I was so impressed with your craftsmanship that I watched every inch of the 46-minute video without skipping a beat. The tools and jigs you made yourself were fascinating, and I was especially impressed by the sanding block holding a sand paper by wedges from both sides and the vise that holding the neck jig from the front and back in combination with your workbench. I look forward to seeing videos introducing the jigs and tools you made yourself. thank you. greeting from South Korea~
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words Mate. So amazing getting such a feedback from the other end of the World. Back in the days when I grades a Luthier (1997) there were just a few tool available and so you have to get creative and build you own...Today you can buy incredible Tools from a lotto suppliers that's so much more comfortable. Best Regards to South Korea. Kindest Regards Nik
Wow Nik, that's a lot of old world elbow grease you use in your technique! It's good to see there are still some people who still believe in doing things with quality in mind. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for kind words Harley that’s really motivational for me seeing people out there who recognize the real amount of work you have to invest to get the best result that is possible 🕺🏻👍You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
I have been interested in guitar repair since the 1990s and have worked on my own guitars, as well as those of friends and family, for a long time. I've also watched countless repair videos, including many refrets. Yet this is the first time I've seen someone over-tighten the truss rod to open up the fret slots for easier removal. What a fantastic Idea! Now that I've seen you do this, I'm surprised that this is not more common practice. I would imagine this reduces chip-out from the barbs significantly.
Thanks a lot for watching and for you positive Feedback Travis. This is a practice that I have developed my own I assume that it saves a lot of chipping and it's aways worth to try... Best Regards Nik
I hand polish myself but the speed and pressure you used with the Dremel is quite extreme. A lower speed and careful approach is easily achievable. Like any power tool on guitar repair caution is always necessary.
Thanks a lot for your feedback James. Off course it is overdone but that what I also commented in the experiment. I made a repair on a beautiful Gibson Les Paul Custom a couple of Videos ago and I assume that polishing the Frets with s Buffing Wheel has caused the problem that every Fret was loose. Thanks for watching. Best Regards Nik
Thanks a lot for your positive comment. I didn’t crown the frets in this case. If you have to crown frets after a refret than you can be sure that the work was not so precise 😉 Normally when I build a Neck I even don’t level them. Best Regards Nik
@@petrekguitarsgoing to try my first refret this summer. I have an old Epiphone 12 string neck in poor shape. For my first one, I guarantee I will need to level and crown. :) Maybe after a few refrets I will have the precision to skip that step. As always, thanks for the video. I enjoyed it!
Very much appreciate you sharing your very nice trade techniques ! .. Was just curious about the bit near the end when you : 'barely loosen screws and are applying pressure to the neck for to make seat better the into the pocket.. *Which is a Great Tip ! just a bit confused only because it looked as if you were applying the force of pressure from the neck into / towards the body itself (as if squeezing towards the neck pickup ) , & NOT rather , as im quite sure must be case, DOWNWARDS. - As to compact the bottom of neck closer together with screws. Pushing to make closer contact between the bottom of the pocket in order to bring wood into more tight of contact & tighen down screws bit more. Thanks Again for Your great workmanship information ! ✅️💝
Thanks a lot for watching and for your question. I try to bring the End of the neck as close as possible to to Neck Pocket cavity of the Body before tightening up the neck screws. Hope this can help you out.. Best Regards Nik
Thanks a lot for your positive feedback. I am used to use my eyes 😉👌 for this job for more than 30 years. These are very good tools if you wannabe sure that every fret is in place.. Best Regards Nik
The heat isn't a problem if you are using fish or hide glue. They just cool and don't lose their adhesive capacity unlike super glue. I think Ted uses usually fish glue to glue the frets in and it seems from what he said that is sticks reasonably well to metal.
Your sanding block is genius! There are some steps in your process that puzzle me though... When sanding and radiusing the fretboard, why don't you straighten the neck first? and how do you know it's level without marking it somehow? Same questions for when you level the frets? How do you know they are level if you don't mark them to know where the low spots are? And why didn't you crown the frets?
