Fret dressing refresher course

JimmyM · #1 10-26-2007, 02:39 PM

I'm about to do a full fret dressing on my SX bass, but I need to know the answer to a couple questions first that I've forgotten since it's been a few years...

1. Which grit sandpaper should I start with for the initial leveling? I want to take these frets down a good bit, probably a 3rd of their size, so I'm thinking I should start with 150 until I get close and then use 220 and 320 for the final leveling. Does that sound about right? Or should I start with 220 and be more patient?

2. How should I have the truss rod set while I'm working on it? Should I have it set at no relief? Logically that would make the most sense to me, but it wouldn't be the first time something sounded logical to me and it was the worst thing I could do.

Thanks!

PilbaraBass · #2 10-26-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I'm about to do a full fret dressing on my SX bass, but I need to know the answer to a couple questions first that I've forgotten since it's been a few years...

1. Which grit sandpaper should I start with for the initial leveling? I want to take these frets down a good bit, probably a 3rd of their size, so I'm thinking I should start with 150 until I get close and then use 220 and 320 for the final leveling. Does that sound about right? Or should I start with 220 and be more patient?

2. How should I have the truss rod set while I'm working on it? Should I have it set at no relief? Logically that would make the most sense to me, but it wouldn't be the first time something sounded logical to me and it was the worst thing I could do.

Thanks!

for initial use 320 grit wet/dry...the slower you go the better...and 320 grit has PLENTY of bite...

yes...set the truss rod so that there is NO relief (flat board)...use a 2' metal straight edge to check this...this is perhaps the most critical part of the process...take your time

remember the trick is slow and even...

JimmyM · #3 10-26-2007, 04:22 PM

I thought the trick was to color the frets blue with a Sharpie!

Thanks Pilbara...going to start on it in about an hour!

JimmyM · #4 10-27-2007, 04:31 AM

Welp, I'm done. It's not completely perfect, but it's 10 times better. Had a lot of uneven frets past the 12th. Didn't have any 320 paper, though, so I had to substitute 220. But I ended up leaving them close to the same height because they leveled out really quick. I think I'm going to start dressing the frets on all my basses now. I've been paying to get them done on my better basses, but I think I did almost as good as those that I paid for, and that'll work.

PilbaraBass · #5 10-27-2007, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Welp, I'm done. It's not completely perfect, but it's 10 times better. Had a lot of uneven frets past the 12th. Didn't have any 320 paper, though, so I had to substitute 220. But I ended up leaving them close to the same height because they leveled out really quick. I think I'm going to start dressing the frets on all my basses now. I've been paying to get them done on my better basses, but I think I did almost as good as those that I paid for, and that'll work.

cool! awesome, Jimmy

How'd you do the crowning? I round the frets by "skip sanding"...(wrapping sand paper around first two fingers, holding your fingers at a 45 to the fretboard and letting your fingers "jump" off the frets going up the board and then reversing the finger angle and letting the fingers jump off the frets going back down)...it's sorta like letting each fret be a "speed bump" for your fingers...works great, but you need a light touch...