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I posted on here awhile ago with about my project stratocaster and it's slightly deep pocket neck. Well everything is going good with that whole situation, but I've come across another 'big' problem; this time its with the neck.

It seems that there is a slight raise in the neck (you can see it if you inspect it visually when looking at the fretboard wood line) around the 18th-20th fret of the 22-fret neck, which makes those 3 frets raised slightly, and playing any note on any of the 6 strings on those frets and above starting at the 18th plays the note thats for the 18th fret and carries it on through to the 22nd, with complete fret-outs on some strings than others.

This whole project has turned into a learning experience, so I guess my first question is:

1) I dont have any tools that would aid me in possibly leveling those frets out. I do have a dremmel to polish the frets, but as far as filling down and re-crowning them, I have nothing. Is there a poor man's way to do this where I dont have to get alot of tools to do all this? (trying to keep costs down)

2) Is there any tips or directions anyone can offer? I did check out frets.com and read through the Buzz Diagnostics, which provided some insight, but I'm really learly about taking on this type of work, whether its just for my crap guitar or not.

Thanks everyone!

I would like to give an easy answer but if I read your post correct you can see this rise in the wood of the fretboard. Theoretically speaking you could use a bastard file and lower the frets but I fear you would not be able to maintain the proper radius on the frets then you would need to recrown those frets and with out a crown file it would be near impossible. Plus none of this address the real problem.

The proper fix is to remove the frets and re level the fretboard. Stewmac sell radiused sanding blocks in the radius you need from $15 in 4" wood to $120 for 18" aluminum. Now you have to decide if the guitar is worth the proper repair. I don't mean to sound cruel but in good faith I can't recommend that you do the easy fix because it is just an alteration to a problem and not the correction to the problem

Leveling the frets is not hard. Like Michael said a file would do it. Or you can get a small sanding block say 2 1/2" x 1 1/2" and wrap sand paper around it. Make sure that your block is flat. You can use 220 to level the frets and work your way to 400.

You want to know the poor man's way to recrown your frets? This is not how I would recommend doing it but I do know people who use this method. Wrap sand paper around your fingers and sand up and down the neck well pressing firmly on the finger board. As your fingers go back and forth over the frets they will give them a gentle crown. Start with something like 320 and work your way to 1000 grit.

Michael's advice is what you should follow. What I'm telling you is not the proper way to fix this problem. I just wanted to let you know there is a poor man's alternative for leveling and crowning.

JoshJosh H38824.8614236111

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Josh House

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No guff taken, Michael. The guitar I'm working on is just something to learn with. It's playable now up until the 15th fret I guess; very limited, but playable ;-) I totally agree with you that it's not worth the extra cash for another neck, so I'm just looking for something to "alter the problem" to make it work a little bit.

Great input Jeff! I'll probably just do the poor man's way for sure just to get it to somewhat of a playable state.

I guess my next question is how many passes do you think it would take to re-crown each fret? From the middle of the fret and going out to each side, where approximately should I start to crown each side?

Then to polish them, do you think I could just use a polishing pad and a dremmel?

A friend of Mine was playing with Norman blake once and he looked at him and said "Young fellow, what's all that fancy stuff your doing up there? Don't you know that everything past the 5th fret is just spare change?"
When I level frets I use sandpaper on a long flat sanding block. Start at 220 and work up, some would start higher but it's pretty quick. Once the frets are level just recrown like you did the first time.

Adam,

Sorry I don't have an exact science for this method. Just rub vigorously all over the frets that you are trying to recrown. Stop every now and again to check your progress. Once you have the crown you want than start to progress to finer grits of paper. After you hit around 1000 than you can finish off with some steel wool if you like. Also check you sandpaper ever now and again. It will get dull fairly quick and you will want to use some new paper when this happens.

Again, this is the poor man's method not necessarly the proper method.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Rick Turner posted a method for fret leveling on another forum. He uses aluminum angle stock about 3/4" and attaches sandpaper to one side. He uses it to dress frets with the strings at full tension by slipping it under the strings and working it lengthwise.

Al

I had the same problem on my first. I filed them flat and re-crowned with a maple block and sandpaper. A small tablesaw kerf was cut in the edge of the block and the corners were back-cut so they didn't contact the fretboard. The sandpaper is creased so it fits into the kerf. Works great and it's CHEAP!

Kurt Housh

Yeah, but I'm wondering how this happened in the first place. Did you make this neck, or buy it fabricated? Did you fret it? If so, was the board straight at that point? It sounds like the neck screws could be too long, and pushing up the board/frets. It's at about the right place for that. Whatd'ya think?

CarltonM,

I dont think the screws are too long at all. I bought the screws from a guitar repair shop, so I guess I just trusted their supplies.

I think the high frets in that area was just a manufacturing error. It was a cheap Mighty Mite neck and where was a visible raise in the neck wood when looking a at the rosewood fretboard and the maple neck wood contrast.

I've filed them and leveled them down starting at the 18th fret on down and it certainly fixed the problem enough for me to be happy with it. A $4 file and a $10 stew-mac fret level block did the trick.

[QUOTE=adosch]I think the high frets in that area was just a manufacturing error. It was a cheap Mighty Mite neck and where was a visible raise in the neck wood when looking a at the rosewood fretboard and the maple neck wood contrast.[/QUOTE]
Yep, sounds like that's the problem. Glad you got it working!

I just used the method Al referred to on David Bromberg's Martin while at MerleFest.   I was able to chase out the gremlins on his first three strings...which were in different places for each string, and then I recrowned and polished the frets and recrowned the saddle to reduce string breakage.   All was well, and it was all doable at a folding table in a tent.   

Rick,

In a case like you mentioned above, do you level all the frets under the selected strings, or do you spot level? Also, if you level them all, how long a piece of angle stock do you use? Thanks.