I'm trying to start on fret dressing

[pott]

Just for me, I want to get the experience...
Anyhoo I was thinking about watching the tech do it for the Charvel that needs it and with the money I have left, buy a neck (Squier or MIM Fender, something cheap) and work on it. Of course that means I need a BAD neck [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
I was thinking, would it be worth it saving up to get a Squier Affinity strat or Tele for instance, or would it be better to go for the much cheaper solution of the neck alone?
If you guys (well, the ones who can do tech work) have any tips on what's the best to start with, I'm totally open to suggestions.

[pebber]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

just out of interest, do you have any specialized tools at all available, like those http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies.html?

[pott]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

There are a few shops I could order from:
Vox humana
http://www.voxhumanawebstore.nl/webstore...07635f59b0dfe71
And Rockinger
http://www.rockinger.com/index.html?lang=ENG
I also made a little list of stuff
So... one of these crowning file:http://www.rockinger.com/ArticlePage...&art=09039
One of these levelling file:
http://www.rockinger.com/ArticlePage...&art=09036
One of these fingerboard guard:
http://www.rockinger.com/ArticlePage...&art=09045
Would that be a good glue for frets?
http://www.rockinger.com/ArticlePage...rt=09048/09300
4 of these as well as 4 X 6105, 4 X 6110 and 4 X 6120
http://www.voxhumanawebstore.nl/webstore...07635f59b0dfe71
One of these fret puller:
http://www.voxhumanawebstore.nl/webstore...07635f59b0dfe71
And one of these dead blow hammer
http://www.voxhumanawebstore.nl/webstore...07635f59b0dfe71
As well as loads of sandpaper of different grits and some common tools in households, do you guys think that'd be all?

[sully]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

please accept my apologies if i'm assuming incorrectly, but from what i seem to remember reading, you're pretty new at this kinda thing, yes? if that's the case, i wouldn't recommend starting right at fret work. learn how to adjust necks and do general setups before you jump into fret jobs.

pick up dan erlewine's total guitar repair book and go through the general set up section first. i think you'll save yourself some headache (and money on fretting tools).

sully

[pott]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

[ QUOTE ]
please accept my apologies if i'm assuming incorrectly, but from what i seem to remember reading, you're pretty new at this kinda thing, yes? if that's the case, i wouldn't recommend starting right at fret work. learn how to adjust necks and do general setups before you jump into fret jobs.

pick up dan erlewine's total guitar repair book and go through the general set up section first. i think you'll save yourself some headache (and money on fretting tools).

sully

[/ QUOTE ]
Hehe I learnt this already. I've been playing since about February and set up my own guitars since May. I've never had a problem and my model 4 plays amazing. So yeah, it's true, I am new to this but it's always money saved on the tech and I LOVE the instrument. I've always been a manual person and I just love anything that has to do with the tech side of it.
I have this book and I just finished reading (well pretty much learning by heart [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]) the fretting section of it. Some of the best money I ever spent. I'm also planning on ordering from stewmac a blank fingerboard (slotted) and their fretwork kit as well as a pound of fretwire.

[sully]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

k, cool.

here's tip #1:
never pound frets into a fretboard that's not already part of a neck. reason being is that you have nothing to absorb the shock of the hammers' blow, and you may very well splinter the fretboard into little pieces.

model 5 has some necks that he's selling in the classifieds for cheap. i recommend picking up a few of those. (he's also in europe)

[pott]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

Ah... good idea that. I'll have to wait until I have some money but it seems like a great idea.
I've been told that as a first time it wouldn't matter that much. I'd just need to put them on and dress/crown them. It'd be easier just to start up with, and I've been told that if I'm careful it should be ok. I'll follow your advise though if I can.

[sully]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

don't focus on what will be easier to do; if you spend $20 on a fretboard and splinter it by pounding frets into it, you've wasted that money. on the other hand, if it does go well (don't expect it to on a first time), then you've got a fretted fretboard. what are you gonna do with it? if you spend a little more and get a neck, you'll now have something you can actually bolt on and string up. the true test of fretwork is after you've got strings on it, so just fretting a fretboard isn't going to get you there.

if cost is an issue, (which it is for many of us) save your money and wait until it isn't. you're going to be spending a bunch of money on the tools (especially if you're only shopping with stewmac) as it is. it's not a cheap thing. that said, you don't have to run out and spend $300 for decent fretting tools and materials, but if cost is a factor, just save up your money until you're ready to go, and ready to follow instruction (from the books you have) and tested methods to the letter without taking short cuts.

sully

[Ace]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

I agree with Sully. Even if you do manage to fret a fretboard there is no way to test your work. In order to do a proper fret job you have to take into account neck bow and other factors that would not be present in fretting just a fretboard. Drop a few bucks on a cheap neck and pull and refret that a few times. Once you get it to where it looks good to you, throw it on a guitar and test your work.

[DonP]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

Pott,

I agree with Sully as well. I do my own stuff as well, even cutting nuts. But fret leveling I'll leave with the masters like Dan Erlewine (a four hour drive away) or get it "plek'd" by a laser guided machine. If they had to invent a laser guided machine to do fret jobs, what chance do you think us humans have of getting it right, especially one doing it the first time?

[Zerberus]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

[ QUOTE ]
....If they had to invent a laser guided machine to do fret jobs, what chance do you think us humans have of getting it right, especially one doing it the first time?

[/ QUOTE ]

They didn´t HAVE to invent that, luthiers such as Sully and myself have been doing it perfectly for centuries, and most companies still do it by hand... But I agree with where you´re going [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[model1]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

[ QUOTE ]
...model 5 has some necks that he's selling in the classifieds ...

[/ QUOTE ]
LOL
I think I'm Model1 still
but cool Sully you recommended my sale
cheers
andy

ps
I leave the fretting stuff with the pros too
thats why I'm selling these necks

[khabibissell]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

I agree that a "newbie" should be careful, but you've got to start somewhere. Now, I don't know if it was the correct way to do it, but I've leveled the frets on two of my guitars in the manner below. Both play unbelievably now. I got the method from Dan Erlwine's book, though he is alot more picky about file selection etc...

Make sure the fretboard (neck) is perfectly straight. Use flat mill file and lightly/slowly run it from the bottom of the neck toward the nut. Continue this across the neck. once everything is level, use a sanding block starting with 320, to 400, to 600, then finally 1000 grit sandpaper making passes from bottom to top as above. Once everything is flat and smooth, finish with 0000 grit steel wool polishing out the final scuffs.

I wouldn't start with a high-end USA made guitar, but as long as you use caution and have that book to help guide you, you should be fine.

[Ace]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
....If they had to invent a laser guided machine to do fret jobs, what chance do you think us humans have of getting it right, especially one doing it the first time?

[/ QUOTE ]

They didn´t HAVE to invent that, luthiers such as Sully and myself have been doing it perfectly for centuries, and most companies still do it by hand... But I agree with where you´re going [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I've been fortunate enough to work around a PLEK machine. I do my own fretwork and am quite good at it, but NO ONE on Earth can do a fret job like the PLEK can. The reason more companies aren't using it is that it is a relatively costly and time consuming process. When you are turning out hundreds of guitars a day, and PLEK'ing them requires about 45 minutes apiece on a $35,000 machine, it gets very costly.

[LexLuthier]

Re: I\'m trying to start on fret dressing

Smaller outfits like Suhr and Heritage are using the Plek machines