Fret Polishing Tricks You Should Know

[@Guitarzan8]

Your channel has opened my yes to all kinds of details that improve my elec guitar playing. The nut slot files solved so many problems on a few of my guitars! Now I can control the frets. Thank you!

[@Jaymze13]

The old school Gulf station attendant hat was worth the time here. Oh, and picking up needed fretboard maintenance skills also. 😁🤣

[@JohnA000]

For years I used very fine steel wool to polish frets. You just have to take care to keep the dust from the steel wool out of electronics, cover sound holes and mask around any pickups as the magnets will attract the steel wool particles. use some tac cloth or masking tape for clean up. Similar to what you did, strip of tape on either side of fret, then just polish away! Never had any issues with it and it worked quite well.

[@OgamiItto70]

If you read the directions on a Micromesh kit, they'll tell you to alternate the direction of your strokes by 45° each time you go up in grit value. So your coarsest grit might be along the fretboard, your pass with the next highest grit might be 45°, the next pass with the next highest grit after that would then be 90°, the next after that at 135° and so on until you've made it either to the highest grit in the kit or you decide your frets might get _too_ smooth and shiny... The reason for alternating angles is to more quickly smooth out the grooves from the previous lower grit out of the surface being polished.

[@jimmy5634]

Before I polished my frets I struggled to play “ Mary Had A Little Lamb”. After I polished them, I began playing Hendrix riffs effortlessly.

[@lundsweden]

Yeah! 🎸

[@maryellenhikes5953]

I sure miss you Gene! I do hope to one day see you again. Really glad to see you with StewMac. You were a great teacher to me and I'll never forget working in your shop. Wow I'd love for you, Dan, & Eric to visit my home/shop here in the beautiful mountains of south central Pennsylvania. Keep up the great videos brother! 🙂❤️🎸🤘🏻

[@anyday82]

Gene is so comfortable on screen, love watching this guy!!

[@stewmac]

Thank you!

[@ramencurry6672]

He literally could be an actor in the movies. Even a leading role

[@raymond5116]

I use a cheap set of nail buffers, they come in 3 grits and give it a nice shine

[@michaelmarchei8539]

Exactly what I do

[@iainlove2343]

I do that and finish off with a micro fibre cloth after

[@MegaChoo2]

Me too, you can even roll fret ends if needed with low grit ones. Then buff them out too.

[@ramencurry6672]

You can use a lot of things. I like to buff with fret cleaning cream and paper towels

[@TuneIn1]

Dang! Clean frets are always satisfying, especially when they've seen better days!!

[@JohnHorneGuitar]

Great info. My first teacher used to buff frets to a shine using a cloth treated with jewelers rouge, but it took a lot of elbow grease and had limited results. Excited to try some of these techniques. It looks like something I could actually do without destroying anything. And the Dan cameo is priceless!

[@stewmac]

Nice! Lots of repair guys used to use jewelers rouge back in the day...Thanks for watching!

[@bingefeller]

I use 0000 steel wool with my pickups taped off and a vacuum cleaner to clean up the mess as I go. Works really well.

[@JohnnyBGoode634]

I tried this out and it did work very well. Observations: 1. The tolex strips tend to slip around on the stick, which can be a problem when they the expose metal stick. I did degrease the sticks but will do it again. 2. The leather and polish step worked wonders! 3. If on a hard surface, the tolex sheets can slip around while cutting if you try using an Xacto knife. Be safe and consider using low tack tape to secure the sheet.

[@bocattoluthieria]

Great vídeo!!! Here in Brazil we don't have this tools, but we used similar tools.

[@danthegeetarman]

Great video! I’m always looking for new ways to polish frets. That metal polish with the leather strip is brilliant. I’ve heard Greg Voros talk about doing that too before. The pick slide “ if you hear it you feel it” is brilliant as well

[@stewmac]

Thank You!!!

[@sharkman4928]

Dan at the car wash was hilarious!!! 😂

[@stewmac]

He's the best🤣

[@SuriSanJose]

Thank you for the amazing video Gene. Always a pleasure to see your work. More please!

[@stewmac]

Thank you for watching...Yes, much more to come!

[@FSAUDIOGUY]

Great Stuff Stew....thank you for this awesome video!

[@user-ir2bj3re1z]

Thanks Gene👊

[@johnterpack3940]

Being somewhat OCD, I'd do the deluxe just because. But the pick slide demonstration absolutely blew my mind. I never would have believed there was a functional difference between the two. Of course, it's probably only functional for lead players who do a lot of bending with light strings. I doubt I'd notice it on my 5-string bass. But, still, it's a real difference.

[@tylerwillison4962]

I love you guys. This was great. Please don’t ever stop making awesome videos.

[@firecrackerheart]

great, informative vid, gene! thanks .. .

