One fret just slightly high

Gahr

Gahr

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I have discovered that one of my SGs has a slightly high 13th fret. While it isn't really a problem, the guitar plays fine with the action I like, I was wondering if there is anything I can do about it without going the whole hog and buying the correct radius blocks for leveling frets? Would it be possible simply to give the fret in question a good polish just to take a teeny-weeny bit off the height without screwing things up? Since the guitar plays fine, the question is basically a theoretical one; I'll leave it be as long as it's not a problem. But is it possible?
 
I’ve done that before with a fret crowning file, followed by polishing the fret.

You want to go slowly to be sure you don’t take too much off, though. Otherwise the fret will be too low and then you’ll have more problems.
 
Make yourself a fret rocker - something properly flat and just long enough to span frets 12, 13 and 14. Use that as your guide while you slowly bring 13 down to the proper level.

But before you touch anything, find out why 13 is high. You may find it has sprung slightly out of its slot. If that is the case, don't file it. Get some water-thin super glue and flood the slot, then clamp the fret down.
 
eSGEe said:
I was going to say a hammer........buy the way that is my "go to repare tool" .........don't try this at home
Listen to the more logical options above :)
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Man. You beat me to it. Used to work in a tractor/combine shop. Our goto was, “if you can’t fix it...... get a bigger hammer.”
 
eSGEe said:
Hammer and duct tape ......if that don't work....time for a new one
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An old mate of mine - Nobby Gray - was a machinist who made stuff for Formula 1 teams in the seventies. He was the best lathe, mill and surface grinder I knew, and was a magician when it came to fixing stuff. He had a saying:

"It's not how hard you hit it, son. It's where you hit it".

That was after he had straightened the crankshaft of a 1922 Rolls Royce with a hammer.
 
Gahr said:
But is it possible?
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Yes, but my experience is this:
One Fret is High... OCD Alert

Later, I did end up sanding the high spot areas of the fret to get it just about perfect. Think I started with 220 grit sandpaper and used my finger tip as a backing-pad that helped to conform to the top profile of the fret... working slowly and carefully. When the high spots were just about gone, I began to sand the entire fret by moving up to 320, then 400 grit, then 0000 steel wool, and finally a polishing application.
 
Tread carefully Gahr, this could go sideways real quick-like.
You dont want that

6ZblqDx.jpg
 
syscokid said:
Yes, but my experience is this:
One Fret is High... OCD Alert

Later, I did end up sanding the high spot areas of the fret to get it just about perfect. Think I started with 220 grit sandpaper and used my finger tip as a backing-pad that helped to conform to the top profile of the fret... working slowly and carefully. When the high spots were just about gone, I began to sand the entire fret by moving up to 320, then 400 grit, then 0000 steel wool, and finally a polishing application.
Click to expand...

Make up pads wrapped around a crowning file with jeweler's rouge....

IMG_20180415_14588.jpg IMG_20180415_50213.jpg
 
jtcnj said:
Tread carefully Gahr, this could go sideways real quick-like.
You dont want that

6ZblqDx.jpg
Click to expand...
That's exactly why I got a cheap Chinese neck for my Telecaster build; I can use that as a practice neck if I want to learn how to do fretwork. Only "problem" is that that next actually looks pretty good, so there's not much to practice on...
 
Most any neck can benefit from a fret level job.
Cheap / cadaver practice is certainly the way to go.

You really cant go halfway on this.
Its a go big or go home scenario.
the 4 or so specialty tools you really need are not terribly expensive, but pricey if you only do a couple.

I'm glad I have enough experience and confidence in this as a DIY guy, but it is time consuming and tedious.
Time I would rather spend playing.
Though I say that now with a handful of good playing guitars and a backlog of mods / fixes and other builds on those guitars, amps, pedals, etc.
 
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