Fix Fret Buzz Without Removing the Strings 

Magical craftsmanship. In this disposable and plastic world these skill sets need to be passed on and preserved.

The world is blessed to have people like this living on it.

my greatest find of the COVID-19 lockdown, Dan's videos, like a cross between Bob Ross the joy of painting and Norm Abram from new yankee workshop

Watching Dan work on guitars is just soothing.

I love these videos. Five minutes to fix the issue, 50 years of experience to make it look so simple! So many people don't understand that when it comes to pricing work or understanding what it takes to become a master craftsman.

Been learning from Dan since the 80’s when he did articles in Guitar Magazine. Done all my own repairs and set ups for the last 40 years. Dan is a legend 🏆

I want Dan's magnifying glasses. Not that I need them, I just think they're cool.

You are the Yoda of guitar repairs. Wise, calm and informative. Brilliant work matched by brilliant knowledge.

Anyone about 40-50 years old and still miss their grandfather? I do. Dan reminds me of him.

...I can't believe there is a video on this...I have one high fret bugging me on one particular song....4 guitar shoppes told me they don't do fret work !!...One does but is 100 miles away....This video is fantastic...

I could watch Dan work all day. Master craftsman.

I wish I grew up with this guy in the family. The knowledge and skills he could teach would be priceless - most of all, he seems like a calm and great person to have around.

Dan is truly a national treasure for guitar players...I can't even tell how many little tips he's just thrown out on the random while doing things that have totally come in handy for me while tinkering on my guitars. That dude has forgotten more than all of us will ever know about this stuff. Thanks Dan, Cheers!

Dan is a GREAT guy, besides his skills and enormous talents, he takes the time to answer questions from , us, his fans.

I am a simple man. When I see an old man fixing something while explaining I give 100% trust on ‘em.

Fabulous workmanship in action.

A true American treasure this old guitar luthier. Much thanks Dan from a piano technician whom loves your videos.

What kind of WIZARDRY is this! Absolutely love your videos, could watch em all day long! Cheers

It's been years ... I watch many of your videos teach me how to fix various of problem for my own guitar ... and it help me fixed my problem so many times Glad to see You continue doing this .... Thanks

I figured out I can do the same rocking technique on the frets with a credit card, Very useful for vintage guitars especially when you just don’t wanna remove and replace frets again. I have extremely low action on my guitar now with no buzz And that pesky 13th fret was so high up when it rocked I almost always had to play with sitar-style action, essentially almost a quarter inch off the fretboard but now ever since I filed it, it’s not buzzing anymore! Glad this video exists. Highly recommend checking your frets from time to time. Remember to also use an action that a credit card with no indentation like a gift card, not a credit card, Since most cards are 0.7 mm thin by average, this should give you a perfect guide so you can easily setup a tremolo bridge with little problems even if your a beginner.

Simply amazing skills presented here. Learn something every time.

This is the only RU-vid channel I trust for guitar repair advice and instruction.

This video was like butter to my soul

If our digitally overloaded times is good for one thing it is the retention & distribution of knowledge. More so than the printing press, the internet has a reach and permanence that is jaw dropping. I bought several of Erlewine's books in the 90's and for most stuff just seeing black & white pictures wasn't enough to fully grasp the techniques needed to do fine work. These videos are priceless and make doing these repairs much less nerve wracking. Trussrods, pots, soldering, pickups, and action setups used to make me nervous but now I am much more comfortable with it. Not an expert by ANY means but I am much more secure in messing with my guitars...

There you go!!! Someone that actually knows what he's talking about!! I just saw a video where the guy's resolve was "all guitars have fret buzz", which is complete nonsense!! This guy here, understands the cause and how to fix it!! Personally, I've often used longer edges to gauge more frets than 3, and I always do this kind of work after removing the strings (I change strings often anyway, so for me it's not worth the extra trouble), but it's always refreshing to see someone with a little know how and experience tell it like it is!! With so much misinformation out there, this kind of knowledge sharing is MUCH APPRECIATED!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

I picked up both of his books early on in my playing days.... Dan is kind of my guru for guitar work. I consider getting those books among the best guitar decisions I ever made actually. Happy to stumble into his videos on youtube.

Mr. StewMac you are A- no. 1 when it comes to working on guitars. We can learn a lot from you, thanks to your videos. What I would like to know is, say for instance you have more than one fret that's not leveled, can it still be done using this procedure, or will it be better to remove the strings?

