This video gave me the confidence to try it myself, using the same tools and methods. I was nervous, doubtful and I did make a few mistakes at first... but my guitar now plays perfectly with action I've always dreamed of.
@@notdeadboi9991If your guitar can sit perfectly still and level while you work and the neck is supported then you could leave it on. You'd need to tape over your pickups though so they don't get metal filings/dust in them.
Great video! A couple of things I do differently: 1) I make three shims, exactly the same thickness (wood, plastic, doesn't matter) and place them on the ends and middle of the fretboard, then lay my straight edge on top. As long as it touches all three equally, that's as straight as anyone's going to get that neck. 2) I use a small triangular ("three-square") file for both crowning the frets and tidying their ends, but it has had its sharp corners ground down slightly, so the faces still work but there's less chance of damaging the wood. When crowning, it's important to leave the thinnest line of sharpie along each fret.
This was very helpful, thank-you for taking the time to post it! And thank-you for providing the details of the tools and materials that you used as many other videos just gloss over this.
Hey man. Nice job! This video gives me the confidence to try this on my own. I have a neck I can practice on for my first go at it. This was very helpful. Thank you. Subscribed!
Thank you :) it's definitely daunting the first time but once you do it, it's actually pretty easy and as long as you're careful, nothing should go wrong. Let me know how you go with it :)
Thanks for the informative, simple video layman’s terms as opposed to pulling out all your expensive repair gear and confusing much of the internet with unnecessary mumbojumbo. Really is a breathe of fresh air!
Amazing tutorial mate! I have a Fender strat but the nickel frets have been worn out causing fret buzz in some areas. I'll be using this video as a reference to level my frets! Thanks a ton!
This video gave me the confidence to try it myself, using the same tools and methods. I was nervous, doubtful and I did make a few mistakes at first… but now my guitar is wrecked, my house is on fire and my fish have all died.
Thank you for this instructive video! It's the best one I've come across so far. The tip about the highest frets I've never heard or read about anywhere.
Great video thank you, very informative, just wondering, though, when leveling the frets wouldn’t it be better to use a sanding block with the correct radius of the fretboard? Like the ones you can find online?
tip for the fret fall off if you have a large levelling beam - 16 inches for example - (credit - saw this on crimson guitar channel) - put a few layers of masking tape on two thirds of the beam. This will protect the frets you don't want to have fall off from getting lower, whilst making the beam slightly angled so that it hits the frets you do want to have fall off :)
A few things that I have learnt that may (or may not) be helpful 1) leveling the neck off the "wood" is not always the best (using a notched level) as the wood of the neck is not always true. This applies also to individual fret "leveling" tools that rely (rest on) the neck wood to be perfect - you should avoid such tools. A Gibson SG that I just did was substantially different leveling off the wood vs leveling off the frets ( understanding that leveling off the frets, if they are not yet true, you must allow for some variation). 2) I never use fret rockers, if you want low action (mine leave with almost zero relief, low E at 1.00 mm and high E at 0.75mm, with the action up a bit from that if the guitar player is more heavy handed ) a fret rocker is a very crude tool. I will level the neck from the wood and than check level on the frets, and if there is a difference go with the frets being level. 3) I assure the neck is true, allowing time for the wood to move and settle ( typically overnight if the relief adjustment is significant) - then I will tape it down, felt mark all frets and do a very light pass over everything - not enough that recrowning is required, but enough to "read" the neck and tell you if it needs a full level. This has proven very useful. 4) I always create a fall off at the frets on the "heal" of the neck - the strings vibration radius is the greatest here, and the truss rod adjustment has no impact at this point in the neck. There is much more, but just some thoughts is all. (:~>
aren't you suppose to check if the neck is straight while the strings are on and with a notched straightedge because of the tension the strings give from pulling?
