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  #1  
Old 11-05-2018, 05:26 PM
j. Kinnaird's Avatar
j. Kinnaird j. Kinnaird is offline
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Default katana fret leveling system

I want one of these but cannot seem to be able
to make contact with the maker. Anybody out there ever use one of these, or know where I can find a used one to buy?
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Old 11-05-2018, 06:18 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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John dont.

First yes I have one, second they are a great idea and work okay, you do however have to request a dual action model so it can be adjusted for relief or backbow. I originally purchased the standard single action model, only to go and use it for the first time and it had with no tension 12 thou relief already, useless for setting a guitar up with, follow up to David making me a new custom one dual action and it was way way better.

Now comes the issue, its made of soft aluminium with a 1mm I-Beam face, any damage to that 1mm face which is super soft and there goes your 400 dollar tool, if you buy it, you need to store it into a container dedicated to protecting that tool and be very gentle when using that tool around other tools.

Ask me how I know??

Steve
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Old 11-05-2018, 06:19 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird View Post
I want one of these...
As a serious question, why? What problem will it solve for you?
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Old 11-05-2018, 06:24 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by charles Tauber View Post
As a serious question, why? What problem will it solve for you?
For necks that have a slight twist under string tension, these work really good, they allow you to skim the top of the frets with strings on and with relief, but the cost of the tool and how fragile it is, far outways any advantages gained IMO.

It the repair field, excellent tool, instruments come to me after other techs or luthiers have had a go, so its an extra tool for those bad necks, but, I wont ever buy one again due to its fragility.

Steve

Super thin edge

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Last edited by mirwa; 11-06-2018 at 03:18 AM.
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Old 11-05-2018, 09:57 PM
Krash58 Krash58 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mirwa View Post
John dont.

First yes I have one, second they are a great idea and work okay, you do however have to request a dual action model so it can be adjusted for relief or backbow. I originally purchased the standard single action model, only to go and use it for the first time and it had with no tension 12 thou relief already, useless for setting a guitar up with, follow up to David making me a new custom one dual action and it was way way better.

Now comes the issue, its made of soft aluminium with a 1mm I-Beam face, any damage to that 1mm face which is super soft and there goes your 400 dollar tool, if you buy it, you need to store it into a container dedicated to protecting that tool and be very gentle when using that tool around other tools.

Ask me how I know??

Steve
Cant the tool itself be made out of a more durable material than aluminum?
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Old 11-06-2018, 12:59 AM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Originally Posted by Krash58 View Post
Cant the tool itself be made out of a more durable material than aluminum?
Possibly, but that would be a decision the manufacturer would have to make as he owns the patent on said design. I assume if made from steel it possibly would not bend or be adjustable.

Steve
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Old 11-06-2018, 09:00 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Thanks, Steve, for the information and sharing your experience with the Katana. From your experience, it doesn't sound like a viable tool, as manufactured.

It should be fairly straight forward to adapt the design to be more robust, should one wish to. Essentially, it is a guitar truss rod attached to an I beam to which sandpaper is glued.
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Old 11-06-2018, 01:07 PM
redir redir is offline
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I'm still struggling to see how that would be beneficial?

It seems to me that even a guitar that has a weird twist to it if you just use a 6in flat file and make sure that the frets right in front of the frets in front of the frets are the same level then that's as good as it gets. IOW who cares about the fret that is 5 frets away from the one you are dressing? If the first fret is just a hair higher then the 7th it doesn't matter but if the 8th is a hair higher then the 7th it does, and on down the bard. For any given fret it's the one right in front of it, maybe 2 in front of it, that are going to cause buzz. Just make sure they are even and... No problem. Back buzz is a different story.

Don't get me wrong, I strive to make sure all the frets are the same height but I just cannot wrap my head around this tool as giving any advantage.

That's why I like to resurface the FB during refrets. With a leveling beam you get the fretboard perfect and then after the frets are in level again and it's perfect.
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Old 11-06-2018, 01:28 PM
murrmac123 murrmac123 is offline
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Many years ago I used to sell a machined aluminum channel which was designed to level the frets under tension, with the strings on and tensioned, and which did the job perfectly well.

