A Tip For Spot Leveling Frets You Probably Didn't Know About

[@VPicksGuitarPicks]

This is exactly how I spot level check my frets. One thing to add. The last fret can cause a lot of problems because it is used much less than the other frets. I always make sure that fret is just a bit lower than the others. It does not create any buzz being lower, but it sure does being too tall.

[@shanemichaels8289]

Just experienced this with my first refret. Lesson learned

[@hughjanus5518]

💯

[@Ericonguitar]

I was going crazy thinking that I just didn't know how to cut the nut slots on higher strings, but apparently I was not putting enough pressure on the first fret when leveling. It seems so obvious in retrospect, your channel is an invaluable resource. Thank you!

[@cugir321]

It's not as important as you think....I have guitars right now that tick when you run the rocker into the first fret and it plays fine. The nut slots are very low. Very small amount of movement with the string over the 1st fret when holding down fret 3. Better to be slightly high on fret 1 then low at all....

[@brunolevasseur]

I have been following you for years, each time I learn some interesting tips like this one! Greetings from France!

[@cnilecnile6748]

I had actually forgotten about sliding the fret rocker to use the tip to find high spots. Thanks! And yeah, this video got a subscription!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it helped!

[@jamwayofaiken-augustarockb7643]

First video of yours that I have seen and I am now subscribed. I have never built a guitar that I play guitar and it's very difficult to find somebody who can fix my fretz for me so your tips and tricks are going to come in handy and helping me to fix my own frets

[@gregduckworth6804]

Nice and clear, simple tip which I had a hunch about but great to get confirmed by a pro

[@Cymbaline713]

Great tip, thanks! If the last fret is a little too low, it doesn't really matter as there's no more frets to buzz against.

[@gunzrloaded]

U sure have some great videos....wow that sure is a beautiful piece of maple for that neck and fret board. Years ago my friend was a logger here in Wisconsin and he ran into some beautiful birds eye maple....word got out about it and he had a violin maker that was very interested in the wood.The builder ask for a sample of the wood and turned it down.My logger friend said he ran the sample under his microscope and saw it had a mold and some type of fungus that was in the grain and would not use it in his violin builds. Cheers...!

[@mjf1036]

Great tip Chris. I am a long time subscriber and have learned a lot from your videos. It has been over 2 years since I watched any of your content as my shop is in storage awaiting moving into a nee space. Your current builds a beautiful and I dig the bridge tuners.

[@thebluesrockers]

You're a wealth of information. I have a couple questions for you. If a fret is high, couldn't that be from lack of glue? Or are they supposed to be glued in? Shouldn't you try to tap it back in before trying to spot level? Building and repairing instruments isn't a easy thing to learn. I wish you lived near me, because I'd be giving you all kinds of work to do. hahaha Thanks for all your video's.

[@HighlineGuitars]

A high fret after installing them into a new guitar build, which is all I do-I don't repair old guitars, happens because of deformation during the installation process. In this case, the problem can't be fixed by tapping the frets.

[@thebluesrockers]

@@HighlineGuitars I'm actually scared to death right now. I have a squire strat that needs the frets crowned. in between each fret, the frets are so sharp they cut into my finger tips. Never have I had a squire with such bad frets in all my life. Not experiencing fret buzz, action is good and intonation is spot on. I've never done any fret work other that buffing while cleaning. Any advice for me?

[@AnimalJohn85]

You sir have all the tricks! Can learn a hell of a lot watching your vids :) Awesome stuff as ever sir :)

[@krasimirparvanov8139]

Very useful info, just in time for me👍. So is it another plus for the zero fret?

[@jonscudder759]

Very helpful use of fret rocker at first fret! Thank you for the tips!

