "hands on" absolutely necessary?,don't know of any in Southern Calif.Thanx.
@trashfox89 Thanks for your email. The video is not intended as a how-to-do-it video but only as an overview of some essential steps. Presently I am only working on the guitars I import and a few vintage Spanish or Portuguese instruments. There are many good luthiers around North America who can do this work. Now that you have seen the video you can speak with them about the procedure. Regards, Ron.
Thanks for a really nice video, I got a new Cordoba C5 crossover LTD 1 week ago and it needs some fret-filing adjustment at 16 points spread out differently measured with the rocking method 3 frets at a time like here. Is it correct to have it measured even if the neck is not flat, it has the relief it should from factory setup and it has a trussrod but if you would change it to flat it would obviously change all these parameters and some people claim you should only do the level check with a 100% straight neck???...also if you use a long level measuringtool you'll have to lift it just a tiny bit entering new frets going from the soundhole to the nut in this case with the neckrelief and scope already there. Cheers from Sweden 🙂
@@FernandezMusic so you have no input here as to nylon guitars, how do you know when to do the stuff you show here? simple question with neck as set w fret relief or straight neck?
Very very well done! I have a Saga guitar kit and the neck has a bow (in the wrong direction!) boy am in in for job. But I am learning quickly. I am going to make this $100 dollar guitar play if it kills me. haha
Can someone tell me how much should this cost,since some of my frets are kinda flat and it makes fret buzz....I don't want to make some adjustments by myself,I don't wanna screw something that can't be fixed later...
Thanks again. I am not sensitive about fair comments such as yours because I realize that there are always better ways to do things. You should try both ways (bevelling and rounding over) and see what works for you. I think that they amount to the same thing--a fret which is smooth at the edge of the fingerboard. I think the more critical aspects of my technique is that I reduce the corners of the fret with one file and then I round the bevelled edge with another.
Hi Robert. I do not understand your comment. Please state your question in other words. Are you trying to ask if I finish guitars? I do finish guitars with shellac using a French Polish technique which is explained in my DVD, French Polishing for Guitarmakers.
Excellent information in fine and patient detail. Thank you. One query, if a string slot in the nut of a guitar has been cut too deep, what filler would you recommend to use in order to repair it before re-cutting? I've used clear epoxy which seems OK.
+Chris Parrish To fill a slot which has been cut too deep (and a fret has been installed in the slot) I usually use super glue mixed with Lamp Black (which is a pure black power used by artists). If you are fast you can use thin super glue , if you are slow you have to use thick gel super glue. After filling I sand the surface smooth and then French Polish shellac over the edge of the fingerboard. Others use a black or colored shellac stick which is melted into the slots. I have not used epoxy for a long time because it is so hard and is slower drying than super glue.
I just realized that I had misread the question. My answer was for how to fill a fret slot in the ebony fingerboard. The answer above correctly explains how to fill a slot in the bone or plastic nut. Ron
Yes, there really is a lot of things to consider when setting up a guitar! I know the guitar Rollins uses is a Pedro Maldonado, of Spain. Now to find out his set-up:-)
Many years ago I used masking tape. I found that it did not protect the fingerboard from small cuts made by the triangle file used for beveling the end of the frets nor by the small rectangle shaped filed used to smooth the corner of the frets. Since masking tape could easily be cut by the files I decided to smoothed the edges of the files and also improved my technique. The diamond crowning files are no threat to the fingerboard. Paying careful attention to the job is the best safety method.
For anyone without a Dremel tool, a satisfactory method to polish frets is to go through a series of sand papers 320, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500 and 0000 (4 zero grade) steel wool. If the fingerboard is a simple ebony or rosewood fingerboard on a classical you can do this without masking tape or a fret protector. If the fingerboard is inlaid and has binding on the edge then you will probably want to use masking tape so you only work on the fret surface and not the fingerboard.
