Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

At The Back => Time Out => Topic started by: FELINEGUITARS on February 26, 2010, 04:17:40 PM

Title: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on February 26, 2010, 04:17:40 PM
Just posted up a new video on Youtube detailing how we treat the ends of frets when we do a refret or when we are building a new guitar.

Its a quick enough video but I am hoping to do some others about installing Earvana nuts etc so thought I would get used to the process.

Have a look : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHTgmPV_Tk (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvHTgmPV_Tk)
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 04:27:13 PM
Top banana!

Keep it up mate...
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Mr. Air on February 26, 2010, 04:28:03 PM
That's a fine little video. I would love to see some more.
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: shobet on February 26, 2010, 04:44:10 PM
Content was great, however you really need to sort your focusing. Can you get someone to do it for you and focus manually?
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Ratrod on February 26, 2010, 04:45:15 PM
Man, you're quick!

And yes, those triangular files are lovely tools.
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 04:56:48 PM
Content was great, however you really need to sort your focusing. Can you get someone to do it for you and focus manually?

I could pull it for you!   :P
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on February 26, 2010, 05:02:13 PM
Thanks guys - yes doing it solo and not having a camera operator made for some compromises and it was all done in a single shoot - no retakes or anything. Edited a couple of moments out - mainly for taking too long getting from one stage to the next.

Main thing is the content and explanation being up to scratch - people will put up with dodgy focussing if the content is good  more than lousy content well filmed.

Hope you enjoyed - will certainly do some more!
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Antag on February 26, 2010, 05:33:20 PM
Loved that comment you inserted about the speed coming from 20 years experience as you whizzzed through the frets in a few seconds flat :lol:
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 06:03:37 PM
.. people will put up with dodgy focussing if the content is good  more than lousy content well filmed

Yeah, some of my favourite videos have a shakey camera, poor lighting & inconsistant focus.. but I'm lucky to have a University halls of residence near me..

I took this in Philly Q's garden the other night...  :P
(http://people.moreheadstate.edu/students/rahawk02/images/Pics/night_vision_htmgen2tree.jpg)
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: AndyR on February 26, 2010, 06:51:06 PM
Lovely stuff.

Although I've heard you explain how you do them, seeing you actually do it makes a huge difference. And it was a good easy going commentary as well.

There was only one place where I felt the focus was frustrating - only frustrating, mind, didn't actually seem to hinder the info - it was on the close up of a finished fret end, I actually wanted to see it...

.... Hands up any other "Feline-fretwork" owners who actually reached over and grabbed their own guitar at that moment, so they could have a look :lol:



Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Philly Q on February 26, 2010, 06:55:10 PM
I took this in Philly Q's garden the other night...  :P

You got the wrong one!  Mine has shoulder-height weeds and brambles and a few fox skeletons....
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 06:58:16 PM
.... Hands up any other "Feline-fretwork" owners who actually reached over and grabbed their own guitar at that moment, so they could have a look :lol:

 PDT_015
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 06:58:58 PM
.... Hands up any other "Feline-fretwork" owners who actually reached over and grabbed their own guitar at that moment, so they could have a look :lol:

 PDT_015
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: AndyR on February 26, 2010, 07:05:38 PM
Is that a double post... or have you got two guitars with Feline-Frets there Dave :lol:

(Could you trademark that Jonathan? "Feline-Frets")
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 07:31:33 PM
Was a mistake (but I have got 4 which Feline has groomed)  PDT_008
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Antag on February 26, 2010, 08:17:07 PM
I was in the office with one of the few guitars I own that hasn't been through Feline's workshop for company.  Had I been at home, I would certainly have headed to the music room for a closer look.

FWIW, I have 5 guitars that have been completely refretted by Feline, 1 custom built guitar from him, 1 other that had a fret dress & at least 5 others that have had some sort of setup work done on them (fret polish, truss rod adjustment etc after fitting BKPs).
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Afghan Dave on February 26, 2010, 08:28:14 PM
Well, we cuddled afterwards... SO THERE!!  PDT_042 PDT_037
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: Philly Q on February 26, 2010, 09:25:38 PM
I finally watched the video - very interesting!  :D
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on February 27, 2010, 06:04:30 PM
Lovely stuff.

Although I've heard you explain how you do them, seeing you actually do it makes a huge difference. And it was a good easy going commentary as well.

There was only one place where I felt the focus was frustrating - only frustrating, mind, didn't actually seem to hinder the info - it was on the close up of a finished fret end, I actually wanted to see it...

.... Hands up any other "Feline-fretwork" owners who actually reached over and grabbed their own guitar at that moment, so they could have a look :lol:


OK Andy - here is a photo of the result after the file on another neck
It all gets blended a bit more once we get busy with the wet and dry paper and the buffing wheel
You can clearly see the triangular facet on the end in the picture - and how the half round profile of the fret is blended into the triangle

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/fretends.jpg)
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: AndyR on February 27, 2010, 06:32:58 PM
Yep, that's the stuff :D

For those who haven't played one of these: when you first see them close up you think "that's interesting", and because of the visible angles (which look kind of sharper than you're expecting!), you almost expect them to be noticable when you play, but they're not, your hand just glides over them.

I've just been trying to figure out how it works. My tele, with these frets on, seems to have the playable surface of the fret nearer to the edge of the neck than any of my other guitars (which is a very good thing in my book - I've always tended to "fall off" of necks when I get too excited :lol:). But these fret ends actually seem less "noticable" than those on the other guitars when I'm playing... I'm guessing that the little flat surface either side of the triangle helps to "launch" your hand over each fret as you move up or down the neck, where a rounded, or bevelled, end doesn't.
Title: Re: Feline Workshop video : rounding fret ends
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on February 27, 2010, 07:15:09 PM
Yep, that's the stuff :D

For those who haven't played one of these: when you first see them close up you think "that's interesting", and because of the visible angles (which look kind of sharper than you're expecting!), you almost expect them to be noticeable when you play, but they're not, your hand just glides over them.

I've just been trying to figure out how it works. My tele, with these frets on, seems to have the playable surface of the fret nearer to the edge of the neck than any of my other guitars (which is a very good thing in my book - I've always tended to "fall off" of necks when I get too excited :lol:). But these fret ends actually seem less "noticable" than those on the other guitars when I'm playing... I'm guessing that the little flat surface either side of the triangle helps to "launch" your hand over each fret as you move up or down the neck, where a rounded, or bevelled, end doesn't.

That's the whole idea
We wanted a wider playing surface - so we try to keep any bevel to a minimum., whilst making it smooth on the hand.
Any steeper and you feel the fret end too much , any shallower and you'd lose playing surface.

Once they are sanded, polished and buffed to a high gloss you dont see the triangle so much as the lines are softened , but it is there.

That way we have been able to make even HUGE frets like Dunlop 6000 seem unobtrusive, and the same process applies to vintage and medium frets too.