did your #1 get a level & crown? poll

[StratBluesRock]

Originally Posted by SoK66

I bought a Gibson '59 335 RI a few years ago off Ebay, brand new in the box. Needed a new nut, new bridge saddles and a level, crown & polish. How it got out of a factory like that is beyond me. Plays like a dream now, but Cheeezisss......

Ahhhh, corporate guitars............

[Jupiter]

Yes, of course, they all do, now that I know how to do it.

[Nick JD]

Originally Posted by BackNtheSaddle

Since it does not, why?

It enables you to lower your saddles further than you currently have them without any buzzing.

This makes a guitar easier to play and better intonated.

If you like a high action, then sure - there's no point.

[TeleToTheRain]

For low action I can't imagine any guitar not needing it. I prefer a medium action, so I'm kind of on the fence. If I pick rather lightly I don't get buzz... of course, you pick hard enough and a slide guitar will probably buzz! and if you're picking hard you're probably also using distortion, so who cares anyway right?

You're "supposed" to check for buzz through the amp, but I do play unplugged once in a while and fret buzz is like my "nails on a chalkboard" so I'm going to attempt it on one of my spare necks and see how it goes... eh, one more thing to mess with.

[tpaul]

Nope. Never saw any need for it and have never had it done.

[thelowerlip]

Yes. I'm hooked on it.
Thanks Ron!

[Jvm210Guy]

Originally Posted by StratBluesRock

Ahhhh, corporate guitars............

That's a new one...

[Wayne Alexander]

The only new guitar(s) I've acquired that didn't need fret leveling were Gibsons that were factory Pleked. This applies to Fender custom shop guitars. I've either done leveling/crowning myself, or in some cases I've taken my favorite guitars to have them Pleked, that made a big difference since I like having low action and not having string buzz.

[BackNtheSaddle]

I guess I fall into the camp of of, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Assuming that your action is where you want it to be set and your intonation is OK, why take material off frets?

If you can't stop it from buzzing at the action height you prefer and you have exhausted other methods trying to correct that problem - then yes, you probably have frets that are significantly mismatched in height. Or, at least one fret is overly tall (that's all it takes to cause a problem).

Then, you *need* to have your guitar fret leveled. In that case, my preference would be to have a skilled luthier perform the service. I'm not sold on PLECKing. While I fully understand the process, however, (and I think it is Ron Kirn who I'm paraphrasing here) is computer accuracy really required to hit a moving target?

Anyway, when I take the LP in for refretting, it'll get a leveling (sans PLECK). I'm not sure that I would want my action any lower on that guitar, though. It's under factory spec now (< 4/64") and any lower would make big bends problematic for me.

My 60th BGB is a hint under 4/64" at the 17th, too. And, it's buzz free. So, I cannot see why I would consider any action (no pun) needed there.

I'm not so sure I agree with the premise that it's a "required procedure".

[musicalmartin]

The first drastic neck, fret and nut job was on my Epiphone Dot SE block.It transformed the guitar .I had a Baja that needed a few frets mildly levelled and a nut slot opening out a tad .my Fender Japan and my Blacktop Jaguar and indeed the Blacktop strat I had for a few months were great out of the box and I do like a very low action.

[Sea Devil]

I don't think it's a required procedure. I think having someone check a guitar to see if it could benefit from it is a required procedure.

If the guitar is already perfect, an honest tech will hand it back and tell you it didn't need anything, and it will either cost nothing or so little that it doesn't matter. However, the vast majority of guitars that seem just fine as they are could become magnificent with about forty minutes' worth of fret work. It's very worthwhile.

[Beachbum]

I only buy guitars that can be returned. My desired string height is medium low. First thing I do is set string action. Either it works for me or it doesn't. If the guitar can't be set to the action I like without buzzing it goes back. Why spend money to correct a guitar that should have been built right in the first place.

[zimp]

I always get them checked, my CV didnt need it , my sons SG certainly did.

[Jack FFR1846]

Well, I have taken big drinks of the Ron Kirn Kool Aid. I'm a 100% convert. In my case, I think it's because I learned a new skill that I didn't have before. I now use that skill a lot. I have not worked on an American strat/tele yet, but can tell you some things about the mim's and squiers I've worked on.

There's a reason that used Squiers are $50. They are consistantly the absolute worst for too low AND too high frets. Guaranteed to buzz at 8/64".

MIMs are better, but most need a little touch up. Newest I've done it on is 2010 and it didn't need much, but did need some. Older MIMs often are going to have "bending" wear on the frets, which can appear to have no issues with the strings on. No obvious ruts in the frets. And of course the lifetime cowboy chord guitars, where we're going to be wearing out the sandpaper on the tool getting it to where there are no more ruts.

As Ron mentioned......would you spend $125k on a Porsche 911 GT-3 and have them pull all the weights off the wheels?

I'll add that I only do my own guitars.....so I'm not going to make any money if everyone decides to get their frets leveled.

[JohnK24]

No...but I did offer to get her a boob job

[jefrs]

I made my own levelling and crowning tools.

[Toto'sDad]

No...but I did offer to get her a boob job

I'm just guessin' here, but you probably want to stay away from vintage?

[McGlamRock]

Originally Posted by TeleToTheRain

what kind of guitar? did you buy it new?

I bought a Danocaster. They're guitars built by a fellow named Dan Strain in Nashville. Dan is a session player in Nashville but also builds great guitars. Check out some his work hear: Danocasters

[tcadam]

Had it done a few times now.

[AndrewG]

Timely thread; my 2002 American Standard is going in next Saturday for a well-deserved crown, level and polish after 10 years' service. No recent Fenders I've owned have needed doing including my beloved Baja. Gibsons are another story...