Semihemispherical frets

Roybot

New member
I refretted this SG and it was very time consuming to shape each fret by hand. Does anyone here have any experience or tips about performing a semihemispherical fret job? It would be great if you could describe what tools you use and any techniques you've found helpful for consistency and speed.

Thanks!

RoyBot

index.cfm


index.cfm


index.cfm


index.cfm
 
Last edited:
Excuse me, but a semihemisphere is basically half a globe or ball, whereas a fret has a semiconical shape...
 
Wow!

I have never heard of this technique. But I love it! Obviously I have no experience with this, BUT, One place to go to for great information on the tools is Stewart MacDonald. They may even have feature on their website. They have great information and will certainly be able to help you. www.stewmac.com. Good Luck!
 
You know, RobRoy, you are right!

And yeah, the ends of the frets ARE hard to see. Cool idea, tho.
 
Hey thanks Stevieb! Yeah I think it's cool too. I'm going to do a strat next and then a PRS but I don't want it to take as long as the SG did. Hopefully some experienced folks will chime in with some tips. Man, I love the way the SG turned out...it was my very first refret!
 
God I hate frets with ends like that. They feel bumpy to me. Ick.


Here is the way I do it. First I bevel the fret ends with a file (you can just hold it in your hand, or you can mount it in a block if that helps you keep a consistent angle). Next, I use a diamond fret file to sort of "roll" the fret ends. The file moves parallel to the frets, but as you go you lift the handle to round the ends of the frets. Then, when I am sanding and polishing the frets, I work the piss out of the ends of the frets, starting with 60 grit (yes, I said 60 grit - internet woodworkers and guitar repair folks always seem to under-rate the usefulness of 60 grit, but it works fast!), ending with 2000 grit and then OOOO steel wool. It gives the fret ends and the fingerboard edge a really nice played in feel. Most of my customers seem to love it too, or at least the ones who notice it at all rave about it (which is exactly 2 guys who have mentioned it, both of whom spend more hours in a day with a guitar in their hands than I do on any three).


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Thanks Light! They are a little "bumpy" but so far I prefer them to a standard fret end treatment. I think it may be because of the tiny extra bit of real estate it added near the edge of the fretboard...definitely no low E string rolling off the edge of the board, I HATE that way worse than a little bit of bumpiness.

I used a jumbo crowning fret file to shape the ends and worked my way up to 0000 steel wool. The results are very acceptable to me but it was slow going. Shaping, polishing, and getting each fret exactly the right length was tedious. I wish I could find a small grinding wheel with a concave indent in it the shape of the fret end just to speed up the coarse shaping process.

Do you know how much this type of fret job would cost?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top