Fret Leveling Special | Guitar Tech Tips | Ep. 50 | Thomann

[@AnonymousUser66649]

ALWAYS remember to check, if the frets are seated properly and not popped out from the slot. This might save you from the leveling job in the first place. When checking with a fret rocker, if there are any high spots, tap the high fret with a fretting hammer(a hammer with a brass or plastic head) and see if the high spot is gone. I would do this and check atleast twice, before even thinking about doing a fret leveling job. You don't want to remove any material from the frets, unless it's absolutely necessary. And like some guys already said, use a leveling beam, that is atleast as long as the whole fretboard, so you sand every fret at the same time. This way you will get the absolute best result at home and can get you a super low action with no problems.

[@steveo44]

Amazing tutorial. Best I've seen on the tube. Quick tip.. Use the marker pen again after levelling and before crowning. That way you can see the material the crowning is taking off and that they are all crowned the same.

[@MichaelHattem]

Great tip!

[@Cross8ow]

That was my first thought as well to use pen again as a guidance

[@steveo44]

@@Cross8ow works a treat👍

[@lancegrey1225]

Expert tip right there! Thank you. I didn't think about that one, Great.

[@brunopradomusic]

Should we crown until the mark completely disappears or just on the "sides" to make it rounder?

[@_SWLW]

Thomann's youtube channel: The goldmine of the 21st century!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Ahh man, you're the best! Thank you! //Kris

[@Vordrab]

Hands down the best guitar setup tutorials on youtube. Great job!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks so much! We really appreciate your words! //Kris

[@AlexisGitarre]

sorry but in this particular video are so many things wrong or misleading....

[@nunocarmona]

I always keep the masking tape on the fretboard until the frets are polished. Leveling, coining and polishing releases residue that is a bit hard to clean and gets to your fingers for weeks.

[@CHUBBY12309]

Hi what grit sand paper would I need to sand the frets down? Thanks.

[@Anesellvllcpitch]

been watching a lot of vids lately about fret leveling, most of them were informative to be honest but this one was the one that triggered me to actually get one of my old junky guitars and try it out. the results were excellent and i'm very excited to do this more and more. just make sure that you have the right good quality tools before trying this. NOW i need a re-fretting tutorial video from Thomann. thump up this comment up to make them do it. ah i almost forgot.. thanks a lot !!! thank you

[@MichaelRector-bu4iu]

I’ve upgraded everyone of my many many guitars from head to toe with all of your videos. Simply put. Thank you!!

[@CaratacusAD]

Great video :) If it wasn't obvious, use a fret rocker first to double check which areas of the neck need attention and label those frets on the tape. If it's only one fret it would be overkill to level the whole thing. Also, a lot of mass-produced cheaper guitars don't even glue in the frets which can cause them to pop out slightly and make them look high. You can tap with a rubber hammer and retest with the rocker.

[@LucasMastropasqua]

Thanks for this video! I’m about to level, crown, & polish frets on my 1987 Ibanez RG340, so it’s nice to have an overview of this process seeing as how it’s been a few years since I did it and and I’m a bit rusty. Cheers!

[@jomamma1750]

It's a good idea to mark the frets with marker or paint(you used a green marker here) BEFORE crowning! This will help you get the width of the crowns to be extremely even and balanced across the entire fretboard.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Very good tip fro fret crowning! If the lights are good and reflections help me, I tend not to mark the frets again before crowning. But if it's not easy to tell how much more I need to file, that's super useful. Thanks! //Kris

[@lancegrey1225]

It also, KEEPS YOUR INCRIMINATE CORRECT. For precision pitch.

[@jomamma1750]

@@lancegrey1225 Google translate has done you dirty...... This makes ZERO sense in English

[@rob9340]

This series has been great. Thankyou. I have bought some very basic luthier tools and a cheap guitar to practice on. Refret is the next mission.

[@Elektronijaenis]

Nice overview of the subject (I've leveled the frets on my bass once). I found it slightly funny when you said you are changing the tool to not scratch the body as the body was heavily reliced. :D Removing the neck on a bolt on instrument will save the body from the scratches too btw. I found it easier to work on just the neck anyway, but thet will depend on how much workspace you have etc.

