KevinAnderson
Blues Newbie
The guitar plays ok this way at my current skill level. I do want to follow up with the levelling and re-crowning, good stuff, much appreciated.
Thanks!
Kevin
Grooves in my fretwires
- Thread starter KevinAnderson
- Start date
The guitar plays ok this way at my current skill level. I do want to follow up with the levelling and re-crowning, good stuff, much appreciated.
Thanks!
Kevin
Grateful_Ed
Student Of The Blues
Here's a minute for your watching pleasure. Check out other videos as well, on fret leveling, crowning and fret end smoothing from StewMac.
blackcoffeeblues
Student Of The Blues
I have posted 2-3 times on this section Gear Talk---about the fret wire they use now days---is way-way sub-par from what they used 40 years ago. I got a idea where they getting there fret wire from. I got a late 70sMemphis Les Paul model (made by Yamaha) up there that was played heavily when I bought back in the late 90s---it is my main player now and has been for the past 5 years-the frets on it are just now showing a very slight wear. I have also noticed foregin made Strats seem to groove faster than other models possibly because the use booby pins (that's just a term I use for frets)---cheap bobby pins. And I still stand by my Dremel-small buffing pad wheel-and Tripoli buffing compound.
works like a charm--sudsie water with Dove soap clean up.. EDIT: by the way I been going to put this on here a couple weeks ago---Stew-mac sells fret board shields for when you are refinishing your frets
a week or so ago I decided to polish the frets on this Tele build I am working on---usually I tape them off--but I had a eraser shield in my art box and thought I would see how it work the medium line slot
on the shield (there are 3 Thin-Madium-and wide) fit right over the fret perfectly--saved me a lot of time by not having to tape them. Stew-Mac price $14 and up---eraser shield from Hobby Lobby $2. Just Sayin.
works like a charm--sudsie water with Dove soap clean up.. EDIT: by the way I been going to put this on here a couple weeks ago---Stew-mac sells fret board shields for when you are refinishing your frets
a week or so ago I decided to polish the frets on this Tele build I am working on---usually I tape them off--but I had a eraser shield in my art box and thought I would see how it work the medium line slot
on the shield (there are 3 Thin-Madium-and wide) fit right over the fret perfectly--saved me a lot of time by not having to tape them. Stew-Mac price $14 and up---eraser shield from Hobby Lobby $2. Just Sayin.
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Grateful_Ed
Student Of The Blues
Is this you know, the thing? https://www.hobbylobby.com/Art-Supp...fYgdFe1Mhf6tptD2BuCmRX0yhfVf1LOBoCC2UQAvD_BwE
Rancid Rumpboogie
Blues Mangler
I have never owned a guitar with grooves in the frets like that ... not even close. Those grooves look deep enough to me that if you polish them out the whole fret will be too low. Do you play using vice grips?
KevinAnderson
Blues Newbie
Wow, that was great, thanks.
I had no clue I'd learn so much from my question.
Looks like a cool project, I'll give it a try.
Kevin
KevinAnderson
Blues Newbie
Too soon old, too late smart I guess. Need to work on my technique.
KevinAnderson
Blues Newbie
straightblues
Blues Junior
Some guitar players just go thru frets fast. I don't but I have played with plenty of guys who need refrets every couple of years. You can get yours leveled and crowned a couple of times before you need a refret.
I have a few older guitars with dents in the frets. They have to be pretty bad before they are even noticible. I would say play away and don't worry about it until it is a problem. When it becomes a problem get them leveled (sanding the tops of the frets off until they are flat) and then recrowned (using a file to make the tops round again.)
I have a few older guitars with dents in the frets. They have to be pretty bad before they are even noticible. I would say play away and don't worry about it until it is a problem. When it becomes a problem get them leveled (sanding the tops of the frets off until they are flat) and then recrowned (using a file to make the tops round again.)
david moon
Attempting the Blues
If they are sanded down too many times they will be hard to grab onto for bends
MarkRobbins
Blues Junior
I already mentioned that I have similar grooves in a few of the top-end frets. Now, I'm a pretty big guy (a 6'3", 245 pound former cop) but I'm also 71 years old, with some pretty painful arthritis in the thumb of my fretting hand. I doubt that I'm doing a "gorilla grip." I was thinking about it today, and thought that the capo might be contributory. There are several songs I play pretty regularly with the capo on one of the first three frets. The capo has a pretty strong spring; I'd think it clamps harder than I do.
PapaBear
Guit Fiddlier
blackcoffeeblues
Student Of The Blues
YEP---that's it. I am also wondering if that wide slot up top wouldn't work for BASS FRETS and JUMBO FRETS ( which are about the same thing).----all you would have to do is slide it side to side .if it wasn't The other thing is when you get up to where the template won't lay flat on the fret board you just use the side up against the fret and fret board, Beats the heck out of taping every fret. You could also use it as a file protector for you fret board----(even taping won't stop a file from cutting through the tape)... The eraser shield is very flexible and thin.---and the lower small groove could be very useful for just crowning frets. It does not fit exactly over the fret but allows plenty of room for a fret crowning tool.--(which if anybody wants to borrow one I got a Stew-Mac I will loan you).
Never thought of it before but that's a possibility---plus if you only have 3-4 frets you wont need to get a total re-fret--just the ones needed.
saves you alot of money and you don't have to level all your frets as long as you use replace with same height--or something just a little taller
then all you have to do is level the replaced ones with the exsisting ones---saves a lot of time and more $$$.
Elio
Student Of The Blues
I use some something similar to that on both my guitars and bass. I think i remember getting a set of 3 or 4 different sizes on ebay for under $5. It's much faster than taping the frets to polish them.
KevinAnderson
Blues Newbie
Good Morning Mark, I relate to what you are saying about the arthritis, did not consider the capo. I have learned so much from this one post and I appreciate everyone's help. This is a great resource.
Best Wishes to you and the others helpful replies, thanks for the note.
Kevin