Fret spot leveling

J

jeffjozwiak

Junior Member
Messages
55
Hi,

I'm getting some annoying buzzing between frets 13 and 16 (this is very obvious when tapping technique is used not much while fingering). I used a fret rocker and it appears that frets 12 and 16 are high. Is there anyway of spot leveling these? I don't want to spend $200 to have it done by a Luthier. Is it possible since it's just 2 frets to handle it myself (novice). Any recommendations on how to go about doing it myself?

Could I use the neighboring frets as a guide (frets 11 and 13 for the 12th fret) and use a sanding block to bring the fret down a tad? I mean sand across the fretboard from high to low string. This is contrary to go nut to bridge.

Joz
 
I would find someone good to do it for you - fret work is advanced tech work. It should NOT cost $200 to level two frets. If you want to do it, Erlewine has a DVD, and stew mac has the tools - I'd practice on a beater first, etc etc., and by that time you might not be saving much $.
 
I agree that I would rather have a pro do this. It SEEMS simple enough and being just 2 frets I would not imagine it being a huge task.

That being said, does anyone know of a good luthier in the Illinois area?

Joz
 
It's not terribly tough to correct, but the tools aren't cheap because they're pretty specialized. If you don't plan on doing a lot of fret work, it's probably better to get a pro to do it.

That said, frets don't grow, they wear down. So, if you just have a couple that are high, it's quite possible they're just sprouting out of the fretboard. If you loosen the strings enough to get them out of the way, you can take a small brass hammer and whack 'em a few times, and often that will reseat them to where they belong. Don't go getting out your 26oz. steel roofing hammer; you'll wreck the crowns and do some damage that you'll need a crowning file and some polishing cloths to repair.

Doesn't always work, but it's cheap and easy to try. A small 8oz. to 12oz. hammer can be had for usually $10-$15 or so. There's a perfect tool here that has a nylon and brass face, both.
 
I really want one of those hammers, but the one at Stew-Mac is 20 bucks and their shipping is a cumpulsory 9 bucks. That mountaineering manventure whatever site charges as much to ship the thing as the hammer costs.

Amazon has a few matches, a Tekton version and a Wheeler version, neither of which is too terribly priced and the former is eligible for "Super Saver Free Shipping" if you can think of 19 more dollars of crud to buy ... which kind of defeats the purpose of buying an inexpensive hammer for which the shipping is too much, but at least you actually get one or more additional items for your added cost, as opposed to bupkus.
 
They're a pretty common item. Before you get crazy, you might want to check the local hardware or DIY center stores like Lowes or Home Depot. You may be able to get the hammer for the price of the hammer.
 
The Lowe's is in the Netherworld of Brooklyn, inconvenient except to those with cars and those who choose to live on the fetid banks of the Gowanus Canal. The Home Depot in Manhattan is pathetic. There's a Home Depot in Bed-Stuy that's at least full-sized. I guess I could go haunt the old nabe, looking for a hammer. I found one on the Depot's website that looks a little sad and is 15 bucks. It has soft and hard rubber ends, though, not brass and nylon.
 
You hammer on frets with a rubber hammer, and all you're going to accomplish is hitting yourself in the head when it bounces back. The frets will just laugh and not move an iota. You need the brass and/or nylon tool. You gotta whack those little rascals.
 
reluctant-builder said:
The Lowe's is in the Netherworld of Brooklyn, inconvenient except to those with cars and those who choose to live on the fetid banks of the Gowanus Canal. The Home Depot in Manhattan is pathetic. There's a Home Depot in Bed-Stuy that's at least full-sized. I guess I could go haunt the old nabe, looking for a hammer. I found one on the Depot's website that looks a little sad and is 15 bucks. It has soft and hard rubber ends, though, not brass and nylon.
Click to expand...
Somebody needs a bicycle! The Gowanus Lowes is right on the F train, too.
 
As a quick heads up.  I was able to find a hammer with the yellow plastic head at an Ace Hardware.  Cost like $3.  I used it when I put the frets in my guitar and it worked great.
 
Is it possible to see the fret lifting out? Because I don't see any space between the bottom of the fret and the board. This is a new (or at least not used much) neck so I don't believe it's due to wear.

If I bring it into a luthier can he just level the frets in question? I hate for them to sand all frets with a block if it's just 2 frets.

Joz
 
It was obvious to me when the crowns of my frets weren't touching the fretboard; I could fit my fingernail into the gap between the crown and board.

My guy in Brooklyn was willing to do some spot levelling, free of charge. He noticed a few frets that were a bit higher than the others so, during the course of doing the set-up for which I paid, he took it upon himself to level those frets.

I think, if you give your tech regular business, he'd probably be willing to do some minor work for you without a fee.

There is one fret on one of my guitars that causes me some grief. It's the 16th on the high-E. It only obstructs the string when fretted at the 15th. That makes me think that the 15th is too low, but I presume that it could be fixed by taking a little off the extreme treble side of the 16th fret. The rest of the 16th fret doesn't impede any of the other strings. I'll probably bring it in and see what's the verdict.

Good luck.
 
Joz said:
Is it possible to see the fret lifting out? Because I don't see any space between the bottom of the fret and the board. This is a new (or at least not used much) neck so I don't believe it's due to wear.
If I bring it into a luthier can he just level the frets in question? I hate for them to sand all frets with a block if it's just 2 frets.
Click to expand...

It's not always visible to the naked eye. It only takes a thousandth or so to cause problems, depending on how closely adjusted everything else is. That's why they have fret rockers, straight edges, feeler gauges, etc.

And yes, frets can be individually taught a lesson. But, if the guy's any good he may try to talk you out of it in favor of a level/crown job. Once he's got the strings off and the thing's laying there naked, he'll sorta wanna feel/measure it all over and correct any other anomalies he may find. There always are some. It's like going to the dentist. You'll never have him just look in your mouth and say "Yeah, you're fine; get outa here. No charge." He'll always find something that needs touching up.
 
I just got my new tele back from the tech, who ended up doing a full level and crown. I thought it played fine before, but it really, truly is improved immensely by being perfect fret-wise. You need a good tech that you really trust, though.
 
tfarny said:
I just got my new tele back from the tech, who ended up doing a full level and crown. I thought it played fine before, but it really, truly is improved immensely by being perfect fret-wise. You need a good tech that you really trust, though.
Click to expand...

Did you take it to Gary, or to someone else?

I wonder how my neck will feel, once it's all installed. It looks great ... but, as Cagey said, naked eye means very little.
 
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