[@danparsons6566]

Keep in mind the way you are sanding, the 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th frets are getting sanded much less than the middle frets... this is because your straight edge never leaves the middle frets while the upper frets are only getting about half the time actually being under sandpaper. Overdoing this motion (and sanding too long) will cause you to sand a dip into the middle frets (ask me how I know). OTOH, it's hard to keep all of the frets under sandpaper for the same amount of time unless you have a very long straight edge and remove the nut. Just sayin'

[@RainerK.]

You actually also put tape over the fingerboard to stop the metal shavings you get from the fret level filing from getting underneath the frets.

[@BurninSven1]

or in to the mics so you put some there too

[@jaymichael4604]

Terrific vid! Regarding the sandpaper attached to the steel leveler...what grit?

[@Dragon_rls]

Great video. Thanks for posting, and especially a big thanks for the warning. I am preparing to become my own guitar tech, but when the day comes that I’ll need to level the frets on one of my guitars, I’ll be leaving that to the Plek machine 👍.

[@metasuperman]

I'm a bit more particular about my fret jobs (I wouldn't let my oil bottle drag across my frets, and I'd mask the body around the neck pocket) but a great tutorial!!!!

[@jamesmarkham7489]

The return of the pink bass!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Yes it's back on camera. So cool to hear that you recognise it. This bass and I have a long history. Haha! //Kris

[@JGAbstract]

My leveling beam just came in yesterday! Whoa, perfect timing haha

[@antonakis79ohyes]

My tip: if you are doing this for the first time, don't go below 500 grit sandpaper for levelling, otherwise you might "eat" a big part of the frets.😊 It's safer for more trial and error...

[@esteban31000]

Hi you shouldn't sand up and down yours frets, cause you are sanding twice as much in the middle than the extremities. It should be just up or just down. I hope it helps. Cheers :)

[@danawd]

Doesn’t matter, even if you go just down or up you still sanding more where the sandpaper is used on most of its length… the goal here is to have them all the same height so it’s normal that some frets will be more sanded than others

[@The_Eldest_Millenial]

Thank you for making this easy to understand and approachable. Care and maintenance if a musical instrument can be a soothing, Zen-like, activity in and of itself... When you are properly informed, LOL. ♥

[@elbass0]

I move the mesh pads up and down the fret board to ensure not to flatten the tops again. When you use them while moving along the fret from side to side, I'm pretty sure you take off material from the top unless you are above 2000 grit or so.

[@josephhughes9490]

Kris, Well done. Another very informative show to repair a guitar. I also have been contemplating buying a bass. Now I definitely will purchase one. You are awesome Kris as always. Congratulations on the 50th tech show.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks for a kind words! Playing the bass is just so much fun. I am and will stay a guitar player but sometimes... all I wanna do is groove around on my bass. :) //Kris

[@darkpagemx]

Great job man. You keep it very simple which is the best for learning.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks Carlos! I could've made it more complex and defined but that wouldn't help you guys to understand the basics of fret leveling. Thank you for appreciating what we're doing here Cheers //Kris

[@geeeemn5010]

Excellent tutorial! Thanks!

[@beefyboytech]

Excellent video it helped me out a lot.

[@123elvislives]

Very interesting viewing thanks Mate 🤠🇭🇲👍😄

[@aipsong]

Well explained. Well filmed. Well, I guess it's time for me to work on my guitar. Thanks!!!

[@timgittar]

THanks for the tips. Keep up the great work.

[@carlkerkman7028]

Thanks so much! I didn't notice if you mentioned that you should tape off your pickups to keep all the metal filings from getting into them (I saw that you did this with clear tape that wasn't easily seen in the video).

[@lancegrey1225]

Thank you so much. I knew some things about it. But you gave all the best information I've found. 😊❤

[@ashscott6068]

Have you ever tried bamboo fretboards? They're way more forgiving than rosewood or ebony. And cheaper, too. Also more durable, less prone to warping, easier to clean, more sustainable. There's really no downside.

