Does this neck need fret leveling and crowning?

[Purfle Haze]

I have a GO Type II parlor-sized guitar that I really enjoy playing. I have had it for a year, and haven’t picked up the Martin dread since I got this. I recently took it to a “guitarsmith” who declined to do a setup because he felt the frets needed to be addressed first, lest the setup be in vain. He set did the relief for me. I paid him for his time, took it home and set it up myself. I was able to lower the action at the saddle to about .095", and I have no buzzes anywhere on the neck.

But I am wondering if I can improve playability by working on the frets. A recent excellent thread on fret dressing here has me thinking about doing my own fret leveling and crowning. It seems like something I could do. But I’d like to know if leveling is really what the frets need.

The first two frets have visible grooves under the two high strings. The grooves aren’t deep enough to catch the strings. Frets 3 through 8 have wear that’s wider and shallower than a groove, getting progressively fainter until fret 9. Additionally, some of the frets appear to be high (or low) after I rocked them with a short straightedge. Away from the first two strings there is no apparent wear at all, and the frets look to be at their original heights. The guitar was built in 2008 and the original owner tells me it never had any fretwork while he had it.

So is this neck a candidate for a level and crowning? Or would I be better off replacing the first 8 frets (something I wouldn’t attempt)? Thanks for your thoughts.

[Sperry]

This fingerboard was painful to play after a couple hours. Especially if you wanted to slide any notes along the neck. Your fingertips would be smacking against frets, like a car grinding over speed bumps.

The big debut of the refinished neck was yesterday. Saturday I played 5.5' less time eating. Tired, yes. But my fingers weren't bruised and bloody. There's a lot to be said for even frets. If your instrument is new or without wear, if you've never played a worn instrument, it is easy to take frets for granted.

I am wondering if I can improve playability by working on the frets.

A tech wouldn't work on the instrument because of fret wear. Sounds like you want to do the job, even if it is not absolutely necessary. Without seeing the instrument, purely as a musician of almost four decades who has played the crappiest instruments on the planet (and make them sound good, at great pain to my fingers), I can confidently state that a fretted instrument with fret wear will play better if you even the frets.

Level - Crown - Polish

[mirwa]

Its your call.

Recrowning a fret after levelling takes a small bit of skill and technique plus some tools, its not a difficult job, but.....get it wrong and you need to have it refretted

Steve

[arie]

Originally Posted by Purfle Haze

I have a GO Type II parlor-sized guitar that I really enjoy playing. I have had it for a year, and haven’t picked up the Martin dread since I got this. I recently took it to a “guitarsmith” who declined to do a setup because he felt the frets needed to be addressed first, lest the setup be in vain. He set did the relief for me. I paid him for his time, took it home and set it up myself. I was able to lower the action at the saddle to about .095", and I have no buzzes anywhere on the neck.

But I am wondering if I can improve playability by working on the frets. A recent excellent thread on fret dressing here has me thinking about doing my own fret leveling and crowning. It seems like something I could do. But I’d like to know if leveling is really what the frets need.

The first two frets have visible grooves under the two high strings. The grooves aren’t deep enough to catch the strings. Frets 3 through 8 have wear that’s wider and shallower than a groove, getting progressively fainter until fret 9. Additionally, some of the frets appear to be high (or low) after I rocked them with a short straightedge. Away from the first two strings there is no apparent wear at all, and the frets look to be at their original heights. The guitar was built in 2008 and the original owner tells me it never had any fretwork while he had it.

So is this neck a candidate for a level and crowning? Or would I be better off replacing the first 8 frets (something I wouldn’t attempt)? Thanks for your thoughts.

imo, if you have visible grooves they need to go. but for you, i think you need to figure out if they actually bother your playing. since there are no pix to look at it's all guess work. it really depends upon how bad they are and we have no way of knowing.

on the other, hand you seem fired up to get at it so why not give it a try? it's not too hard. besides, if you were to get a partial refret the frets will need dressing anyway.

[Outhouse]

Does this neck need fret leveling and crowning?



Well take the strings off, and use a sharpie and mark the top of your frets with a thin black line.


Then use a fine toothed metal file and run it across the tops of your frets.


This will show you high and low spots. This will give you a better idea if they need addressed.

Never met a used fretboard with the two frets worn that didn't need love. This sharpie test just determines how much love is required.


When in doubt, clean them up

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Purfle Haze

So is this neck a candidate for a level and crowning?

Sight down the fingerboard from nut towards sound hole looking at the ends of the frets. See if there are any that are obviously higher or lower than the others. If so, it will benefit from fret work. Also note any humps or valleys in the "flatness" of the fingerboard along its length: if there are any, they, too, will affect how low the strings can go before getting fret buzzing.

Play each note on each string. Is there any buzzing at any one or more frets? If so, it needs fret work.

If neither of those, lower the strings to where you want them. If you get buzzes at specific frets, it needs fret work. At that point you can decide to level them or replace them.

[Purfle Haze]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

Sight down the fingerboard from nut towards sound hole looking at the ends of the frets. See if there are any that are obviously higher or lower than the others. If so, it will benefit from fret work. Also note any humps or valleys in the "flatness" of the fingerboard along its length: if there are any, they, too, will affect how low the strings can go before getting fret buzzing.

I can see a fret or two that looks lower than the others. I can see the wear on the first 7 frets under the high strings.

Play each note on each string. Is there any buzzing at any one or more frets? If so, it needs fret work.

I have the action at .095 at 6th string, 12th fret. No bussing on any notes.

If neither of those, lower the strings to where you want them. If you get buzzes at specific frets, it needs fret work. At that point you can decide to level them or replace them.

Thanks for this advice, and to the other posters too. They are perceptive; I am fired up to try a level and crown. But I will lower the saddle first and see if the strings buzz, and go from there.