Fret dressing/polishing

[bassjamm]

Hello everyone,

I've just embarked on a bass project, my first, so I'm pretty new to all this. I have however got a bit of experience when it comes to making bridge and truss rod adjustments for action and what not, but I'd like to extend this on to the fretboard and learn how to dress the frets and do it all properly.

Can anyone recommend any good resources, or any good tools to use?

So far i've been looking at the following, so any thoughts would be great please...

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=diamond+file&x=0&y=0&fingerprint=+HUC"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=se...ingerprint=+HUC[/url]

[url="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_sq_top?ie=UTF8&keywords=dan%20erlewines%20guitar%20repair%20book&index=blended&pf_rd_p=471057153&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0879309210&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0QGP440HKA1MMWG17BKB"]http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp...40HKA1MMWG17BKB[/url]

Thanks in advance.

Jamie

[lonestar]

Hi Jamie
The Dan Erhlewhine book is an excellent starting point on how to do it.

Here is a source for specialist fret files and tools: [url="http://www.stewmac.com/international.html"]http://www.stewmac.com/international.html[/url]
Pricey but good I understand.
I'm a bit like you in that I can do most reversible setup techniques but not much experience of fret dressing. and fretboard stuff other than polishing frets. I have a pretty good method for this that I can share with you
i spoke to jon Shuker once about running a course for all of this kind of advanced setup skills and he seemed quite interested. i'd like to learn more about nuts and frets too.

Mike

[Al Heeley]

+1 for Erhlewine books. I went on one of Patrick Eggle's set up courses a couple of years ago in Oswestry, very useful day spent learning about nuts and setups and fret dressing as well as action, relief, intonation, etc. Such a nice chap.
Got a basic rounded fret dressing file off ebay which helps recrown them after they have been levelled.
Just need a steady hand and some patience.

[bassjamm]

Thanks for the replies chaps.

Think I'll get that book then as it seems like it'll be a good resource for me.

Any other thoughts would be welcome though thank folks...so please keep them coming

Jamie

[lonestar]

[quote name='Al Heeley' post='702873' date='Jan 6 2010, 02:28 PM']+1 for Erhlewine books. I went on one of Patrick Eggle's set up courses a couple of years ago in Oswestry, very useful day spent learning about nuts and setups and fret dressing as well as action, relief, intonation, etc. Such a nice chap.
Got a basic rounded fret dressing file off ebay which helps recrown them after they have been levelled.
Just need a steady hand and some patience.[/quote]
I wonder is he still running that course?

[velvetkevorkian]

I did all my fretted basses using some cheap flat files from my local hardware shop and some steel wool. Wasn't a particularly scientific method to it, but it wasn't that difficult and made a major difference to the action I could achieve. The main thins are to be patient, to mask the entire fretboard off with at least two layers of tape and try and keep the neck as straight as possible while doing, so any high or low spots are more obvious.

One other thing I did was to colour the top of each fret with a black pen- that way you can tell whether you've missed any spots, and tends to highlight anywhere the fret wear is particularly bad.

[bassjamm]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='704604' date='Jan 7 2010, 07:01 PM']I did all my fretted basses using some cheap flat files from my local hardware shop and some steel wool. Wasn't a particularly scientific method to it, but it wasn't that difficult and made a major difference to the action I could achieve. The main thins are to be patient, to mask the entire fretboard off with at least two layers of tape and try and keep the neck as straight as possible while doing, so any high or low spots are more obvious.

One other thing I did was to colour the top of each fret with a black pen- that way you can tell whether you've missed any spots, and tends to highlight anywhere the fret wear is particularly bad.[/quote]

That's great help thank you

I've ordered some files off the internet, so that'll get me on my way I think.

What grade steel wool did you use to polish them then?