[@cugir321]

I've been spot leveling before I use a file or sanding beam. My last guitar I didn't have to run a sanding beam over it. I did have problems on another guitar....couldn't get rid of the 2,3,4th fret B string ting. I tried everything...sandpaper of individual frets above the tinging fret. Temu has a 3 or 4 inch file on a wood block....tape all but an inch in the middle...use painters tape....it's great for spot leveling high frets. Also the A, and D string usually have some kind of buzz on most guitars I do.....I just can't identify the individual frets that cause the buzz...I'm starting to think it's a high spot above the 3rd or 4th fret....a region of frets. It would be a great video if you addressed how to identify area of high frets from the 7th fret up...even when the frets are not rocking ....they show level with the rocker....this says to me it's a region of high frets. It drives me nuts removing metal from all the frets when it's a group of frets because of something like a high spot on the fingerboard. The pain in the butt of all levels is a capo.....I can always get the frets level but rarely will the guitar capo without a buzz somewhere. You would be a genius to address and solve this problem. The frets rocker fine.....it seems the strings need that small amount of relief to capo properly. Relief in the frets and fingerboard. I like my 1st fret a little high. It protects against the nightmare of a low 1st fret. I cut my nuts very low and rarely have a problem

[@setyabudi8414]

See you. It seems like a long time to me from 1985 to now. I realize that there are many mistakes, especially from myself, in dealing with various electric and acoustic guitar problems. Until now I have not witnessed changes that result in accurate installation. Leveling seems to be the mainstay and the pressradius tool is the main pressure. There are many other factors beyond that that must be considered. Until now I have concluded that many people lack enthusiasm for guitar problems. So I feel this is the best. Even though there is a lot that has been missed. Hopefully this can be my reflection. Have a good fight. My greetings from Indonesia. If you need help, I'm ready to do it as long as it's not part of my confidentiality in handling especially freting.

[@LeviBulger]

Before spot leveling, you should always give a fret that seems higher in one area some strikes with a fret hammer. Especially if its only measuring high in one part of the fret like it is on the first fret in this video. This will often fix the issue without further leveling or at the very least, ensure you don't file too low when spot leveling. Nothing more annoying than realizing you have to redo the entire board by having a fret not being hammered down all the way until after the spot leveling.

[@HighlineGuitars]

And after you tap the high fret with a hammer, hit it with some CA glue to ensure it doesn't lift up again two minutes later.

[@jash500]

@@HighlineGuitars I might end up trying this on frets 17 - 19 on a fender strat. Playing a note on fret 16 - 19 dies quickly (the action is optimal for the remainder of the neck). Anyway, What is CA glue?

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@jash500 Cyanoacrylate. Super Glue!

[@jash500]

@@HighlineGuitars thank you!

[@Gubson]

Great tip! Actually had a high first fret but wasn't sure exactly where. Thanks for helping me out with that. ❤

[@HighlineGuitars]

Glad it helped!

[@robertnewell5057]

Very interesting, Chris. One problem that crops up (for me, anyway) when you are using the rocker and it clicks is that it is not necessarily that a particular fret is high, but that the next or previous one is low! Normally this isn't a problem because it just becomes obvious as you move to the next fret along. BUT, at around 4 mins you say that if the first fret is low, you lower the second fret. Surely all that does is pass the problem down the line - you now have a low 1st and a low 2nd? I have alwaysed used a zero fret, so this is not a problem for me in quite the same way, but I would be interested in your comment. Thanks a lot.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Unfortunately, in order to achieve success with spot leveling, you must have the right skills that can only be acquired through experience. When the novice tries to spot level for the first dozen or so guitars, they usually tend to go to far when filing down a high spot. As a result, the problem is transferred to the next fret and can continue that way to each fret all the way to the end of the fretboard. The key is to know when the high spot has been filed down to be perfectly level with the adjacent frets. However, this can be difficult to determine accurately with a fret rocker. If you remove too much material, the rocker will behave the same as if you had removed exactly the right amount. You won't realize your mistake until you move the rocker up a fret. Then, you'll hear the dreaded clicking sound which will confirm that you filed off too much material from that high fret. File with only one or two strokes and stop the check with your rocker. Keep doing this until the clicking stops and GO NO FURTHER! I usually err on the side of caution and allow for the tiniest amount of clicking knowing that I still have to crown and polish.

