I saw this and just had to get it. Immediately logged into my stewmac account and saw the price... OMG! I can't afford that... Sorry @stewartmacdonald... some things I will pay the premium because I like what you offer and your customer support... this would NEVER pay for itself.
Right? I just did the same thing...hopped in my seat and made a scene at Denny's and went to order one and my eyes bugged out....I love these guys but I'm already devising how to make something like this myself instead.... :/
I disagree that it won't pay for itself. I bought one to fix a high fret on my Sheraton. It plays wonderfully now. I have an older Riviera that has a high fret so I'm going to fix this one, too. How much do you think it would have cost to get two guitars spot leveled, crowned, and polished? Probably more than one fret kisser, I'd say!
I'll be buying this for sure, yeah it's a little expensive but if you think about the time you'll save it's worth it. If you don't apply to much pressure and keep it clean diamond stones last a very long time.
Hmmm.. How many times have you serviced a guitar with only one or two high frets, that doesn't have one or two low ones, or string divots that require a full fret level? That's the question you need to ask yourself..
Expensive? That comes from the cost to develop a tool and perfect it. ...These guys are one of the few out there actually making quality stuff and coming up with solutions for the problems we run into with guitars and other fretted instruments. I appreciate them doing what they are doing. ...And, as I write this, I think I just sold myself on buying one of their offset diamond fret crowning files. That tool is has some cost, but its the only one out there that addresses the issues we run into working on the higher frets of an acoustic guitar, among other things, with a standard fret crowning file. I'll support the innovation.
Im a guitar player that techs my own guitars, i go as far as refrets , and fret level and re crowns.Ive been building up a collection ion of Stewmac tools as well.There customer service as well as the quality of the tools is absolutely too notch.If a tool comes with a little defect on it, or breaks, they will very quickly send you another
I'm hesitant to support any company that doubles its prices in just 4 years. Also, over $130 for a tool to do a job that you could do with an inexpensive 3-corner file is ridiculous IMO.
Love you guys but I have to agree....I know it's diamond and a REALLY cool idea.... but that's pretty steep.....maybe a non-diamond version with file edge? Or one with just notches to show where to put sandpaper?
Jeez - I use a dead flat , long bridge saddle blank with 600 grit paper stuck to the middle and masking tape layers to the thickness of the 600 grit at the ends - worked fine this way for 20+ years
I bought it and have used it on newer epiphone guitars to level frets that were high from the factory. I also bought the centered z crowning file. Have made 4 guitars play wonderful with these tools. Highly recommend.
@@cbalyn yeah they actually brought them back like a week after I made that comment 😂. I bought one immediately in case they sold out quickly. And while I do use it a lot, it's not as amazing as I had hoped. It always leaves the fret a bit high and so I have to end up finishing the job with a flat file to get that last 1/32nd of an inch off before crowning. Not a big deal, but just an extra step. I've heard others say the same thing so I don't think I just got a bad one or anything. Now the Z file on the other hand I really like a lot. My favorite is the one with the safe edge because you can really get the shape you want without worrying about taking anything off of the opposite side you're working on. Great tool.
Great idea. It's too expensive for me considering the use I'll make of it but considering the quality of Stewmac's tools it would be worth it to somebody doing lots of set-ups and fretwork.
When I first saw it I was like that's cool, and could be a useful tool...then (not surprisingly) STICKER SHOCK!!! $119.00 that's stupid high for the device. Can't see this as being a "BIG SELLER". Files are cheep.
Not sticking up for Stewmac but these are 4 sided diamond files, they aren't cheep to manufacture specially the quality that Stewmac puts out. Anyone who is a serious repair man who does a lot of fret work can definitely make there money back extremely fast with this tool. I would't suggest it for hobbyist you have the time to use sanding sticks a busy luthier doesn't because time is money.
Exactly, not every player, or even builder, needs to run out and buy one of these, but if you use it 6-10 times a week it's well worth the price. Stew-Mac goes to the trouble to invent and produce these things and all these dimwits that want to get Chinese knock-offs will be the first to cry when theirs wears out after 3 uses.
If ya don't do it alot ... All the help ya can get ... Not in a hurry ,,, got a half dozen 2 do ... 2 redress & some replace ,,, & they have 2 be nocked down & dressed 2 ,,, so ... I can take it somewhere ... W/ I mess it up ??? Thankz ... D ...
My Pop plays but he was never around to teach me like his Pop did him. However, he has small hands and years ago got an old Gibson that fit him perfectly. I believe it's a late '50s model. He's met and become friends with a lot of Nashville session players over the years at various get togethers. Many of them have tried to get him to part with it because of how it sounds. What makes it sound so good, I have no idea but what makes it look so unique is it was in a house fire and the heat cracked the finish. I would love to send you a picture of it just to get your opinion on it.
To anyone thinking about filing and crowning frets on their own for the first time, go to a pawn shop and buy the cheapest guitar on the wall and practice on it until you have the crowning technique down before trying it on a guitar your really value.
Or take it slow...honestly, the first crowning job I ever did was on a revenue guitar setup but I seriously took my time and studied like hell before the attempt. Turned out just fine and now, hundreds of fret jobs later...the biggest thing is that I can do it faster and more consistently, that’s all.
Anyone else notice that when he was checking for fret rock he laid the rocker across 5 frets , then when he finished leveling he laid the rocker across 3 frets ? Aren't you only supposed to check for high frets 3 frets at a time?
Yeah.. I noticed it. He probably already knew which fret it was in advance and it just g happened to work that way. Only one fret was high. I suppose it could also be useful to check more frets at once too, to see if there are more a issues that would benefit from a full level.
I bought one last week here in Spain.. I was reading comments to find someone who may have same problem as me: well, i find fret high spot with fret rocker, then I try to use this tool, but does nothing.. it feels like the file portion isn’t at the right level, anyone experience this?
just when i find a high fret on my tele this video magically comes up . im thinking wow thats just what i need very cool product, look over on stew mac thinking this is gonna be 25 to 40 bucks,HELL NO 119.00 forget that nonsense really. great ideal stew mac but a crazy price
Is there anyway to keep the safe edges of the fret kisser from scratching the frets to the left and right of the one you're leveling? It's metal on metal still and every time I've used it I always have to then go through the process of polishing the scratches out of the surrounding frets. No one else seems to have complained about this so maybe I'm just not doing it right?
