Seeking advice for fret levelling/dressing tools

[JVG]

I’ve reached a point in my guitar tinkering career where i’m feeling brave enough to tackle my own fret levelling needs, rather than pay someone else.

I’ve had a look at the tools available, and would love some advice as to the most appropriate options.

Constraints: i’m not planning on becoming a professional tech so i don’t need top-of-the-line gear. On the other hand, i don’t want the cheapest shit that wont last or do the job suitably. Something in the middle seems sensible.

My first question is: do i really need all the separate tools (ie levelling, crowning, polishing etc), or will a multi-tool like this be adequate for my occasional needs?
https://www.hosco.co.jp/en/luthier-too ... fld23.html

Cheers all.

[timtam]

Re your link, Hosco generally make good stuff. But the problem with trying to combine levelling and crowning in one tool is that a levelling beam should typically be about as long as the fretboard - say 440mm. That Hosco tool is only 160mm long. With such shorter lengths, the frets in the middle of the board (that are always under the beam) get sanded more than those at each end. A long beam with short strokes covers all the frets, all the time.

Also, the Hosco style of curved-concave crowning file is not as foolproof as the Stewmac Z-file with flat angled facets (300-grit, original or centered), especially for a novice. I try to avoid SM's overpriced tools as much as possible, but some of their stuff is just better than everything else, and only available from SM.

Levelling beams can be easily made from aluminium section, say 25x50x440mm. Or a 'fretbar'-style leveller that can be used either under the strings or with them off. Both along with double sided tape and a roll of 400 grit sandpaper.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004272623697.html

Set the neck straight with the truss rod first in both cases, using a notched straight edge - the best of which is probably the new Music Nomad combination one, which covers more scale lengths than any other, including 24" for jags and mustangs (although they omit to list that ... but you just use the 25.5" and put the 2nd fret notch over the 1st fret for a 24" scale).
https://www.musicnomadcare.com/Products ... ight-Edge/

[JVG]

I did wonder about those levelling files, and the issue you mentioned with shorter ones. Your advice there is logical, thanks.

The Stewmac crowning files do look nice. Is the main difference between those and other brands, the fact that they don’t file the top of the frets, just the sides?

As for the Hosco stuff, would this be useful or is it just a gimmick?
https://www.hosco.co.jp/en/luthier-too ... -ufo2.html

[timtam]

I did wonder about those levelling files, and the issue you mentioned with shorter ones. Your advice there is logical, thanks.

The Stewmac crowning files do look nice. Is the main difference between those and other brands, the fact that they don’t file the top of the frets, just the sides?

As for the Hosco stuff, would this be useful or is it just a gimmick?
https://www.hosco.co.jp/en/luthier-too ... -ufo2.html

The Z-file's flat angled facets mean that there will always be a thin untouched line along the top of the crowned fret ... which is what you want. You can see that easily if you mark the frets with a marker pen before you start. The curved concavity of other crowning files means that if you choose the wrong curved file profile for the frets you have, or apply it wrongly, you can end up taking off some of your carefully-levelled fret top. When those older files, and the '3-corner' file, were the only crowning file options available, it took time to learn how to avoid such problems. A single Z-file works out of the box, on pretty much all frets (although SM is now implying that you 'could' buy more than one ... but that's unlikely to be necessary). But the Z-file is a relatively recent development, so lots of guitar techs still use the older files they learned with, which they are now skilled enough with to avoid most issues. So they see no need to try the Z-file ... but there are also now many who tried the Z-file and have not gone back to their old files.

That new Hosco link is another tool that misses the mark. It's easy to follow the fret's radius with a file, especially the Z-file.

[JVG]

Cool, you’ve sold me on the Z-file. It looks like a good tool.

I had been diligently avoiding the Stewmac website until now. Damn that place is dangerous - always makes me think i need a million tools! Which is exactly what they want, of course.

[ThePearDream]

+1 to everything timtam had told you. That's topnotch advice.

I personally use an aluminum leveling beam, that cost me around $50 at the time. I have a few different concave crowning files from Stewmac and Hosco, but have abandoned those (because of the shortcomings timtam mentioned) in favor of a three corner file. The Z-file is at the top of my to-buy list though.

Something that I rarely see mentioned, but really recommend, is a fret end dressing file. I use this to make really smooth fret ends. It's worth every cent of the $20 price. Even guitars that you don't give a level to, can benefit from a few minutes with this file.

[JVG]

The more i look at this, the more i want the really good stuff, which initially i wasn’t aiming for. Looks like i will have to spend several hundred dollars on this (the shitty Aussie exchange rate, import duty, and shipping add up) but i figure that i’ll break even after doing about 4-5 of my guitars. Plus i will no longer need to deal with disorganised luthiers with zero time management skills!

