Fret Leveling - The Easy Way // How To

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Please bear in mind that you also should file the nut slots to the new fret level (picture the nut slots as the zero fret). Nut slots that are too high create a situation where the guitar is difficult to play due to the high action in first positions. They can also throw off the tuning and intonation. The ideal nut slot height, in terms of playability, is subjective - much like string action height at the bridge. Some players like the slots to be cut up a little higher - like slide players - , and some players want them cut down as low as possible so the guitar plays very easy with no fight - that would be me ;-).

[@Roman-wm4ji]

Thank you so much for this helpul video! I am learning luthier work, but am on a budget. This video was straight to the point and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you showing how to make home made tools. Thank you!! One question though, when rounding frets edges, is there a certain amount of the fret to remove? Any specific things to pay attention to?

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

@@Roman-wm4ji Just make them comfortable round. Don't remove material from the top of the fret ends thereby making the centerline of the fret shorter. If the fret ends are too much angled the strings could glide of the fret ends. Crimson Guitars has a great video on dressing fret ends although they're using more "sufisticated" tools ;-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/g3erlJSsr9BrZrM

[@Roman-wm4ji]

@@FabiansTinyWorkshop Thanks so much! just watched his video :)

[@renatofdearaujo8997]

thanks for the great video. I'm experiencing buzzing in one string, and I suspect this video will help me figure out a way to fix it. Regarding the nuts, my impression is that depending on the strig you'll have a different width on each slot, to lodge properly the string according to the caliber. This way they can sit on the same level... That's another problem I'm experiencing: I'll have to widen some nut slots a bit to make sure they are leveled from the bottom. Makes sense? thanks

[@paulyoung4781]

I have the jem but my fretts seem abit uneaven I definitely think it is needing this done as I have lots frett buz,I've tried all the basics set ups adjustment s like the kneck!! Raising the saddles the bridge ect but I ain't raising it too much past 2mm low E that be too hard to play,seems only my low E that has lots buzz up and down kneck strange one!! I do feel it would be beneficial to level off the fretts and do this,I feel very confident after watching ur video many many thanks buddy thank u

[@Defekcija]

This is a great example of how videos should be done. No clickbait and straight to the point! Thank you, Sir.

[@bastiangigas]

The clearest video about crowning and leveling I've seen so far. Thank you!

[@SinsOD]

Yes!!!

[@johndoe1765]

Yes I agree straight forward thank you very much.

[@Scotchegz]

Quick tip! place a piece of tape down the neck on each side before applying fretboard masking for quick removal.

[@EnzoSimoneRocks]

thanks!

[@briantinsley7864]

Since you're using some Stew Mac stuff, I think I got several widths of masking tape (blue) and use the narrow rolls on the high frets. I use a piece of granite with double stick 320 to get flat using your basic technique. Ive used several crowning tool, but I use a 3 corner file, but grind one side smooth and polish the corner, and you can get pretty surgical with the frets that way. I got a cheap diamond crowning file, and if you're working on multiple guitars I wouldn't skimp on this tool. I also use the StewMac gritty erasors, and finish by buffing frets with a cloth dremel wheel and simichrome polish.

[@carlmontney7916]

@@briantinsley7864 I also use a dremel and Simichrome. Great stuff

[@ThePelekatMan]

Nice tips! Thanks ☺️

[@stradaveriusfiddle]

And why not use a dollar or two worth of ‘blue painters’ tape? I believe in saving money when it makes sense, but most old style ‘masking tape’ has some pretty nasty adhesive. When I compare the extra dollar for tape, to the value of my guitar neck, it’s a ‘no-brainer.’ It doesn’t have to be the 3m kind. Just keep an eye out for any sort of dollar store, it’s worth a look, because most of them now carry a cheap version of blue painters tape.

[@jacob_krause_official7286]

This is easily the best video on the subject by far. Your directions are distinct, you speak clearly, and actually show us everything you're doing. Thank you!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! I truly appreciate that! :)

[@jonathaneftychiou]

After a quick trip to Lowe's, I just followed this video step by step. Amazed at how doable it actually was and very glad to save $100+ on tools I won't really use again for years. Thanks so much!

