Official Luthiers Forum!

Thanks Sylvan

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

Tim, It reads as though with your fretting method, there is no leveling/filing the top surface of the frets once they're in the board...is that right? Does the leveling work on the fingerboard before fretting take care of all that, or did I just mis-understand? I have some guitars that are almost ready...3 of them are already fretted (before I glued the f/b's to the neck)...the other 3 I'd like to try your way, just want to make sure I understand it first!

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

[QUOTE=L. Presnall] Tim, It reads as though with your fretting method, there is no leveling/filing the top surface of the frets once they're in the board...is that right? Does the leveling work on the fingerboard before fretting take care of all that, or did I just mis-understand? I have some guitars that are almost ready...3 of them are already fretted (before I glued the f/b's to the neck)...the other 3 I'd like to try your way, just want to make sure I understand it first![/QUOTE]
Hi Larry:
Yes, you read it correctly. It is extremely rare if I have to dress a fret after installing them because the FB is perfectly flat to begin with. If the frets are all seated correctly they are all the same height. The only reason to dress a fret is if there was any variation in the fret height when it was manufactured (& that is pretty rare).

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

Hi Tim, thanks for the quick reply...ok, so if I'm careful hammering them in they should be ok from there? Do you use the plastic or brass side of the hammer?

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

Boy I have a hard time with this idea of not dressing the frets on top after installation.

AFter I fret a board that I feel is really flat, and I press in the frets and super glue them in place with the press applying pressure while the glue sets up, I still notice minute differences in the height of frets. I may have poor technique but I dunno if I could ever get that board flatter or seat the frets with more certainty.

After the frets are in I take a small straight edge that spans about 4 or 5 frets and twist it side to side. I find it pivots on the high frets and I file those things with a rounding file until the twisting straight edge seems to have no pivot point. This takes a while but I can get the strings really low, sub 5/64 on the bass E, without buzz.

I do hemispherical fret end treatment but I do it after fret installation. I think it must be easier. Clip the fret ends off after installation, file the ends with a bevel file to get the ends dead even with the fingerboard edge, and then do the hemi treatment on the ends after dressing the tops to dead level. That's pretty easy.

John -
I must take issue with your semi-hemispherical fret treatment. The ends
may be semi-hemispherical but the frets are not inset .010" from the
edges of the fretboard. That is the key difference in the Fleishmann
innovation. And that cannot be done by installing the frets and filing the
edges dead even with the sides of the fnigerboard. I don't doubt that
yours really look nice though (much better than a simple bevel!).

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Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

Larry:
I use the hard plastic side of the hammer. Brass is too hard and could dent the frets.

John:
I have had very good success the method I use (actually it's Dan Erlewine's). I have a flat ground 24" straight edge that I check frets with afterwards [using a back light] and it's rare if I have to crown a fret. Maybe I have been really lucky [hanging head low and knocking on wood]? I also use a maginfier and check each fret to make sure they are completly seated the entire length and on both sides.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

[QUOTE=Sylvan] John -
I must take issue with your semi-hemispherical fret treatment. The ends
may be semi-hemispherical but the frets are not inset .010" from the
edges of the fretboard. That is the key difference in the Fleishmann
innovation. And that cannot be done by installing the frets and filing the
edges dead even with the sides of the fnigerboard. I don't doubt that
yours really look nice though (much better than a simple bevel!).[/QUOTE]

I beg to differ Sylvan. In fact I do inset the frets about .005 from the edge. I don't really like to inset them at all, trying to claim the maximum use of the fretboard, but just to forstall the frets sticking past a shrinking fretboard I do file them shy of the edge a touch. It is really simple to do with proper files after the frets are installed and you don't have to sweat the fretlength nearly as much preinstallization.

Tim
Sounds like you are doing a great job. One thing I found is that I can't get enough accuracy using the long straight edge. I'd like to share fret dressing techniques in person some time. That would be fun.