Tools for part-timers

[leadfingers]

I took a quick look at the threads and couldn't find anything specific on luthier tools. I was wondering if anyone here has had any good results with purchasing tools on Amazon (usually from China) for things like a fret leveling block, made of aluminum. (Or wood for that matter)

So far, all my tools have been from Stew-Mac. So, the reputation is pretty high quality. I am starting to do more repairs and more stuff relating to fret wear and things like that. I have a neck that has several uneven spots on the frets with the High E string area around the 9th through 12th fret. I used a fret rocker and have identified a couple of frets that are causing pretty sever buzzing only on the high e string.

Another person told me if I try to smooth out just the one or two suspect frets, I may take them too low and worsen the situation. He recommended using a fret leveling bar so that all the frets in that area are evened out.

My situation is I was just given a gift card for Amazon and would rather use that money to purchase something there, only if it is a decent product, rather than spend additional cash if the tools would do the same thing.

Thanks in advance.

[Deleted]

fret buzz might be from a low fret or from a high next fret. If its one fret (low/high) its easy to identify and fix. Otherwise if its many frets then a leveling is due.

on the amazon question, no idea.

[leadfingers]

fret buzz might be from a low fret or from a high next fret. If its one fret (low/high) its easy to identify and fix. Otherwise if its many frets then a leveling is due.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, when I checked the frets with a fret rocker, more than one, and not right next to each other, were indicating problems. Oddly enough, it's only under the high E string. No fret buzz on any other strings anywhere. So, I'm not sure whether they need leveled, as in using a leveler, or, maybe tapping them with a fret seating hammer. Uncomfortable with that as I've not done any major fret work before, just cleaning and polishing.

I've even considered getting one of those single fret Hand presses and trying to just give them squeeze.

Side note, one of my goals over the next two years is to attend a guitar making/repair school for a week to learn the correct way to do things. Rather than watch a video or read a book and then do trial and error. But, I'd like to attempt this one since it's one of my personal guitars that didn't cost much.

[reTrEaD]

I didn't post earlier, hoping Cyn would.

Dec 31, 2017 16:47:59 GMT -5 leadfingers said:

I have a neck that has several uneven spots on the frets with the High E string area around the 9th through 12th fret. I used a fret rocker and have identified a couple of frets that are causing pretty sever buzzing only on the high e string.

It's rather common to have worn frets toward the nut after years of use if played mostly in that region. And if certain fret/string combinations are used less often, they remain high. I suppose the same could happen near the midpoint if one plays there often. But I think just a careful look at the frets would be enough to identify a wear problem. The profile of the low frets will be flatter and the high ones will retain a rounded crown.

Dec 31, 2017 16:47:59 GMT -5 leadfingers said:

Another person told me if I try to smooth out just the one or two suspect frets, I may take them too low and worsen the situation. He recommended using a fret leveling bar so that all the frets in that area are evened out.

Your friend is steering you in the right direction. Attempting to bring a tall fret down to its final elevation without referencing the adjacent frets is a VERY bad plan. You certainly could take some of the severity out by focusing on the offending fret(s) but you must stop before you reach the final elevation. You can start with a focused approach but you can't finish the job that way.

When leveling frets you will want to use a tool the bridges across several frets. The high one(s) will naturally get most of the pressure applied. Slow and careful abrasion with light pressure will allow most of the cutting to be done on the frets that stand tall. You'll remove material from all the frets but the tall ones will be cut down much sooner.

Jan 1, 2018 13:16:56 GMT -5 leadfingers said:

So, I'm not sure whether they need leveled, as in using a leveler, or, maybe tapping them with a fret seating hammer. Uncomfortable with that as I've not done any major fret work before, just cleaning and polishing.

I've even considered getting one of those single fret Hand presses and trying to just give them squeeze.

If a fret (or frets) have popped and need to be re-seated, I should think that wouldn't be too difficult to spot with a careful inspection. Let's look at a drawing of the cross-section of a fret.




The lower portion is called a tang.  That sits in the fret slot.
The barbs on each side are meant to keep the tang securely seated the slot.
The upper portion is called the bead.

If a fret has 'popped' there should be a slight gap between the shoulder of the bead and the fretboard. If you can identify a gap on the offending frets, the first step would be to correct this either by impact from a soft brass hammer or by compression with a fret press. If you can't see any gap and the shoulder of the offending fret has intimate contact with the fretboard, material needs to be removed from the top of the bead by the leveling process.

Hammering isn't rocket science but reasonable care is warranted.  The neck needs to be supported in such a way that it will remain stationary and distribute the force to prevent damage.  And of course the face of the hammer must be softer than the fret.  Soft brass or plastic with a slightly convex shape and a head size that's small enough to strike just one fret.  A shot-filled deadblow type is advised.