Dan has a nice vibe about him. Knows what he's doing too.

Many thanks again, Dan, you're saving us all kinds of trouble with these sharings...

I fought getting this forever. I just got an Epi. LP that I love with 1 high fret. This is the way, I finally just ordered one with an understring file. Thank you!

this by far is the fastest most efficient way I've seen yet to fix the buzz . thanks for the info and I will be useing your technique if needed .

In a 1000 years some archaeologist will dig up the two fretting sticks and wonders what the heck people from the stone age used them for.

this isnt even the fret buzz problem I am facing, but I cannot stop watching Dan!

Dan's videos are very helpful and informative . You can easily tell from his demeanor what a genuinely nice guy he is too.

been watching you since i was a young six stringer, now i’m able to do all the luthier work on my because of your tools and tips

Putting marker on the fret is a great tip! Wish I knew that the first time I did a level job. Probably removed more material than I actually needed to.

I'm a proud member of the old school. Thank you sir I can see you reside there as well. Your video's are informative, well thought out, and show real solutions that work. Bravo you have earned my support 🤗

Great example of how having the right tools gets the job done right.

That's pretty genius original thinking and action problem solving.

What a cool way to fix, and his voice was so soothing and yet confident at the same time. Thanks!!

My man, a true guitar craftsman and displays passion and care. I need to send you my guitar!

gosh these videos are life savers, I'm working on my first guitar which is a epiphone les paul sun burst. & it feels like love ❤️

These videos are always the best. You can learn so much from these videos. Would you have a video on tune-o-matic style saddles and notching them. I have an issue with one of my saddles and watching a video on this topic would likely be very helpful. Thanks as always.... Philip NYC Area

Oh man you are just amazing, you are the king of all the guitar fixtures and fittings in the world, God just graced you. Thank you so much for all the videos you make for us.

The pure definition of craftsmanship

Your videos are great. Clear, simple and to the point. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

Thanks for this because of your video I identified a high fret causing E A D to buzz, the hight fret was 5. Thanks Dan.

I want to give this man all of my guitars and just watch him work on them. Sounds so peaceful xD

Many thanks. I have purchased a 40 years old L-5 for my son and its in terrific condition, however, the previous owner / luthier has set the action very low and the neck dead flat. The nut is cut perfect but again low - finger on the 3rd fret I can just get a thin card under the first fret. It all plays fine except the low E and A strings around the 15th fret which are buzzing I can adjust this out by raising the saddle on that side of the bridge but that feels like a fudge. I suspected a high fret and it may be a little movement in the rosewood due to age / storage - it hasn't been played for a few years. First thing I will do is a gentle tapping down on the suspect fret(s) which might be enough. If not I will follow your approach to level. TBH I am stunned at the condition, not even any cracking in the finish around the bone nut or set neck joint. The cream finish is discolouring in places but that simply adds authenticity, natural ageing. No buckle rash on the rear. The gold plated finish on the hardware is a little tarnished although jewellers cloths are bringing the shine back gently. Thanks again and best wishes from Guernsey near France.

Always clear and on point. Long time subscriber. This was a superb useful piece of knowledge.

Diamonds 💎 💎 💎 are forever !

Great how to video. I'm just a hobby guitarist and half the entertainment are these guitar mechanics.

Now that was straight to the point and so helpful, now I know what to buy and how to file the frets 👍👍 the older generation is all business, if this was some young person the video would be like 25 minutes to show you 2 minutes of what your looking for. Great video straight to the point!!

Wonderful to see a craftsman at work. And this is exactly what I wanted to know

Dan is the very definition of "luthier". As others have said, I could watch him work on a guitar all day long. What a wealth of knowledge and skill he has!

You are a cool grandpa... I have bought your book... I love to work on my guitars... With your advices it works well

Thank you! This video has just saved me money and having to spend several days without my guitar 😊👍🏻

The most informative video of guitar care I ever watched!!

Thank you...you are one of the best all your videos are straight to the point.. no annoying introduction or something... very helpful information👍👍👍

Exactly what I need for a high fret on my LP! Thank you for the channel!

Man that Fret Kisser sure looks nice. *Looks up price* Okay then, I'll figure something else out.

Thank you for sharing the videos from your work bench, they're always a big help!