[@russellfoster2400]

Doing a proper leveling of the frets should avoid any issues if the ink line does not get removed on the 1st fret it would be a bad move to continue cutting nut slots etc any spot leveling to compensate the 1st fret if it is low is a domino effect right down the frets a lot of work the last fret not many people are going to use that fret so lower is better than higher give it some extra filing but i do get what you are saying the rocker tip is great a mystery buzz on the strings when you have checked all the frets that seem level but buzzes when fretting around the nut end plus it will come in very handy when cutting and slotting a new nut to double check the height of the 1st fret

[@MohrEquity]

Love your vids. I wondered how to check the 1st & last also, till now. Thanks again.

[@johngonzales3697]

Excellent tip at the 5 min mark. Thanks!

[@lukaspechar]

Silly question from an absolute beginner... Won't recrowning shave off some of the fret height? If so wouldn't it all be pointless to set it before? Thanks for the great videos. Subbed

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@lukaspechar When done correctly with the proper tools, the top dead center of the fret wire will not be touched during the recrowning process.

[@lukaspechar]

@@HighlineGuitars Ah, valid point. Thanks for the swift reply and for the fantastic videos.

[@knowyourenemy66]

This is great information as always! I have an unrelated question: Why are the side dot markers installed with one half in the fretboard and the other half in the neck? Thank you for all of your great videos.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Not on all guitars. It is just where they decide.

[@knowyourenemy66]

@@morbidmanmusic My question was directed to Highline guitars. I was asking about this particular guitar, not guitars in general.

[@j5s9cStu]

Brilliant. Exactly the problem I was wondering about.. checking the 1st fret. Thank you.

[@ToneDeth.]

This is very helpful. I have a guitar where i couldnt get the intonation for second and third frets. Was sharp. So as usual its high nut slot. But then i lowered them and it couldnt get any lower without buzzing open strings and it was still slightly sharp and i thought what is going on here. I suspect its a high first fret and will try this trick. Will see! Thanks!

[@jamiebriggs8277]

This is interesting, but from the title I thought we were going to see a new tip on how to actually level the fret... :(

[@vicpnut1]

Yeah same here… i have a inexpensive fender acoustic with a weird neck bend where it meets the body .so i get clean fretting till i get close to the 12th up to like the 15th where the frets fall off …i spent a day awhile back marking ,filling ,restringing ,checking ,redoing on it and another acoustic…got the small body more or less right but am sick and tired of the slow process and this fender breaking my stones .so i was putting it off ,and seeing the title of this video i thought i was in luck lol..no more removing and retuning strings over and over again ,yah ! 🤦🏼‍♂️though i like when i do get a tip like the first/last fret check that is a like a duh moment ,so not a complete waste of time at least

[@jonathanbennett4535]

If it is a real small bit that needs levelling, I was told by a luthier you can grab the string either side of the fret and rub it up and down quite hard a few times so the string acts as a little file. Don’t know if that is a good thing or not!

[@ShaneTNeal-jy6sb]

Thank you! I’ve been searching for an answer to this question.

[@wasteddude9387]

Thanks 4 the video. I'll be using a rubber mallet to pound down the high-E end of the last fret (closest to the pickups). I'll use files to fine tune if necessary.

[@richszmal1653]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge in order to educate the rest of us.

[@A.J.99]

What's the problem if the 1st fret is slightly higher (about 0.1-0.2 mm), than the next ones? If so, there will be even less string buzz while fretting the 1st fret. If there's some string buzz on the open strings, the problem is with the nut which is slotted too low, not with the st fret. When the last fret is slightly lower than the previous one, there will be less string buzz at the previous fret as well. So I intend to make the last fret (or even 2 last frets on 24-frets guitars) slightly lower while leveling the frets. And if the 1st fret is slightly higher than the next ones, I keep it untouched while leveling the frets. If the 1st fret is lower than the next ones, it should be replaced with the thicker one, cause sanding all the frets to level them to the 1st one height is wasting of the fretwire , sanding paper and time.