@JYZProductions Greetings.To solve this problem you should contact the maker of the instrument. If you want to learn why an instrument has dead notes I suggest that you read/view Roger Siminoff's book and DVD the Art of Tap Tuning or the Responsive Guitar by Ervin Somogyi. If there is a neck/fret problem you should read some of the books on fret work, for example by Stewart MacDonald.
Nicely done. I bought a decent Cordoba from a shop because an Amazon comment on the guitar suggested I do that, if the shop checked and fixed any minor flaws they found in the guitar, as you have shown so nicely here. Anyone buying a guitar from Amazon might consider doing the same thing. I got my Cordoba from Calido Guitars, I couldn't be happier with it. They lowered the action, checked the frets, made sure there was no buzzing, etc.
I use a longer abrasive block (eg box section alu) for dressing the frets to ensure final flatness. I like your protective "bibs". You cover essential details to regarding sound and action. It is a fine guitar maker who can get the fretting right first time without the slightest buzz!
What a nice video. It's simple, nicely paced and informative at every stage.
Well done.
I have a personal interest in lutherie for the art of it.
I like your determination. There is nothing like experimentation and mistakes.
When I made my first mandolin I also made a case. I put the latches on upside down. It worked but it was inconvenient. I showed the instrument and case to an old Spanish trained luthier and he said, " You'll never do that again."
This is still a great video about setups. Wish you would post more
Thanks for the compliment. In 1965 I started to imported Jose Ramirez guitar from Spain with my father. From that time I had opportunities to observe many great Spanish makers. In the 1980's I was supplying soundboard wood to Spanish makers. At that time I made a mandolin from a book. I taught myself French Polishing and then was tutored by a master French cabinet makers. By the 1990's I was importing Spanish guitars full time and needed to learn to do repairs.
As a player of 27 years let me tell ya this guy is the kind of guy you take your real guitars to . Absolute pro , thumbs way up !
This luthier knows of what he speaks....
All that was missing was showing what relief (not all classicals have a truss rod) is and bridge height.
Thanks for passing on your knowledge in this vid, Ron.
In 1994 I spent 2 months making a video with Benito Huipe on making guitars with hand tools. Through the 90's I visited the Esteve, Sanchis and Mervi workshops in Madrid and shops in Granada, Cordoba and Madrid. In 2000 I finally attended a luthery school for 10 days and learned techniques of Kenny Hill. My membership in the Guild of American Luthiers has given me the opportunity to speak with and observe American and Canadian Luthiers. For 2 decades I also have visited makers in Portugal.
Thank you for the response!
Will call during the next week.
Thank you for sharing this most useful guitar information !!
Very informative video. Thank you for taking the time to demo.
Well, I have learned a bit by watching you, and I appreciate the video. It seems you are really good at dressing frets and use your time efficiently, I tend to take way too long doing fret work. I like how you polished the frets with a rotary tool; its much more efficient than using my hands.
I am glad there are people like you making videos. There are some other videos on the net that aren't very good.
Thx for the response to my question. :)
Let me tell you what I did this With an expensive Jackson and it works the guitar buzz is all gone al playing power cords at any spot on the neck sound incredible I just did it today it only took about 2 hrs the thing sounds like it did when i bought it I think some of the frets I used more than others over this past Yr. caused immature ware to it Im so relieved.
Thank You Dan!!
@FernandezMusic
This is a good question. The simple answer is you learn by experience. The way I think of it is that I try first to hammer the fret in and then I check it with a straight edge across 3 frets. If the hammering did not work I look at the fret slot from the side to see whether the fret slot was sawed deeply enough. If I determine that I cannot hammer the fret in deep enough I sand the fret. I continually check my work with a small straight edge. I hope this helps.
@musicofz I suspect that some Ovations have a tendency to crack on the soundboard when there is low humidity because the body is too rigid to allow for the sides to move along with the shrinking of the soundboard. According to Jose Oribe's book the Fine Guitar, a spruce soundboard of a classical guitar expands across the lower bout by 3mm when the humidity changes from 25% to 95%; a western red cedar soundboard expands by 2mm.