@@donbabcock6021 I didn't mean to remove the neck, I meant that the measurement of the straightness in the neck should be done while the strings are on, since it creates tension, which is not apparent when the strings are taken off. Using for instance a Notched Straightedge ruler
If you are using a fret rocker then yes, you do only need to measure 2-3 at a time. If those are level with each other and so are the next set, then you know they're level. Fret rockers are made to only measure 2-3 frets at a time otherwise if you had one the length of the whole fretboard you couldn't really tell where the high/low frets are without really looking closely or having another extremely accurate measuring tool. It literally is the way it's done. You don't just measure 2-3 frets and be done with it, you work your way up the fret board making sure that each fret is level with the next
Sad that someone tried to ruin this in other ways very fine video, by playing disturbing guitar close to your microphone, so that people with english as our second language, couldnt concentrate on the information of your speech.
This video gave me the confidence to try it myself, using the same tools and methods. I was nervous, doubtful and I did make a few mistakes at first... but my guitar now plays perfectly with action I've always dreamed of.
same! turned a squire bullet strat with buzz into a guitar that plays beautifully.
@@davidtromeroIs it necessary to remove the neck from the guitar before u do anything ....
No@@notdeadboi9991
@@notdeadboi9991If your guitar can sit perfectly still and level while you work and the neck is supported then you could leave it on.
You'd need to tape over your pickups though so they don't get metal filings/dust in them.
OMG that demystified the process,. clear concise simple. Thanks. Yes I subscribed!
Great video! A couple of things I do differently: 1) I make three shims, exactly the same thickness (wood, plastic, doesn't matter) and place them on the ends and middle of the fretboard, then lay my straight edge on top. As long as it touches all three equally, that's as straight as anyone's going to get that neck. 2) I use a small triangular ("three-square") file for both crowning the frets and tidying their ends, but it has had its sharp corners ground down slightly, so the faces still work but there's less chance of damaging the wood. When crowning, it's important to leave the thinnest line of sharpie along each fret.
Great tips 👍
This was very helpful, thank-you for taking the time to post it! And thank-you for providing the details of the tools and materials that you used as many other videos just gloss over this.
Hey man. Nice job! This video gives me the confidence to try this on my own. I have a neck I can practice on for my first go at it. This was very helpful. Thank you. Subscribed!
Thank you :) it's definitely daunting the first time but once you do it, it's actually pretty easy and as long as you're careful, nothing should go wrong. Let me know how you go with it :)
@@morganoguitars2213 Will do brother. Thank you!
Thanks for the informative, simple video layman’s terms as opposed to pulling out all your expensive repair gear and confusing much of the internet with unnecessary mumbojumbo. Really is a breathe of fresh air!
Great helpful tutorial. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks !
Amazing tutorial mate! I have a Fender strat but the nickel frets have been worn out causing fret buzz in some areas. I'll be using this video as a reference to level my frets! Thanks a ton!
Hi Rishee, thank you. I hope it was helpful and hopefully your fret job goes well :)
Tape sides first then frets. Makes it easier to pull off tape.
I wish I would’ve read this yesterday 😂
@@armandobravo4L hey we make mistakes to learn my guy . It's how we grow.
Whoah, great tip! I’m about to level some frets today, never thought to do that.
This video gave me the confidence to try it myself, using the same tools and methods. I was nervous, doubtful and I did make a few mistakes at first… but now my guitar is wrecked, my house is on fire and my fish have all died.
Great video. Thanks man.
Thank you for this instructive video! It's the best one I've come across so far. The tip about the highest frets I've never heard or read about anywhere.
perfect for the MIECOO 9PCS Guitar Luthier Repair Tool Kit I just got on Amazon
Excellent video! I really appreciate the detail you went into about which tools to seek out and where to find them (Amazon).
Thank you for this video! super helpful and straight to the point
Excellent video ! .....do you a video on a slightly popped fret and how to reset it ?
Excellent video. Straight to the point and very informative.
Great video thank you, very informative, just wondering, though, when leveling the frets wouldn’t it be better to use a sanding block with the correct radius of the fretboard? Like the ones you can find online?
Always use a notched level. Otherwise you are not really checking the flatness of the neck itself,, just the frets.
On the fret leveling beam, what grit did you use to level the frets? Also can you post a link to the fret leveling kit
at 1:27 he says mostly 400 grit
Thank you for a very informative and helpful video!
