Guitar Fret and Neck Overhaul

[@malekbensalem8430]

I just followed this tutorial and I was finally able to fix the two dented frets on my guitar! Thank you for teaching me a new skill :)

[@RickyBeeman-v6w]

Great work I'm glad I found your channel!

[@badbob]

Wow. You should be a luthier. Your patience are remarkable. Nice work and great video. I’m a handy guy but don’t know if I would take on a job like that.

[@manuelmanick8974]

Great video and explanation. After years of playing, you start to realize that any kind of care you put into your guitar is always good. I am pretty meticulous with working on my guitars, and this video helped alot, thanks!

[@GitarmanBob]

When you adjusted the truss rod to flatten the neck at the beginning, I was thinking, “No, you adjust a truss rod so that you get the desired relief with the strings on and under tension!” Then I realized, oh, he needs the neck perfectly flat to level the frets. Wouldn’t make any sense to level anything but a totally flat neck. Thanks for the video.

[@12south31]

Removing the nut allows you to get longer strokes. Smaller strokes takes more material off of the center frets and less off the frets on the ends by headstock and body.

[@johnplanetz]

Good tip, thanks!

[@12south31]

@@johnplanetz Yup, great job by the way. That wasn't meant to be a criticism.

[@jeffersonlotspeich8153]

My Tele needs this. I'm okay with swapping pickups and controls, but serious body and neck work makes me wary. Thank you for the well-thought-out video and explanation of the process. I will probably try this on my pawn shop strat first.

[@stevebrain65]

Great video! Now I’m ready to try this myself.

[@ilkerozmen1729]

in some ways you opened my mind. thanks

[@stevewf9072]

Thanks for the video. Thanks also to the commenters who offered tips. One (weird?) question: at 17:36 isn't the bridge backwards?

[@johnplanetz]

Hey Steve- this is ostensibly the "historically correct" way to install the tune-o-matic bridge- with the screw heads facing the pickups. But I think it doesn't really matter, as long as you can set your intonation properly. Reference this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aWPXZmCBbMdrg6c

[@caseykittel]

Warning. At 9:00 Most luthiers will black the frets again before the fret crowning file. If You don’t black up the frets with a marker before you start with the crowning file - you are likely to go too deep on some of the frets or not deep enough. At 9:00. Also, if you don’t leave just that thin marker line when you’re done with the crowning file your intonation will suck. It turns out those flat portions make the notes sharp.

[@Carlosdamiano]

Nice to see you back, forever thankful for all your awesome videos, merry Christmas!

[@johnplanetz]

Thanks! Merry Christmas!

[@emilycooper1602]

awesome video! thanks for the tips!

[@TheForce_Productions]

Nice job! Merry christmas!

[@johnplanetz]

Happy Holidays!

[@jjdillon2007]

Before crowning, it's recommended to mark the fret tops with marker, again. It that's a StewMac Z file, you don't have to worry about flattening out the crown, otherwise. work the crowning file, on both sides of each fret, and leave a very thin sliver of the marker line on top. This ensures you won't level out the crown of the fret. Then proceed with the rest of the steps.

[@johnplanetz]

JJ Dillon - great suggestion, thanks!

[@Matt-pk6vp]

Great vid!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Just one question, after the frets levelling does the nut need an adjustment? Happy new year!!!!🍾🎆🎉

[@johnplanetz]

Matteo Zambon - If your nut was cut properly to begin with, it is unlikely that you will remove so much when fret leveling that it would require modifications to the nut. But it’s a good idea to check string height at the first fret before and after. You can always lightly file the nut slots afterwards - just wrap a feeler gauge with some sand paper between 220 and 400, and lightly file. Be careful so that the back of the slot (towards the headstock) remains lower than the front (so the primary string contact remains at the front of the nut slot towards the fretboard). Happy new year!

[@jatna77]

Thanks for the vid. What grit sanding pad did you use on the back of the neck?

[@johnplanetz]

@jatna77 - I think it was "very fine" or "ultra fine".

[@bjl1000]

My question doesn't go with this video but it's your newest video. Question: Why do effects pedals need a battery? If the amplifier is plugged in why not just use a AC adapter for the pedals? The 9 volt battery takes up a lot of room in the enclosure and it's redundant.

[@ponceponce4431]

So, stupid question, when you adjust the saddles, all the strings go out of tune. So, do you need to tune the other strings before checking the intonation of the one you just adjusted ? Thanks!

[@chocolatecookie8571]

Videos like these are very dangerous. After watching videos like these people might think they can fix their guitars on their own. In reality the majority cannot and will ruin their guitars. If you want to be safe take your guitar to a skilled luthier.

[@deathmaybeyoursantaclaus]

I know it's not relevant to fret repair, but quick question about the way the tuners are set up. They look like Firebird gearless tuners. What's the advantage?

[@johnplanetz]

Those are Steinberger gearless tuners. They came standard on this particular 2013 SG. They feel great, are very precise, hold their tune well, and they make changing strings a breeze. The only real downside is that they look strange and untraditional- to my eye, they make the headstock look a bit unbalanced.