Fret Crowning Question

[samato]

I'm getting ready to do my first fret level on my Squier Tele and I plan to use the method Ron Kirn posted here.

I don't have a crowning file yet and I'd like to know if it's okay to level now, play the guitar without crowning, and crown the frets in a week or 2 when I get the file. I guess I don't really understand the importance of crowning. I'm not doubting that it needs to be done, I just don't get it. What will happen if I don't do it?

Is it something that just makes the frets feel and look nicer or is it absolutely essential for intonation, sound, etc?

[David Collins]

It's absolutely essential for intonation, sound, etc. Aside from feeling like crap as you slide up or down the neck, your strings will not be leaving from the center of the frets, and can even end up with a slight buzz as it breaks over the back corner and vibrates along the flat.

I see no reason at all to rush things until you're ready to actually complete the job. All you'll succeed in doing is making your guitar less playable for the interim period than it is right now. If you're going to bother doing it at all, do it right.

[LocustPlague]

The frets should be crowned so that the center of the fret is the edge on which the string bends. If you don't crown, it will bend over the back edge of the flat (levelling flattens the frets) and you will have some buzz issues as well as some very slight intonation issues.

EDIT: David beat me to it =\

[samato]

Okay, thanks guys. Makes sense. I can wait.

Slightly off topic but do you think it would be okay to use 120 grit instead of 180 for leveling? I found some 120 that fits for cheap.

[KevinB]

Yes, I guess you could especially if you "go light" with it.

But I have to ask, how much does the correct sandpaper cost, a little over a buck a sheet?

[Ronkirn]

David is dead on.... what happens is when the fret is flat on top, the point at which the string becomes free to vibrate is shifted forward a rather substantial distance.

While the intonation problems will be virtually unnoticeable on the first few frets, say to around fret 5, as you move further up the neck, that "shift" becomes a larger percentage of the distance to the next fret, by the 12th, it will be so far off, dogs will be howling, might even come gnaw your picking hand off to getcha to stop making all the noise.

Remember, when working on your guitars, patience is the key... wait for it to dry, wait until you understand, wait until you have the right tool.... you'll be glad you did.

There is nothing like the joy of learning how to do something, doing it, and having it improve your guitar... and there is not many things as disappointing as trying something you aren't ready to attempt, screwing the pooch, then having to learn how to fix what ya broke.

Ron Kirn

[ThermionicScott]

120 grit to level? Are the frets worn halfway to the wood?

I generally use 400 or 600 grit -- less roughness to worry about when polishing up the frets after recrowning.

- Scott

[Soapbarstrat]

Yeah, I can't believe the coarse grits some of these guys use, but maybe I'm out of touch, since I prefer to replace 'em if they need such extreme leveling to all be even.
And then when I replace 'em, I start out with 800 grit (but my fret installation process is very slow. So any bragging rights get canceled out with that)

[zack78]

Originally Posted by samato

I'm getting ready to do my first fret level on my Squier Tele and I plan to use the method Ron Kirn posted here.

Can you post link, please?

[Ronkirn]

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...ele-101-a.html

rk

[zack78]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-tech...ele-101-a.html

rk

hello Ronkirn

this is AMAZING stuff
Thank you very much for this tutorial

[boneyguy]

Originally Posted by zack78

Can you post link, please?

I know Ron has already given you the link but I thought I'd point out that his thread on fretwork is a 'sticky' so it's always at the top of this 'Tele Tech' page.

[samato]

Thanks for all the info guys. I'm doing my best to be patient and wait until I have the tools and a better understanding of things.

[zack78]

Originally Posted by boneyguy

I know Ron has already given you the link but I thought I'd point out that his thread on fretwork is a 'sticky' so it's always at the top of this 'Tele Tech' page.

thanks

[samato]

Well I got my crowning file the other day so last night I tried my first fret level. I thought I was doing fine but when I finished and put it back together with new strings I didn't get the results I was hoping for. I still have some buzzing on the open A and D strings and the action is not even that low.

I'm trying to figure out what went wrong. Maybe I didn't have the neck flat enough when I leveled? Oh well, back to the drawing board.

[Colt W. Knight]

Could be your nut, saddles adjustment, loose truss rod, or overall setup.

[samato]

Definitely not the truss rod. I kind of don't even want to bother with a setup because if the action is already high and it's buzzing what good would it do? I've tried the neck completely flat, a little relief, etc. to no avail.

I'm not saying the leveling didn't do anything positive, it is slightly better than before but I guess I was just expecting it to play the way I want and it's not yet.

[ThermionicScott]

Did you check if the neck was straight before levelling?

I don't mean to be condescending, but it doesn't seem like you knew all the ins-and-outs of guitar setup before getting into this.

If the neck is straight now, and the frets were levelled properly, I would suspect low nut slots for the A and D strings. Fret the strings at the third fret and check if there is a gap between the string and the first fret.

- Scott

[Colt W. Knight]

[QUOTE=samato;2549291] I kind of don't even want to bother with a setup because if the action is already high and it's buzzing what good would it do? QUOTE]

Without a proper setup, frets leveled on a PLEK would buzz. Which includes

Proper neck relief
Proper Saddle height, intonation, radius
Properly cut nut
+ leveled, crowned, polished frets.

Sometimes, neck shims have to used in order to facilitate proper playing action.

[samato]

I checked if the neck was level before starting to level but I could have been wrong as I'm not experienced at doing this. As far not knowing the ins and outs of this, DUH!!!!!! If I knew everything I wouldn't be here talking about my poor results would I?

I've been reading and researching as much as possible for quite a while but at some point you just have to do it and that's where I am with it. I'm not surprised I didn't get the results I was looking for on the first attempt. Things never go that easy for me.