[@GuyBraget]

what did you get at Lowes?

[@onpsxmember]

Just if anyone is new to that, the file at 3:58 needs the edges ground off to get safe edges. The regular sharp edges will eat through the masking tape and destroy (in this case) the finish of the neck and the wood beneath it. Good video, lowered the hurdle with the self made tools.

[@bastimixacoustic3958]

I saw a friend of mine on Facebook talking about leveling the frets on his guitars and wanted to know what exactly this is all about. This video was very informative but also showed me that this is something I will never ever attempt to do myself XD

[@claudemoanet6870]

I levelled my frets following this tutorial and my guitar turned out great.

[@RumbleFish69]

I took my guitar into Guitar Center for a tune up, never thinking this would be an issue, but it was... After taking my money and not letting me know about this problem, which I am sure they spotted when they originally tested it, they were more than happy to let me know when I brought it back the next day. So, now, on top of the $50 bucks I spent on the tune up, I now have to give them an extra $125 to level the frets?? No thanks, I am doing it myself! This is a great video and I am certain that I will have no issues completing this project successfully. I have all the tools, but more importantly, this video has given me the confidence to succeed. I will never take my guitar into Guitar Center again! I realized that getting my guitar serviced at Guitar Center is no different than having my car serviced at one of those $10 oil lube places! Live and learn!

[@hussamjamil4980]

Thank you very much for the tips. I am a beginner (6 months) and my cheap €90 Stratocaster has 3 slightly higher frets. I learned a lot about proper set up (neck relief, inntonation, string hights, pick up heights etc) and was wondering how to do this without special tools and also learn. I also watched your DIY kit, i was looking into a telecaster DIY kit (love the tele twang) and again learned alot. Much appreciated.

[@emmabrewer2283]

So glad this video isn’t telling me to buy expensive tools 🙏

[@zippygogo3660]

Perfect vid , this is what you need , this is how you do it , straight to the point , no bells and whistles

[@yavuzakkus9548]

The minimalistic approach is very understandable and encouraging for a newbie like me. If there's one, I'll watch your fret replacing video, too. Keep up the good work!

[@keithsa41]

This is concise and straight to the point. You have a natural teaching talent, thanks for posting!

[@Marksleftboot1]

Great video, no expensive tools, down to earth simple how to! Great stuff!

[@richardockenden8669]

Clear and concise instructions and straight to the point with no garbage in between , great video matey thank you .

[@Im-a-Fool]

This is great! I have been delaying a fret leveling on one of my guitars because of the over priced cost of the luthier tools, it is hard to justify that cost especially when the total cost of those tools nears the cost of new neck. This is great information thank you!

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Cheers! Glad you like it!

[@bassyey]

Great no bullshit approach. Seriously, I like how this doesn't require me to buy expensive stuff and establishes what needs to be done.. Though, I'll probably spend at least for the crowning file, only because I'm not confident enough to do the final shaping. But for the leveling stuff, I'll get the cheap stuff you mentioned, I never thought it would be that easy.

[@violetadanicic5363]

We did a great job with our frets thanks to your video. Thanks. Greetings from Serbia!

[@benhughes2563]

It's amazing what clear and detailed yet plain instructions can do for one's confidence! I am now fully confident that I will be able to do this to my guitars, though I will be investing somewhat into a proper diamond crowning file and radius block to make life a little easier. Many thanks! Edit: Update - done and done. Might go over the crown again in the future as I think I'd get better results with a traditional 3 corner file. My polishing, while adequate, isn't quite mirror finish - really can't afford to skip grits there! No more weird zingy notes though!

[@Big_Red_Dork]

Just use a Dremel with a buffing wheel and compound for the polish

[@anthonyrmay1502]

flash .......................... but wish I could afford them

[@jeremykemp3782]

No frills, no expensive tools and no nonsense. Great video thanks

[@Metabo1950]

This is the best video on fret leveling I've seen and I've watched a lot of them. Thank you so much!

