Members xbassman Posted January 29, 2008 Members Share Posted January 29, 2008 Hey Bro... I am in need of a little expert advice. I am getting ready to try my second go at fret leveling. The first one I did was my 5er and I used the BP mag article as a guide. Since then you gave me a copy of your guide, but I still have a couple of questions. First one pertains to making sure all the frets are solid with the fretboard. Dan Erlewine of BP Mag says to wax the fretboard with floor wax and run a bead of super glue along each fret to marry the frets with the fretboard. The local Luthier did something like this dealing with fret sprout on my daughter's bass. Is this something you recommend? Bass Player article This time around I've got a crowning file. So I am determined to do a better job than when I crowned them the BP way. I am also installing a new nut. (Fender replacement synthetic bone) I am sure that will be straight forward, but any tips are greatly appreciated! Oh and BTW- the best tip in your guide is to remove the neck if possible. On my 5er I knocked off the nut and marred the pups a little while goin at it with my 2' level w/attached emery cloth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted January 29, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 29, 2008 If any of the frets move when you press on them (using a tool that you can deliver some real force) then you will want to drop a little amount of superglue as shown. However, a little goes a long way and the amount shown in that picture is a lot. If you ever need to get that fret out it might be really tough to not rip out a chunk of the fret board with it. FYI - I rarely find a need to glue frets when leveling. It is typically done when the board is initially fretted. I will write something up about nut work. I think a short guide could help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xbassman Posted January 29, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 29, 2008 Thanks mang.... That's kinda what I figured with the super glue. I am a little curious as to what kind of tool you use to check the integrity of the frets though. Hopefully I will get the opportunity to get started by this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted January 29, 2008 Moderators Share Posted January 29, 2008 I am a little curious as to what kind of tool you use to check the integrity of the frets though. I usually flip over a screwdriver and press onto the frets with the handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xbassman Posted January 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted January 30, 2008 Well, I got the frets level. It goes quite a bit quicker using files! I did come across one problem though. I planned to replace the nut while I was at it cause the fit of the stock nut looked a little off. With the neck off the bass and nut removed, I measured the distance from the first fret to the nut slot. Turns out that the nut slot is 1/32" farther from the 1st fret on the treble side vs the bass side. I also found the only thing I didn't account for when ordering a replacement nut. The SX nut has a flat base, and the Fender Nut (at least from the online pics) has a curved base. I am hoping that it is taller, so I can file it down to fit. This is why you practice this stuff on cheap instruments.... Actually this neck is a warm up for when Rondo gets the neck I really want in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.