[@hakankillberg6043]

This is so great. Thanks Kris for all your techvideos they are the best out there. 👏💪

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot for watching them, man! //Kris

[@Flatpicknation]

You should make a ”deal” if you wanna buy all this tools at once.

[@ronniefrown3458]

You could mark the top of the frets with a magic marker before crowing as well. You want to have a very thin line in the middle when you're finished. Good work though. Was the bass easy to intonate after you where done?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Good tip, thanks! Yes, nothing really changed in terms of intonation. Just micro adjustments needed. //Kris

[@roadster241]

Yes, some details were skipped like marker when crowning, fret rocker use, explanation why below XII the frets should be inclinated.

[@ashscott6068]

It's easy enough to see anyways, cus the scratches from the levelling are at 90 degrees to the scratches from crowning. The light would have to be quite bad to be unable to see it. I do it anyways, cus the marker is already there. But if I couldn't find one, I wouldn't worry. Even for the levelling

[@emka6709]

@@roadster241 so why they should be inclinated?

[@roadster241]

:@@emka6709 Watch this interview, especially from 23:00. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3O2mGSVeLeZjbs

[@francescobombelli6817]

Great job! Great video! It couldn’t be better!

[@al76groovekeeper]

Love the videos u make. U r a great musician n fun to watch….

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks a lot Albert! Take care! :) //Kris

[@PieCompanyGuitars]

You should really buff those frets on a buffing wheel afterwards too. Much smother than if just by hand...

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks for the suggestion. I sometimes use a Dremel with a small buffing wheel for that super smooth feel and I will definitely get into that in a future episode. I didn't want to do it in this episode though, because we try to show fixes and setups without using too many special tools. A buffing wheel is not the kind of tool everyone has at home. :) Still, I'm with you and I will show that in a future episode. Cheers //Kris

[@hearpalhere]

Thanks for the overview Kris!

[@JGAbstract]

I've heard you're supposed to move the beam parallel with the center line, not the tapered edge of the neck. And also you should tape up the fretboard for crowning. People doing this for the first time will definitely accidentally scratch their fretboard.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Yes, you should definitely mask the fretboard too if it's your first time. As told at the beginning of this video, unlike most of our Guitar Tech Tips videos, this is not a tutorial. That's why I disclaimed that. :) Thanks for watching! //Kris

[@rogerowens5669]

Thanks Chris all these tips help I have a lot of guitars and I still continue to buy a new guitars and a lot of them need complete adjustments I mean I'm working on a Kramer right now I think I might have to end up replacing the nut because it came from the factory too low I thought about sending it back I figured I'd take it through the paces and see what's what before I give him a call and tell him you know y'all need to send me another guitar not y'all of course AMS

[@mickavoidant4780]

I'm thinking the middle frets get lot less filing than the top and bottom, with that file.

[@PieCompanyGuitars]

Any reason for not taking off the neck? Mineral spirits will clean the fingerboard and not mess with finish and it cheaper and more effective than fingerboard oils which you can put on after a clean fingerboard

[@Jimmyd_Rocktalk]

Awesome video! Rock on!

[@ryleuty]

Rolled up beach towel makes a good neck support

[@seanmcdonald4686]

Thank you for these videos, this channel is an incredible source of information! I had a couple questions that I’m hoping you could help me with, if you wouldn’t mind. Do you need to factor in the neck’s string tension somehow? Especially while you were using that long fret sander at the beginning, it looks (to my layman’s eyes) like the frets would be at very different heights (relative to each other) after stringing it up. I know I’m missing something…. Please help! And again, thank you for the fantastic videos on this channel.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Sean, thanks for the kind words! You can't really simulate the string tension when you're levelling the frets so the best you can do is make sure that the neck is straight when doing this. After sanding the frets with the levelling tool they might look like they are different tall. That happens sometimes especially if the fretboard is not consistently straight. The only thing that really matters though is if the TOP of the frets are levelled or not. That's what the strings touch. 👍 //Cheers, Kris

[@richard072880]

Great video man.

