Fret leveling - string tension or not? AND, how to work on a compound radius?

[joelavely]

I am new to fretwork, but I have been playing a long time. I hope to build up my knowledge on fretwork and build a few guitars, plus maintain my arsenal.

My general question is around the "recommended process" for fret leveling, crowning & polishing. If I acquire a used or new guitar, I want to make it play its best. I understand I need to think about nuts, setup, etc., but this post is focused on "How do I go about making the frets the best they can be"?

I don't think I will be buying a contraption that puts "string-like pressure" on my necks. WITHOUT this contraption, it sounds like some folks will ink the frets, then go over them with a radius block with sandpaper. Others will use a long narrow block, maybe an inch wide, cover it with sandpaper, and level the frets this way.

FIRST QUESTION - I am having trouble getting to my question, which is basically "do you have to have string tension in order to do this"? Or, is there debate about whether you really need string tension to do the fretwork? Do you first get the neck "perfectly straight" using the truss rod and measured by one of the rulers with notches for frets? Or, how else do you do this first "fret leveling" process without a string-tension contraption?

SECOND RELATED QUESTION - If I have a compound radius fretboard, is a straight edge with sandpaper a much better method than radius blocks? Or, should I use start with one radius block, move to another, then maybe move to a third or fourth block as I move along the fretboard?

Once the initial leveling is done, I think I understand the process:

1 - Bevel & round fret ends
2 - Ink frets again
3 - Crown frets
4 - Polish frets

Now, understanding is different from "able to do it", and I know it will take time...

Joe Lavely

 

[jay4321]

Let me jump in here and recommend Dan Erlewine's guitar repair book (3rd edition). $25 on Amazon new.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

A radius block is a straight radius.  The compound radius isn't straight.

 

[Cagey]

FIRST QUESTION - I am having trouble getting to my question, which is basically "do you have to have string tension in order to do this"? Or, is there debate about whether you really need string tension to do the fretwork? Do you first get the neck "perfectly straight" using the truss rod and measured by one of the rulers with notches for frets? Or, how else do you do this first "fret leveling" process without a string-tension contraption?

No, you don't need string tension to level frets. But, if you have a neck jig, it can save you some time and bring some convenience to the work in process. Considering the cost, though, a commercial version of such a thing is probably not a good investment for someone working on their own instruments.

What the jig will get is you is basically a one-pass job. Without it, you might get the same thing, but more often than not you'll find at assembly that you'll need to touch up a few more frets. The neck behaves differently when straightened under tension vs. straightened unstrung. It's often subtle, but if you're going to go to all the trouble to do the job...

There is some question about the time savings, though. Using the jig requires some setup time, which means you may lose the time savings of a one-pass job.

The straightedges with fret relief notches are designed more for diagnostic work than anything else. They'll tell you how straight the fretboard is before you start doing anything else. On newer necks, this is rarely an issue. On older ones or those of unknown pedigree, it could be an issue. What's typically more useful is a machinist's rule/straightedge so you can see how level the frets are. Ultimately, they are what have to be level to get the best playing action. The fretboard can be all over the place, but if the tops of the frets all line up, you're golden. Where it can become an issue is if the 'board is so wavy that your fret height is noticeably inconsistent even if the tops are relatively level. Usually, you only see this on older instruments that have had work done on them several times already. In that case, it's a judgement call because they only way to fix it is to pull the frets and level the 'board, then refret and level those.

SECOND RELATED QUESTION - If I have a compound radius fretboard, is a straight edge with sandpaper a much better method than radius blocks? Or, should I use start with one radius block, move to another, then maybe move to a third or fourth block as I move along the fretboard?

You can't use radius blocks on a compound neck. You'll fight that battle forever.

Once the initial leveling is done, I think I understand the process:

1 - Bevel & round fret ends
2 - Ink frets again
3 - Crown frets
4 - Polish frets

Now, understanding is different from "able to do it", and I know it will take time...

That'll work. Although, usually you don't need to bevel frets that are already installed. You often just need to dress them.

There's a 36-part video series on YouTube where a guy goes into great detail about building a Warmoth Strat from start to finish. It's a long series, but there's a lotta good info in one place there.

 

[Rick]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Iv1-_5OhU

 

[joelavely]

Thanks, guys, for the thoughtful answers.  I'm about to take the plunge and begin working on some older, junky necks to practice!

Lavely

 

[raystankewitz]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B0Iv1-_5OhU

I would not follow this d00d's method! He's trying to level one fret at a time, with a fret crowning file! Yike!  :dontknow: