sanding down frets?? - is it safe?

[yurich]

ok, here we go. you'll all probably think I should see a doctor, but...

I've been really frustrated with my sh*tty ESP Floyd copy...I just can't set up the bloody thing, it can't hold tune for 10 minutes (exaggerating a little) no matter what I do. so, I remember what else bad happened to cause this, but suddenly the little devil on my shoulder brought up the idea of pointless destruction would aid the problem. well, without disclosing all the juicy details, let me just say that it took me about 1-1.5 hours to fix the guitar stand (required some very creative thinking...I'm actually proud of the way I did it), the lightbulb from my desk lamp CAME APART, but that's not all...Something accidentally landed where it wasn't supposed to, and hit the guitar, which was resting on the bed (there's now a deep "mark" on my beloved LTD MH-201 which I'll be seeing everytime I pick it up). believe it or not, that's not the worst: part of the object landed on the fretboard (strings), and now I have a couple embedded prints from the strings in the frets, which conveniently appear to cause buzzing when I use those frets.


now, to the point:

can I sand the frets down some? One of the imprints is pretty deep. would this cause any problems in the future if I do? thanks

sorry for all the venting and sarcasm, I had to. and please don't suggest I take the guitar to a tech; I can't afford it. If I could, none of this would've happened in the first place.

thanks for help, I appreciate it.
ps. yes, I will block the "tremolo" and find the !*%?$ that designed this \*&#^ useless piece of !~_@%:angryfire:

[Rich]

You're getting buzz because that fret is lower in that position than the frets above it, you'll need a fret level to remove it completely. Or a refret of that fret might be cheaper.

[littlegreenman]

Exactly what Rich said, you can level the rest of the frets, but you will lose fret life that way too and change the feel of the guitar. *Doing a refret of that one fret requires that only that one fret be brought down. *It shouldn't be that much to get done, and if you can't find someone there that you trust to do it, hey! I'm in Canada, I can do it to! hehehehe *So, anyway, take a look around and if you can't find someone there to do it, you can send it out and I'll get it fixed up for you. *Good luck!
Jeremy

[toshiro]

I wouldn't advise doing *any* fretwork unless you know what you're doing.. With the neck perfectly straight, zero bow, the frets need to be perfectly level.. If you just take down the frets with the dents, those frets will always buzz, and will probably end up making your problem worse.

The two repairs for this: 1) full level and re-crown, or 2) replacement of the two dented frets + level and recrown.. Depends on how deep the dents are.. Just to give you an idea, we charge between $60-$80 for a level/re-crown where I work.. Ouch.

[yurich]

thanks for the replies

ok, a couple things wrong with your suggestions:

1. well, 1 or 2 are deep enough that the string actually gets inside, below the fret level;
2. the neck has binding - I definitely can't do it myself;
3. I don't have any money to go to a tech!!
4. Jeremy, I'm not positive on this, but with shipping and all, I think a local tech would be cheaper. I appreciate the offer though.

Now you guys have totally scared me about doing anything myself, but if I decide to go to a tech, I'll get a complete re-fret job (I HATE jumbos). I guess I'm gonna have to put up with this for a while, at least until I get a part-time job. well, the way I look at it, there are six strings for a reason!

[yurich]

wait, one question: can I level them myself? sounds dangerous

and Rich, I'm getting buzz because the string can't vibrate freely once it's inside the dent.
Jeremy, I'll email ya for a quote.

[Rich]

Right, because the strings ahead of it are all higher now

You can do it yourself, there's a thread in the old forum on doing a fret level. I know Brian has a link to that page on Erlewine's site too.

[Project Guitar]

toshiro on 11:18 pm on Jan. 24, 2002

Just to give you an idea, we charge between $60-$80 for a level/re-crown where I work.. Ouch.

Double ouch, any idea why so much?

[Rich]

So much? Chromeboy paid $200 for a level and crown.

[yurich]

ok, you guys are totally scaring me now...stop it!! what's the average price for a complete re-fret job with fretboard binding? I was hoping around $40. would leveling be a lot cheaper?

[Rich]

$150 and up is pretty standard for a refret, more for bound necks.

[littlegreenman]

I'll do a complete refret for $125 for a regular neck, and $160 for a bound neck. *That's in US dollars too. *Shipping within Canada on a neck actually shouldn't be to bad if you send Greyhound. *If the gouges in those frets are that deep though, a level and recrown isn't really a viable option, you'd end up with way small frets and to level them down that low would take forever, it'd probably be just as cheap to do a complete refret. *I know it sounds bad, but that's a deep gouge if it's deeper than the string diameter. *Refretting the bad frets sounds like the best option if you want to save some money though. *Then just a slight levelling and polishing would be needed. *

[toshiro]

becalvert on 12:17 am on Jan. 25, 2002


Double ouch, any idea why so much?

Labor intensive.. $60 is your normal, run-o-the-mill, 22 fret guitar that doesn't have deep dents all over the board, $80 is a 7 string 24 fret guitar(after doing my 7620, I'm firm on this price, that was a pain).. We charge $20 an hour for labor, flat rate.. 3 hr job usually(including breaks, I could possibly do it in 2, never tried, but I'd be dead afterwards.. Metal on metal grinding is not fun), some guitars take longer... This, BTW, does not include a restring and set up, though most people go for the whole deal.. Luckily, we're cheap on set-ups.. :biggrin: Did a strat about a month ago, came out to $80 with full setup+strings, and he had deep grooves in the first 10 frets..

Plus, you've got to figure in the cost of keeping the tools up to date, crowning files, and stick on sandpaper, are not cheap.. We have the radiused leveling blocks, I saw what they could do and imediately had my boss order them..

I really hate doing these, my arm hurts for a whole day afterwards, and really cuts into my playing time..

Rich is right though, the only other guy around here that does these (that I know of) charges twice what we do.. I only charge for what I have to put into the work.

littlegreenman: $160, huh? I'll remember that.. Better than the $250 I was quoted by a shop in Orlando to do my 750 neck.. It'll be a few more years before it needs it, but it's kind of a relief to know someone out there doesn't charge an arm and a leg..

[SilverSurfer2]

If you invest in a fret file (dress, crown), a fret puller, and of course
new fret wire of your choice, you can learn how to do your own fret work.
That way, in the future if you should need fret work done, you
can do it yourself. IF a refret job costs the price mentioned above
then i think you might as well invest in the tools to do it yourself.
You can always test your work on scrap first till you get the technique
down.

[yurich]

maybe in the future, 'cause it really isn't worth it unless you have 20 guitars and do refret jobs 5 times a year...I imagine the tools alone would run me at least $500