Thanks
Jamie

[lonestar]

I've use 0000 wire wool to polish after initially giving them a cleanup with 400 grade wet 'n' dry paper and finishing with old fashioned Brasso on a piece of cloth.
After masking the fretboard with tape as velvetkevorkian suggested of course.

[essexbasscat]

Remember hearing one luthier say that the grit form wet and dry has the potential to imbed in frets. Therefore, they avoided using it.

Don't know if this is true, or if the opinion is widely held

Just food for thought. Hope it's helpful

T

[Al Heeley]

One of eMr. Eggle's neat tips is to wrap an old bit of t-shirt round a cork sanding block really tight, then put a little bit of buffing / cutting wax compound on - you know those hard wax candles you get for machine buffing? Similar to jewellers rouge- half of one will last 2 or 3 lifetimes.
You then just go up and down the fretboard with the block for 30 secs and the frets are left smooth and shiny.
It allows you to really easily and quickly do a great final polish on the frets when you're finished with the files and the fine grit, brings them up really nice.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='bassjamm' post='704704' date='Jan 7 2010, 08:19 PM']That's great help thank you

I've ordered some files off the internet, so that'll get me on my way I think.

What grade steel wool did you use to polish them then?

Thanks
Jamie[/quote]
It's marked "extra fine 0000-000". That's about as fine as steel wool gets as far as I know...

Oh, one other thing- as well as masking the board and any bits of the body that might get hit, make sure you cover the pickups with something- I just used more masking tape. If you don't do this all the steel filings will congregate on the pickups and be a total PITA.

[bassjamm]

This is all really helpful stuff thanks

How about working out which frets are too high etc? Just anything that's a straight edge?

Thanks again.

Jamie

[velvetkevorkian]

The way I did it was...
1) Take strings off bass. Mask it to f***. Mark the top of each fret with black pen.
2) Use the file on each fret until all the black ink is gone and the fret is level.
3) Put strings back on, and test every fret on every string. File down a little more as required; I did bits of frets on certain strings where extra wear was causing rattles.
4) Strings back off, polish with steel wool.
5) Strings back on
6) ???
7) Profit

Couple of disclaimers- this is a very unscientific way to do it. You do need to know how to set up the bass reasonably well, so you can judge where rattles are caused by high frets and where its a truss rod tweak or a bridge adjustment needed. I did it on my cheap basses first, before my nicer ones (although I got the best result on my 7 string Conklin, in terms of the difference to playability it made). Also, it may not work as well if there's a lot of fret wear. There were visible markings on my basses' frets before I did them, but a bass with serious wear may not be an ideal candidate for this. Terms and conditions may apply. etc.

The way I looked at it was that the worst result would mean a professional fret dress or refret would be required, which would be needed anyway; so I didn't have a lot to lose by trying

That was a bit longer than I intended
Hope it helps.
Cheers

[bassjamm]

Ha...thanks for that

Don't worry, I wouldn't sue you if i messed it up

[Al Heeley]

Good, straight 6 inch rule.
place on frets over low E position, try it in all positions up the neck, you are looking for where it rocks up and down a little bit, the pivot point will be a high spot.
Wherever you find a high spot, mark it with a black marker pen.
Repeat for the A-string position on all frets, then the other 2 strings.
You will be left with a view across all your frets of where the high spots are, then you can gently start to file them down.

[mcgraham]

I got a full kit from Stewmac in the states. Complete fretwork kit. I have yet to do a complete fret dress, but I have used the other tools to great effect to neaten fret ends, reseat frets etc. Cost about 100 quid plus a bit for her Majesty.

I'm hesitant to do a proper fret level though, particularly on my more expensive instruments. My main guitar could do with the last few frets being looked at, but it's a double locking trem, which makes it all the more difficult to sort it out.

[velvetkevorkian]

Could you not just leave it locked at both ends and unhook the trem springs inside the cavity- if its anything like the licensed Floyd Rose I have the whole bridge assembly can come straight out (strings still attached) and be set aside while you do the last few frets.