Last question (maybe): are those “fret polishing rubbers” worth getting?

[øøøøøøø]

Buy the best and cry once.

Tools of any kind are one of those things where I’ve never regretted buying good quality, and have often regretted trying to get away with less.

I’ve had decent luck leveling with a radiused sanding block, but I also have a weighted aluminum beam.

Good straight edges are also worth it. Blue painter’s tape and a sharpie.

Z file seems interesting. I have an old diamond crowning file and am just careful to always leave a line of sharpie on top.

But I mostly leave it to the professionals these days.

[ThePearDream]

Last question (maybe): are those “fret polishing rubbers” worth getting?

I use a (Hosco) 400 grit one as the first polishing step after filing, they work great for that. That's the only size I've needed so far, and I've been using the same one for a few years. Well worth the price for the one, I wouldn't want the whole stew Mac set though. I like to use 3M polishing papers after that (the six sheet set), which are also nice for polishing nuts.

[JVG]

Buy the best and cry once.

Good call; I’ve cut corners in the past and usually ended up spending more in the long run.

i’ll throw some money at Stewmac and get set up.

Thanks all

[eternal learner]

Been doing this sort of thing since retirement a few years ago strictly as a therapeutic hobby, ie re-frets, level and crown etc and yeah when I first looked through the StewMac catalogue I was bewildered. A bloke I worked with is now a full time guitar tech/luthier and I sought his advice on what was really necessary, also watched a lot of you tubes etc and the how to's on the StewMac site. As to levelling and crowning, I started with the timber backed files from Crimson in the UK but the last neck I did I went with a lengthy beam with two different grades of emory cloth, that did a superior job. As to crowning, I started with a three sided file and found it painstakingly slow, wimped and bought one of the gimmicky fancy curvy diamond tools, persevered with that but quickly went back to the three sided file, once I got the hang of it I was very happy. If you watch one of the crowning videos with Eric Coleman , he recommends the basic three side file despite the fact StewMac sell a host of fancier files. I've gathered more tools along the way, some seldom used others a necessity. I'm in Sydney eastern burbs, happy to show you through the gear I've gathered anytime.

[Dr Tony Balls]

When I first got tools for this sort of thing it was through a horse-trade scenario with a luthier friend who also works for Stew Mac. I build him pedals, he sends me tools at his discount. But not knowing exactly what I needed, he was also selecting tools for me based on his preference. So here's what I wound up with:

Leveling:
He sent one of these and it worked great and still works great many years later. If I knew I was only working on one or two different fretboard radiuses I might get some of those radiused blocks as they seem very efficient and precision, though needing a whole set would be expensive. I've also leveled with some sandpaper double-sticked to a regular old hardware store level, and that worked well for a long flat leveling beam.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ling-files

Crowning:
He sent one of these and its awesome but very pricey. If I was buying new right now i'd just go for any standard crowning file.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... -fret-file

End dressing:
He sent these. I guess StewMac didnt (at the time?) make one he thought was better than these.
https://www.amazon.com/Hosco-Dressing-T ... 3387538325

Polishing:
take it down with a few grits of sandpaper and then THESE THINGS are fucking awesome.
https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... ng-papers/

[adamrobertt]

I work in a high end custom shop and we use a regular level with sandpaper on it to level frets, a regular straight edge to check level (the notched ones aren’t necessary although I guess there’s nothing wrong with them) and the diamond grit StewMac crowning files.

Just sandpaper of various grits and steel wool for polishing.

[eternal learner]

Just skimming through this again and don't see any mention of one of the basic tools required, the humble fret rocker, very cheap to buy and indispensable . Like I mentioned before, if you want to look through the luthier gear I have in my workshop, could save a lot of confusion and money ! just PM me .

[Highnumbers]

Buy the best and cry once.

Good call; I’ve cut corners in the past and usually ended up spending more in the long run.

i’ll throw some money at Stewmac and get set up.

Thanks all

Yep, that's exactly the right approach (everything TimTam mentioned is great).

I've gone down this path myself, first with the less expensive tools and later (out of frustration) with the best tools for the job.

While I'm not a professional either, the best tools will allow you to get a better result with less hassle. You can buy all the tools required for a fret leveling/crowning job for about the cost of paying a guitar tech to do this job for you 1-2 times.

The Stew Mac Z-file is superb, can't recommend it enough.

The only budget fret crowning file that is at least decent is the FretGuru, it's not as simple as the Z-file but does a fine job: https://www.amazon.com/FretGuru-Crownin ... B08P81H8Q2