[@hiatus2757]

Hey man! Nice video I would like to ask what grit you use in fret leveling

[@rickycompton2610]

These are great videos for the do it yourself guitar player but I think a radius beam is more precise for fret leveling.

[@curlzwalk]

Great Video!! Thanks so much!!

[@davesims6517]

Great video, but you forgot to mention remarking the frets when you go for the thin crown line.

[@nordmende73]

Thanks again!

[@chuckyz2]

Interesting. This is for you and not the beginners. I made my own leveling tool. I have a big marble surface plate to sand the tool to perfectly level. The Starrett marble surface plate is 500 lbs and level everywhere to within .00050" 50 millionths. Overkill but I like it. I can also touch up my levels with it as even metal moves. I just pencil a grid on the bottom of my leveling block and drag it across the plate with fine 3M paper that is spray glue down. it makes a perfectly flat level that when you hold two up to each other no light passes. Again, probably over kill but good when you are trying to get really low action for beginner players or people that don't bend a lot and play mostly chords. My tool is made longer than the fretboard just to make sure the whole board is perfectly level. And the most important thing is I can do it with the neck under tension. I have found that after leveling and stringing it up and tuning, the neck can flex and throw the leveling off even after a truss adjustment to straighten it back up. I used two then aluminum bars. I jb welded one upright to the other laying flat, (T) The top of the T being where the sandpaper is taped on and the bottom of the T is the handle. We are looking at the end of the of course. I tune the guitar then pull the d out of the nut and saddle and slide it in to the A nut and saddle gooves. I have to loosen it a little to try and maintain the same tension. I then work the middle of the frets keeping track how many passes to get all the paint off so as I move to the next section up or down I work it for the same amount of time or passes so as to not mess with the radius. The E strings I just move one over. When done and the wood leveled with the truss the frets pass no light with the straight edge laying on all of them. Checking it in all 5 gaps between the strings. I do create a very small dive in last frets. I like a to adjust the frets with no relief or just barely able to detect it when using the strings as straight edge to check relief. I only do that so I know it hasn't moved upward. Some hard hitters need more relief. But this works for all but the really hard hitters and gives the lowest action you can get without any buzzing. Fender Maple necks you can level with no string tension and they flex back evenly. At least the five I have done thus far. And being able to remove the neck makes the job a lot easier. Some dont like to do that. If it is shimmed, I wouldn't eith especially if the guitar has that special mojo. My fenders are modern CS ones and they always work the same when removed and replaced. Just make sure there is no debri when bolting them back down. Every Mahogony neck I have done flexes back unevenly and throws the leveling off just a little. It a much softer wood than maple and flexes more I assume. For people that like higher action, it is not an issue. It is plenty good. I also found you can file the nut to lower the strings action at the first fret very low as the tension there is very high. Like if you capo the first fret and check the gap between the strings and the 2nd fret. I just copy that. It makes the guitar so much easier to play even if you like high action, up in the cowboy chord area. Especial that F chord where you have to bar the E and B with you index finger. I couldn't play that chord on most acoustics the way they come set up new. I have small girl hands and thin skin, which is why I took up doing all this to all my guitars. And what a difference. It was so worth the cost of all the tools, diamond tools are not cheap, and the time spent learning and doing it. Now I setup up guitars for friends and family. I need to start charging more. What does it cost to have a reputable luthier do a full fret leveling, crown, polish and nut filing and set up the bridge? I'm guessing over 200 minimum.

[@chuckyz2]

Now that I am a better player I have raised the action on all my guitars so I don't run over the string next to the one I am bending. Lol. But if not for being able to make those guitars easy to play I would have quit early on. I no longer need to go to these extremes on my guitars the next time they need this work, but I do it for people that want the lowest possible action.

[@jeffbosch1697]

Very helpful video, thank you. Is a step missing? Why not check for whether frets are level before applying the levelling tool? (I'm not an expert, I'm just learning this so I can eventually refret a Strat.)

[@PTRK490]

How can frets suddenly be unleveled? Humidity? Temperature? To much bending or truss rod adjustment?

[@cheeher3212]

This seems like it's something I could do but I don't wanna screw up.