[@danepaulstewart8464]

WOW! What a great SIMPLE and easy to understand lesson. 👍👍👍👍 This should be the FIRST lesson on fret leveling new learners should watch. Yes, you can go further, but all that includes is just being a little more precise at each step - NOTHING would be fundamentally any different. A+ Video Right Here! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! I really appreciate that!

[@chrisn527]

Straight and to the point,, great workarounds for the non-luthier in the family. Thank you so much.

[@mikewright7236]

Thanks to your video, I was able to get my very first and favorite Washburn electric finally playing right. For years I've had problems with it and I just pretty much stopped playing. I thought the fret buzz I kept getting in placed was an adjustment issue... So I adjusted and adjusted to no avail . I finally started examining the frets and noticed very small intentions in the frets in certain places. I used about 8 dollars worth of stuff and used your method and it's playing great now. Thanks so much for this video

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Cheers! Glad you like it!

[@alansturgess1324]

Outstanding. I have a fairly cheap ES335 copy which has a great sound but several high frets - this video is EXACTLY what I needed. I've seen others which make the job look very tricky ... your approach is very straightforward. Many thanks.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@misterbearsir]

Outstanding video. Thank you for showing us (in such a clear, direct, joyful way) that we can learn to work on our own guitars with confidence. All the best. ❤

[@piotrbalmusic]

Excellent tutorial. I want to attempt to do this on my guitar.

[@kathekokolias9569]

It’s Brian here on my dear wife’s iPad. Mine is opened up for a screen digitizer replacement in my “studio.” Thanks for a thorough discussion on fret level and crown procedure. Your video gave me the confidence to proceed as a DIY amateur luthier with old school attitude about fixing what you own and love when necessary. I’d collected new locking tuners, graphtech saddles, TUSQ nuts and a bridge, a Bigsby B30 and a Bourne split coil harness and I was about to order a pricey 6” leveling file to address two guitars of 4 I own and play, a 2000 Epiphone 335vs and a1988 Fender Strat. The Strat has moderate fret wear, divots and some buzz and the maple neck and fretboard will be stripped and treated with boiled linseed oil over Japan drier, then new saddles and nut. The Epi gets light fret dressing, new harness, the the Bigsby and bridge with Towner down pressure bar into a Graphtech Rotamax Bridge , ditching the OEM Rotomatic with steel saddles. . The other two are a 2019 LP Plus Top Pro VS which needs nothing and a 1952 Martin 018 on which if the two jobs above turn out as well as expected I will also do a fret restore. As refined and vintage sounding as it is it will likely regain what’s been worn away these years….Already refinished the neck myself, had a pro luthier in upstate NY reset that and repair/ stabilize some checking. It was my mom’s, I started playing that when I was 9 or so, now I’m 72. The roughly $65 saved from the leveling file (I own a new FretGuru 2.0 crowning file as of yesterday) I’ll roll into locking tuners for the Strat, save all the OEM hardware removed and all the tools in a box for whoever inherits my guitar collection when I ride off into the sunset. .

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Appreciate it :-) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@Oceansovermidnight]

Thank you for the quick video!! Helped me setup my new partscaster Tele. Got it done fast and only needed to buy a level! 🤘🏼

[@JesusMartinez-fp5yh]

First video that I’ve seen to take into consideration that not all of us want to spend so much money on special tools. Thank you

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@chadwhitaker3949]

Good job man and I enjoyed your video. Most people focus on how careful you need to be but you didn't hold back. I like your style. It was killing me that you weren't blowing off the metal shavings with compressed air like I would've been doing each step lol. Get you a compressor and an air pistol attachment. I use it for anything and everything around the house

[@replicated]

I am glad there are videos for amateurs like me who can't the afford StewMac tools. Not knocking them, I know they're great, but I just make my tools for now.

[@mikepawlikguitar]

Hallo Fabian, ich wollte danke sagen, für das tolle Video. Ich fahre jetzt nach Canadian Tire um mir die notwendigen Sachen zu besorgen Im pretty confident I can do this. Thank you so much!

