dressing frets

[Diane Kauffmds]

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.

PicsArt_05-29-02.02.18.jpg

[Diane Kauffmds]

now I have the rounded side against the board. I'm also leaning it towards the fret at about a 20° angle. I gently, using no force, file the edge on both sides. Again, this is a 2-3 minute operation. I'm not rounding the top, because my frets are already crowned.

Notice how the file is almost parallel with the fret. Wa

PicsArt_05-29-02.02.47.jpg

[Diane Kauffmds]

The frets are dressed, but there could be residual slooge (technical term). We still have to polish them.

I either roll up sandpaper into a tight tube, or roll it around a 1/4-3/8" dowel. Working very lightly, so lightly that I'm just catching the frets, I "rub" the tube of sandpaper up and down the board. I go up the grits, starting with 320g.

PicsArt_05-29-06.50.29.jpg

[Diane Kauffmds]

Finally, using 1200g wrapped around my finger, I go up and down the board. I'm just catching those fret ends.

PicsArt_05-29-06.49.54.jpg

[Diane Kauffmds]

This is the result. All of my fret look like this and they're smooth. It took me about 15 minutes total time.

PicsArt_05-29-02.42.21.jpg

[Diane Kauffmds]

Done.

PicsArt_05-29-07.31.14.jpg

[Talladam]

Thanks Diane.

[ruby@magpage.com]

Diane

What do you do to crown them?

Ed

[Diane Kauffmds]

Diane

What do you do to crown them?

Ed

I use the Thomas Ginex crowning kit.

http://www.fretrefinishing.com/highspee ... ngkit.html