fret dress DIY

[gwEm]

my collection is somewhat large now, not as big as some but nevertheless..

anyway, i am entertaining the possibility of doing some fret dresses myself on the cheaper guitars in my collection. i found this guide on the internet:

http://www.pittmanguitarrepair.com/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=D30D6683-D610-A6A8-6C593D00387746E7&dv=recent

obviously, this guide is quite simplified, but it seems like what i need is basically:

notched straight edge to ensure neck is flat
radius gauges (can perhaps make these myself from thick card and a compass)
masking tape
marker pen
flat block (presumably i can make this myself also)
radius block
crowing file
fine grade sand paper

the guy on the website also has a neck jig which jonothan has too. it would be better to use one of these obviously. but with the notched straight edge and loosening the truss rod, it seems like many luthiers get 'close enough'.

its obvious this must take a long time, and being patient and gradual to get things exactly flat is important.

has anyone tried this themselves and can offer some advice to an enthusiastic DIYer? some forums allude to other methods of fret dressing, although not too many details about this are available.

thanks!

[Philly Q]

This is something that I'm interested in too.  I've done a couple of very basic sandpaper-and-masking tape jobs, not really fret dresses as such but just polishing the frets really.

One thing I'm particularly interested in is how best to finish the ends of the frets, to get them nicely smooth and rounded without messing up the edges of the fretboard.

[PhilKing]

I've done it but I have the full set of Stewart MacDonald tools for it (though not the neck jig - yet!).  It is definately worth getting a set of fret files if you think you will be doing this regularly.  I managed without a notched straight edge for years, you are leveling the frets not the neck!  There is another thing I would recommend, especially if you are not using fret files, is the fingerboard guards that StewMac make.  They let you work around a fret without messing up the wood on the fingerbord.

[gwEm]

I managed without a notched straight edge for years, you are leveling the frets not the neck! 

Thanks for the advice. You mean if I loosen the truss rod completely the neck will be flat without strings on it? will it not bow the other way?

[WezV]

I managed without a notched straight edge for years, you are leveling the frets not the neck! 

i was going to say the same thing.. no need for a notched straight edge for general fretwork... although they do come in handy on difficult necks

Thanks for the advice. You mean if I loosen the truss rod completely the neck will be flat without strings on it? will it not bow the other way?

who knows what the necks going to do when you take the strings off :?  some dont move at all

since you dont have a fancy neck jig... adjust the neck so its as straight as possible using a normal straight edge to check on the top of the frets down the middle and edges of the neck.  obviously the straight edge wont touch every fret if it needs a level but you should see any forward or back bow and be able to get it as straight as possible before levelling

and practice on the cheaper guitars first!!!

[WezV]

I simplified your list, a lot of the other tools are helpfull.. but you can start off more basic and build up a collection as you go

Straight edge/ steel rule
masking tape
marker pen
radius block
fine grade sand paper
a flat file
a small triangular file

i use a smooth cut hand file for levelling - like this:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Vallorbe-Swiss-Hand-Files-22596.htm

i push it along the path of the strings.. but the file is angled slightly as it travels in a straight line, just about 15 degrees off straight.

you could also use your radius block with sandpaper attached for levelling although i prefer the control i get with the simpler file.

i also did all my fret shaping with a small triangular file for a long time... again i found it gave much better control, especially with those fretboard guards phil mentioned.  i have tried most of the fret files available and now use these

http://www.stewmac.com/shopby/item/4491

but i use it for convienience rather than a necessity... the triangular file works just as well if you take your time

[gwEm]

helpful stuff :) i'll have a stab on an old squier neck first. thanks wez!

[FELINEGUITARS]

gwEm
If you have an excuse to come past mine I would walk you through the process quickly

I have a great tool for doing fret ends - modified from a swiss file made by Grobet - a number 4 cut
I got an original from Stewmac about 18 years ago but recently bought a few more and modified them myself
It was a triangular file
I ground about 1" off the tip to get rid of the pointy bit and very carefully ground the sharp coners off and smoothed them rounded so they dont mark the board as you use it to round the fret ends.

I have a particular knack for turning the file as I make a stroke, that seems to be hard for others to adopt - I think I may be slightly double jointed at the wrist.

It is almost a trademark of my refrets in some ways, and on my customs too.

[the guitar repair workshop]

gwEm
If you have an excuse to come past mine I would walk you through the process quickly

i would snap up the offer if i were you!! - its a tricky process if you dont follow the basic rules - and you'll learn loads!

i didn't see a rocker gauge on the list? I'd work up the neck with that first, mark on the tape any high spots then work them flat with a good file (stew mac 'cant saw' is my fav) then take the frets down to the lowest dip (2nd fret 'A' normally) and crown.
Dan erlewine made a great dvd on the subject if you can find it.
The notched straiht edge is pretty inportant to me, you can make one from a £10 straight edge from b and q. I like to know what the wood is doing when adjusting the truss rod - then level accordingly, i guess its not essential tho.

what is essential is preparing a good working area, once the neck is adjusted and you've started with the file you dont want to be moving the guitar about. Taking the neck off is sometimes easier - it moves about a bit tho unless you have a way of keeping it fairly still and solid,
 cheers

p.s if its laquered maple pull the tape off towards the middle from both edges first!

[gwEm]

thanks 'guitar repair workshop' for those extra hints!

jonathan performed a fret dress on one of his old necks in front of me earlier today. i got some great tips from the experience. jonathan made it look easy, which i could tell it was not, and he showed me some of the tools he personally made/modified to make his particular technique easier to perform.

i feel quite confident to take this on now. theres alot you can do on a fret dress to make a guitar play really smoothly, but its clear i will never take a fret dress to anyone i don't trust - its just not worth it. considering the time it takes, and the investment in tools it shouldn't be a really cheap thing.

thanks again to jonathan for the primer.

[the guitar repair workshop]

thanks 'guitar repair workshop' for those extra hints!

jonathan performed a fret dress on one of his old necks in front of me earlier today. i got some great tips from the experience. jonathan made it look easy, which i could tell it was not, and he showed me some of the tools he personally made/modified to make his particular technique easier to perform.

i feel quite confident to take this on now. theres alot you can do on a fret dress to make a guitar play really smoothly, but its clear i will never take a fret dress to anyone i don't trust - its just not worth it. considering the time it takes, and the investment in tools it shouldn't be a really cheap thing.

thanks again to jonathan for the primer.

phew! - very glad that you managed to get a good clear idea of the work involved.
If you follow the steps outlined by Dn Erlewine in his repair guides you'll be fine. Dont be tempted to leapfrog one step or think 'thats close enough'... if you do it well you'll be happy with it forever :)
cheers,
steve