[1]

My MIM strat, and my el-cheapo hamer both have semi-decent frets, but the ends could definitely use a bit of filing down.

There are 983248293423 types of fret files on Google - what's the general "best" for my application? All I'm looking to do is just file the ends of a few frets down that are a tad on the worn/sharp side.

 

[eleven59]

Spoiler

 

[darren]

If the files are protruding past the fretboard edges, you can just use a flat mill file. If there are sharp corners that need rounding over, StewMac sells some good fret dressing files that have a non-toothed edge that won't mar your fretboard.

STEWMAC.COM : Fret End Dressing File

 

[1]

A little of both. The MIM has some sharp-ish corners, the Hamer just has old-as-fuck-frets that I'm hoping to reshape rather than replace, since it's just a cool looking beater.

 

[Drew]

Spoiler

I knew exactly what that would be, and clicked anyway. :yesway:

 

[eleven59]

I knew exactly what that would be, and clicked anyway. :yesway:

Figured someone had to get it out of the way :yesway:

 

[Purist]

Project Guitar :: Fretting Simplified

Make one of these. Cheap and works great :yesway:

 

[1]

:bump:

Finally getting around to this. The fretwork on the S-neck that I picked up looks like it was replaced. The frets themselves are fine, but whoever did it did a shit-tastic job on the fret ends.

I don't want to fuck up the finish, so the above method won't work. :lol: What's the usual way to clean up fret ends, so that the neck doesn't double as a hacksaw? I figure I'll grab the file that darren linked, but how do I protect the side of the neck/fretboard from sloppy filing? :drew:

 

[darren]

Just use a piece of masking tape and stop filing once the tape starts pulling off.

That said, there's no harm in making a tiny bit of contact with the edge of the fretboard. (The corksniffers call this "rolled fretboard edges".) It'll ensure a seamless transition between the fret ends and the fretboard edge. Then you just need to round over any sharp corners with a fret file, and clean up any filing marks with some light sanding.

 

[1]

The fret ends themselves actually aren't bad, it's the part that seats into the fretboard itself that's in need of filing - on the side/edge of the board.

 

[giannifive]

STEWMAC.COM : Fret End Dressing File

This is the right tool for the job. Works like a charm. I used it to round the fret ends on my old Squier 51.

 

[darren]

With a flat needle file, you can file down the fret tangs one by one if you don't feel comfortable going at them all at once with a mill file.

 

[AVH]

Yeah, the fret ends are protruding because the fingerboard has shrunk slightly from dehydration...Darren and the guys are correct - I use a flatfile to take down the tang tips flush, then use that same Stumac rounding file for the ends. Takes about 30mins to up and down the whole neck nicely.

Don't forget to use the circular "wrist twist" rounding technique with the small file

 

[1]

:bump:

I'm actually going to get around to this now, since spring's almost here and the Hamer is my first project. The fret ends sprouted a bit because it's been so dry all winter, so I have to bevel/round them like a motherfucker - you could saw wood with this thing. :lol:

Is there a trick to taping off the fretboard at all? Or just tape and file and try not to scuff the board? It's a pretty guitar, and with a little TLC it'll be a keeper, so I'd rather not scuff the fuck out of the board.

 

[1]

I should mention - it's not that I need to just bevel the edges - the tangs themselves are protruding.

 

[1]

If the files are protruding past the fretboard edges, you can just use a flat mill file. If there are sharp corners that need rounding over, StewMac sells some good fret dressing files that have a non-toothed edge that won't mar your fretboard.

STEWMAC.COM : Fret End Dressing File

And this one's out of stock. :lol:

If someone can loan me one for a few days, I'll get it back to ya with a stack of CD's in tow. :metal:

 

[White Cluster]

 

[darren]

Wirelessly posted metal:: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Once I'm done with the fretwork on Misha's guitar, I can send you my fret files... If there's anything left of them after doing stainless steel frets.