[@st.stephensabqumc5283]

Well done! I've got a guitar in need of leveling and after watching, I'm confident I can do this myself. Thanks.

[@ServingMyJesus]

Thank you sir for this video. Like others have said, you have made this plain and simple without unnecessary waffling. My bassis buzzing at the 12th fret only and was wondering how to file down the offending fret. Thank you so much for your lesson.

[@christopherchurch9274]

Thanks for the really informative video. I'm about to try my hand at some fret leveling for the first time, and I feel your video gave me a good sense of what to do.

[@jimbradley727]

Your vid was direct to the point less than 19 minutes and completed a fret job...So yes i loved it.. Any vid of this process more than 20 minutes will not get my look.

[@hamid1398]

Thanks for the great video. It is also important to check for strightness of the neck once truss rod is adjusted

[@eddievanhelsing]

Thanks! I have done a fret level before but I needed a refresh and this video was very helpful to get the process back in my mind.

[@Lewis_tiger91]

Thank you so so much. By teaching me how to do this, you've made an unplayable guitar, my favourite again. I can't thank you enough for this lesson. 👍

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@genegarneau3822]

Right to the point. I love it. I cannot stand fret buzz, not at all. I watched some video's that said fret buzz is ok, it is normal. No it is not, back in the day, when i was a kid, if you had a really nice guitar, there was no such thing as fret buzz, but today, it seems to be the norm of ALL guitars, it sucks, you should be able to buy a high end guitar with no fret buzz. Very good video..

[@idigchickflicks8730]

Thank you! Easy tips & straight to the point. No babbling on about nonsense lol. Instant Sub!!

[@rottalmusik6563]

thanks for showing this! I will encourage at least someone to do this by him self. I do it this way now a couple yers now with my guitars when needed, but I took me much more years to overcome my fears to make somthing wrong! With your manual and a cheap guitar neck to practice, everybody can get better at this an save money!

[@kh884488]

So helpful! The double-sided adhesive method looks like a great idea.

[@kawwabonga]

Thanks Fabian! You literally just stopped me from wasting quite some money on the tools I would have used one or two times =)

[@helmanfrow]

That was very clear, thank you! I was just on AliExpress trying to decide whether to spend money on cheap guitar tools or not. I think I'll try home depot first, instead ;).

[@JaimeCerrada]

Nice video. It's nice to see videos like this where the luthier do the job with a simple tools and not using those special and expensive tools.

[@tjsogmc]

Simple and easy to follow tutorial. There is no reason you can't do this at home! I would recommend buying a crowning file (you can get them on Amazon for about $25) and save yourself a lot of extra work and headaches. Everything else you can get from any local hardware store.

[@022rty]

Awesome video bro! Perfect for the everyday average guitar guy like most of us. Thank you!

[@manfredoliveras3196]

Very good, straight to the point.

[@Xxmeca421xX]

I practiced on my squier and it plays so good. It's hilarious people think you need stew Mac tools to get a perfect looking neck. My 5 dollar file set has lasted me 2 years so far.

[@mrfriendly67]

Watching such films, I become convinced that I can do these things myself with my guitars, instead of paying the luthiers.

[@Dude_Guyman]

I paid a "luthier" (Firehouse Guitars, Muskegon) to do this once on a brand new guitar. He wrecked the frets, filed them down to almost nothing and totally uneven from high to low side. When I gave it to them it had some buzzing, high frets, when I got it back it was worse than before with totally dead notes and deep file chatter all over the place.They refunded my money but refused to fix the issue, claiming I did it myself, "It was fine when it left here (an hour and a half before), get out, you're no longer welcome here", etc. I had not even played the thing yet other than to drive it home and check if it was playable, then head straight back to the store. /madface Then I learned to do a complete refret and level, made it into a great playing guitar, and never looked back. F@#$ that guy, and f#$% Firehouse Guitars!

[@Swope_1995]

You can. Through trial and error, and learning.

[@mreduardobarbosa]

Thanks for sharing, I bought a Gretsch guitar and some frets are higher than others. I'm not a luthier so I'll follow your advice, hope I don't damage the guitar neck.