[@morbidmanmusic]

Nope.

[@vitaliistep]

Nice, I didn't realize you can check it this way. Thank you!

[@donald-parker]

At the 0:57 mark - Adjusting intonation before crowning seems wrong. Especially for upper frets. Unless you specifically cut the fret slots a bit behind where they normally should be (which seems like a cool idea if you like flat frets). And a question re using the fret rocker - how do you tell the difference between a high fret and a low fret? Both will manifest as "rocking".

[@HighlineGuitars]

You can adjust and readjust intonation at any time and as many times as you need. Rocking can only happen if the middle of the three frets high. That means the adjacent frets are low.

[@rickmccl71]

Move the rocker up and down the neck and compare. E.g. suppose fret 5 is lower than all of the other frets. You check across 3,4,5 and it tips down on 5, verify if going across 5,6,7 also results in a rock as it tips back to 5 -- and especially if 4,5,6 does NOT rock. I'm thinking it most likely means that fret 5 got "over-dressed"

[@bluzzjazz]

Great tip regarding the first fret!

[@wehocommunitywatch]

Do you have any tips or videos on Understring Fret Leveling using one of those "H" shaped understring levels?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I do not, sorry. I am thinking about getting one as I think it might do a better job.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

Thank you for the instruction. I learn some from each video.

[@joemcgraw5529]

Good Idea and never gave that a thought but I think I may have a neck to body bulge on the fretboard itself, this guitar is almost 50 years old so I will pull all the frets and level the board first ,in my case its the last 5 frets that are high

[@mhoop1]

that's a great tip and so obvious once you see it. Thanks!

[@donwershba2319]

Very enlightening - Thanks.

[@usethevideoluke]

Very nice indeed. I hope you make a video step by step how to setup the guitar

[@HighlineGuitars]

www.youtube.com/@HighlineGuitars/search?query=setup

[@JackSmith-jt7vh]

Do you have a video showing how you achieved those incredibly rounded frets?

[@mauriciogambini]

Thanks for sharing. It's very helpful !

[@Joe-mz6dc]

Such quality work. 👍🏼

[@mjklein]

Very logical and useful tip. Thank you!

[@HighlineGuitars]

You're welcome!

[@westoftherockies]

i'm setting up a new guitar after many years so this is a helpful tip

[@upload2352]

This was sort of addressed in another comment, but not completely, and it's something I've seen done both ways, but it looks like you're checking for fret buzz while the guitar is under string tension w/adjusted truss rod, meaning, the neck is not flat during that check of the frets. You then go into checking the frets for high ones with the strings on, without mentioning whether you'd relieved the neck tension to get it flat. Since it makes the most sense to avoid fret buzz when under tension, and you want to remove the least amount of fret possible, it occurred to me that's what you were doing - checking/correct frets under playing tension. On the other hand, maybe you assumed we knew to relieve the neck/string tension before checking the frets (and modifying, if needed), or you chose to do it differently on a "new" build, and would have handled a spot repair on a "used" guitar differently. Below you told someone that you check the frets with a flat neck. Did I miss the part about where you flattened the neck in this video? Or did you check w/neck & string tension? Thanks for any guidance.

[@HighlineGuitars]

My necks are always flat. I adjust the truss rod to eliminate any relief caused by string tension.

[@upload2352]

@@HighlineGuitars "to eliminate any relief caused by string tension" sounds like string tension is maintained during the check, and the truss rod was adjusted against that string tension. On the other hand, your necks are "always flat," so I'm going with "no string tension, adjusted truss rod to get flat neck, and then check fret level." Thanks

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@upload2352 I never said "to eliminate any relief caused by string tension" in this video. Are you commenting on the wrong video? I'm confused.

[@upload2352]

@@HighlineGuitars You didn't say that in the video, just in your first reply to my question, above - "I adjust the truss rod to eliminate any relief caused by string tension."

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@upload2352 Okay, now I'm not confused anymore. Due to the number of comments I get everyday, it's hard to keep conversations straight sometimes.