I’ve played for just shy of 50 years and due to an accident after a gig (electrocution) I don’t play nearly as much due to the injuries I incurred. I’m on disability. I thought I could work on guitars so I looked into the equipment needed. Stewmac was not affordable at all so I looked at what tools they used in the different stages of being a luthier. I prefer to deal with electrics so I took their list and ordered my tools and supplies from China. The cost was probably 80-90% of what Stewmac wanted. You just have to wait for your stuff to get here. That was all I could afford on disability pay and it’s working great. Do your own comparisons and you’ll see.
I do the same thing, and I also spend a small fraction compared to Stew Mac prices. HOWEVER, the one tool that has always been a disappointment buying from China is fret files and nut files. Everything else has been great so far, knock wood. No problems. But spend a little $$$ for 'good' fret and nut files. You won't regret it.
I actually got a real nice set of files from China. There are so few things that I didn’t like that I can’t rattle of a list for you. I got a really good round over but that was just learning to use it properly, not the tool. I also ordered a couple of sets of small hand files, one each from 2 vendors. With each vendor I ordered a set of diamond files that were comparable to the file sets. They were so inexpensive I could buy 4 sets of files and use the ones I like from each set. The other stuff was crazy. $28.95 for a fret rocker? They want $115 for a power saw blade to cut fret slots. I’m jittery about that so I cut them all by hand and I don’t have to superglue my fretboard back together. I’d like to have the money to buy everything from them. They make great stuff but Howard Hughes was not my dad.
From my experience, the 'best' (quality vs. price) nut and fret files are from Hosco, available from a few suppliers in the US. The Aliexpress files I bought were very inconsistent, and one fret file came with a big banana bow! I clamped it in a reverse bow for a few days, and it's 'almost' straight now. But that's what you get when you take the chance. Stew Mac is VERY expensive, but the quality is pretty much guaranteed, EXCEPT for their cheap plexi routing templates. The neck templates were sloppy, and just utter crap. There I actually spent more then Stew Mac prices and had a local luthier make them from 3/4" MDF. All my setup tools are Aliexpress, and I saved 75% or 85%.
Ok yes I think it is pricy but thought if it saves ne time ok. Got it and thought the grooves straddled the frets so a bit confused until I realized they simply show you where the cutting edges end. Used it on a guitar and fell into it quickly. Amazing for quick fixes or just getting a problem fret under control. Files are great and I use them regularly, I even offer a fret dress system I developed so I am ho newbie to this. Expensive and could be a tad bit cheaper there Stewmac, but very well built and works like a deream!
Used Guitars, you can almost count on that G string at the 2nd and 9th fret to buzz, and the E at the 5th on the B string, and my last one was both those and the *fifth fret of the G and the 15th fret of the High e string. Those were unusual. That was a slightly raised 6th fret. That spot tool is a great idea, your lowest possible action is usually determined by one or two spots on the neck, if you can get those and keep working it lower one problem spot after another you could get a virtually straight fretboard.
The reality is, if you use this thing 2 or 3 times in your life you will break even or even be ahead of the game compared to paying a luthier to do the same job. It's also very expensive to create the tooling necessary to manufacture a product like this. Is Stew Mac more expensive than made in China alternatives, yes, but Stew Mac makes quality products and in my experience you get what you pay for. I've bought a bunch of stuff from them over the years. Just my two cents. Not that anyone asked;). Cheers!
I have just received this fret kisser along with the a safe edge Z file along with some other tools and I have to say that I am disappointed with this fret kisser. The fret that I have used this fret kisser on now buzzes more than it did before. I am so frustrated about this as I bought these tools because there is not a man in the whole of Europe who WANTS to do a good fret levelling and crowning job, so it comes down to doing it my self. What am I to do now?
@@Ibaneddie76 Since it's a tool for leveling ONE fret. So that's mean its design for people who wants to level one frets instead of sending guitar to a Luthier and do all the frets.... It's basically overpriced.
@@MrLennonson It's pointless to level all the frets when only one or a section of one is high. Waste of time, money and valuable fret height. These tools are made for professionals who understand what they are for and why they are useful. This tool is an absolute winner.
I bought one, today was my first day using it. I’m worried that it’s filing down the adjacent frets too - they do look slightly different after use. Any advice? I figure it’s fine if I just have to polish them a bit after using this. Also - how long should it take? I was sanding for quite a while but the fret kept rocking.. do I need to recrown and polish before checking with the fret rocker again, or just keep going until it stops rocking?
By the way this was on a brand new USA Charvel that has a high 3rd fret.. yes it shouldn’t even have that, but in mentioning it to say that I think it’s not terribly high
Keep going until the rocking stops then crown and polish. I did have an issue with my fret kisser that it would not knock down the fret enough. It would still rock when tested. I contacted stew Mac and provided some pics of the issue. They took care of it right away and sent a new fret kisser out that they verified in shop. Just did a EVH striped series with it and have the action at 1mm with 9s half a step down and virtually zero buzz.
The cost was worth it for me. I don't have a ton of free time and fixing a couple frets is so much faster and gets me back to playing again. The only repair guys near me have long waiting lists so I have to do all my own repairs even if I don't really know what I'm doing. The easy to use idiot proof tools are a guitar saver for me.
What to do when you’ve taken one down too low in the middle? Oops! I’ve had to raise the action but don’t love it. I could take the adjacent fret down a tad, but am I just opening a can o worms? It’s on an Epiphone SG Pro.....Nice, but not an expensive guitar. Alternatively, how hard is it to change a fret diy?
I have a new 2018 Fender Telecaster Players series guitar. I understand fret buzzing, but what is causing string rattling? I increased the relief of the neck, raised strings to 4/64, and I still get rattle sound on E-A-D strings. What do you suggest?
first i thought "this is amazing! this is a great tool for a noob like me that has shitty budget guitars" then i saw the price...it may be worth it, but god damn thats expensive
Expensive... I want I want I want. I’m a low action obsessive, I have my Les Pauls at around 1.2 mm on the high E string at the 12th fret, and I find my strings start to buzz around 10 to 14 months after a pro set up. This little tool could save me some big bucks over the years. I have five guitars that I rotate in order to spread out my friend wear.