[@3cardmonty602]

I use micro-mesh, then Rolite polish and a dremel buffer. To me it’s the best method.

[@JohnnyBGoode634]

Tolecut also offers sheets not cut into smaller blocks. This way you can cut longer strips (a bit longer than a guitar fret) and go over a fret in just a few swipes. You can still fit two per tool.

[@JohnnyBGoode634]

I tried this and realistically you end up using mostly the front inch or inch and a half of the stick. I withdraw this suggestion :)

[@J.C...]

I don't waste time polishing frets. It takes me like 5 minutes to get a mirror shine. Get out the drill, polishing pad, and blue Dialux polish. Load up the pad and polish the frets. Done. That alone will take out 300 grit Z file scratches and leave a mirror shine on my guitars but I think my frets aren't as hard as Fender or Gibson. So I don't even mess with anything else anymore.

[@groovesyndicate9513]

The green stew Mac deep fretboard cleaner and toothbrush is a great way to get a board clean.

[@guitarz]

excellent methods

[@richb.4374]

Tape up the fret board, use a Dremel tool with the white cloth polishing wheels and jewelers rouge. Do not use real high rpm or the cloth wheel will be destroyed quickly. Use low to moderate rpm and keep the wheel well coated with the rouge. The frets will be like mirrors.

[@nickmizell1141]

Thank you sir, great work!!

[@stewmac]

Thanks for watching!

[@DavidParker]

Hahaha Dans car wash cameo was perfect 😂

[@FlankinspanK]

I appreciate the level of detail with the second method but I find that those oiled polishing clothes work wonders and is fast

[@billgdegilliomusic3195]

Great video, and great shout-out to Rupert Holmes!

[@Cherry_Sunburst]

EXCELLENT...Thank you!

[@LilYeshua]

Flitz and a Dremel made mine beyond shiny. I used what I had to clean the fretboard which was isopropyl alcohol then used Stemac boiled linseed oil to treat it then once it cured i taped it up. The actual fret buffing took less than five minutes. With the Flitz metal polish my frets looks ten times better than the factory shine. P.S. i used fret erasers as well and rounded the edges of the fretboard and used a fret file to dress the fret ends as well as smoothing the edges and took care of any sharp fret ends. I used 0000 synthetic steel wool on the neck back to bring it back to a satin finish

[@stewmac]

Nice! Thanks for watching!

[@PeterKertesz2013]

Thank you.

[@XHuntinatorX]

What kind and where can I buy those leather straps you're using with the Fritz metal polish? I see some on Amazon but not sure it's the same kind.

[@ashchase8340]

Ive been using Peek metal polish in my repair show for many years now. I buy in bulk from the company. I tried so many different products and hate using steel wool. Those synthetic steel wool pads don’t last and add up quickly. I can clean over 20 guitars/fret wires with 1 tube of 100ml Peek metal polish. You should tape off the fingerboard still to prevent the paste from getting onto the wood

[@Les537]

I've been using #0000 steel wool and masked frets for 20 years or so. Finishing with mineral oil. So far so good.

[@chrischaf]

Maybe I'm silly or something, but I just put some painters tape on either side of the fret I want to polish, and then use a variable speed dremmel with a little polishing wheel, and a block of white polishing compound that's about 20 years old. They look like a mirror in short order, and I can't imagine them being any smoother or *more* polished than they already are at that point.. The frets feel smoother than glass and I can't imagine I'm removing any noticeable amount of fret material. I'm not really worried about getting a perfect mirror finish all the way down to the fretboard, since the strings will never actually touch that area of the fret , And *visually*, since I already cleaned the fretboard and base of the frets, I'd imagine the only way to tell that the frets aren't actually polished down to the very base, would be to use magnifying glasses or some other sort of visual aid. Of course the pad gets *close* to the root of the frets, and some of the material may actually be touching that area intermittently, but it's certainly not going to be as polished at the roots as you are doing. Anyway, I'm just saying what I've been doing But I am certainly no luthier lol I'm just somebody who's been playing for around 40 years :P

[@willrichtor]

Came here a few days after dressing and polishing the frets on a friend's soon to be Christmas present, to see what I could learn, only to learn he's just showing the methods I came up with when left to my own devices. What's that called, synchronicity?

[@garethtravis1786]

I love the 2 hr method - it's just not always easy to get clients to pay 2 hrs labour for fret polishing before other work 🤔

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Great stuff. Where do I get the Black Neck Cradle Bag? All these companies (yet) "No One" has Created a descent Neck Cradle? We need one that can: 1 - adjust for electric or acoustic and 2 - be sturdy-enough to actually do a fret polish or fret-end file.