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

I did it five times, screwed up three of them It's a matter of practice

[@cheeher3212]

@@ArturBrzozowski444 yep, plus I got some rather expensive guitars and no cheap ones to practice on so I'm pretty screwed if I screw up.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

@@cheeher3212 Just as Artur says, the first few fret levelings can go wrong. Please don't practice it on expensive / precious guitars. If you want to learn this, buy a cheap and unplayable guitar. Anything that's old and used and has poorly leveled frets will do. Cheers //Kris

[@user-fj6jx3rl4q]

thank you!!

[@nothingandmore]

I'd protect the fretboard before even starting this job.

[@Sebastian-hh5gu]

Would it be better to do it with a radius block with the radius of the guitar?

[@tomascorreadelfau4742]

Really great video! One question, where did you buy the straight edge??

[@stesma54]

Amazon

[@kielmaglaqui9931]

Thanks for this!❤️🔥

[@aaronl7669]

awesome!

[@douglasalvaradocorrales]

Thank you very much, it really helps me!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Glad to hear that Douglas! Cheers //Kris

[@kaz0271]

Few things missing, but overall a great video.

[@Oilid]

Thank you.

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

I thank YOU! :) Take care Oilid! //Kris

[@SeanDS89]

PLEASE HELP... Is Thomann a good site for getting decent luthier tools? I checked StewMac, and everything there is ridiculously expensive (almost $40 for a fret rocker??). I've heard the quality doesn't match the price either, so I don't want to shop there... If not Thomann, where else would be a good shop?

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

All of the Stewmac tools I've been using over the years are great. You're right though, they are pretty pricey just like all professional tools (same goes for traditional wood working, high quality soldering irons, proper router machines, etc). I've tried most of the Harley Benton tools and tools of other brands you can get from Thomann and they are surprisingly accurate yet more affordable than tools elsewhere. Otherwise I wouldn't have used them on this series. Cheers //Kris

[@SeanDS89]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses ok cool, thank you :)

[@boomerbassmeme]

Cool Kris 😎👍

[@josephcasanova9346]

Also make sure your neck is straight with a straight edge before you tape it off

[@cugir321]

Here's a common problem I see over and over again. On a 6 string guitar - The 3rd, 4th, and 5th fret has a slight buzz on the "B" string when I play a Open "D" chord. I have 3 guitars with this same problem after leveling...two of them I just got lucky and got rid of it but have no idea how to address this properly instead of easter egging it? My guess it's coming from the middlwe section of the neck from where I finger the note to the saddle....I've tried going to where the buzz starts and work back one fret at a time....leveling the fret under the individual string with small piece of sand paper on my finger....pulling the string to the side under tension.

[@haraldamsterdam1988]

Idea for next video. Set up a (cheaper) harley benton ST model guitar, when out of the box,

[@antonakis79ohyes]

Hi! What is the grade of sandpaper you are using? Thanks fot the awesome video!😊

[@Steven_SK]

Thanks Kris. Does Julia do her own work on her bass or do you do most of the tech work? I am wanting to learn bass and have ordered a Squire. Thanks man all the vids are awesome! We need a "Day in the Life of Kris" vid. What all do you do in a day!?

[@Jimmyd_Rocktalk]

Thanks for sharing

[@peanutbutterisfu]

For anyone that’s really not mechanically inclined Luther’s are not expensive.

[@drewochsner6027]

How would one ensure that a neck is straight and level before leveling frets on a scalloped fretboard? Using the notched straight edge isn't really an option since the most of the wood between the frets is gone and the surface between the frets is curved. The only thing I can think of is using a straight edge directly on the frets.

[@joelsantos3560]

It would be good if Thomann sold an affordable and good quality tool kit. It is not necessary to be high-end, just good quality. Just like they already do with Harley Benton guitars and basses!

[@BurninSven1]

All you really need is the notched straightedge and you can make that yourself. Normally there is no need to level all frets just the high ones

[@matimaui]

At the last part of the video why was the first nut slot too high if the other ones were perfect?