You can use feeler gauges stacked up to the height your frets are supposed to be. I also have a ton of different "feeler gauges" made out of old guitar strings. Glue a section of string to a Popsicle stick. The string gauges conform to the fretboard alot easier than stacked feeler gauges too.
@@benfordguitars- Thank you. Excellent advice. My D string has a buzz when strummed hard. I had originally thought it was some sympathetic vibration coming from inside the guitar. However when I tried to drop the action a tad it became obvious I have a high spot or two in the first fret. Then I discovered you can't 'rocker' the first fret.
@@geofixated One other thing worth checking is the nut slot itself. Sometimes strings will vibrate hitting the back edge of the nut on the tuning machine side. I like to flair both the front and rear edges of the nut which helps eliminate that issue. Just a thought. Good luck!
It seems like every video on YT has someone asking the most obtuse questions... MS, you're it for this video. What brand of guitar is this??? (Who CARES???) What's the music in the background??? What day of the week was this video made? What hair care products does Erick use?
The crowning file just rounds a high fret If you use it on one fret, there's always the chance you'll take too much off it,then you'll need to level ALL the following frets This tool guarantees that it makes the problem fret as low as the frets around it
@@Nomadicsage1 there is is you want to do it quickly and with guaranteed success Also, diamond grit is much easier to polish than a metal file because it doesn't cut,it sands
Actually, if you consider what it cost to make them and the rarity of them, and not to mention diamond dust probably isn't free, they are reasonably priced. They aren't like screwdrivers ya know.
As a machinist, I respectfully disagree. If you want good quality results, you need good quality tools. And like I said, many of the tools he sells are very rare. A good quality tool should last a lifetime. Of course if you really NEED a specific tool, where are you going to find it? Walmart? Buy cheap, get cheap. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to look for guitar repair tools other than Amazon.
Logan Searle I wouldn’t know. I’ve never needed any. But I’d imagine it cost something. And the adhesive to make it stick is probably a little pricey too.
I have bought a good deal of stuff from Stew Mac. How ever I mostly do my own work and a little for others. I could see a full time shop maybe buying this and coming out ahead maybe. Its way out of price range for me. I do like it though.
The price is too much for the tool for what it is. To crown and polish, you still have to remove the strings so a regular block would work there. I guess it would not be under tension. But I have used the same method using a $2 needle file which has been cut down
@@ZeekDuff they do ship to Canada, though duty and exchange, plus shipping makes you pause before completing an order. If they had a Canadian Distributer, it would be much easier to buy this stuff. I've ordered from them before, but the shipping even on small items makes it not worth doing unless you order a bunch of stuff. A bunch of stuff, is $$$$$. CAD dollar is at 7/10ths the USD. Just all hurts to do at the moment;-)
@@WoodesosGuitarMods Ah yes, tariffs, the stuff of enemy-making idiots. The prices are all too high for just about everything they sell as is, anyway. I only buy from them when there's something I absolutely MUST have, and can't find anywhere else. I can relate.
I love stew mac, and I would love to buy the products but the cost a fortune, especially getting them shipped to Scotland where I’m from, it’s not just the specialist tools, even standard tools like screwdrivers and chisels are a lot. I know buying quality tools can be pricey, I have a lot of Snap on gear, but they do need to reduce their prices by about 50%
I can make one easy and cheap,not diamond but as effective, 1)Get straight edges of proper length and thickness to suit as a fret rocker does, 2)Get double stick tape, 3)Use carborundum wet n dry paper or aluminium oxide wet n dry paper, 4)Cut three strips, 5)A centre strip as per the diamond, 6)The two other strips are stuck on back side out so they will not grind but are the same thickness as the centre grinding strip,thereby as all strips are the same thickness and make a level face plane, 7)The tools will span three frets for the sizes needed,It will rest on the outer two frets and grind the middle fret until they are the same level, 8)The centre strip may need changing as it wears, 9)The outer strips will not need changing as much unless you press real hard to crush the grit side through the actual paper,which will not be super easy, 10)Replacing all three strips at once would be easy and super cheap,how many 10-20mm wide strips to fit the block thickness can you get from an A4 sheet ?, 11)Also you can use finer grades as you hone in to the final level to get a good final finish. cheaper than 100 odd quid/bucks (pick your poison). You could have a thick fret rocker made,but that might be expensive,depending on the machine shop,so steel stock of the same thickness as the stewmac item would be fine4-5mm?,the basis is to have a level face with a centre grinding section,and not get screw macked!!! Hope this helps as i only want to fix a couple of buzzy frets from a refret i did to my LP,very minor buzz,but a pain in the rear TBH.
Id buy a tool that get quality work in the shortest amount of time, just like how its a tool. Money is a tool. More time I save, more time I have to spend on other things I like to do. Id bought it cause it saves me time so I can spend my time with other interest. Weird, people value price over time. You can always make money, you can never get time back.
noice, but i have enough tools to level, my biggest issue is finding a simple low cost re-crowning tool / technique so that most all the $$ frets are level with each other and across all the strings after re-crowning! ( until then... I Endeavor to Persevere )
I agree ... too expensive for someone who just works on his own instrument .. I heard someone mention research and development.. Stewmac sells an aluminum block that's milled out where the frets are and you heat it up on a hot plate and put it on the fingerboard ... 150 bucks .. there was no research on it .. this was designed years ago.. I made one out of a 1x3 block of 6061bl aluminum bought off Ebay .4 for $20 ($5 each) and I overpaid for that .. . I stuck it on my fretboard marked where the frets were with a sharpie and milled it out in about 15 minutes.... drilled and tapped a hole on the end , cut a peive of allthread drilledba hole in a 3" piece of broomstick grabbed 2 washers and 2 nuts and made a handle .. Total cost about 7 bucks .. and they charge 150..Btw anyone can make this same tool even if you dont have a mill .. Just use a tablesaw and an old carbide tipped blade .. Same principle here with this tool im sure there's a diamond tool out there that you can cut up and sandwich between a couple pieces of tool steel then cut and sand and drill it for clamping screws ... then stick it on a disk sander to level it...150 buck is outrageous.. I'm hoping someday somebody will start up a company making luthier tools at about 100% profit instead of a thousand percent profit. On top of that you got to pay the shipping to after they just put it to you
$119.00 WHAT??? I'd maybe pay $50, even that is high, but this price is absurd. I'll stick with the "hard way." High spots can usually be tapped down, anyway. Geez...