[@glynnrichards942]

Many thanks Fabian, excellent video: very clear and detailed, with good camera angles to show the results.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! Appreciate it!

[@conornos]

I thought I'd get back into guitar again after many years not playing. Bought a "beginner" pack and I would not have the confidence to set up a guitar like this video :-P

[@jorgelozadamusic]

Loved the video! I never thought you could use simple tools for this job 😮

[@T.m.K]

Thank you for that video. I just made only how you did and that helped me remove some buzz on frets. Thanks a lot and I wish you all the best !

[@montag4516]

So your first time fret leveling was a success? I'm certain I could do a good job at it but still have been hesitant to do so.

[@vl292]

Good tutorial. I’m gonna try this. I think the challenge will be maintaining fairly consistent fret height as wear tends to concentrate below unwound strings between 1st and 17th frets. I quess you just have to take more from the areas with less wear. But not to worry, if I overdo it, next I will be learning how to scallop a neck.

[@adrianogomes1871]

Great lesson I appreciate the alternatives, since they don't sell most luthier's tools in my country - Cabo Verde

[@keith612]

Prima! Thanks Fabian - really demystified the process.

[@neilsmith5464]

Fantastic video. Will be having a go using your approach. Really appreciate your pragmatic attitude, friendly tone and top tips. Elise I already have most of what I need tool wise, so just need to get started!

[@rockoc7590]

AWESOME Video Fabian! I've been building guitars for awhile, but I've farmed out the fret leveling because I thought it was a BIG hassle! You made it nice and simple.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

If it looks good you don't have to do anything different.

[@EnmandsBand1]

great tutorial thank you I found that you can buy a pretty cheap aluminium Water level, they are milled totally flat from the factory and I use the same method on these: stick on sand paper with double sided sticky tape I just use a piece of sandpaper with my fingers to crown the frets after levelling After the steel wool I use Autosol metal polish, the frets get really shiny :-)

[@onpsxmember]

If you have a machine bed or a flat piece of marble, check if it's really flat. It often isn't, especially on the cheap ones. But it's a good start and with that surface and some sand paper taped to it, the beam can get there. After a number of strokes, turn the beam around to get a more uniform result.

[@maciejprokop2001]

Thank you !! managed to "repair" a 12 string, the 11, 12 ,13 frets were higher than others wchich prevented me from playing above fret 5 due to fret buzz. After the fret job it is much better, i can now play all over the freatboard :D with only a little bit of buzz ;)

[@joshuamichael4312]

I've ended up on this guys videos for just about every task on this current build. Perfect video! Quick and to the point!

[@rockoc7590]

Perfect instruction, and simple...I'm sure a lot of us that build guitars, also have handed them off to a "So called" Luther when a fret job was needed. I just thought it would be a hassle, and I'd probably screw it up! I think a job like this goes for around $300 if you bring it to a guitar shop? Correct me id I'm wrong...can't believe how simple, and quick this job is after thinking it was a huge deal for years. Thanks a lot Fabian

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you. It's really not that difficult. Of course, I would not recommend anyone trying a fredjob on an expensive guitar for the first time without practice. On the other hand on a budget guitar it is not worth paying the "experts". If you're into guitar building it might pay of buying a cheap neck of ebay or amazon for practice.

[@stephencastro1437]

Thank you very much. I was to do a leveling job, but I did not have the proper tools. This helps.

[@darrelldunn4618]

I like the marking each fret with a sharpie tip.

[@ne2i]

I have a piece of leather glued to a piece of wood. I normally use this for chisel sharpening. It works great for final polishing frets. Use jeweler's rouge or whatever you have avalable on the leather and have at it. You get a mirror finish!

[@Daddy53751]

My favorite trick is my dremmel with a polishing wheel, as a last step. It’s like string bending on glass!

[@banjomango145]

I bought one of the green compound bricks for my strop and polishing anything metal around the shop, 8 euros for a giant brick ill probably have to pass down the family lol

[@lucjanszulik7354]

Gonna try my first fret leveling job next week... hope petient will feel better :D

[@sergeantcrow]

Excellent.. Thank you... Truly appreciate you sharing this valuable info... 🙂

[@Case_]

This is great, thank you! I guess I might actually pick up the courage to do my guitar which is badly in need of some fret leveling and re-crowning.