[@rudolfbagusat9267]

top video👍

[@bradenrz]

Greats video! Not to be negative... but I work in a kitchen and we are always thinking about minimizing picking up and putting down our knives when doing big prep jobs, for example. It would be interesting to see how much time you save by taping every fret first, then do every fret one grit at a time. Every time you put down the tape or flip the file is a few seconds. Times 24, then times 4 grits. Or maybe there's a good reason for not doing it this way? Cheers.

[@221b-l3t]

Probably just for filming everyone tapes up the entire fretboard for any fret related work.

Very interesting, thanks. Would you recommend a different approach to polishing Gibson guitars given the nibs over the fret ends?

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

When did SM first come up with using leather to polish frets? How long ago? I'd really be interested in knowing when SM came up with the idea using leather?

[@lynguist]

Thanks for the video! My frets tend to dull up again like a week after polisging them. Is there a way to make polishing last longer? Original fender frets, standard central european climate if that matters.

[@Bliggick]

Wonderful instructional video, thank you. I have watched the spot with the fret eraser at 6:15. Is that fret not seated properly? I have watched it a few times and at slow motion. To me it looks like it's bouncing up and down at the fret end.

[@sergejk]

good eye! ;)

[@grooveroid]

Great observation!

[@whyis45stillalive]

StewMac sells 3M polishing papers... That can be bought elsewhere, for 1/3 the price.

[@m.f.3347]

0000 steel wool is my go-to for polishing. Just tape off the pickups first!!

[@oatnoid]

Great advice, They are magnetic after all and will attract metal dust.

[@ssl3546]

that's very much a matte finish, not a mirror finish.

[@awscustomguitars]

Does anyone else have bad experiences with these top of the line products? I’m just a hobbyist who’s done about 8 guitars but fret polishing has been the most frustrating part. I’ve seen many videos like this but i must be missing something critical. I’ve used 3m sandpaper, steel wool, scotchbrites, micromesh, fret erasers, dremel, and tolecut. One of the worst things about it is that the micromesh and tolecut were completely loaded after a single fret. I could do about 4 frets with each side of the 2x2 micromesh. Also the tolecut does not stick nor conform to the understring leveler. With the fret erasers i cant get the 300 grit z file scratches out before the fret ends are badly deformed. I just ordered more super assilex sandpaper that is awesome for finish work because it doesn’t load up and will try it on my next fret job. But it’s very expensive for a hobbyist to get grits from 300 to 3000. So far, I like sandpaper and steel wool the best. Im not just ranting but genuinely looking for help and critical information on more details on what can go wrong when using these different products. Specifically with stainless frets since I’m a perfectionist trying to reach the highest quality and longevity possible.

[@toddknaster9731]

Great info. How many frets can you polish with one strip of Kovax Tolecut?

[@stewmac]

Great question...We get about 3 to 4 frets per strip before we change them out. Thanks!

[@toddknaster9731]

@@stewmac can’t wait until you get the tool in stock! I am a little bit obsessed with smooth like glass frets. Thanks

[@stewmac]

@@toddknaster9731 We sold out fast...we have more on the way!!!

[@The-Real-Blissful-Ignorance]

Dan the Ham. LOL!!! 😆

[@SteveColey-fi8fx]

What’s the best method to remove tool marks on frets? That’s what I struggle with the most

[@dannyprasetya2496]

DAN!!!

[@southernpanda33]

You can also buy a bottle of Zippo Fluid for much cheaper and it’s the same thing. I use it on all my guitars when I get gunk on them.

[@drewp6126]

ZIPPO fluid is a mixture of solvents now not exactly the same.

[@tomwilson4353]

Can you use these same items for stainless steel frets? I mean, I'm sure you can but is it way more effort? Is there a better way other than polishing compounds and a dremel?

[@brimermike74]

I’m curious. The piece of leather you are using with the flitz. Like is it a piece of craft leather or raw leather or just a piece of an old belt? I’m one of those guys who needs specifics lolol. I just bought the flitz because of this 😂

[@archaicrevivalsYTchannel]

what to use to clean a glossed maple fretboard and neck?

[@dmmedic34]

Miracle Cloth- same as Gorgomyte The exact same thing.

[@patrickdufresne8485]

Does naptha melt binding material?

[@JakeStrange66]

Since an appeals court reversed the decision in Gibsons lawsuit against Dean guitars, hopefully y'all will bring back your Les Paul kits. I wanted one so bad, & when I finally had the extra money to spend, y'all had to discontinue them. That really sucks.

[@MegaChoo2]

And what do you do with bound fretboards if you go deluxe?

[@ethankeating7699]

How long would a deep clean on those frets last for someone who plays every day?

[@ajmee9664]

No StewMac Fret Polishing Wheels being featured?

[@stewmac]

Polishing wheels are great too, they are very popular and can give you excellent results, but they're not one of Gene's preferred methods. Thanks!

[@OttoVonRaz]

Any particular leather for this final step?