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 No, not usually, you're just plain wrong. In dry climates the wood shrinks, even if you try to keep the humidity up to 40%. Sometimes a hump will arise that can be gently tapped back down with a small dead-blow hammer. Come back when you've got my 60 years experience playing guitar, then see if you still want to call someone a "dummy." Moron.
@@davidhoganhikes4416 Indeed, I realized that after I responded to a couple of his idiotic replies. Another child whose parents never gave him enough attention, spending his life trolling for other's attention. Kinda sad... 🙃
You've no way of guaranteeing that you won't take too much off the fret This tool eliminates that risk Repair shops can do it in five minutes and easily make back the money they invested in the tool Why are there always so many dumbasses who know nothing about lutherie commenting on StewMac videos?
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 Those who know plenty can simply make a device that does the same job. This is spitting in the face of customers. A small piece of metal with minimal machining and a little abrasive for $119?? You're a shill if you are defending that.
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 You obviously simply don't know what you're doing. We've gotten along for many decades without a $119.00 tool that might be used once every 6 months in the busiest of shops.
You've priced yourself out of most sales. Sure, some people live a "money is no object" life, but most of us don't. You have to price it at a point that people will not just engineer one for themselves, which is simple enough to do. We appreciate the idea though ;)
I'm about to start working on my own guitars. What do you guys think of skipping the levelling and jumping straight to the crowning stage when a single fret is higher?
I don't get it. Won't this only take care of the fret reletive to the frets next to it? What about say the 3rd fret compared something further up the neck like the 17th. Could you not end up just gradually ramping them up or down.
@@gigglesgames1 It's probably exactly the thickness of the tape wrong and you would have to have the neck / frets perfectly flat, ie no relief whatsoever, to get it even only that wrong, particularly on the higher frets where the file will cover more than 3 frets. The Stumac tool will get it perfect and in a hurry. Great timesaver and money maker for a working guitar repairer.
If you do that the midel fret wil stay higher. Cause your tape wil lift the middel part. So the fret kisser is all the way flat almost for ever and your tape not. Thats the difference
If your good you can do this with a finger nail file of 320 grit followed by 600, 800, 1000 and 2000 grit sandpaper. I make fret protectors out of an empty pepsi can. go easy and use the fret rocker after several strokes.
Like other commenters - I've wanted this tool since I've been fretting and setting up - longing for it in fact - saw the video and was super excited - went to buy it and said to my son while it was loading - "watch, it's a hundred dollars." - to my surprise it was $119. - good god, man. It is an incredibly good idea and will cut down on the time I spend doing the same thing with standard tools - but why???
I saw this and just had to get it. Immediately logged into my stewmac account and saw the price... OMG! I can't afford that... Sorry @stewartmacdonald... some things I will pay the premium because I like what you offer and your customer support... this would NEVER pay for itself.
Right? I just did the same thing...hopped in my seat and made a scene at Denny's and went to order one and my eyes bugged out....I love these guys but I'm already devising how to make something like this myself instead.... :/
I bought one and sold it for like $10 less than I paid in the same day I listed it.
@@matthewstephens6848 Yeah, it didn't work for me.
I disagree that it won't pay for itself. I bought one to fix a high fret on my Sheraton. It plays wonderfully now. I have an older Riviera that has a high fret so I'm going to fix this one, too. How much do you think it would have cost to get two guitars spot leveled, crowned, and polished? Probably more than one fret kisser, I'd say!
@@joeking433lol why did you sell it ?
I'll be buying this for sure, yeah it's a little expensive but if you think about the time you'll save it's worth it. If you don't apply to much pressure and keep it clean diamond stones last a very long time.
Hmmm.. How many times have you serviced a guitar with only one or two high frets, that doesn't have one or two low ones, or string divots that require a full fret level? That's the question you need to ask yourself..
Expensive? That comes from the cost to develop a tool and perfect it. ...These guys are one of the few out there actually making quality stuff and coming up with solutions for the problems we run into with guitars and other fretted instruments. I appreciate them doing what they are doing. ...And, as I write this, I think I just sold myself on buying one of their offset diamond fret crowning files. That tool is has some cost, but its the only one out there that addresses the issues we run into working on the higher frets of an acoustic guitar, among other things, with a standard fret crowning file. I'll support the innovation.
Sam here. Since i am in a repair shop, fortunately It will pay for itself.
Im a guitar player that techs my own guitars, i go as far as refrets , and fret level and re crowns.Ive been building up a collection ion of Stewmac tools as well.There customer service as well as the quality of the tools is absolutely too notch.If a tool comes with a little defect on it, or breaks, they will very quickly send you another
I'm hesitant to support any company that doubles its prices in just 4 years. Also, over $130 for a tool to do a job that you could do with an inexpensive 3-corner file is ridiculous IMO.
Pays for itself within a couple of setups even though the price is high. Such a great idea!
Wish it was in stock and available to buy, I need something like this asap!
Does the neck need to be straight or at playing relief?
Love you guys but I have to agree....I know it's diamond and a REALLY cool idea.... but that's pretty steep.....maybe a non-diamond version with file edge? Or one with just notches to show where to put sandpaper?
Jeez - I use a dead flat , long bridge saddle blank with 600 grit paper stuck to the middle and masking tape layers to the thickness of the 600 grit at the ends - worked fine this way for 20+ years
Thanks for that pearl of advice. 🙏🏼
I bought it and have used it on newer epiphone guitars to level frets that were high from the factory. I also bought the centered z crowning file. Have made 4 guitars play wonderful with these tools. Highly recommend.
Too bad this isn't made anymore. No idea why
how long would the diamonds last on it?
@@LeviBulger it is still available
@@cbalyn yeah they actually brought them back like a week after I made that comment 😂. I bought one immediately in case they sold out quickly. And while I do use it a lot, it's not as amazing as I had hoped. It always leaves the fret a bit high and so I have to end up finishing the job with a flat file to get that last 1/32nd of an inch off before crowning. Not a big deal, but just an extra step. I've heard others say the same thing so I don't think I just got a bad one or anything.
Now the Z file on the other hand I really like a lot. My favorite is the one with the safe edge because you can really get the shape you want without worrying about taking anything off of the opposite side you're working on. Great tool.
