dressing frets
Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 1:23 pm
I fugure there's more than one of us who wonder how to dress new frets. I've been trying different techniques and I've come across a method that seems to work nicely for me. I thought I'd share it.
Playability is everything and a lot of things affect it. How frets are finished affects sound, intonation, and playability. We can make the most beautiful guitar, but if the frets are sharp, it ruins playability.
I've fretted the fretboard, beveled, and leveled the frets. I use the Thomas Ginex fret crowning kit to crown them. You can use a miniature diamond file to dress the ends. I use a fret dressing file. It has 2 safety sides, one rounded, the other flat. The flat side has a little flare to get at the fret ends right on the board.
I start by laying the flat side of the file on the board, right next to the fret end. Then I gently rub the tiny bottom corners of the end, taking away their sharpness. I barely touch the frets. This takes about 2 minutes, working all frets on both sides.
Playability is everything and a lot of things affect it. How frets are finished affects sound, intonation, and playability. We can make the most beautiful guitar, but if the frets are sharp, it ruins playability.
I've fretted the fretboard, beveled, and leveled the frets. I use the Thomas Ginex fret crowning kit to crown them. You can use a miniature diamond file to dress the ends. I use a fret dressing file. It has 2 safety sides, one rounded, the other flat. The flat side has a little flare to get at the fret ends right on the board.
I start by laying the flat side of the file on the board, right next to the fret end. Then I gently rub the tiny bottom corners of the end, taking away their sharpness. I barely touch the frets. This takes about 2 minutes, working all frets on both sides.