Fantastic video. This is great information for me. I am building my own experimental guitars, and I know nothing about fret work. The only thing i dont' have is a crowning file, but i'll just do what I can for now. Thanks!
Interesting. Wish you'd been the one who adjusted and set up my Esteve back in 98 when I got it. Had it these 10 years with an off center nut and really high action. Didn't know how hard it was to play till I got my hands on a hand-made instrument with lower action and found I wasn't such a bad player after all. I love my Esteve but I need to get it adjusted now bcz I'm spoiled. It gets little play time now.
@FernandezMusic Thanks for the response. 6th string-low E, measures 4.77mm @ 12th fret. 1st string-high E, measures 4.39mm @ 12th fret. Saddle is projecting 4.33mm @ 6th string and 3.86 @ 1st string. Your suggestions would be much appreciated. This being an inexpensive guitar I think the saddle is plastic, not bone. and it measures 1.87mm thick. Again I do not know yet if the saddle is glued in or not. I am assuming the nut is glued in place as the top is exposed
This is an excellent and informative video by a master Luthier. Very clear explanation, intelligently presented.
"Flamenco Chuck" Keyser (BuleriaChk)
Good video, carefully explained and demonstrated.
Thanks, it was interesting. Can you give some hints about Lute Freting?
I agree that stability of the fretboard is a good idea. A good neck jig could be very helpful. We should look at your design. When I refret a guitar I secure the head of the guitar with clamps in my bench vise, however, when I dress frets I simply rest the neck on a cork block which has a surface upon which the neck doesn't tend to move. I should point out that whether you use a neck jig or not, the checking of your work with the little straight edge over 3 frets at a time is very important.
hi ron: that was great tecnique to file and level d frets.another technique is to tighten the truss road all the way an then use a C clamp at the headstock with a little piece of wood in between.now clamp it and tighten the C clamp until you get the neck straight(this way you are simulating string tension on d neck in real playing position).
Ok thanks for the clarification. What I am ultimately wanting to do is lower the action closer to the nut. I have researched two different ways to go about this... 1.) Taking the nut off and sanding it down slightly from the bottom. 2.) Filing down the string grooves a bit so they sit in the nut a bit lower. I am leaning more towards option one. Any input would be appreciated.
Thank you for your answer, I find this work very fascinating, and its too bad Im too old to become an apprentice. Thank you very much !!!
The fretboards of some electric guitars are lacquered or there is binding and purfling along the edges which must be protected, or there are inlays in the fingerboard which should not be scratched. The classical guitar fretboard is raw wood without inlays or edge binding. We do not worry about scratching it because we have very fine sandpapers to smooth it and steel wool to polish it if we wish.
Hi Mr Fernandez, I have a new classical guitar with a truss rod. What's the proper initial setting for the trussrod? Or rather, how do you know when the rod needs to be adjusted vs the saddle or nut needs to be filed vs the frets needing to be dressed since it is a brand new guitar. And I noticed that you sanded the frets by checking their levelness using a straight edge on 3 frets at a time. Why wouldn't you use a longer straight edge and level using the whole length of the guitar neck? Thanks!
Hi,
awesome video/tutorial !!!
Can u give some adviceabout a problem i have ... ?
My acoustic guitar fell down and it kicked the first E string in 12th fret,
so now there is mark in it, a cut, which bothers me since i cant do pulls on that fret now without the string stucking in the little gap ...
is there a way that i can fill that little thin cut with something and "sand it out" so that i dont need to replace the fret?
Thank you !!!
Thanks Sir i was thinking on leaving there my first guitar now i would like to did it what you do to feel it great again, its bad cuz in around here there's not good luthiers
Another superb video.
Great video. I have a Yamaha G-55A classical giutar and wanted to know how to lower the action on it. I'm not sure if the nut or the saddle are glued in on my guitar. Is there any other way to lower the action? And is sanding the saddle the prefered method for lowering the action?