Thanks a lot for watching and your positive Feedback and for your questions. Yes I do straighten the Neck before leveling the Fretboard if you skip to 12.00 -12.16 in the timeline there you can see the process. I don't need a straight edge ...my Eyes are my straight edge so therefor I also don't have to make any marks on the Fretboard. After 30years your Eyes become tools🙂The same thing is when I level the Frets...I just hold the Neck into the Light and can exactly see if every fret is touched..Actually when you make a refret and you have done every step accurately you really don't need to crown them even leveling it not really necessary. Best Regards Nik
hallo Nick, einfach nur gut. Wenn die fränkischen Firmen Framus, Hopf, Hoyer, Klira und Höfner soviel Aufwand und Präzision für ihre Instrumente aufgewendet hätten, wäre sie um Klassen besser gewesen und leichter zu spielen. Weist du von wann die Hoyer ist? Diese Schichtholzhälse sind original von Framus. Wurden aber auch von anderen Firmen verwendet. Ich habe noch einen Bass von 1968 mit so einem Hals und noch eine 12 saitige von 1964. Die Tonabnehmer sehen nach Billi Lorento aus, gibt es in den USA noch als Bill Lawrence. Gruß vom Dorf klaus
Hey Klaus, vielen herzlichen Dank für deinen Kommentar. Die dürfte aus den 60er Jahren sein. Ja das sind Bill Lawrence Tonabnehmer die auch wirklich gut klingen. Also Willy stich= Billy Lorendo = Bill Lawrence immer die gleiche Person:-) Da hast Du doch noch ein paar schone alte Schätzchen am Start. LG und alles Gute Nik
quick question, why dont you use a notched ruler? i find amazing you use a normal ruler. if you have high frets and low frets it wont be straight to the fretboard? dont know, just a question . amazing work :)
Thanks a lot for your question. Normally I don’t use any rulers… I eyebolt it… after 30 years of being a luthier this is my best way to spot high fret’s. The Ruler is just for example… Best Regards Nik
Shouldn't the depth stop be set to slightly higher than the fret tang depth? Otherwise any little bit of wood fibre will prevent the frets from fully seating.
Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion. That's not a problem if you like to remove the Frets you just have to apply some heat with a soldering iron and the superglue will become soft so you can easily remove the fret. Quite common way if you do a fret Job. No worries... Best Regards Nik
🔷Check out my Guitar Repair Video. How to repair a broken Guitar Truss Rod🔷
▶ua-cam.com/video/fny9WIzF9Hw/v-deo.htmlsi=wU9IaYS4BIh1Ujlj◀
interesting approach, will try that on my next refret, great job! greatings from norway
Thanks a lot for your positive feedback Mate. Best Regards to Norway. Cheers Nik
Using the old frets to measure the new ones is simple and really clever!
Thanks a lot for your positive Feedback Christian. Best Regards Nik
I was so impressed with your craftsmanship that I watched every inch of the 46-minute video without skipping a beat. The tools and jigs you made yourself were fascinating, and I was especially impressed by the sanding block holding a sand paper by wedges from both sides and the vise that holding the neck jig from the front and back in combination with your workbench. I look forward to seeing videos introducing the jigs and tools you made yourself. thank you. greeting from South Korea~
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words Mate. So amazing getting such a feedback from the other end of the World. Back in the days when I grades a Luthier (1997) there were just a few tool available and so you have to get creative and build you own...Today you can buy incredible Tools from a lotto suppliers that's so much more comfortable. Best Regards to South Korea. Kindest Regards Nik
Watching you work is pure relaxation for me. Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
Thanks a lot for saying this. You are welcome 🙏🕺🏻👍Best Regards Nik
Wow Nik, that's a lot of old world elbow grease you use in your technique! It's good to see there are still some people who still believe in doing things with quality in mind.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for kind words Harley that’s really motivational for me seeing people out there who recognize the real amount of work you have to invest to get the best result that is possible 🕺🏻👍You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
Now that is quality work and old school craftsmanship! Bravo Petrek, job very well done!! You are a true artisan dear Sir!!!
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words. You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
I have been interested in guitar repair since the 1990s and have worked on my own guitars, as well as those of friends and family, for a long time. I've also watched countless repair videos, including many refrets. Yet this is the first time I've seen someone over-tighten the truss rod to open up the fret slots for easier removal. What a fantastic Idea! Now that I've seen you do this, I'm surprised that this is not more common practice. I would imagine this reduces chip-out from the barbs significantly.