Great idea. It's too expensive for me considering the use I'll make of it but considering the quality of Stewmac's tools it would be worth it to somebody doing lots of set-ups and fretwork.
When I first saw it I was like that's cool, and could be a useful tool...then (not surprisingly) STICKER SHOCK!!! $119.00 that's stupid high for the device. Can't see this as being a "BIG SELLER". Files are cheep.
Not sticking up for Stewmac but these are 4 sided diamond files, they aren't cheep to manufacture specially the quality that Stewmac puts out. Anyone who is a serious repair man who does a lot of fret work can definitely make there money back extremely fast with this tool. I would't suggest it for hobbyist you have the time to use sanding sticks a busy luthier doesn't because time is money.
Exactly, not every player, or even builder, needs to run out and buy one of these, but if you use it 6-10 times a week it's well worth the price. Stew-Mac goes to the trouble to invent and produce these things and all these dimwits that want to get Chinese knock-offs will be the first to cry when theirs wears out after 3 uses.
I'd say its cheaper to buy these 2 tools than to get a fret job from a tech. Worth it imo.
$126 now, ‘Diamond’ prices must have gotten more expensive. I'm sure it has nothing to do with shareholders expecting more money.
If ya don't do it alot ... All the help ya can get ... Not in a hurry ,,, got a half dozen 2 do ... 2 redress & some replace ,,, & they have 2 be nocked down & dressed 2 ,,, so ... I can take it somewhere ... W/ I mess it up ???
Thankz ... D ...
I like the product... the price is a no go.
My Pop plays but he was never around to teach me like his Pop did him. However, he has small hands and years ago got an old Gibson that fit him perfectly. I believe it's a late '50s model. He's met and become friends with a lot of Nashville session players over the years at various get togethers. Many of them have tried to get him to part with it because of how it sounds. What makes it sound so good, I have no idea but what makes it look so unique is it was in a house fire and the heat cracked the finish. I would love to send you a picture of it just to get your opinion on it.
Please do!
@@stewmac I will as soon as he sends to me.
To anyone thinking about filing and crowning frets on their own for the first time, go to a pawn shop and buy the cheapest guitar on the wall and practice on it until you have the crowning technique down before trying it on a guitar your really value.
Solid advice!
Or take it slow...honestly, the first crowning job I ever did was on a revenue guitar setup but I seriously took my time and studied like hell before the attempt. Turned out just fine and now, hundreds of fret jobs later...the biggest thing is that I can do it faster and more consistently, that’s all.
Anyone else notice that when he was checking for fret rock he laid the rocker across 5 frets , then when he finished leveling he laid the rocker across 3 frets ? Aren't you only supposed to check for high frets 3 frets at a time?
Yeah.. I noticed it. He probably already knew which fret it was in advance and it just g happened to work that way. Only one fret was high. I suppose it could also be useful to check more frets at once too, to see if there are more a issues that would benefit from a full level.
Do you have to set the neck flat with no relief to use this tool?
It’s a good idea to have the neck flat when you’re leveling frets
I bought one last week here in Spain.. I was reading comments to find someone who may have same problem as me: well, i find fret high spot with fret rocker, then I try to use this tool, but does nothing.. it feels like the file portion isn’t at the right level, anyone experience this?
user error
just when i find a high fret on my tele this video magically comes up . im thinking wow thats just what i need very cool product, look over on stew mac thinking this is gonna be 25 to 40 bucks,HELL NO 119.00 forget that nonsense really. great ideal stew mac but a crazy price
Is there anyway to keep the safe edges of the fret kisser from scratching the frets to the left and right of the one you're leveling? It's metal on metal still and every time I've used it I always have to then go through the process of polishing the scratches out of the surrounding frets. No one else seems to have complained about this so maybe I'm just not doing it right?
I’ve played for just shy of 50 years and due to an accident after a gig (electrocution) I don’t play nearly as much due to the injuries I incurred. I’m on disability. I thought I could work on guitars so I looked into the equipment needed. Stewmac was not affordable at all so I looked at what tools they used in the different stages of being a luthier. I prefer to deal with electrics so I took their list and ordered my tools and supplies from China. The cost was probably 80-90% of what Stewmac wanted. You just have to wait for your stuff to get here. That was all I could afford on disability pay and it’s working great. Do your own comparisons and you’ll see.
I do the same thing, and I also spend a small fraction compared to Stew Mac prices. HOWEVER, the one tool that has always been a disappointment buying from China is fret files and nut files. Everything else has been great so far, knock wood. No problems. But spend a little $$$ for 'good' fret and nut files. You won't regret it.
I actually got a real nice set of files from China. There are so few things that I didn’t like that I can’t rattle of a list for you. I got a really good round over but that was just learning to use it properly, not the tool. I also ordered a couple of sets of small hand files, one each from 2 vendors. With each vendor I ordered a set of diamond files that were comparable to the file sets. They were so inexpensive I could buy 4 sets of files and use the ones I like from each set. The other stuff was crazy. $28.95 for a fret rocker? They want $115 for a power saw blade to cut fret slots. I’m jittery about that so I cut them all by hand and I don’t have to superglue my fretboard back together. I’d like to have the money to buy everything from them. They make great stuff but Howard Hughes was not my dad.
From my experience, the 'best' (quality vs. price) nut and fret files are from Hosco, available from a few suppliers in the US. The Aliexpress files I bought were very inconsistent, and one fret file came with a big banana bow! I clamped it in a reverse bow for a few days, and it's 'almost' straight now. But that's what you get when you take the chance. Stew Mac is VERY expensive, but the quality is pretty much guaranteed, EXCEPT for their cheap plexi routing templates. The neck templates were sloppy, and just utter crap. There I actually spent more then Stew Mac prices and had a local luthier make them from 3/4" MDF. All my setup tools are Aliexpress, and I saved 75% or 85%.
Electrocution = death. If you’re still alive, you weren’t electrocuted - you had an electric shock
Ok yes I think it is pricy but thought if it saves ne time ok. Got it and thought the grooves straddled the frets so a bit confused until I realized they simply show you where the cutting edges end. Used it on a guitar and fell into it quickly. Amazing for quick fixes or just getting a problem fret under control. Files are great and I use them regularly, I even offer a fret dress system I developed so I am ho newbie to this. Expensive and could be a tad bit cheaper there Stewmac, but very well built and works like a deream!
