Technique for partial level and crown.

[warfrat73]

My Eastman E6D has moderate fretwear on the first 5 frets. I'd like to address this and then move it along.

I know how to level frets, and how to crown them.

What I'm a bit unsure about is how to just do the first few.

Do people do that? Sort of ramp them down from 7 to 1 or something? Or just level and crown the whole darn thing.

[Fathand]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

My Eastman E6D has moderate fretwear on the first 5 frets. I'd like to address this and then move it along.

I know how to level frets, and how to crown them.

What I'm a bit unsure about is how to just do the first few.

Do people do that? Sort of ramp them down from 7 to 1 or something? Or just level and crown the whole darn thing.

I find it simpler to replace the first 5 frets.

[John Arnold]

Slight wear can be tapered. That effectively reduces the relief, which may require a truss rod adjustment.

[phavriluk]

+1 on replacing the first 5 frets. There being so few, if this was mine I'd be considering farming the job out professionally and combining the fret replacement with a general fret leveling and polishing. Frets are made in a variety of heights and widths, and a skilled pro would have a selection of fretwire to choose from to achieve a can't-tell-it-was-done job. Might be a good investment (buff out the gloss body, too?).

[warfrat73]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

+1 on replacing the first 5 frets. There being so few, if this was mine I'd be considering farming the job out professionally and combining the fret replacement with a general fret leveling and polishing. Frets are made in a variety of heights and widths, and a skilled pro would have a selection of fretwire to choose from to achieve a can't-tell-it-was-done job. Might be a good investment (buff out the gloss body, too?).

I'd probably just look to sell it a slightly reduced price than spend the time and money to take it to a pro.

I could use the practice anyway, and it's not like I need to sell it, just looking to make some space, mostly.

[Piercast]

Take one fret out, measure carefully, order what you need, replace the offenders then take them roughly to the same height as the others, level, crown and polish. No need to take more material than needed off 16 good frets. That's what I usually do for the vast majority of those customer's guitars with wear on the first few frets.