I was amazed one day to find an email in my inbox from the "Katana " guy ( IIRC he was Italian but worked and lived in Tokyo) threatening me with legal action for infringing his so-called "patent" .

I pointed out to him (very politely) that Rick Turner had developed the concept years ago , and that there was absolutely nothing new in the idea of understring sanding. I even gave him directions to the relevant links where Rick had explained the concept (which btw is totally valid if you have a "squirrelly" neck ).

I never heard from him again.
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Old 11-06-2018, 02:43 PM
LouieAtienza LouieAtienza is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redir View Post
I'm still struggling to see how that would be beneficial?

It seems to me that even a guitar that has a weird twist to it if you just use a 6in flat file and make sure that the frets right in front of the frets in front of the frets are the same level then that's as good as it gets. IOW who cares about the fret that is 5 frets away from the one you are dressing? If the first fret is just a hair higher then the 7th it doesn't matter but if the 8th is a hair higher then the 7th it does, and on down the bard. For any given fret it's the one right in front of it, maybe 2 in front of it, that are going to cause buzz. Just make sure they are even and... No problem. Back buzz is a different story.

Don't get me wrong, I strive to make sure all the frets are the same height but I just cannot wrap my head around this tool as giving any advantage.

That's why I like to resurface the FB during refrets. With a leveling beam you get the fretboard perfect and then after the frets are in level again and it's perfect.
Well, there are instances where a refret and/or resurface is not practical, possible, or can further damage the value of an otherwise original instrument. You can play a neck with a tiny twist, and necks have been made with over a 10 degree twist...
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Old 11-06-2018, 03:05 PM
brianhejh brianhejh is offline
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The starting point for this tool is to get the neck straight? by using the little triangles to ensure the beam rests evenly across the triangles resting on the fretboard (neck straight?).

Experienced members in previous posts have ridiculed the use of notch straight edges to straighten the neck prior to fret levelling.

My point, if the method of straightening the neck with this tool is by straightening the fretboard prior to fret levelling, the same method/result if a notched straight edge was used and given that this method has been previously criticised,I dont see the point of the tool, if it does not meet the accepted practices previously posted, IE (measure the fret tops)not the fretboard prior to levelling.

Brian
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Old 11-06-2018, 03:14 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redir View Post
I'm still struggling to see how that would be beneficial?
That's why I asked someone who bought one and used one, with the assumption that perhaps there is something that I don't know.

Quote:
Originally Posted by murrmac123 View Post
I never heard from him again.
Interesting.

Presumably what makes his design "unique" is the ability to adjust the curvature of the sanding beam, rather than the ability to sand underneath the tensioned strings.

Quote:
Originally Posted by brianhejh View Post
Experienced members in previous posts have ridiculed the use of notch straight edges to straighten the neck prior to fret levelling.
Maybe "ridiculed" is a bit strong, but I don't see the value in them. Others do. I'm okay with others doing so.
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  #13  
Old 11-06-2018, 05:13 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brianhejh View Post
The starting point for this tool is to get the neck straight? by using the little triangles to ensure the beam rests evenly across the triangles resting on the fretboard (neck straight?)
Actually no, the starting point is with a neck Setup with relief, not straight, the tool as mentioned above allows you to very lightly file the frets in this position, the tool also references the fingerboard rather than the frets, I think this is becuase he could not find a better way, IMO its a sub standard way of referencing a line of frets by using its sub structure.

I had been using a different version before his, home made one, when someone asked photos of my home made one from 15 plus years ago, David sent me an email reminding me his design was patented.

He also has tracking on his website so he can read reviews on forums such as this

Steve
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Last edited by mirwa; 11-06-2018 at 06:10 PM.
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  #14  
Old 11-13-2018, 10:31 AM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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For leveling frets under string tension, I just use a narrow file that has safe edges so it won't damage the strings. I push the string over, and file between the strings. I then use the crowning file to connect the level spots. Been doing it that way for many, many years, and it works fine.
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