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12-14-2006, 10:47 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Germany / California | | | Fret refinishing kit???
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Does anyone know if this is equivalent to dressing the frets? I dont know if I'd be able to take my bass in to a professional because I dont think I'm gonna be able to afford it right now. From what I've searched, changing frets is a LOT more expensive and fret "dressing" or re-leveling is more affordable.
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Heartfield/Fender Bass Club Member #1 (Founder), U.S. Peavey Club Member #59
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12-18-2006, 07:22 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: conditional upon harmonic Hz | | | Dude, a flat file, or any other stiff flat surface) and some crocus cloth is all you need. Well, not all, the other ingridient is expertise, so be careful not to go too far! Wrap the flat object in the crocus cloth and take your time and draw it across the fret. It will dress the tops down in short order.
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"With the power of Soul, anything is possible." JMH
Valenti 067 J5 w/NJ5 AudereZ6 "The Rainbow"
Lakland JO5/ Aero T1/passive "Blood" (raw magnetic mojo)
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12-18-2006, 07:34 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Deep E Texas | | | I dressed my own frets for years with an 8" long whetstone (for leveling) and small diamond-cross section files for shaping. You just have to be careful not to mar the fingerboard.
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"Digo: 'paciencia, y barajar'." -- Don Quijote de la Mancha, Part II, Chapter 23 / Fender fretless #3 TX bassist #48 fretless #233, Fender P #242, Godin #21
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12-18-2006, 07:56 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: coastal N.C. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by lpdeluxe  I dressed my own frets for years with an 8" long whetstone (for leveling) and small diamond-cross section files for shaping. You just have to be careful not to mar the fingerboard. | "You just have to be careful not to mar the fingerboard."
Believe me, marring the fingerboard will be the least of your worries.
If this is offered as advice, I'm afraid I totally disagree.
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12-18-2006, 08:02 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: coastal N.C. | | Quote:
Originally Posted by BuffaloBass Dude, a flat file, or any other stiff flat surface) and some crocus cloth is all you need. Well, not all, the other ingridient is expertise, so be careful not to go too far! Wrap the flat object in the crocus cloth and take your time and draw it across the fret. It will dress the tops down in short order. | "It will dress the tops down in short order"
It will also leave the frets flat on top. Do you crown the frets with this flat object wrapped in crocus cloth, too? Polish? 
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"what" we type is "who" we are in cyberspace. Not only is big brother watching you, the whole world is watching you.
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12-19-2006, 10:40 AM
|  | Registered User
Owner/Builder: HJC Customs USA, The Cool Lute, C G O | | Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Southwest Michigan | | | Actually, this system works quite well. I know a couple music store owners that swear by them. It's a very simple system that does a good job. If you have no experience with fret dressing and re-leveling, this mght be the way to go for you. Follow the directions to the letter, ad you will get good results. |
12-19-2006, 04:37 PM
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Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | If I ever caught a music store using that joke of a fret leveling kit on one of my basses, I'd never go to them again and I'd badmouth them to every musician I ever saw. It's total crap, and I wish constant ogena on the guy who sells them.
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Ampeg Portaflex Club #1
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12-20-2006, 07:17 PM
| | | | This is quoted from the Ebay site selling these "fret refinishing systems."
"The entire procedure is done with the strings on"
What??????? Me thinks he thinks we're stupid! |
12-20-2006, 08:06 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Croatia | | | That thing on Ebay would level the frets not dress them thou!
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Cantaloupe Club Member #002 / Cort Club #4
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12-21-2006, 05:09 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: north of chicago | | | yeah, having the strings on is why I didn't like the concept
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Yamaha club member 1, Long hair club member 10, and all around fairly decent guy.
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12-21-2006, 06:59 PM
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Seymour Duncan/Basslines SMB-5A Endorsing Artist | | Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Cuernavaca 1 hr S Mexico City | | | +1, Musiclogic
I got one of those kits +/-30 years ago, and it worked fine. Yes, the strings are still on the bass, but they are raised up by a thingy that you put in next to the nut (that way there's room to work and the neck is at normal "straightness"). And following the directions EXACTLY does result in well-shaped, even frets! It really is the only way to safely do-it-yourself (so as NOT to ruin the fretboard). Using those Stew-Mac tools requires SKILL and EXPERIENCE!
"would level the frets not dress them " emils
Not so. Level, well-dressed frets is the result. It takes about 40 minutes to an hour to do the whole thing. Well worth the time and price.
BTW, I go to my local luthier for the occasional needed fret job, but that's partly laziness on my part and partly because he has built all the basses that I use regularly and is VERY resonable, price-wise ($10-15). And he's a good friend, also.
Last edited by deaf pea : 12-21-2006 at 07:09 PM.
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