[@jamestaylor3500]

Did you say you are gonna do your guitar!!!? No shame in your game,,, lemme know how that goes. Ummmm does your guitar have a sister???

[@neilkuly7937]

Thanks a lot for this video. Very helpful for people on a budget.

[@TRGP331]

Here in the US you can get a notched straight edge for under $30. Even if you're not doing a lot of fret work, it is an indispensable tool for setups. I personally wouldn't trust a piece of cardboard. Also, you can buy a $5 slim taper file at Home Depot, "safe-sand" the corners, and you have a fantastic crowning file akin to a high-dollar crowning file.

[@akipachoekie]

Thank you for this video. I'am gonna use this on my Martin T1k Ukelele. I have only oké change. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@Anton-ji4td]

Brilliant How to video. Excellent.

[@soupbonep]

Great video with great information! I love videos that show you how to do projects with inexpensive tools.

[@noelpatrick5074]

Fabian superb, outstanding in India this a big job ,,, many don't know what leveling and crowning means

[@travismccartney]

Thanks for sharing your technique. I had a set-up done on a strat-shaped object of mine but I'm still getting fret buzz, a fret rocker and a notched straight edge from amazon later, and now I now how the fix the fret issues myself.

[@hunger993]

You can probbably use a dremel with a buffing wheel and compound to eliminate muchof the polishing work

[@YesuAiNimen]

This is what I do and it works great. It's quick too.

[@GalenIRL]

I do this too, i go from 1000 to 2000 and then buff with the dremel. Mirror finish

[@lorencing]

Thanks for the instructional demo, looks like I need much less tools than I thought.

[@giovanninatale7075]

good video on fret levelling, you make it look easy, thanks! Good job!

[@Dodger2879]

So effective and simple! I will try this and I also use the tool with the slot to cover the wood and fret polish on the metal. Great video. Thank you.

[@paulyoung4781]

Hi again,pitty cant show u pics on KZbin,I've level all my fretts all good,now I'm crowning I was abit nervous yesterday as I no I had to crown them frets and worried incase I muck them up! But I've done 2 frets haha took me half hour as I really had to take my time find my way to get into swing of it u no,I think I feel ok now,I sharpy the lines on my 2 fretts and now I have same thin line remaining now and looks rounded so far no perfect round yet as I no I have still lots work to do,but thanks for giving showing me how to do this many thanks,so many vids on here but dont explain it the way u have done,I have some metal polish in my house so I'll probably use that at the end to,oh and I have no table to use I'm using my wife's ironing board for clothes hahaha

[@MrNoelball]

Great video,, worked a treat on my Bass guitar,,,,,, thanks buddy

[@jrrarglblarg9241]

Thanks for this. The proper kit of tools to do frets costs as much as my pawnshop guitar, but I already own files and sandpaper.

[@hearpalhere]

Really great video, thanks for showing how to do this process with basic and inexpensive tools!

[@danielvalles9554]

Hey, Just throwing it out there.. spend the money on a crowning file. I've leaned a lot of guitar oriented tools are just common or obscure tools repackaged for guitar work, but crowning is hard. If you're not already proficient with a file or woodworking, you'll either mess it up the first time or spend far too long doing the frets. Sometimes it's worth it to have a purpose built and purpose bought tool for the price of, maybe, a set up with new strings.

[@frankzander7151]

....I thought about the same as you and just ordered a crowning file.