Fantastic idea! Not gonna comment on the price !
Used Guitars, you can almost count on that G string at the 2nd and 9th fret to buzz, and the E at the 5th on the B string, and my last one was both those and the *fifth fret of the G and the 15th fret of the High e string. Those were unusual.
That was a slightly raised 6th fret. That spot tool is a great idea, your lowest possible action is usually determined by one or two spots on the neck, if you can get those and keep working it lower one problem spot after another you could get a virtually straight fretboard.
Can i use this instead of using a bunch of leveling tools?
The reality is, if you use this thing 2 or 3 times in your life you will break even or even be ahead of the game compared to paying a luthier to do the same job. It's also very expensive to create the tooling necessary to manufacture a product like this. Is Stew Mac more expensive than made in China alternatives, yes, but Stew Mac makes quality products and in my experience you get what you pay for. I've bought a bunch of stuff from them over the years. Just my two cents. Not that anyone asked;). Cheers!
I have just received this fret kisser along with the a safe edge Z file along with some other tools and I have to say that I am disappointed with this fret kisser.
The fret that I have used this fret kisser on now buzzes more than it did before.
I am so frustrated about this as I bought these tools because there is not a man in the whole of Europe who WANTS to do a good fret levelling and crowning job, so it comes down to doing it my self.
What am I to do now?
Maybe that fret wasn’t high and it’s a low spot... ich you polish way to passionately, you may also alter the high of the fret. Hope I could help
So it costs more than a full setup by a Luthier? Hmmm, nope.
It's made for luthiers not hobbyists, if you don't work on guitars every day why would you need it anyway?
@@Ibaneddie76 Since it's a tool for leveling ONE fret. So that's mean its design for people who wants to level one frets instead of sending guitar to a Luthier and do all the frets.... It's basically overpriced.
@@MrLennonson It's pointless to level all the frets when only one or a section of one is high. Waste of time, money and valuable fret height. These tools are made for professionals who understand what they are for and why they are useful. This tool is an absolute winner.
C. P. I fully agree. It’s a great tool. I use it a lot now. Time saver.
If you use it once, then yes. If you use it for commercial purposes then it’s an investment to make more money than the purchase.
I bought one, today was my first day using it. I’m worried that it’s filing down the adjacent frets too - they do look slightly different after use. Any advice? I figure it’s fine if I just have to polish them a bit after using this. Also - how long should it take? I was sanding for quite a while but the fret kept rocking.. do I need to recrown and polish before checking with the fret rocker again, or just keep going until it stops rocking?
By the way this was on a brand new USA Charvel that has a high 3rd fret.. yes it shouldn’t even have that, but in mentioning it to say that I think it’s not terribly high
Keep going until the rocking stops then crown and polish. I did have an issue with my fret kisser that it would not knock down the fret enough. It would still rock when tested. I contacted stew Mac and provided some pics of the issue. They took care of it right away and sent a new fret kisser out that they verified in shop. Just did a EVH striped series with it and have the action at 1mm with 9s half a step down and virtually zero buzz.
The cost was worth it for me. I don't have a ton of free time and fixing a couple frets is so much faster and gets me back to playing again. The only repair guys near me have long waiting lists so I have to do all my own repairs even if I don't really know what I'm doing. The easy to use idiot proof tools are a guitar saver for me.
Great tool ! And reasonably priced!
are you rich
Amazing tool. Use it 2 times and it pays for itself basically. A must have for every luthier
I've gotten lucky in the past with a file, but this is a great idea.
Can/should I use on multiple frets if needed?
Hey do some amp builds. I want to thank you for the downloadable build manuals. Great job on those.
Thanks. We worked HARD on those. :)
What to do when you’ve taken one down too low in the middle? Oops! I’ve had to raise the action but don’t love it. I could take the adjacent fret down a tad, but am I just opening a can o worms? It’s on an Epiphone SG Pro.....Nice, but not an expensive guitar. Alternatively, how hard is it to change a fret diy?
I have a new 2018 Fender Telecaster Players series guitar. I understand fret buzzing, but what is causing string rattling? I increased the relief of the neck, raised strings to 4/64, and I still get rattle sound on E-A-D strings. What do you suggest?
Could be the nut slots are too wide, bridge saddles may be loose, or there could be an issue with the neck itself such as a loose bolt.
I’d like one but I can’t justify it at this time.
What are the SLOTS for ?
first i thought "this is amazing! this is a great tool for a noob like me that has shitty budget guitars" then i saw the price...it may be worth it, but god damn thats expensive
You can achieve the same results with a triangle file
could also just put some psa sandpaper on a fret rocker and do the exact same thing, thats what I've one in the past
Expensive... I want I want I want.
I’m a low action obsessive, I have my Les Pauls at around 1.2 mm on the high E string at the 12th fret, and I find my strings start to buzz around 10 to 14 months after a pro set up.
This little tool could save me some big bucks over the years. I have five guitars that I rotate in order to spread out my friend wear.
Does the fret kisser also work as a fret rocker or do you also need one of those?
yes also a fret rocker
Enjoyed the video, went online and saw the price; not happening lol. I'm just going to make my own for a lot cheaper.
What happened to the cheap fret files ?
So any suggestions on how to check and level the first fret?
You can use feeler gauges stacked up to the height your frets are supposed to be. I also have a ton of different "feeler gauges" made out of old guitar strings. Glue a section of string to a Popsicle stick. The string gauges conform to the fretboard alot easier than stacked feeler gauges too.
@@benfordguitars- Thank you. Excellent advice. My D string has a buzz when strummed hard. I had originally thought it was some sympathetic vibration coming from inside the guitar. However when I tried to drop the action a tad it became obvious I have a high spot or two in the first fret. Then I discovered you can't 'rocker' the first fret.
@@geofixated One other thing worth checking is the nut slot itself. Sometimes strings will vibrate hitting the back edge of the nut on the tuning machine side. I like to flair both the front and rear edges of the nut which helps eliminate that issue. Just a thought. Good luck!
@@benfordguitars - Thanks again, I will check that out on my next string change. It's a Taylor 324 and seems perfect other than that buzz.
You don’t need to level the first fret or last fret just the frets in between
Did anyone notice the brand name of the guitar?