@filmwatcher999 This is absolutely the correct way to check the levelness of 3 frets at a time. In this video I am concerned with eliminating high frets. The issue of "neck relief" is a different matter. Neck relief is a slight curvature in the neck which is necessary to reduce string buzzing. Steel string guitars usually adjust neck relief with a truss rod. For classical guitars a slight amount of neck relief is worked into the fretboard.
Ive seen videos where they tell you the name of the special tape, its not just called masking but a special tape that luthiers use to protect the fretboard wood from being scratched. Im sorry I did not know the name of the special tape, but I know as a professional that you know what your doing. I suspected it was because the metal frets on a classical may be much larger then on an electric.
I respect your abilities and do not question them, I just wanted to learn.
Thank you Sir !!!
This is a pretty good video. Is this mainly to be done on new guitars? It seems a topic that was missed is the general straightness of the neck, though I suppose on classical guitars the lower string tension will not warp a neck like steel strings. But isn't that something that you should check for?
ronfernandez: ok, I thought that one on d video had a truss road.i run a little guitar repair/set up in one of my rooms mostly electrics sometimes I get acustics and like you mentioned sometimes d buzz comes from loose braces.saddle or truss road vibrating in its channel under the fretboard.thnks for your great video im in westminster ca.would b nice to know why OVATION GUITARS usually crack at the top.
It is an Esteve 7 made in Spain. The present Esteve 7 has different tuners. I have been importing Esteve guitars since the early 1990's. I have imported 13,000 guitars from Spain and I have set-up and dressed the frets on the last 8,000 of these guitars. I also import guitars of Juan Hernandez, Manuel Adalid, Vicente Sanchis and Felix Manzanero. In the mid-1960's my family and I imported guitars from Miguel Rodriguez, Jose Ramirez, Arcangel Fernandez, Juan Alvarez and Manuel de la Chica.
Hi Ron. Great informative video. At what height do you set up the guitar action? Is there a general rule?
Scotch/3M makes a blue tape called Painter's tape and Shurtap has a tape called 14-Dat ShurRELEASE BLUE. There is a warning with both of these tapes not to use on lacquer or uncured finishes. There is a white tape which has a very light adhesive which I sometimes to it is called Drafting tape. It is usually used to keep paper edges down for architects.
I do not know what strings Rollins uses and it would be nice to find out. While the tension of the strings is a important factor in string height there are a few others such as the neck inclination, the amount of neck relief, the right hand technique of the player, saddle height AND the stiffness of the lower bout of the soundboard. Stiffness is largely a result of the inherent quality of the wood, thickness of the top, amount of doming, and height and placement of braces.
Does the shape of the frets have any effect on the sound? Because they are flatter ofcourse than before dressing the frets.? Thank you.
If I sent you a guitar for a check up like you demonstrated in this video, what would you charge? I have a Yamaha F-310 acoustic guitar that needs some minor fixes like this and I believe you're the man for the job. Its not an expensive guitar, but it's what I learned to play on and sounds really nice so I would like it fixed up some. Let me know what you think.
Thanks!
do the same concepts described in your video only apply for classic guitar or can the same methods be used on standard acoustic guitars as well?
@weaponx29 you can but the safe way would to keep the nut you have now and put the locking nut just behind that one. If there isn't room then make sure that you DO NOT cut into the fingerboard, cut in from the nut slot back towards the headstock, you will in intonate right if you do
Oh wow, what kind of model guitar is that? Mine has the SAME tuning machine plates, as well as the machines themselves. Mine is a Kremona Orpheus Valley Granada built in Bulgaria. The video was interesting, always nice to know how to do it if needed.
@GunsNSnakepits It can be difficult to make your own fretboard. Please tell us what you had problems with??
Hello sir I am from India and I have a question for you. What is the position of the nut in the video above which you are servicing ?
@weaponx29 you can replace it with a locking nut but you'll have to modify your guitar, it would be a good idea to take it to a pro at this point. but if you want to do it yourself just remember that if you cut into the fret board towards the bridge you wont be able to intonate correctly.
