did your #1 get a level & crown? poll

[TeleToTheRain]

just curious...

[McGlamRock]

Most likely, but it was done by the luthier prior to the guitar's sale.

[TeleToTheRain]

what kind of guitar? did you buy it new?

[ThreePlyGuy]

It's not rocket science, Stewart MacDonald is your friend.

[TeleToTheRain]

I have the kit from StewMac, just haven't done it yet

[ThreePlyGuy]

Good on you, remember a little is a lot. Good luck.

[BackNtheSaddle]

My #1, '81 LP Custom was delivered perfect the day that I bought it brand new. Since then, I have cleaned/polished the frets, but I never had them crowned/leveled.

I am planning to replace the frets this summer (with Jumbo's), since they are "ready".

[xtrajerry]

My current #1 no but my first strat clone a 'Kent' back in 1966 had the work done by the shop that sold it to me. Kind of spoiled me, I'd say until recently 95% of the guitars I've played since then weren't nearly as playable as that that guitar. First real strat 1974 also had the work done in 77-78.

[Camplain]

I've never had a level and crown done, but I'd very much like to have it done to 2 of my guitars, the Gibson Explorer, and the 78 Strat, would have done it a long time ago, but our only music shop shut down years ago... If there was some place to take them I'd probably have it done to all my guitars, even a brand new one. One of these days I'll get up the nerve to buy the tools and learn to do it myself...

[psyched]

I've done it on all of my guitars, it's not like they'd play worse after the fact. Bought all the tools I'd need, some off the bay and some from Stew Mac, with Ron Kirn's thread as a road map it's really not scary to do yourself. Granted, I have enough guitars that it was cheaper to learn than to take them all to my local shop, and though I probably didn't do as good of a job as a luthier would, now they're all better players. I'm happy.

[Skub]

Excellent Ron Kirn thread here,get it from the horse's mouth.

I did my first level and crown on my last partscaster and I can tell you there will be no guitar of mine safe from the process from now on.

[StratBluesRock]

No, my #1 (a '59-'60 slab board style Strat) does not need a fret level even with the Warmoth neck (which besides Klusons is straight as it came from the factory, I bought it with a vintage tint nitro finish). I like my action up pretty high with 11s in standard.

[Bagger]

I had a pro do it. My American standard strat was pretty bad having the frets leveled changed the guitar tremendously for the better. I was getting other work done so I figured why not. I cannot wait to get MIM standard tele done

[SamClemons]

All my guitars are very good models and had excellent action and finish as they were. I refretted a bass myself and did all the fret work.

[teleamp]

Yes.

[DeepSouth]

Yes. As much as it irked me I even had a brand spanking new Gibson ES-175 plek'd recently - plays so much better - the action and fretwork is now perfect - more than I can say for the guitar straight from the factory. My Gibson Les Paul didn't need it - it was plek'd from the factory and plays great.

Did the same for my Warmoth's - all of them benefited from the Plek machine.

Funny but none of my three USA Fenders needed it - nice work Fender there's an endorsement for Fender right there! It also shows I don't have things worked on for no good reason. I do my own setups and tweaks but if it gets beyond tweaking and moves into fretwork I see someone. That might change after I make my first Tele - I'm going to give fretwork a go myself.

[Radspin]

No. My #1 and #2 are Grosh ElectraJets and they came with impeccable fretwork out of the factory. I have had it done to a couple of other guitars though, and it was a great improvement.

[Ronkirn]

this is a recurring topic, and strikes me as funny somewhat...

With all the obsessing about each and every bit of minutiae that can be assigned to a guitar in a never ending attempt to achieve maximum optimization.. i mean, that IS why everyone is pursuing all these minute detains isn't it..... the one thing that really makes a difference is Poo-bahed by so many as being unnecessary....

To me, it's like buying a Porsche, Bimmer, Corvette, any of the many superb sports cars out there, then when it comes to tires, when asked if ya wannem balanced... saying, "Nah, they don't need it, why should they, they are made in a round mould aren't they? If they needed balancing, it would be because of poor QC."

Guys. . . do it.... it's like money, ya can't have too much, similarly... wait... there is no similarities to that one...

But you can't have a guitar that plays too smoothly.... just do it.... I have never had anyone ever tell me after doing one, "Man, that sux, it's just effortless now, I liked it better when if felt like I was grabbing a pine cone."

rk

[BackNtheSaddle]

I would do it... if it *needed* it. Since it does not, why?

[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......