It seems like every video on YT has someone asking the most obtuse questions... MS, you're it for this video. What brand of guitar is this??? (Who CARES???) What's the music in the background??? What day of the week was this video made? What hair care products does Erick use?
It's a cheap house branded import that was sold by CA House of Music. A regional chain of music stores near us.
Micheal Sebulsky House Guitars out of Ontario Canada
Great idea... Steep price... I will stick with my good old crowning file!
The crowning file just rounds a high fret
If you use it on one fret, there's always the chance you'll take too much off it,then you'll need to level ALL the following frets
This tool guarantees that it makes the problem fret as low as the frets around it
Hit the high spot with a triangle file then you can use the same tool to recrown it,fuck these expensive gadgets,there's no need for them.
@@Nomadicsage1 there is is you want to do it quickly and with guaranteed success
Also, diamond grit is much easier to polish than a metal file because it doesn't cut,it sands
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 It's an overpriced tool that's not needed,I see your defending it in every comment thread,did you sell them design?
@@Nomadicsage1 No,but your Mom did LOL
That's not all she sold...
Sorry, but your prices are absolutely ridiculous Stewmac.
Actually, if you consider what it cost to make them and the rarity of them, and not to mention diamond dust probably isn't free, they are reasonably priced. They aren't like screwdrivers ya know.
Bud Nunyerbusiness
Ever flip through their catalog?
I stand firmly on my original statement... their prices are absolutely ridiculous.
As a machinist, I respectfully disagree. If you want good quality results, you need good quality tools. And like I said, many of the tools he sells are very rare. A good quality tool should last a lifetime. Of course if you really NEED a specific tool, where are you going to find it? Walmart? Buy cheap, get cheap. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to look for guitar repair tools other than Amazon.
Yep, I’m fine with disagreeing. Never been one to get into long debates in UA-cam comments. Cheers.
Logan Searle
I wouldn’t know. I’ve never needed any.
But I’d imagine it cost something.
And the adhesive to make it stick is probably a little pricey too.
I have bought a good deal of stuff from Stew Mac. How ever I mostly do my own work and a little for others. I could see a full time shop maybe buying this and coming out ahead maybe. Its way out of price range for me. I do like it though.
The price is too much for the tool for what it is. To crown and polish, you still have to remove the strings so a regular block would work there. I guess it would not be under tension. But I have used the same method using a $2 needle file which has been cut down
I need one of those. I wish you guys had Canadian distribution.
Hey woodeso love ur canadian stuff
They don't ship to Canada? The price is way too high, but I'd think they'd ship it to you...
@@ZeekDuff they do ship to Canada, though duty and exchange, plus shipping makes you pause before completing an order. If they had a Canadian Distributer, it would be much easier to buy this stuff. I've ordered from them before, but the shipping even on small items makes it not worth doing unless you order a bunch of stuff. A bunch of stuff, is $$$$$. CAD dollar is at 7/10ths the USD. Just all hurts to do at the moment;-)
@@WoodesosGuitarMods Ah yes, tariffs, the stuff of enemy-making idiots. The prices are all too high for just about everything they sell as is, anyway. I only buy from them when there's something I absolutely MUST have, and can't find anywhere else. I can relate.
was expecting a minute long video of Dan Erlewine making out with a guitar
This is amazing
The other day I was just thinking how you would invent a tool for this job,but looks like you beat me to it!
I love stew mac, and I would love to buy the products but the cost a fortune, especially getting them shipped to Scotland where I’m from, it’s not just the specialist tools, even standard tools like screwdrivers and chisels are a lot. I know buying quality tools can be pricey, I have a lot of Snap on gear, but they do need to reduce their prices by about 50%
It's quite expensive, but it is unique. I probably would've invested in one, but the P&P is high (£15) for the size of it. Which is a shame.
This itsm is no longer available from stew Mac wtf ?
yes it is.
Great idea!
Sold.
Only $119!! What a bargain!
Go to a repair shop and see how much they charge you to do it
A triangle file will do the same thing
An pleidhce Éireannach A lot less than $119 or you're getting ripped off.
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 I would charge like $15 in my shop for that job hahaha.
.... shipping included?
I can make one easy and cheap,not diamond but as effective,
1)Get straight edges of proper length and thickness to suit as a fret rocker does,
2)Get double stick tape,
3)Use carborundum wet n dry paper or aluminium oxide wet n dry paper,
4)Cut three strips,
5)A centre strip as per the diamond,
6)The two other strips are stuck on back side out so they will not grind but are the same thickness as the centre grinding strip,thereby as all strips are the same thickness and make a level face plane,
7)The tools will span three frets for the sizes needed,It will rest on the outer two frets and grind the middle fret until they are the same level,
8)The centre strip may need changing as it wears,
9)The outer strips will not need changing as much unless you press real hard to crush the grit side through the actual paper,which will not be super easy,
10)Replacing all three strips at once would be easy and super cheap,how many 10-20mm wide strips to fit the block thickness can you get from an A4 sheet ?,
11)Also you can use finer grades as you hone in to the final level to get a good final finish.
cheaper than 100 odd quid/bucks (pick your poison).
You could have a thick fret rocker made,but that might be expensive,depending on the machine shop,so steel stock of the same thickness as the stewmac item would be fine4-5mm?,the basis is to have a level face with a centre grinding section,and not get screw macked!!!
Hope this helps as i only want to fix a couple of buzzy frets from a refret i did to my LP,very minor buzz,but a pain in the rear TBH.
105€ really ? Thanks for the Idea,i can make it cheaper and only for me.
it needn't be that expensive. easy enough to make.
Id buy a tool that get quality work in the shortest amount of time, just like how its a tool. Money is a tool. More time I save, more time I have to spend on other things I like to do. Id bought it cause it saves me time so I can spend my time with other interest. Weird, people value price over time. You can always make money, you can never get time back.
noice, but i have enough tools to level, my biggest issue is finding a simple low cost re-crowning tool / technique so that most all the $$ frets are level with each other and across all the strings after re-crowning! ( until then... I Endeavor to Persevere )
What an amazing, unbelievably unbelievable deal! I'll take 5.
Nice idea, way too expensive.
After sanding each fret: "LEVEL!"👍
I agree ... too expensive for someone who just works on his own instrument ..
I heard someone mention research and development..