Thanks for your comments. There are various techniques for dressing frets. What I have shown is the way I currently work on frets for nylon string guitars. I do not know if what you are suggesting is an improvement or not over the way I refine the frets on classical and flamenco guitar. Perhaps someone else could make a video so we could see the benefit of the technique you mention.
So is it safe to use them, as the warning makes me nervous...another words, have You with your experience....have you used it on like a Fender Strat or Gibson and
had good results ??? Thank you so much for your time you have given me on this subject. I really am considering becoming a amateur luthier who can do minor setups for people who dont know how, and there are almost none in my area unless you drive 30 miles or more. Thank You !
Sir, how do you adjust a bent classical guitar neck? I have one and it's very hard to play the high frets when the neck bent too much but I can't find the truss rod.
@1950sparks. They should but they don't. Go check the guitars at your local guitar store and you will find high and uneven frets on most of the classicals. The nut and saddle are usually set too high at the factories because the stores do not want the guitars to buzz. Generally, uneven frets are found on factory guitars but I have found then also on very expensive handmade guitars. Also it is important to realize that fret work is altered by humidity changes.
@fatrat440 Greetings. How high are the strings right now? Measure the height of the 6th string and the 1st string at the 12th fret--measure from the top of the fret to the bottom of the string. How much bone saddle is projecting above the wood of the bridge? Do these measurements with a millimeter ruler and tell me what they are and I might be able to make a suggestion on how to proceed.
Great Video and explanation, thanks for posting !
The bastard file with a wooden handle is a common tool available from luthier supply houses--it can also be easily made. I use sandpaper over the file because I can work in either direction. Whereas files become dull and can slip over the frets, new sandpaper always has the same amount of aggressive bite which allows me to have consistent control. You could also make a sanding tool from other material which are flat. In any case the important thing is to check your work with a straight edge
that looks pretty easy... can i do same method for electric guitar?
Hi Mr. Fernandez,
I have Esteve guitar set up from your work shop. (Very nice guitar / setup) for the price.
But anyway, My 1991 Jose Ramirez SP guitar (it's one of few dozen SP made from Ramirez shop) has buzzing on bass E string when I play just a bit strong. In addition when I take the finger off, it also gives longer and louder buzz than it should. Do you know what should be setup/fixed on it? If you were to take a look at it, Can I be able to take it to your shop? (I work in Irvine).
Hi. I'm interested in your comments concerning saddle set up. At 5:54 on you mention that the high edge should be toward the sound hole. I received a new classical guitar today and the low edge is towards the sound hole! Should I reverse this? If I do the the low end of the length wise slant will be at the 6th or low E string. Is this correct? Also, 6th string, 7th fret. How high in mm should the string be from the fret? Mine is 5mm! I feel this is too high. What do you think?
Thanks.
I have a dead fret on my classical guitar, its the 11th fret. Will raising the bridge slightly eliminate this problem?
hi Mr. Fernandez. my guitar has a broken neck near the string connectors and tune knobs. is it worthless to find someone to fix it? thanks
@musicofz. Thanks. Since I deal with hand made Spanish classical and flamenco guitars that technique will not work because we do not use truss rods. The Spanish integrated neck-body construction (also called the Spanish foot method) is very strong so truss rods are unnecessary. In the Spanish method, the neck is carved, then the sides are inserted into slots in the neck, the face is added and then the back is glued on with the "foot" of the neck glued directly to the inside back of the guitar.
how do you handle a slight pull up of the bridge? .003....is that enough to warrant a reglue of the bridge?
@avhcbeaver2 i think i will replace it..but how?? should i buy another nut or replace it with a locking nut?
This video looks so vintage... when did you shoot this?
My new guitar came yesterday Taknime eg124c it was fine the first day then second day the action got higher and got difficult to play. Should I adjust the truss rod or shave the saddle?
