Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 Excellent work Kindness. I have always wanted to try this myself. With your guide it looks like something I can actually attempt. Thank loads!!!! If you want to attempt it and not have to buy your own tools, just stop by when you are in town next. My doors are open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 Great write-up. I know who to find when I need my frets dressed! I'd be happy to help you out. Just send me a message if you ever want to stop by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 and setup/bass transformation! Recognize that neck? I forgot to put it in the original posts, but that's bassment zombie's SX pictured above. I had her with me for a while a few months ago and got to do some fun stuff with her. Here is a shot of the final product: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 Also, if I go to the Home Depot and tell them I want a "lathe cut" file, will they know what I'm talking about? Probably not because I wasn't clear enough. I'll give more details here and later go back and fix my original posts. You need a hand file. It should have at least on flat surface. It should be a single cut file, as opposed to a double cut, so that it only removes material in one direction. This helps prevent taking off too much material too quickly. The "teeth" should be straight ridges as opposed to "rasp" teeth, which are pointed. The straight ridges cause fewer chatter marks. It might be more commonly known as a flat, single-cut file. This also reminds me to talk about figuring out which side of the file to use. Any flat file is going to be less than perfectly flat. Usually one side is slightly convex and the other is slightly concave. Use your straight edge to figure out which side is which. I'll add that to my original posts in a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 Although the thread is interesting, I won't do it myself. I think my basses needed a grand total of 3 fret levellings in over 15 years of playing. Local luthier asks 100 to do it, which is less than the price of the tools alone. And I know HE won't {censored} up. I can't say as much of me. You definitely can do it. However, the cost of the tools and the time involved makes this the kind of work that you probably won't do yourself if it is an infrequent as it would be if you are only taking care of your own instruments. Like you say, it isn't something that needs to be done very frequently. Then again, there are some people on the board that would be willing to spend more on the tools than they would on having a luthier do it for them, simply because they enjoy taking care of their own instruments. For me personally, being the person that does the work on my instruments helps me create a deeper bond with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rummy Posted August 8, 2007 Members Share Posted August 8, 2007 I'd be happy to help you out. Just send me a message if you ever want to stop by. Very well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted August 8, 2007 Members Share Posted August 8, 2007 Great job on the write-up, Kindness... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PrestiaRules Posted August 8, 2007 Members Share Posted August 8, 2007 printed this and booked time at a shop for tomorrow night (apartments being the size they are in Korea even a mini workshop is out of the question. However local repair shop was kind enough to let me book some time and just pay a flat rate for tool usage....also the boss is going to watch over my shoulder and offer encouragement, suggestions etc. in Korean) will let you know how it works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 printed this and booked time at a shop for tomorrow night (apartments being the size they are in Korea even a mini workshop is out of the question. However local repair shop was kind enough to let me book some time and just pay a flat rate for tool usage....also the boss is going to watch over my shoulder and offer encouragement, suggestions etc. in Korean) will let you know how it works out. Awesome. Let us know how it goes. I will go over it once more tonight to see if there is anything I should add. There is a lot more to say, or a lot more that could be said, but the idea was to be as straight forward and easy to follow as possible. If you get tripped up anywhere in the process I'd like to know so I can add more description. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xbassman Posted August 8, 2007 Members Share Posted August 8, 2007 Nice thread Kindness! A couple of weeks ago I did a quick and dirty fret leveling to my 5-string.Googling, I found a BP magazine article describing the process. The only thing I bought was an assorted emery cloth sandpaper pack.I used painters tape to protect the fretboard and leveled the frets with the emory cloth attached to a 2 foot level (w/2-sided carpet tape) Needless to say the crowning is NOT as good as Kindness method, but the bass is immensely more playable on the cheap. BTW- here's the link I used:http://www.bassplayer.com/story.asp?storycode=15211 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 Needless to say the crowning is NOT as good as Kindness method, but the bass is immensely more playable on the cheap. Based on the condition most new instruments are sold, any improvement would be helpful and your method is not a bad method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Deacon_blue Posted August 8, 2007 Members Share Posted August 8, 2007 Good stuff. I use the diamond fret crowning file also. It cuts nicely and doesn't load up. I use the StewMac beam (channel) with stickum paper for leveling.I found recently that a 3M Sanding spunge is fantastic for deburring the ends of frets on new work. It will remove finish on a touch up job, so care must be taken there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 8, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 8, 2007 I use the StewMac beam (channel) with stickum paper for leveling. The longer the leveling tool, the more global the leveling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members el_duderino676 Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Would it be a bad idea to do a partial releveling/recrowning? The only reason I ask is because everything below the 12th fret on my main T-40 is fine, but I have a few frets in the higher range that give me problems, and I'd like to avoid a full relevel if at all possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 9, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2007 Would it be a bad idea to do a partial releveling/recrowning? The only reason I ask is because everything below the 12th fret on my main T-40 is fine, but I have a few frets in the higher range that give me problems, and I'd like to avoid a full relevel if at all possible. Assuming the lower frets need work because they have been played more than the higher frets, it would not be a good idea to level only part of the bass. You in essence would be making the disparity between the high spots and the low spot even greater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members el_duderino676 Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Assuming the lower frets need work because they have been played more than the higher frets, it would not be a good idea to level only part of the bass. You in essence would be making the disparity between the high spots and the low spot even greater. Well, it's not from more playing, it's from the guy that refretted it not doing such a good job on leveling them to begin with. But, I was afraid that it would be a bad idea. Good thing I asked before diving in. I think I'll practice this on T-40 #3, since all of the frets are looking pretty shabby. It literally looks like someone took a nail file to the upper frets to make them level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 9, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2007 Like most things, if you do a half assed job, you get a half assed result. Obviously that's not an issue for me if it isn't for you, just have reasonable expectations for whatever you decide to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willsellout Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 I'd really love to do this to the SB2 and the Ibanez but I love the SB2 so much I'd be afraid I'd screw it up and be out the tools as well as the cost of a luthier to fix it. It's tempting though...I love doing work on my own instruments. Either way though, I need to get a straight edge...I've discovered through this thread how useful they would be when doing my setups. I have to setup my basses a couple times a year because of the weather changes here. Anything to make my life easier...this is how I justified the Peterson strobostomp (possibly the best bass purchase I have made since the SB2). Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 9, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2007 I'd really love to do this to the SB2 and the Ibanez but I love the SB2 so much I'd be afraid I'd screw it up and be out the tools as well as the cost of a luthier to fix it. It's tempting though...I love doing work on my own instruments. Dan Almost all of us has a friend with a complete junker instrument lying around. I promise it isn't hard if you follow all the steps and, if you practice on a junker, you at least have very little to lose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members willsellout Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Almost all of us has a friend with a complete junker instrument lying around. I promise it isn't hard if you follow all the steps and, if you practice on a junker, you at least have very little to lose. Is this a reason for me to get an SX? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 9, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2007 Is this a reason for me to get an SX? Dan I can guarantee it will need some fretwork! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bholder Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Excellent thread. I've figured some of this out for myself already, but not all, and thanks for writing it all up, that's a big help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dragon9666 Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Def. a STICKY! Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Kindness Posted August 9, 2007 Author Moderators Share Posted August 9, 2007 My pleasure. It looks like my setup thread will go up later tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roguetitan Posted August 9, 2007 Members Share Posted August 9, 2007 Def. a STICKY! Nice! why is this thread not a sticky? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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