Thanks a lot for watching and for you positive Feedback Travis. This is a practice that I have developed my own I assume that it saves a lot of chipping and it's aways worth to try... Best Regards Nik
Hi Nik, ya know I love to watch your videos. There is real craftsmanship and a lot of experience on display in your content. Thank you.
Hey Falko, thanks you so much Mate. You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
10:08 measure twice cut once, words to live by!😄 It's always very gratifying and soothing watching you work Nik.👍👍
Thanks a lot for your kind words. You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
You have some great homemade tools
Thanks Mate. I like making them myself :-) sometimes there is no other way to get the job done.. Best Regards Nik
The fretboard wood looks really amazing now…good job!
Thanks a lot for watching and for your positive comment Hubert. Cheers Nik
Lijepo ,lijepo uvijek u pravcu goda na drvetu.
👍
Puno Hvala, Pozdrav Nikola
This is true quality content, thanks a lot. Congratulations on your work. Cheers
Thank you so much for saying this Matteo. You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
Love the oversized dot inlays on that fretboard. Beautiful detail.
Thanks a lot for your kind Comment. Best Regards Nik
I hand polish myself but the speed and pressure you used with the Dremel is quite extreme. A lower speed and careful approach is easily achievable. Like any power tool on guitar repair caution is always necessary.
Thanks a lot for your feedback James. Off course it is overdone but that what I also commented in the experiment. I made a repair on a beautiful Gibson Les Paul Custom a couple of Videos ago and I assume that polishing the Frets with s Buffing Wheel has caused the problem that every Fret was loose. Thanks for watching. Best Regards Nik
Good content! I have a question. You skipped the crowning ?
Thanks a lot for your positive comment. I didn’t crown the frets in this case. If you have to crown frets after a refret than you can be sure that the work was not so precise 😉 Normally when I build a Neck I even don’t level them. Best Regards Nik
@@petrekguitarsgoing to try my first refret this summer. I have an old Epiphone 12 string neck in poor shape. For my first one, I guarantee I will need to level and crown. :) Maybe after a few refrets I will have the precision to skip that step. As always, thanks for the video. I enjoyed it!
@@geoffcowan2384 Thank you so much for your kind words. All the best for your Fret Job. Let me know if it works out as you aspected- Best Regards Nik
I thought crowning frets was to lessen the contact area between the string and fret and results in better intonation?
@@Chiro75 Yes that's absolutely correct. But If you don't flatten them it's not necessary. Best Regards Nik
Great demo with the Dremel. I wonder if the frets get hotter when we watch Petrek polish the frets by hand and running the video at 10X speed.
Thanks a lot for making my laugh 😂 I assume there is no big difference...You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
Awesome work you do. The neck looks to be made of ash.
Thank you so much for your kind words. This is actually a Multiply Wood Neck. German Guitar Companys did this a lot back in the days. Best Regards Nik
Don't you do crowning with the file after fret leveling? amazing work
Thanks a lot for your question. Yes normally after the leveling but it’s not always necessary. Best Regards
Excellent job love your work
Thank you so much for saying that🙂 You are welcome. Best Regards Nik
Very much appreciate you sharing your very nice trade techniques ! ..
Was just curious about the bit near the end when you :
'barely loosen screws and are applying pressure to the neck for to make seat better the into the pocket..
*Which is a Great Tip !
just a bit confused
only because
it looked as if you were applying the force of pressure from the neck into / towards the body itself (as if squeezing towards the neck pickup ) ,
& NOT rather , as im quite sure must be case, DOWNWARDS.
- As to compact the bottom of neck closer together with screws. Pushing to make closer contact between the bottom of the pocket in order to bring wood into more tight of contact & tighen down screws bit more.
Thanks Again for Your great workmanship information !
✅️💝
Thanks a lot for watching and for your question. I try to bring the End of the neck as close as possible to to Neck Pocket cavity of the Body before tightening up the neck screws. Hope this can help you out.. Best Regards Nik
Brilliant video. Sir, One question have you loosen the truss rod after removing the frets?
Thanks a lot for your positive comment. Yes I loose it a bit to make the neck Straight before planing the Fretboard. Best Regards Nik
Great job! Why you don't use fretrocker?