[@BedroomGuitarist210]

Hi Chris, don't you think that the last fret should be lower than the adjacent? It will help eliminate any buzz in the last quarter! thoughts?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I’d call that a situational concern.

[@bobmanners8624]

I'm just curious, but if the problem fret isn't properly seated, wouldn't it appear high? Wouldn't one want to give it a couple loving taps with a fret hammer first, then recheck?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, that is correct.

[@bobmanners8624]

@HighlineGuitars Oh wow, thanks for the reply. I usually give them a little tap, tap first. Sometimes, you get lucky. 🙂

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

Very cool. i learned something very useful here

[@Groismanmike]

Great video. Thank you

[@ParaBellum2024]

What adhesive did you use for the fingerboard? The join is really noticeable, which is often the case when gluing very light coloured wood.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Titebond 3 which dried dark brown.

[@ParaBellum2024]

@@HighlineGuitars Thank you. My best results have been with Cascamite urea-formaldehyde resin (I'm not sure if it's still available though, due to wokeness). It exhibits absolutely zero creep, and dries clear.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@ParaBellum2024 What does glue have to do with the awareness of systemic racism?

[@johncollins9593]

So how do I spot level a fret? What tool do you use to file down the spot?

[@HighlineGuitars]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4Wzmn-was1po8Usi=An-65HHEJbr71vtk

[@garrettguitar]

Yep, that's a great tip. Thanks for posting!

[@jckelley10]

Great tip! I haven't seen this one before. Thanks.

[@batsfureels]

Great video, and lots of new information to consider and focus on. Thank you kindly for sharing the wisdom, and look forward to your future insight & advice. Thanks!

[@RichardPerrymanGuitarist]

I have a Gibson ES390. My problem is the small E string only on the 13th fret. Its fine until I do a bend on that fret and then it goes dead like its touching something. Its been to 2 different shops 3 times and I'm still having this problem.

[@qua7771]

Can freat board cleaners push frets up? I recall leveluing frets dead flat with absollutely no uneven frets. Later, I find a few slightly uneven frets. This is a mystry to me.

[@XHuntinatorX]

How would I know if I needed to level ALL of the frets versus spot leveling a few problem frets?

[@HighlineGuitars]

It’s always best to level all of the frets. However, there are situations where you may not be able to do that, i.e. when you’re about to go on stage.

[@timothyjames4195]

This Dude is the real deal!!

[@Bory2770]

Useful advice. Thank You.

[@CorvusCoroneCanisLupusSawel]

so simple, yet so effective

[@mitcharney1]

The action looks very high on the first and last fret.

[@HighlineGuitars]

20 thou at the first fret and 75 thou at the 12th fret.

[@jukkalappalainen4299]

You have to loose strings before measuring becouse othewise there is backbow in the neck, am I right?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@wooggeek]

Exceptional information 😊

[@jamesprice6381]

a HEADLESS version of this would be AWSM bro!

[@rockyroads-p2m]

i respect your opening comment/ in regards to EARNING the potential subscription,,, by the end of video!!!! FYI,,, YOU HAVE SIR!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Fantastic! Welcome aboard and thanks for the support!

[@groovybasslines]

perfect explanation ! thanks !! 👌

[@j2b696]

good stuff as always! 👍🏽

[@skorpian34]

Thank you for the useful tip!

[@Shaunquirk89]

Great stuff!

[@davetofu]

Thanks for the tip!

[@curtrod]

great advice

[@abrahamcantu6147]

I have a bass that only buzzes when I play the F note on the E string. Does anyone in the comments know if it could possibly be the second fret that is too high? Could that be the cause if it?

[@bobwreck3775]

Hi. Do you still take orders for guitars? Have any for sale now?

[@HighlineGuitars]

No to both questions.

[@bobwreck3775]

@@HighlineGuitars I wonder why you quit selling tot he public? Care to say? if not have a nice day

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@bobwreck3775 I didn’t stop selling to the public. I stopped accepting orders. Instead, I build what I want and sell them.

