fret leveling prep

[merciful-evans]

Hi,

 

I have invested in some tools (various sources) and am preparing for some fret leveling work. This is new to me so I've checked out several YT vids first.

 

Notched straight edge:

Now, everybody says get the fretboard as straight as possible. One seems to only check the middle of the neck, others the whole length.

 

At present I have strings off the guitar with the neck supported in 3 places. I can get the whole neck pretty damn straight except for the first 3 frets. I'm measuring

 

.005" between frets 1 and 2

.004" between frets 2 and 3

.002" between frets 3 and 4

 

further up I have

.002" at frets 13 & 14

 

If I add more relief, frets 1 to 3 flatten down, but I then get a .002" gaps open up between fret 8 to 15.

 

Are either of these suitable to start the next stage of fret rocking?

I ask because if I use the straight edge on top of the first 3 frets, the rest of the bar is way high off the other frets.

 

Thanks.

[merciful-evans]

I've had another go, this time with the neck removed.

 

I recorded these gaps under the notched straight edge.

 

 

I've been all over with the fret rocker and marked up 16 frets

 

[merciful-evans]

ok, you can all stand down now guys. Its done. Leveled, crowned, polished and gigable.

[Mr. Gibson]

1554052802[/url]' post='1985012']

ok, you can all stand down now guys. Its done. Leveled, crowned, polished and gigable.

 

What kind of sandpaper did you use? I've got a couple of acoustic guitars to do.

[merciful-evans]

What kind of sandpaper did you use? I've got a couple of acoustic guitars to do.

 

320 grit.

I got sticky back strips of it when I bought the leveling beam.

 

Finished with 3M Polishing Papers (6 grits).