[@stewmac]

Not really, but thicker pieces work better. This is a scrap piece of tooling leather, but an old belt or anything similar will work fine.

[@OttoVonRaz]

@@stewmac thank you for this info. I’ll definitely give this a try 🎉

[@justletmepostthis276]

I knew a guy named Andrew that had the same problem with the frets.

[@X-boomer]

"don't fret" you're killing me

[@MrDanbecker]

🙂👍🥂

[@theguitardoctoruk]

Every metal polish I've come across, no matter how much you clean it off afterwards, leaves a black residue on your fingers when you play.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

I don't understand how a fretboard got this way. Every time I play, I wipe down the whole guitar before putting it away. And when I change the strings, I use a polish for the rosewood fretboard and Dr Duck wax for the maple fretboard

[@OgamiItto70]

Low-budget guitar for a beginner player who doesn't know the ins and outs yet, maybe? Or it may have gone into storage for a while, allowing the fingerboard to dry and the frets to oxidize a bit.

[@photondebuger45]

It still will happen and will be worse if you're in a humid area too lots of people play for some days at a time and like leave the guitar in a corner and forget sometimes. Life happens and then the frets can get dingy like that then you go back and see that well it happened to the frets. It also doesn't have to get REAL bad a little corrosion on a fret you'll feel it and it will still look fine.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

​@@photondebuger45 my acoustic is in a gig bag. My strat a hard case and my tele is in a gig bag, even my budget guitar is in a gig bag. If I'm not playing, then they go back in the case or bag. My acoustic has a humidifier ( wet sponge) I put in the bag in the winter time.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

​@@OgamiItto70I take the 2nd one. .I always took care of my guitars

[@photondebuger45]

@@iamanovercomer3253 that's great and all but other people who don't know much don't do that like at all

[@rnoodle3]

Good tips. It's a crying shame I was forced to watch advertisements during what was essentially a Stewmac advertisement.

[@lobsterbush4563]

What the hell do you think you're watching? Haha! Do you get disappointed when KFC make a video about fried chicken rather than glamour shots of chickens running in a field?

[@luislanga]

Stainful steel frets are a thing apparently

[@kiltsteve7794]

As a luthier, I only get lazy on the body. It’s all about the neck.

[@thebamfordman]

Shame it's not easy to get SM stuff in the U.K.

[@stewmac]

We ship to the UK every day! And you can always try www.madinter.com/en/ for shipping within Europe...Thanks!

[@Esperia-ef9xh]

I use detergent with hot water, i wash my acoustic guitars inside and out

[@biffabacon1203]

I like to put my guitar on a hot wash 800 spin speed with my underpants...

[@fernandosilva6295]

rookie tactics, I like to boil my guitars in a solution of vinegar and bleach

[@BillLarkinmusic]

@@fernandosilva6295 Yes, but it has to be 'Household bleach'.

[@justinwood3278]

​@@biffabacon1203 🤣📢

[@dannyspitzer1267]

I pressure wash mine

[@greedygringoprospecting6941]

the epiphone doesnt get played ,i've never had that happen.

[@OgamiItto70]

Come some of the work gets kind of hard This ain't no place to be if you planned on being a star Let me tell you it's always cool And the boss don't mind sometimes if you act a fool At the car wash, ooh-ooh Talking about the car wash, yeah 🙂

[@itsratso.]

"How to Polish Frets to Perfection" umm that's code.

[@tom-iv6lc]

God bless that man . But please dont tell my heavy metal band mates.....we got a our evil reputations to protect. Athens Ohio.....Halloween parties and Stew Mac. !!!

[@MrKenstar2]

Saying a dremel will reshape a fret is a 100% lie

[@RulgertGhostalker]

"if you can't hear it, you can't feel it" ( or you might be going deaf )

[@deeser286]

It amazes me how much crap Stew Mac can come up with to sell, they remind me of old time snake oil salesmen

[@kristopherk5454]

They discontinue the items that don’t end up selling, so all the good items are still there.

[@rdog421]

Why are you even here? It’s called a business!

[@kristopherk5454]

@@rdog421exactly! Plus, snake oil could be the best final step in fret polishing…stew?

[@deeser286]

@rdog421 "whyyy are you here?!?" 😭 that's what you sound like, dork

[@BryanClark-gk6ie]

​@@rdog421 It's called coming up with products/methods that people have left comments suggesting. SM takes those and puts them in production to try and make $$$.

[@JonDeth]

*Scuffing pad, aka scotchbrite, with an instrument safe oil or other compound will take that right off and you don't even need to tape up the fingerboard.* After that, a 600 grit or finer paper turns the crowns into a mirror with no reason to go any further. *I also swipe petroleum jelly on my strings every couple weeks which greatly extends their life, reliability and all around performance.*