[@lorencing]

Thanks for the video, have a question though ... how would you go about leveling frets of a (cheaper) bass guitar that has a slightly warped neck, that also does not hold a level plane along all its length. The neck a bit lower on the first fret, then a bit higher in the middle and again lower than a straight edge towards the last frets. The frend that I am doing the job for plays punk and does not care about the fine tunings, but I still want to do the best job ... without making the situation worse than it already is. He basically came to me to replace the pots, wiring, strings, adjust the trus rod and so on. My question would be if I should just file down the 4-5 apparently higher frets (when the neck is set to its most level state), crown and polish or do a whole fret leveling? How would you go abou it? I have fairly basic luthier tools and not much experience.

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

Do you have a video how to setup a bass? (Yep, I'm lazy) Congratulations on 50 episodes! Recently I realised that I haven't seen them all yet but they pop up whenever I'm fixing something and want to be sure I'm doing it right Your process looks really simple yet effective. I'll get myself a fret rocker. And maybe that handy banana file

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Hey Artur, we don't have a specific bass setup video, because the basics are the same for guitars and basses. Try these four video in this order: 1. Neck: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5yomoyAZtCpf68 2. Nut check: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kF7YqXivmdSqn9E 3. Bridge saddles: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJC2hqODmKdkZ5o 4. Intonation: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWixeJVmp8xrmas //Kris

[@ArturBrzozowski444]

@@ThomannsGuitarsBasses my heart warms up seeing so many videos of yours, Thank you! 💓

[@PanoramaUnion]

Cool bass :)

[@ivandrimal5783]

Když po porovnání udělám poloměr pražců, je dobré označit fixem i horní stranu pražce. Budete lépe vědět, že brousíte pražec rovnoměrně. Ale jinak dobré video. Dík.

[@leebuck8532]

I'm a machinist for a living, I'm gonna take stab at this! If I go wrong it will be ok lol! I start with a cheap guitar.

[@satchrules101]

Cool videos !

[@guitashmurtz4772]

Thank you!

[@rccarsandmusic2641]

Excellent

[@zzzGroove]

upper and lower frets get much less sanding if you sand like you do it. You have to sand with the whole block over all frets. In other words: nut off. If the neck is 42 cm / 16.5" long (1rst to last fret) and if you have a 25 cm sanding block: you need 25 + 42 + 25 = 92 cm working space. If you use a shorter one e.g. 5" + 16.5" + 5" = 26.5". Whole block starting sanding "behind" 1rst fret ... ending behind last fret.

[@thefunkynotes8956]

Was that "Go to Hell" by Alice Cooper? Rock On!!!

[@necrogon22]

omg please protect the fretboard XD

[@davidsummerville351]

Guess I'll subscribe. 😎🤓

[@jerzyluciano3985]

what's the grit of the sandpaper for leveling?

[@user-bt1xj6se6p]

Hi Do you set the straight edge on a angle matching the radius or do you set it straight on the fretboard

[@CountNetsrac]

How would you treat frets which stick out at the sides a tiny bit?

[@jicklesjingles8134]

They did videos of how to treat fret ends already. Have a look at their library

[@MichaelHattem]

So you level the frets with the beam until all the marker is gone from the fret tops?

[@jdmarino]

Happy Anniversary!

[@ThomannsGuitarsBasses]

Thanks John! :) //Kris

[@a.kmojarrad8979]

Why didn't you remove the neck and lay it flat on the bench and do the leveling?

[@johntchb]

Good tutorial but stating the sandpaper grit on leveller would of been handy.

[@greatsouthernpansy]

I usually go with 600. It's basically balance between what will effectively remove fret material and amount of scratches it will make ;)

[@johntchb]

@@greatsouthernpansy thanx for replying

[@jamesmmusic5806]

hello, are you able to link to where you get the straight edge/levelling tool from? Thanks!

[@thelusienorchestra]

Bravissimo

[@coreyu4590]

I like to fix my own basses since I have 6. I spend a grand plus giving to a luthier. But my question for some of the people out there is what grit of sandpaper are using do you have multiple grits or just one grit

[@jomamma1750]

I use 400 grit for the cutting work. Then 6 or 800, then 1000, then 1500 and finally 2000. Works for me.