[@blueeyedsoulman]

But what do you do if fret 1 (closest to the nut) is too low. I've seen this error even on new guitars.

[@blueeyedsoulman]

Is refiling the whole thing the only answer? or can the fret be pushed up somehow?

[@HighlineGuitars]

If it's too low and can't be fixed by leveling down the other frets, you can try replacing the too low fret. Otherwise there may be other problems like a low spot on the fretboard where the too low fret sits.

[@aingoglia1946]

Hammer the high fret first (use a piece of wood on the fret, then hit with hammer) . My tech, or should I say former tech, said I needed total fret leveling and would loose fret height ($$$$). I tapped down on the four fret and bingo, they were all level. He should have mentioned that in the video. My guitar was a classic vibe squire,

[@SnowAngelfish]

Nice tips. But why in the beginning did you say that you set your intonation before you crowned the frets? That makes no sense to me. You have to have a good fret crown to get accurate pitch.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@SnowAngelfish During the course of building a guitar, I will do two different types of intonation, a coarse intonation (what I did in this video) and a precise intonation later on. For the coarse intonation, I only compare the open strings to the 12th fret harmonic. Therefore a crown isn’t needed.

[@SnowAngelfish]

@@HighlineGuitars Ok, i was watching till the end of the video for you to say you "re-intonate" after crowning but i never heard you say that so that was very confusing. Thanks.

[@SouthShine01]

Cool Tip!! Thanks!

[@bobless5517]

Super! Big thanks for idea.

[@Charlie_Davidson]

That's a sweet looking Guitar!

[@HighlineGuitars]

I think so too!

[@ianrose5505]

Great tip thank you

[@vc9743]

When leveling the fret board, does the Truss Rod need to adjusted so the neck is level and then readjusted for proper bow?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes.

[@nickmizell1141]

Great video.

[@tsmerk]

If the highest greet is slightly lower, that shouldn't matter because there's nothing higher for it to hit, correct?

[@1976oswald]

thanks fro the advices !!!

[@billyespeche]

I recently discovered your chnnel and now im a fan.

[@daves_]

well done

[@Miami_Luthier]

Brilliant.

[@dappawap]

great. how can we repair a low fret?

[@HighlineGuitars]

You can’t.

[@dappawap]

​@@HighlineGuitarsI guess it means pulling it out but can you put it back higher?

[@malsawmtluangaralte2267]

What if there is a middle fret somewhere that is particularly lower than all the others. It will be sad to level all other fret because of that frets

[@HighlineGuitars]

All of the frets have to be the same level as the lowest fret.

[@wooliegeek]

Thanks. Great tip

[@michelefrogan7150]

Great! thanks a lot

[@FrankRemley]

Subscription earned!

[@phillipbohl5709]

I would use a feeler gage on the second fret.

[@stringbender57]

Now subbed!

[@HighlineGuitars]

Awesome stringbender! Thanks and welcome!

[@chriskrueger1865]

Very insightful, thanks. That's a very pronounced glue joint on your fingerboard 😲

[@HighlineGuitars]

LOL. I’ll never glue a fretboard with Titebond 3 ever again.

[@chriskrueger1865]

@@HighlineGuitars 👍 👍. And have you considered making your side dots half the diameter size and moving their location up above the seam to be centered on only the fingerboard piece (ala neck-thru), so the 24th fret dots won't be half covered by the body? I think it would look much nicer. Or, no side dots at all since your fingerboard dots are so close to the fingerboard edge already.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@chriskrueger1865 I tried omitting the side dots altogether, but people complained. I tried centering them on the side of the fretboard, but complained about that too. And of course, I tried centering them on the glue seam, but people still complained. These day, I do whatever feels right and don’t worry about what others think.

[@curlzwalk]

Nice!!

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

Bravo!

[@aingoglia1946]

Nice tip. Could have been a 2:00 video.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I earn more money from longer videos.

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

But wait... how can you truly intonate properly if the 12th fret is flat..?

[@davestambaugh7282]

You are making a good argument for zero frets, perhaps with out knowing it!