Choosing A Fret Leveling Tool 

100% agree on spot leveling first. It also helps you examine the frets for any other flaws like ends popping up.

@@michaelmenkes8085 - Exactly, loose ends are common, and can be over-looked if simply leveling the whole board. Have a great day!

Wow, thanks!

Glad you enjoyed it!

Totally agree

Absolutely correct !

Out of stock everywhere

Glad it was helpful!

No problem!

You're welcome!

You're welcome!

Glad you like them! More to come.

and you're wrong on the radius block creating different radius based on width of the fret. If you radiused your trapezoid with a rectangular radius block with even radius across it, you are giving the board the same even radius, then fretting to that radius.

No, I am not wrong. It's simple physics. If you press a fret wire into a fretboard with a radius of X, the bottom of the fret wire will have the same radius as the fretboard (X) . The top of the fret wire, however, will have a radius equal to the fretboard (X) plus the height of the fret wire (Y). If X=12" and Y=.047" the bottom of the fret wire will have a radius 12" while the top of the fret wire will have a radius of 12.047". If you were to draw the radii as full circles centered on each other, the fretboard and the bottom of the fret wire will have a diameter of 24" while the top of the fret wire will have a diameter of 24.094". If you were to copy the 24" circle and move it up to intersect the top of the 24.094" circle you will see the 24" circle shrinks in from the 24.094" circle as you follow their circumference. Therefore, if you were to use a 12" radius sanding block to level these frets, you would grind down the ends of the fret wire before the center of the block contacts the top center of the fret wire. In reality, the amount of material you would grind off the ends of the fret wire is so fantastically small, it's not worth fussing about.

​@@michaelmenkes8085 The radius of the fingerboard and the radius of the leveled fret crowns will be the same--12" R--but they will not be concentric. The radiuses of the crowns and bottom edges of fret tangs on pre-radiused fret wire are concentric. However, after those frets have been pressed into a 12" R fingerboard and subsequently leveled by running a 12" R sanding block over them very slightly more metal will be removed off the top of the frets toward the outside edges of the board versus at the apogee along the centerline of the neck. If hypothetical for example the pressed-in frets are .047" tall, the radius of the fingerboard and the tops of the frets will be the same after level sanding using the 12" R block however the radius center points are offset by .047". Thus why the resulting 12" R of the fingerboard versus the 12"R of the tops of the frets will not be concentric. As an example, think of how we can draw a crescent shape using a circle template--4" Dia template for example--by making two 2" R semi-circular arches with the ends touching to close the shape simply by shifting the center point of the circle template up from the center of the first semi-circle.

@@YTPartyTonight all of that is irrelevant to the process and it’s a false math. The arc defines the radius. The arc of the board and arc of the fret are identical. You are layering the same circle on top of the original, not creating a larger circle.

@@michaelmenkes8085 Nonsense, there's no false math. The radius of the fingerboard and the radius sanding block is the SAME--12" R. The resulting radius across the top of dressed frets, created by the radius sanding block is also the SAME--12". With that method of fret leveling, you will NOT create a circle or radius larger than 12" R--CORRECT. HOWEVER (read carefully here), by that method, you will NOT be layering a 12" R circle ON TOP OF the other/original 12" R circle--that would be impossible unless you were to sand the frets away, down to flush to the fingerboard, leaving only the fret tangs in the slots; effectively creating what would be called a lined fretless guitar. What you're not factoring in is the height of frets, measured to their crown from the fingerboard. Jescar 47090 fret wire is .047" tall, not including the tang. 12" + .047" = 12.047" This is math, not false math. These are the facts of the matter. Take it or leave it. Whether any of these facts are irrelevant to you is irrelevant to me. Good luck with your adventures in luthiery.

This video isn't part of that series. Part 14 will premiere in a couple of weeks.

I think the longer beam is way more useful.

Are you asking if it's okay to install frets while the neck is under string tension?

@@HighlineGuitars Sorry i'm asking to file down frets aka fret leveling under the string tension. What is your opinion about it, is it necessary or not? Some people do it and i see it's hit last few years, so i was hoping for your opinion on that topic. I do it without string tension, some other say it's must to to leveling under string tension. Thx in advance

@@bobibobik5903 I don't do it because I make brand-new guitars with mostly level necks. If I have around 10 thou of relief at the 8-9th fret, that's not enough to warrant leveling under actual or simulated string tension even if the guitar is set up with super low string action. I think leveling under string tension is more useful to luthiers who specialize in repair work since vintage instruments can have rollercoaster necks.

@@HighlineGuitars Thank you 👍for the answer i appreciate it a lot. Yes i know you make great new guitars, i like their look. I'm into pickups for last 30 years, and when it comes to guitars i do repairs but also a sort of ''bolting on'' since i don't have such nice space and all those tools so i'm depending from a friend or on line orders to cut me a guitar body on a CNC and neck ( mostly shapes S, super S, and T). Then i go from there. So it's not building from zero as you do it Sir. But i hope that one i will make some small work shop. Thx once more 👍

I don't use a radius block on compound (conical) fretboards. I use a short leveling beam.

Yes.

Yes, fall off will affect the action at the upper frets. I only do fall off if it's absolutely necessary, which usually happens as a result of a guitar's specific design. In order for a beam to do its job properly, the surfaces where you stick the sandpaper have to be precision ground for flatness. A carpenter's level usually doesn't have precision ground surfaces. That doesn't mean you can't use one for fret leveling, but it probably won't do the job as well as a beam made for the purpose.

Its a micro measurement, your eyes will never notice it.

There are sets out there, be it StewMac or otherwise, for under $100. StewMac has lower prices now and it's $15 per file, or $25 for a double sided file. A set of 6 will be under $100. I don't know what the shipping would be to the UK, but there are UK luthier suppliers like CrimsonGuitars.

If you make a lot of nuts, a set of proper nut slotting files is a good investment. Also, they do wear out eventually and StewMac will replace them when that happens.

@asterisk606 maybe I should look again. The cheap (many dollars) items off the rainforest company were poor. Nut adjustment is so fundamental and so poorly done on most mass produced guitars that a few hundred dollars can pay for itself interms of tuning at lower frets and playability. The only two guitars out of the box that were good (in my collection). Burny LS55-s. Crafted in Japan. Gibson Steinberger bass - that had a zero fret. All the rest were about quarter tone out. When I was beginning on bass I thought it was my technique. Nope.

@HighlineGuitars maybe a brief review of the tools would be cool. Get an endorsement link from SM? Or any other brand you like. I recall you made a video about zero frets. I really like them but they are not common.

MusicNomad has nut files too

I'll fire the stupid cameraman.