[@Mr.Steve-O]

agreed, you can buy a decent kit for $10.00 .... loved the home made fret sanding tool from a block of wool .... Sorry StewMac www.ebay.com/itm/Guitar-Fret-Crowning-Luthier-File-Leveling-Grinding-Tool-Kits-Guitar-Repair-Tool/223235176398?hash=item33f9da77ce&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&enc=AQAEAAADMKvsXIZtBqdkfsZsMtzFbFsbX3WcW5fmB%2Fx7ZbaZTyexqLRTmHPDQOa6MFtb3GhMulYgkhtz0hhWJ%2BpMzfr72b5Iye%2BM6efrToeJAzSp%2BYsO8VTQSpLAvOkeR5wnuQUmL3RW5pWJal6cSoAeh5D88Tsyo2n4v4CJfX0Gb%2FX8uaXPjixfhWCLZpzljjA3U7kv41iu4DUGZwNeobTlGexRSVdnPZhbJE4deykUpZWckObtav%2F2UG1BEAA6GIbwiaZa%2FNAZrTH0muQrXzjBGJTkQWwB0v0U2IPQBqtea5MmUDWsiTZy4OKfZezHRSKE0a7g353LVg7eycKhb2JqUSjwoYrztbu75PGdKwumwl4od6nGRwz05kTgrBUvrkf3y4bnBte0ldTqwOvnPyQQOXs0C0o2LVpacjZNAMIi20kOUgu04mhUrPlO3AJZC69A1pe5dLNorEXLrLv9h3jdXAlqOJG04Yg4dV%2FxyDBewUEzjkXmzBbH7EngDxZrUg9l2VlPUZk4cl0d9UUhD9uOmaDihPHrys2Bc%2BuBluJB8KjRQKpRm88HGD9qKmeyP8iHN1nAVmQ3rO9qDFku3%2FqsMRs6r1TnvSXV18fnZbbTXDfHn9vZnmdzI28%2Bodsk4TDMZYZBNVXT%2FAJ8X7ZjfrqU99wDsr4p6X%2BgJQwONCCt2zkwNKic%2FwP9PskkbPziC6lWQCD63YgUwv0jNQ2eeaR%2F3fZ%2F4bJ9cV4m2emE%2FtllWbGoLgY8%2BR90RloEOr%2Fd1%2BkC7kouHStl9llVmDLH3MliajLFIk3g0I7GQ5EwoQX%2BYbzHhYZnZu%2F7vXfRbjkd%2F%2B12ISOfXkd%2F37bLoYeQh5ckPO7DMIyO%2Flfk3rN7vXJmXZ9DIUPx25lDXK3OFKVsAa%2FHIXTD8YnqdLqdE%2BFD%2FljjXwoAO2gIn9v28RTlnTzegAKLgbe1UC2n%2B0h2bUSKa4JwBFbZ%2BcnrGVZPfXG7iQVm2iL%2B%2FKv4rAbQK6lMOICKN45kerPdo1A30GaB%2FRp2Ve16gD87wKpKX43TI1L2VRSZkIfjyVOQt7wEmCex67CI0BX%2FE9b0DfBF2fj%2FPqTzgzH6c9Ta6w%3D%3D&checksum=223235176398c1af72c1f1b44886875e812429b8ef1e

[@riverboy1481]

And I really don't think a piece of cardboard is good for a straightedge. Just saying....

[@meadish]

@@Mr.Steve-O I bought one of those sets, and the included 'crowning file' took off the tops of the frets and put ugly scratches in them. This type of file should not be abrasive at the top, but the Chinese ones are. The diamond coating is uneven and coarse which is what can cause long deep scratches. You don't necessarily need to buy Stew Mac files, although if you can afford it and plan to do many fret jobs, it is probably worthwhile although the price is hard to stomach. Anyway, a three corner file with safe edges works too, and after the useless Chinese file had ruined a couple of frets, I switched to a three corner file, watched a few tutorials on them, and got very decent results for a first try.

[@stephenhookings1985]

@@meadish I got some tools from Crimson guitars in UK ... They do.the trick and since I got a few cheap basses I figured spending a little in some good tools to make them super playable is better than paying for expensive bass and marketing. I saw Highline guitars made a crowning file our of some soft balsa wood, a good fret and some sandpaper.

[@CC-te5zf]

Agree with the other comments - this is an incredibly valuable video!