Good looking Grandpa! My father's side was from Galicia Spain, north of Portugal, and my mother's side was from Poland. The Gallegos (people from Galicia Spain) are closely linked genetically, culturally and linguistically with the Portuguese. I was born in the area of Newark New Jersey which is sometimes know as Little Portugal, but often referred to as "Down Neck" or the Ironbound. In other videos you will see that I play the Portuguese guitarra in the Lisboa Style.
@avhcbeaver2 hey i already aligned the frets..but some strings are muted and some has fret buzz....should i change the nut or not?
I experimented and found that with my dremel tool, the fret does not get hot at 5 seconds, at 10 seconds on the fret it is warm, at 15 seconds and longer it is too hot to the touch. I generally do not sit on the fret for a long time, if I want to shine it more I do it in short spans of time to prevent over heating. I would think that you could overheat with a rotary disc on a drill as well. It is really a matter of being aware of your work. I saw your video on locating dead frets. Thanks
hey sir...im now aligning my guitar frets(on my squire strat) is it ok to use carbon paper to align the frets??
@weaponx29 it depends on where they're buzzing, if they're buzzing on the 1st threw 5th fret then its most likely the nut. if it's buzzing else where then trying adjusting your bridge and or neck tention. if you have never adjusted a truss rod before go to someone who has or at least remember to not turn more then 1/4 of a turn at a time.
hey amm its posible to change the size of the frets ona electric guitar without changing the neck??
Ok thanks for your reply. This has been a great help to me. I now know my action is a bit too high.
Thanks.
hey sir...is it possible to change the nut of my guitar with a floyd rose nut?? well my guitar is a strat squirer? anyways...how to change the nut?
@stewartmcwilliams
Electric guitars have some different issues: the radiused fingerboard, the adjustment of the truss rod, whether the fingerboard is lacquered and has to be protected with masking tape, whether there is an outside binding of the fretboard. I suggest that you watch all of the video on fretting steel string and electric guitars-- there are certainly things which I have missed mentioning.
I am looking for someone to replace the frets on my 1920's Salvador Ibanez Classical Guitar. Would you be able to do that?
@SasaYamaoka I cannot quite envision the problem. But in any case I think you should show it to an experience repair person. It does not sound like an expensive repair.
Great video to watch
What grade steel wool are you using? I recommend 4 zero grade (0000) the finest. For most players polishing up to 1500 grit paper and rubbing with 0000 steel wood is enough. I do not expect Novus #2 to take out small scratches but it will shine the metal a bit. If you are still not satisfied you can proceed up to 2000 and 2500 grit papers (maybe 0000 steel wool) and then polish with a small buffing wheel on a Dremel tool and white rouge polishing compound.
I'm SERIOUSLY interested in becoming a Luthier,can i buy the proper books/videos online,or would one have to attend a class in person is "hands on" absolutely necessary?,don't know of any in Southern Calif.Thanx.
@avhcbeaver2 uhm sir...the fret buzz would be at the 1st to the 5th fret...i guess the problem is the nut huh?? should i replace it? or not?
@trashfox89 Thanks for your email. The video is not intended as a how-to-do-it video but only as an overview of some essential steps. Presently I am only working on the guitars I import and a few vintage Spanish or Portuguese instruments. There are many good luthiers around North America who can do this work. Now that you have seen the video you can speak with them about the procedure. Regards, Ron.
Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.
Thanks for a really nice video, I got a new Cordoba C5 crossover LTD 1 week ago and it needs some fret-filing adjustment at 16 points spread out differently measured with the rocking method 3 frets at a time like here. Is it correct to have it measured even if the neck is not flat, it has the relief it should from factory setup and it has a trussrod but if you would change it to flat it would obviously change all these parameters and some people claim you should only do the level check with a 100% straight neck???...also if you use a long level measuringtool you'll have to lift it just a tiny bit entering new frets going from the soundhole to the nut in this case with the neckrelief and scope already there. Cheers from Sweden 🙂
I suggest that you write to Cordoba in California.
