malibu43

OK. So I completed my fret leveling project last weekend. When it was all said and done, I think I achieved what I wanted. I've got the action pretty close to factory specs with no buzzing or dead notes. The guitar feels good to play. I am puzzled by one piece of how this project played out though. Before I started, there were a handful of frets starting at 12 and up that rocked and were sources of buzzing or dead notes. I used a notched ruler to get the neck straight and a very straight .75" x 1.5" x 18" block of maple with 320 grit sand paper as my leveling beam. It took a long time due the light weight of the maple and the light grit I chose, but I was able to to sand until I had at least some of the sharpie removed from the top of all frets. Some of the frets up above 12 were the most stubborn and took the longest. However, once I got to this point, I was surprised to find that the frets that rocked before I started were still rocking, pretty much the same amount. I'm struggling to understand how this can be possible if I used a level 18" sanding beam and sanded until I was removing material from every fret, how could some frets still be high? I could see how if my beam or neck wasn't straight or if I used uneven pressure that I could have some uneven frets, but not such that its the same frets only above 12 that rocked before I started.... ??? I eventually filed down those frets individually until all the rocking was gone. So it worked out in the end, but it seems like I may as well have just filed the individual frets to begin with since leveling the entire fret board didn't seem to work... Any input on what I needed to do differently is appreciated. Would more aggressive sand paper grit or a heavier beam somehow achieve a better level...?

Thanks. That guys certainly makes it look straight forward and pretty easy to not screw up, but maybe that was just his presentation.

Hey folks. I have a Squire Classic Vibe Telecaster and an Epiphone 60s Les Paul that each have at least a few (lets say 5+) frets that need to be leveled. The Les Paul has some dead spots due to fret buzz high up, and using a rocker I found that there are probably at least half a dozen frets that rock starting at the 10th fret and moving up (some rock on the high strings, some on the low, and some in the middle). I haven't taken all the relief out of the neck yet, so I'm guessing that once I do I'll find some below the 10th as well. The squire I haven't checked in a while, but it does have some dead/buzzy spots and I remember there being some rocking frets there as well. I have watched several videos on both spot leveling frets and also leveling an entire fretboard using a beam. I have a fret rocker, crowning file, fret board shield (not sure what it's called), and tried leveling one fret on an old $100 guitar that I have, and it turned out well and was really easy. I plan on making a tool (some sort of notched straight edge) for checking that the fretboard is level before I do anything to either the Squire or Epiphone. I have all the appropriate grits of sand paper and steel wool for polishing. So my question is, since this is my first time, which method (spot leveling one fret at a time vs leveling the entire board with a beam) is easier to not screw up? Note that I'm not asking which is easier in terms of time spent or efficiency. I don't mind using a method that takes a little longer if I'm less likely to catastrophically screw something up. Thanks!

Thanks for the informative and well thought out reply. I'm thinking that the reason the line-out mode sounds better for me could be that I'm using a 5W amp on volume and gain at about 11 o'clock, and it's known to be a somewhat dark amp. I could see how if I were to crank it or use a bigger amp, the sound could get too harsh.

I have a Vox Stomplab for about 18 mos now, and I'm a little confused about the global out put settings on the pedal. Per the manual: "This setting compensates the output from the guitar amp model so that it will be suitable for connection to the input jack of your guitar amp. A1: Use this setting if you’ve connected the StompLab to an amp with a distinctive mid-range character, such as a UK-made open-backed combo. A2: Use this setting if you’ve connected the StompLab to a cleansounding amp, such as a typical US-made open-backed combo. A3: Use this setting if you’ve connected the StompLab to a stack-type amp, such as a 4x12 closed-back cabinet. 13 Ln: Use this setting if you’ve connected the StompLab to a line input, to a headphones, to the power amp input of a guitar amp, or to a recorder" However, in reality, I've found that settings A1, A2, and A3 seem to "color" the sound so much that it sounds way too boxy and muddy. The Ln output, on the other hand, is very clear, open and bright sounding, although a little harsh at times and maybe lacking a little warmth. So from what I've seen, it's almost as the manual has it backwards. Setting A1, A2, and A3 add color to the sound to simulate different amps, and the Ln input sends out a very sterile signal and leaves it up to your amp (or the settings you use on the pedal) to add color to the sound. I was just curious if anyone else had experienced this or had any alternative perspectives on how these settings are supposed to be used. Of course, I'll do whatever sounds best for my setup, but I feel like I missing something if I'm doing the opposite of what the user manual says... edit - I'll add that I'm using a Bugera V5 with an EH820 speaker.