Thanks a lot for your positive feedback. I am used to use my eyes 😉👌 for this job for more than 30 years. These are very good tools if you wannabe sure that every fret is in place.. Best Regards Nik
The heat isn't a problem if you are using fish or hide glue. They just cool and don't lose their adhesive capacity unlike super glue. I think Ted uses usually fish glue to glue the frets in and it seems from what he said that is sticks reasonably well to metal.
Yes that’s correct. I also use a lot of fish glue. Amazing stuff. Best Regards Nik
much better 👍
Thanks yes of course it plays like new now:-) Best Regards Nik
Nice fret job and great video! What grits did you use for the last polishing of the frets? (the blue sandpaper)
Thanks a lot for watching and your positive Feedback. The last one was 15000 grit. Best Regards Nik
May I ask what grit you used to sand the neck on your radiused sanding block?
I sand it to grit 240 . Best Regards Nik
Your sanding block is genius! There are some steps in your process that puzzle me though...
When sanding and radiusing the fretboard, why don't you straighten the neck first? and how do you know it's level without marking it somehow?
Same questions for when you level the frets? How do you know they are level if you don't mark them to know where the low spots are?
And why didn't you crown the frets?
Thanks a lot for watching and your positive Feedback and for your questions. Yes I do straighten the Neck before leveling the Fretboard if you skip to 12.00 -12.16 in the timeline there you can see the process. I don't need a straight edge ...my Eyes are my straight edge so therefor I also don't have to make any marks on the Fretboard. After 30years your Eyes become tools🙂The same thing is when I level the Frets...I just hold the Neck into the Light and can exactly see if every fret is touched..Actually when you make a refret and you have done every step accurately you really don't need to crown them even leveling it not really necessary. Best Regards Nik
hallo Nick, einfach nur gut. Wenn die fränkischen Firmen Framus, Hopf, Hoyer, Klira und Höfner soviel Aufwand und Präzision für ihre Instrumente aufgewendet hätten, wäre sie um Klassen besser gewesen und leichter zu spielen. Weist du von wann die Hoyer ist? Diese Schichtholzhälse sind original von Framus. Wurden aber auch von anderen Firmen verwendet.
Ich habe noch einen Bass von 1968 mit so einem Hals und noch eine 12 saitige von 1964. Die Tonabnehmer sehen nach Billi Lorento aus, gibt es in den USA noch als Bill Lawrence.
Gruß vom Dorf
klaus
Hey Klaus, vielen herzlichen Dank für deinen Kommentar. Die dürfte aus den 60er Jahren sein. Ja das sind Bill Lawrence Tonabnehmer die auch wirklich gut klingen. Also Willy stich= Billy Lorendo = Bill Lawrence immer die gleiche Person:-) Da hast Du doch noch ein paar schone alte Schätzchen am Start. LG und alles Gute Nik
quick question, why dont you use a notched ruler? i find amazing you use a normal ruler. if you have high frets and low frets it wont be straight to the fretboard? dont know, just a question . amazing work :)
Thanks a lot for your question. Normally I don’t use any rulers… I eyebolt it… after 30 years of being a luthier this is my best way to spot high fret’s. The Ruler is just for example… Best Regards Nik
Shouldn't the depth stop be set to slightly higher than the fret tang depth? Otherwise any little bit of wood fibre will prevent the frets from fully seating.
Yes that's absolutely correct. I always add a bit of clearance so you avoid getting in the trouble that it's not deep enough. Best Regards Nik
@@petrekguitars Ah okay. Thanks for the explanation.
@@EbonyPope You are welcome. Cheers Nik
Great work, but shouldn't you call it a Telecaster clone guitar in your title since it's not Fender?
Thanks a lot for your positive Feedback Sean, made you are correct...but its still a Telecaster Type Guitar...Best Regards Nik
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks a lot for your positive comment. Best Regards Nik
super glue on fret is no no! what going to be next time when guitar needs fret job? you get thumbs down.
Thanks a lot for sharing your opinion. That's not a problem if you like to remove the Frets you just have to apply some heat with a soldering iron and the superglue will become soft so you can easily remove the fret. Quite common way if you do a fret Job. No worries... Best Regards Nik