@@FernandezMusic so you have no input here as to nylon guitars, how do you know when to do the stuff you show here? simple question with neck as set w fret relief or straight neck?
@@FernandezMusic cordoba aren't the fastest or customerfriendly I'm afraid, have tried...
From cihad2003: when do you use the hammer and when are you sanding it?
i mean whats the diffrerent between these techniques
Very very well done! I have a Saga guitar kit and the neck has a bow (in the wrong direction!) boy am in in for job. But I am learning quickly. I am going to make this $100 dollar guitar play if it kills me. haha
Can someone tell me how much should this cost,since some of my frets are kinda flat and it makes fret buzz....I don't want to make some adjustments by myself,I don't wanna screw something that can't be fixed later...
@weaponx29 either replace it or you can raise it up to stop the buzz
Thanks again. I am not sensitive about fair comments such as yours because I realize that there are always better ways to do things. You should try both ways (bevelling and rounding over) and see what works for you. I think that they amount to the same thing--a fret which is smooth at the edge of the fingerboard. I think the more critical aspects of my technique is that I reduce the corners of the fret with one file and then I round the bevelled edge with another.
Hi Robert. I do not understand your comment. Please state your question in other words. Are you trying to ask if I finish guitars? I do finish guitars with shellac using a French Polish technique which is explained in my DVD, French Polishing for Guitarmakers.
@ice666ful Thank you for your comment. Where are you??
@ickerish I think this is a compliment. Thank you.
Excellent information in fine and patient detail. Thank you. One query, if a string slot in the nut of a guitar has been cut too deep, what filler would you recommend to use in order to repair it before re-cutting? I've used clear epoxy which seems OK.
+Chris Parrish
To fill a slot which has been cut too deep (and a fret has been installed in the slot) I usually use super glue mixed with Lamp Black (which is a pure black power used by artists). If you are fast you can use thin super glue , if you are slow you have to use thick gel super glue. After filling I sand the surface smooth and then French Polish shellac over the edge of the fingerboard. Others use a black or colored shellac stick which is melted into the slots. I have not used epoxy for a long time because it is so hard and is slower drying than super glue.
I just realized that I had misread the question. My answer was for how to fill a fret slot in the ebony fingerboard. The answer above correctly explains how to fill a slot in the bone or plastic nut. Ron
how much do u charge for this? i got the fret dressing/Leveling+set up here in chicago for $80 is that a rip off or a deal?
Why do you not protect the fngrboard when doing all that aggressive filing?
Yes, there really is a lot of things to consider when setting up a guitar! I know the guitar Rollins uses is a Pedro Maldonado, of Spain. Now to find out his set-up:-)
Many years ago I used masking tape. I found that it did not protect the fingerboard from small cuts made by the triangle file used for beveling the end of the frets nor by the small rectangle shaped filed used to smooth the corner of the frets. Since masking tape could easily be cut by the files I decided to smoothed the edges of the files and also improved my technique. The diamond crowning files are no threat to the fingerboard. Paying careful attention to the job is the best safety method.
@koolkillax Yes, that is what it is called. Look up the names for the various kinds of files.
For anyone without a Dremel tool, a satisfactory method to polish frets is to go through a series of sand papers 320, 400, 600, 800, 1200, 1500 and 0000 (4 zero grade) steel wool. If the fingerboard is a simple ebony or rosewood fingerboard on a classical you can do this without masking tape or a fret protector. If the fingerboard is inlaid and has binding on the edge then you will probably want to use masking tape so you only work on the fret surface and not the fingerboard.
@JYZProductions Greetings.To solve this problem you should contact the maker of the instrument. If you want to learn why an instrument has dead notes I suggest that you read/view Roger Siminoff's book and DVD the Art of Tap Tuning or the Responsive Guitar by Ervin Somogyi. If there is a neck/fret problem you should read some of the books on fret work, for example by Stewart MacDonald.
Great video. What size fret wire is used on a classical guitar?
There is no one size. I suggest you look at STEWART MacDonald guitar supply.