Stewmac sells an aluminum block that's milled out where the frets are and you heat it up on a hot plate and put it on the fingerboard ... 150 bucks .. there was no research on it .. this was designed years ago.. I made one out of a 1x3 block of 6061bl aluminum bought off Ebay .4 for $20 ($5 each) and I overpaid for that .. .
I stuck it on my fretboard marked where the frets were with a sharpie and milled it out in about 15 minutes.... drilled and tapped a hole on the end , cut a peive of allthread drilledba hole in a 3" piece of broomstick grabbed 2 washers and 2 nuts and made a handle .. Total cost about 7 bucks .. and they charge 150..Btw anyone can make this same tool even if you dont have a mill .. Just use a tablesaw and an old carbide tipped blade ..
Same principle here with this tool im sure there's a diamond tool out there that you can cut up and sandwich between a couple pieces of tool steel then cut and sand and drill it for clamping screws ... then stick it on a disk sander to level it...150 buck is outrageous..
I'm hoping someday somebody will start up a company making luthier tools at about 100% profit instead of a thousand percent profit. On top of that you got to pay the shipping to after they just put it to you
The "Wallet Emptier".
Its nifty to have it built in to the rocker tool but cmon. All you need is a small fret file.
$119.00 WHAT??? I'd maybe pay $50, even that is high, but this price is absurd. I'll stick with the "hard way." High spots can usually be tapped down, anyway. Geez...
No they can't
That's loose frets you dummy
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 No, not usually, you're just plain wrong. In dry climates the wood shrinks, even if you try to keep the humidity up to 40%. Sometimes a hump will arise that can be gently tapped back down with a small dead-blow hammer. Come back when you've got my 60 years experience playing guitar, then see if you still want to call someone a "dummy." Moron.
@@ZeekDuff This dude is a shill. He's replying to every comment defending this rediculous price.
@@davidhoganhikes4416 Indeed, I realized that after I responded to a couple of his idiotic replies. Another child whose parents never gave him enough attention, spending his life trolling for other's attention. Kinda sad... 🙃
@@ZeekDuff but one of your parents (your Mom) gave me plenty of attention
Kind of made up for the lack of attention from my own parents LOL
Great idea. Bad price. I'm going to make one on my own for a few bucks out of a fret rocker.
Just use a file you already own. Or buzz the high fret a couple extra passes with crowning file. Save your $$$.
You've no way of guaranteeing that you won't take too much off the fret
This tool eliminates that risk
Repair shops can do it in five minutes and easily make back the money they invested in the tool
Why are there always so many dumbasses who know nothing about lutherie commenting on StewMac videos?
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 Those who know plenty can simply make a device that does the same job. This is spitting in the face of customers. A small piece of metal with minimal machining and a little abrasive for $119?? You're a shill if you are defending that.
@@anpleidhceeireannach9498 You obviously simply don't know what you're doing. We've gotten along for many decades without a $119.00 tool that might be used once every 6 months in the busiest of shops.
Nobody is being forced to buy it.
@@RoastBeefSandwich No, but they just lost me as a customer.
Awesome tool!
Looks like a great tool, I may need to make an investment...
It didn't work for me.
You've priced yourself out of most sales. Sure, some people live a "money is no object" life, but most of us don't. You have to price it at a point that people will not just engineer one for themselves, which is simple enough to do. We appreciate the idea though ;)
good luck machining a fret rocker to have the grit level with the smooth surface even close to the same threshold of a stewmac product. just saying.
Cool tool.!
At this price I could buy a guitar. I will need to wait for the knock off.
I'm about to start working on my own guitars. What do you guys think of skipping the levelling and jumping straight to the crowning stage when a single fret is higher?
It's important to level the fret first.
crowning file will work too, I have done many
I need that for my main axe.
I don't get it. Won't this only take care of the fret reletive to the frets next to it? What about say the 3rd fret compared something further up the neck like the 17th. Could you not end up just gradually ramping them up or down.
Stewmac...the Apple of guitar tools. Might as well call it the iFile.
1:05; Discord sound?
Ingenious but pricey.
$119 US ($157 Canadian).....ummmmmmmm, good luck selling those at that price.
Could I just take a fret rocker and double stick some sandpaper in the middle and do this?
I love Stew Mac, but... put masking tape on a small file, all except a short exposed section in the middle. Bob's yer uncle.
But your problem fret will still be the thickness of the tape too high, won't it?
@@c.p.1589 It's probably nominal
@@gigglesgames1 It's probably exactly the thickness of the tape wrong and you would have to have the neck / frets perfectly flat, ie no relief whatsoever, to get it even only that wrong, particularly on the higher frets where the file will cover more than 3 frets. The Stumac tool will get it perfect and in a hurry. Great timesaver and money maker for a working guitar repairer.
If you do that the midel fret wil stay higher. Cause your tape wil lift the middel part. So the fret kisser is all the way flat almost for ever and your tape not. Thats the difference
If your good you can do this with a finger nail file of 320 grit followed by 600, 800, 1000 and 2000 grit sandpaper. I make fret protectors out of an empty pepsi can. go easy and use the fret rocker after several strokes.
T C Yeah that’s what do too. Been doing it for years. I still kinda want one of these though.
2,402 pesos !!! Te la stewartmacmamaste
Hahahahha! Así es.
@@VictorVonBelmont con ese dinero mejor uno se compra una chibson nueva
Like other commenters - I've wanted this tool since I've been fretting and setting up - longing for it in fact - saw the video and was super excited - went to buy it and said to my son while it was loading - "watch, it's a hundred dollars." - to my surprise it was $119. - good god, man. It is an incredibly good idea and will cut down on the time I spend doing the same thing with standard tools - but why???
must be the diamonds making it expensive...lol
Very nice product :)
i just made one for myself free with things i had in home .
In 25 second.
Working like a charm haha
This looks promising - and just in time for Christmas !
and made in Asia, same as the cheaper alternatives
Its soooooo expensive. The most id pay for this is maybe 40-50 bucks. At MOST. Not 150.
$119? That's it. I will never spend one cent with Stew Mac again.
I really do hope you guys don't go out of business, with the absurd price tags and all.
Thank you for your concern, Isaac. Business is great and the Fret Kisser is selling quite well right out of the gate.
So, a device that levels single buzzing frets costs almost as much as a new neck? Nice.