It just feels good to watch !!Such a skilled and passionate dude!!👍

This guy has is a master. I have to say though, the bought tools here (not his stick files - love those) are mostly unnecessary. This is just a way to sell tools you don’t need. No reflection on this fella though - he’s great. Chances are the majority of us don’t have his skill and experience - so working in between the strings like this is likely to damage something. Just take the strings off to work on frets.

That Harmony Arch-top looks very similar to mine. I had to have the top of the ebony bridge replaced and filed down to lower the string action. It was less expensive and cleaner than having the neck removed, altered and reset.

A lot of Luthiers will refuse to level a single fret, they will insist on doing them all. More $$$ for them.

Dan still has the old files he made “years ago” .... and he can find them when he needs them! ... I can’t even find some power tools that I bought within the last year!🤣😂🤪

I like the own made old school fret files. I have two homemade myself and I just love em. Thanks for nice video!

this video has helped a great deal removing a few buzzes on my 335 so thank you

Watching this guy work on guitars is weirdly relaxing.

My first step would be to tap the high fret with a small hammer to knock it down, especially on a cheapie like the one he's working on. That being said, I've really learned alot from these StewMac vids.

Dan Erlewine is to guitar set-up what Chuck Adam's was to my archery set-up. As a young musician and bowhunter I was piss poor, newly married and had no money to pay people to do it. I learned from their articles and books! Now it's just fun.

Dan Erlewine, you are a true craftsman in every sense of the term . . . I really like those "prehistoric filing sticks" you made back in the day . . . I've home made/hand made similar tools for non-guitar applications & will probably adapt this technique for precision guitar work. Appreciate your videos sir. Thank you. All the best to you & yours Dan & stay well !!!

A bit morbid, but not having had met my either of my Grandfathers, watching this kind soul gives me a sense of calm. It can be like I'm in the shop with him, at 32, feeling like a kid holding a flashlight. I don't think he's the yelling type - wouldn't care if I missed a spot a few times haha Happy playing y'all.

What fine gentleman and master of his craft.

I have been a StewMac lover for over 10 years. ordered many things. parts. hard to find fixes. I just found StewMac RU-vid.... LOVE IT !!!! Now. How do I order a Paper book ? I should be on StewMac Database . bathroom reading and thinking.

Whenever I’m having a bad day and life seems to suck I should watch one of these videos to remind me that everything is gonna be okay

Thats an ingenious technique and tools for this issue! Wow. Love it.

Look like a Gibson L-4 with high fret... nice tools...diamond tools from Stew Mac's...excellent...

Great video. Going to try and fix my high fret this weekend. Wish me luck!

Love old timers like you. Well done sir.

this is such a good video. I could watch videos like this all day!!!! How have I only just found you after years of doing my own repairs? Thankyou for fast and accurate info 👊

Nicely done, Dan. That's craftsmanship.

This channel deserves a lot of subscribers

You sir, are the only diamond 💎 in this video

This guy's got talent. I think if he works at it, he could really become a luthier some day!

Dan you make it look so easy, its such a pleasure to see you work

This man is always so funny and have good advise.

good skills here and we need the right tools too thanks

Wow. I subscribed and liked your video right away. I will try this repair on my 1969 Sears Roebuck student guitar with fret buzz on one note. With your advice, I know I will succeed. Thank you.

Always the highest level of competence. Respect

What beautiful and clean shop.

That was outstanding. I've been a session picker and road guitarist. Never know how to set one up. Subscribed.

Always love watching you work Dan 😉

Love those little gizmos! Another fun and helpful video, Dan.

Thank you so much! I happen to have this exact issue. Now I know; time to get the right tools.

I think the shop I took my guitar to, did not do a good job of fixing the buzzing strings. Perhaps they we lazy that day. Now I know I am able to be hands-on with my own stuff :) Thanks for the tip.

Great stuff. Been working on guitars since I was 16. Mainly because I could only afford pawn shop stuff that was always broken lol. I learned a lot along the way.

The old guys are pure wisdom ! Nowadays you buy a guitar at a Guitar store and ask them to take a look at the Neck & Frets with a estimate set up , They completely go off the hinge almost violent reaction...

I started taking guitar lessons in about 1960, which made me about 14. My parents bought me a white arch-top Harmony guitar. It cost them $25. I played it for about a year or two, as I took lessons, then my father bought me a Martin for my birthday. Wow, what a difference. That Harmony sounded so dull and cheap compared to the Martin. I used to leave the Martin lying on my bed. My brother would pluck a string as he left the room. It would still be ringing when he returned.