[@nicksherman88]

Some tricks I have been using for years is using a Laser cut nail file and a multi sided nail buffer block the metal laser cut nail file the perfect grit, shape and size that cannot be found in traditional metal files or dimond files for frets and last a very very long time , same withe the buffer block, 4 sides with 4 different super fine grits for polishing and both together cost no more than $9 us

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

Thank you, sir. This tells me just what I need to do.

[@Kadehr]

This video is GOLD Thank you

[@darkrasen]

Amazing video, thanks so much! I wanted to do this but I didn't want to spend much on something that I'll probably ever do once 🙏

[@TheChristafershawn]

Thank you for the knowledge, now I know I will be heading to my local luthier soon to have a professional handle my fret work. I know I will screw this up and end up there anyway. Thanks again.

[@basshnter1997]

Very good video. I do recommend a set of crowning files. The only guitar specific tools I own.

[@briantinsley7864]

Which set did you get ? I got a low quality diamond file, but it's got some chunky diamonds that scratch up the frets. Looking for slow consistant metal removal

[@robroufla]

great and very helpful video, thanks Fabian ! Fantastic close-ups !

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thanks for checking it out :)

[@SatansYardsale]

Wow, I was totally not expecting that. I was thinking it would be "OK, first you need several hundred dollars in wood working equipment, then you need several years of experience doing some kind of maintenance job and finally you need a master's eye for detail." Nope. Wood and sandpaper. Love it. Absolutely brilliant. I wish every incredibly intimidating task turned out to be this simple. Now the question is will this fix my fret buzz on d and g below fret 7? Anyone wanting to answer that so I don't have to attempt this would be considered awesome in my book. I've tried adjusting everything else but I just don't know enough yet to trouble shoot this with any certainty and I'd really rather learn how to diagnose this than pay to have it done. On the other hand I'd rather not spend several hours leveling frets that didn't need it and risk damaging something on an already mistreated guitar. I eyeballed the neck while adjusting the truss rod until it was perfectly straight then pulled the action on the g almost all the way out but it still goddamn buzzed, so I left the action where it was, put the relief back in, and same deal. My guess is either some nut adjustment that involves something I've not yet considered (I didn't make any adjustments but I tried watching a few vids on this and it doesn't seem related but I'm not real good with the physics of this like this so I suppose it's possible), uneven frets, or the warp on the neck (left it in a hot house for a week during an AZ summer) is beyond repair but since it came straight and the buzz is on the middle strings I wouldn't think it would be warped that bad. I haven't touched it in multiple years nor did I really know how to play anyways though I tried and lost interest many time but now I'm older and I just have this insatiable urge to learn this. Funny how life changes. Anyways... HALP! PLEASE! Before I make it worse. It's just a cheapo Squire Strat covered in angsty teenager shit and stickers but I want to salvage it if I can, it was my first guitar and well... it took 20yrs but I finally decided it was time to actually learn and it's going quite well actually (I'm developing callouses WOOHOO!!). Except this. :/ Edit: Grammar, spelling, and detail

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Of course I'd have to see it before giving you a definite answer but usually if only one fret buzzes it's because the string is in contact with the nex fret. It's because the fhe fret you are playing is to low or the next fret is to high. If the next fret is to high you can level that fret. If it buzzes because the fret ist to low you have to level every other fret to the level of the lowest fret. Provided the neck is straigh take a straight ruler, put it on the fret in place of the d or g string and look if it touches every fret to find yout what the problem might be.

[@SatansYardsale]

@@FabiansTinyWorkshop Thanks! I'll go ahead with the leveling then. Wish me luck and thanks again.

[@meadish]

@@SatansYardsale How did it go? If I can suggest something based on my experience. If one fret is far too low, then that fret needs to be pulled and replaced. If you do what I did, and try to level the others down to fit, you may ruin the whole thing because the strings now touch wood each time you bend. The decision whether to pull and replace one fret that is too low, or alternatively, to level all the others to the level of the low fret, is critical.

[@igorkrstic8060]

Hello Fab ! Another guitar thing ? Well,I got to say - you rock ! This video is awesome.Thanx.

[@FabiansTinyWorkshop]

Thank you! I truly appreciate that! :)