Would you make any adjustments to the nut after the level of your frets have changed?
Great video. Thanks
May I ask which buffing compound you used for polishing the fret wires?
tip for the fret fall off if you have a large levelling beam - 16 inches for example - (credit - saw this on crimson guitar channel) - put a few layers of masking tape on two thirds of the beam.
This will protect the frets you don't want to have fall off from getting lower, whilst making the beam slightly angled so that it hits the frets you do want to have fall off :)
did you maybe confuse back bow with upbow and upbow with backbow in this video?
Thank you for the simple to follow video! I will be using. it as a guide to do some fret work. What kind of polishing gel did you use?
What kind of creme are you using when polishing?
Got the terms back bow (and upbow, or bow) reversed there.
Excellent work thank you !
Grande maestro
VERY VERY NICE WORK, and, MOST CORRECT STEPS FOR RE-LEVELING, and of course, POLISHING FRETS -TO FINISHED GRADE. THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH! GREAT JOB !
Good stuff. Just susbscribed
A few things that I have learnt that may (or may not) be helpful 1) leveling the neck off the "wood" is not always the best (using a notched level) as the wood of the neck is not always true. This applies also to individual fret "leveling" tools that rely (rest on) the neck wood to be perfect - you should avoid such tools. A Gibson SG that I just did was substantially different leveling off the wood vs leveling off the frets ( understanding that leveling off the frets, if they are not yet true, you must allow for some variation). 2) I never use fret rockers, if you want low action (mine leave with almost zero relief, low E at 1.00 mm and high E at 0.75mm, with the action up a bit from that if the guitar player is more heavy handed ) a fret rocker is a very crude tool. I will level the neck from the wood and than check level on the frets, and if there is a difference go with the frets being level. 3) I assure the neck is true, allowing time for the wood to move and settle ( typically overnight if the relief adjustment is significant) - then I will tape it down, felt mark all frets and do a very light pass over everything - not enough that recrowning is required, but enough to "read" the neck and tell you if it needs a full level. This has proven very useful. 4) I always create a fall off at the frets on the "heal" of the neck - the strings vibration radius is the greatest here, and the truss rod adjustment has no impact at this point in the neck. There is much more, but just some thoughts is all. (:~>
Do you have a video that explains this?
@@marcosreal11 - Marco - is there something further than the explanation (specifically) that I can help you with ? Best Regards... (:~>
aren't you suppose to check if the neck is straight while the strings are on and with a notched straightedge because of the tension the strings give from pulling?
I can’t remove my neck, so I think we just remove strings and get it as flat as possible
@@donbabcock6021 I didn't mean to remove the neck, I meant that the measurement of the straightness in the neck should be done while the strings are on, since it creates tension, which is not apparent when the strings are taken off. Using for instance a Notched Straightedge ruler
@@donbabcock6021 rewatched the video, maybe I thought you were checking the neck and not the fret level.
Mask the edge of the neck first so you can pull up all the interfret tapes at once.
Do I have to own a BMW for this?
Happy Frets, Happy Fingers
6:50 ...where the texter is being sanded away? texture? wtf is he saying and talking about? lol
Marker?
Texta/Texter, it must be Aussie slang haha. Basically it means a marker
no sense in just leveling something that doesn't necessarily need leveling, the fret rocker has a purpose
I quit watching when you said you can do 2 or 3 frets at a time to measure frets. You can't possibly do only 2 frets!
If you are using a fret rocker then yes, you do only need to measure 2-3 at a time. If those are level with each other and so are the next set, then you know they're level. Fret rockers are made to only measure 2-3 frets at a time otherwise if you had one the length of the whole fretboard you couldn't really tell where the high/low frets are without really looking closely or having another extremely accurate measuring tool.
It literally is the way it's done.
You don't just measure 2-3 frets and be done with it, you work your way up the fret board making sure that each fret is level with the next
Sad that someone tried to ruin this in other ways very fine video, by playing disturbing guitar close to your microphone, so that people with english as our second language, couldnt concentrate on the information of your speech.