String Choking

[MrBump]

So - I've refretted  my Yam SG, and I'm generally happy with the results (untidy, sloppy, but kinda me...)

But one thing that I haven't got right is proper profiling on the upper frets - bending E and B strings causes the strings to choke out at a full tone.

So I guess it makes sense to take the frets down to a flatter profile.

Can anyone throw any words of wisdom this way?  I got the frets level with the marvellous StewMac fret leveller, going in broad strokes across the length of the fretboard, and then using the very cool StewMac fret rocker to check for high frets and a needle file to fix - I wonder if I should now use the fret level width way to flatten off the 14th and above frets?

Is that how the pros do it?

Mark.

[Ratrod]

Did you get the StewMac  Fret Work book? If not, get it and read it.

A refret is something that CANNOT be done sloppy and untidy. Any imperfection in the basis of a refret is magnified many times by the time you reach the end of the process.

Edit: sorry if I come over a bit like the fret nazi, didn't mean to.

When learning to do refrets, expect to have to do it all over again sometimes.

[MrBump]

Hah!  That's OK - no offence taken - when I say "sloppy" it's more that I've scuffed the body a little with needle files etc.  The actually fretting isn't half bad.

The book is a fair recommendation - I just wondered if anyone had any thoughts to share on how they would do it.

(and this is already my second attempt...   )

[Ratrod]

One of the tricks of the trade is to color the frets with a marker. As you go up and down the board with the file you can see the hig and low spots, where you have filed down enough and where too little.

remember the neck has to be dead straight. After levelling the frets have to be crowned or you're left with flat frets.

When I don't have to take much off the frets, I use a radiused sanding block.

[MrBump]

The thing is, the frets are already level.

The issue is that the fretboard has quite a steep raduis, leading to string choking - which makes sense to me, the main question is how you would typically deal with that: either accept that strings need to be a little higher on a steep radius, or profile the frets on the higher register to have more of a compound radius, if that makes sense...

[Philly Q]

The issue is that the fretboard has quite a steep raduis, leading to string choking - which makes sense to me, the main question is how you would typically deal with that: either accept that strings need to be a little higher on a steep radius, or profile the frets on the higher register to have more of a compound radius, if that makes sense...

I don't speak from experience - I'd never dare attempt a refret - but yes, it's exactly what you said, just like the dilemma of a Strat/Tele with a 7.25" radius. 

If you want to bend strings on a tight radius, you need a higher action to clear the frets.  Or you can create a slightly flatter (or even compound) radius by re-profiling the frets themselves so they're lower in the middle than they are at the ends.  Of course that only works if there's enough height in the frets - if you tried it on weeny little vintage Fender frets you'd be practically down to bare wood.

Feline has commented about this sort of thing a few times.  Also about putting "fall away" in the last few frets so they sit fractionally lower and improve the playing feel in the upper registers.

[MrBump]

^ Yeah, that's exactly what I thought...

[MrBump]

MUCH better!

Took the 13th fret onwards, and almost levelled them - then dropped the last 2 frets down slightly lower.

Exactly how it should be now!

Tempted to rip all the frets out now and start again, only using the experience of the last 2 times!

Mark.

[Ratrod]

Dunno about yours but my Yamaha SG has a 12" radius wich isn't that steep.

However some Yamaha SGs can develop a slight neck hump.

[MrBump]

OK, so definitely done now.

I started again with it - the thing is, it's one of those things where you're learning all the time you're doing it, and so by they time you've finished, you pretty much know what you need to do - but it's too late.

I don't think that it's a particularly HARD thing to do, but I to do to a high standard would be something completely different.  Getting fret ends completely uniform seems like an impossible job to me!  it's hard enough getting them to the point where they're not drawing blood!!!

I'll definitely do it again at some point though.  I ended up putting fairly small fret wire on in the end (it was my 3rd go, and I'd run out of the jumbo stuff), so it's got a fairly low profile, which I'm not entirely comfortable with.  But I've ended up with a nice lowish action and no string buzz.

Mark.