Fret work for beginners

[Joe Nation]

Does anyone know a good website/book/video for first-time fret levelling/dressing/crowning/polishing? My Rockbass Fortress badly needs some work, and I'm all up for DIYing it but I'd rather not make a hash of it. I've been watching plenty of videos lately on guitar building and picked up the basic principles, but I'd like to make sure I know what to do, in what order, and hopefully what not to do.

 

TIA

[Twincam]

You will find technics differ between people who do setup work regularly so I won't try and tell you how best to do anything. I think your just going to have to go for it. If you have watched a lot of videos.

 

But some pointers. 

Whatever your leveling the frets with, go gently you only need to take a tiny tiny tiny amount off! 

If your using a long beam or file you do not really need to push down just across will do. Otherwise you can take a lot of material away. Which is worse than too little. 

 

If using a file on a single fret every couple of light strokes check the fret with a rocker, to the adjacent ones. Because cut it to low and you will then need to adjusted the next fret, get that wrong and you can end up adjusting fret after fret. 

 

Protect the fretboard. I double mask the board, and then cut out the tape that would cover the frets. Others use different techniques but double masking this way I have never marked a board. 

Protect the nut, I double mask it.

Protect the bass, mask any horns is a good idea.

Mask over any pickups as fret material and magnets don't mix!

Or just remove the neck if easier.

 

The nut will likely need to be adjusted. If leveling all the frets obviously the nut to fret height will be greater. 

 

Buy proper designed tools with safe edges. They won't be perfect but will help not scratch anything.

 

There a multiple ways to crown a fret. The easiest way is to use a crowning tool. I use a traditional crowning file as gives greater, but not better control over the crown width. So buy a crowning tool.

 

There's multiple ways of polishing frets. Don't buy polishing rubbers though as there crap. 

 

If your in the North East I will happily show anyone in person who wishes to learn. 

 

 

 

[rmorris]

Questions not Judgements - but is it really worth the time/expense/risk to DIY fretwork if it's just going to be  a one or two off ?

You're going to need serious tools - straight edges / clamps / files etc and patience.

I'd suggest that, if serious, a hands on in person tutored course is the preferred route. 

[Joe Nation]

I have considered that as well, time constraints make it tricky but not impossible. Anyone know any good courses in Suffolk/Norfolk/Essex?

[Andyjr1515]

If you want to be able to 'do the whole thing and do it like a pro', then ignore this, @Joe Nation  ,  but if you want to improve a fretboard that has a few high spots - and in the process start to understand the liberties you can and can't take with frets along the way - have a look at the 'quick and dirty' method I outlined in @Geek99 's thread a few months ago:

 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/455828-12-fret-action-on-p-bass/page/6/#comment-4588058

 

Andy

 

 

 

[Geek99]

Thanks to the guru @Andyjr1515and also @Reggaebassi did my p bass in about an hour for 10£ or so in tools - eBay link in thread above - these were totally adequate 

[Reggaebass]

16 minutes ago, Geek99 said:

Thanks to the guru @Andyjr1515and also @Reggaebassi did my p bass in about an hour for 10£ or so in tools - eBay link in thread above - these were totally adequate 

Cool, is it still playing nice Geek 👍

[Geek99]

33 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Cool, is it still playing nice Geek 👍

Probably - small children mean I get no time  

[Greg Edwards69]

I picked up a few tips from various youtube videos. But the most important ones that I felt were truly fundamental in getting this right are:

 

• Get the neck perfectly straight.  A notched straightedge and feeler gauges will help here. The notches take the fret heights out of the equation so you can properly set the neck straight. These are useful for doing setups as well as fret levelling so worth buying IMO. A fret rocker is also a useful tool to have, and take with you if you're buying or testing a new/used bass (I believe stewmac have a new model with in integrated fret file for quickly dealing with single high spots)
• Do not underestimate the power of the humble sharpie. Paint the top of every fret before filing. After your first filing pass you'll immediately see which frets, and spots on frets have or haven't been touched. Paint the frets again before crowning and file until there's barely a hairline left down the centre of the fretwire.
• Tape over pickups and bare fretboard with low tack masking tape. It'll save a lot of clearing up and protect the fretboard.
• A spirit level makes a great filing block. Stick a strip of masking tape along the flat edge, then stick your sanding /wet and dry paper to the masking tape with double sided sticky tape. Viola, instant filing beam. When the paper wears out simply peel it all of and reapply.
• A little goes a long way. Let the filing beam to the work. Don't push down and check the frets after every, single pass of the file.
• Add a ski ramp! Once you've levelled all the frets, create fall off up the dusty end by sticking 3 or 4 strips of electrical tape over the 12th fret (or higher if you prefer) and then redo the levelling process (including the sharpie) on the higher frets (I used a shorter spirit level) ensuring the filing beam is always in contact with the taped fret. The strips of tape raises the fret height slightly to create a shallow angle down to the top fret.

FWIW, I got a few of the tips from the inimitable Billy Sheehan.  His videos might be worth a watch to you as well.

 

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Greg Edwards69