frets flattened by to much polishing?

[mildew]

I recently got a fret polishing kit with 400,600,1200, and 4000 grit sandpaper.

I spent about 15 mins with each grit in sequence polishing the frets with lots of force.

Frets are now smooth as, but i could swear they feel lower and flatter... eek

Is is likely ive actually changed the fret profile? - none of the dips where the frets are worn have vanished, so i diddnt think i was removing that much metal...

 

[Huggy Love]

However puts out a fret polishing kit that doesn't have a big warning label saying "Don't use this product unless you are a luthier" should be shot.

Polishing frets should only be done with 0000 steel wool and *only after they have had a proper leveling and crowning of the frets*. Yes you did change the fret profile and it may not be an issue but if you develop buzzing in certain areas of your fretboard and not all one string then you might want to get a fret level at a luthier.

 

[AP515]

Maybe, 400 grit isn't a grit I would polish with. If it bugs you, a fret dress would fix it.

 

[László]

You can't put back metal that's been removed, but even a tiny change can feel like a lot when it comes to frets. How old is the guitar?

A good setup by a qualified tech should address any playing issues, but the guitar's gonna be changed a little. The good news is you'll probably get used to it quickly enough.

And if not, you can always have it re-fretted.

So don't...er...fret over it.

 

[László]

However puts out a fret polishing kit that doesn't have a big warning label saying "Don't use this product unless you are a luthier" should be shot.

We shoot everyone who screws up in my business.

Big pile o' corpses in back of the building.

In fact, I just shot my sales rep. No trial or nothin'. Nice woman, two kids, but she made a mistake. So...

 

[Huggy Love]

We shoot everyone who screws up in my business.

Big pile o' corpses in back of the building.

In fact, I just shot my sales rep. No trial or nothin'. Nice woman, two kids, but she made a mistake. So...

If only the world was that simple....................................ehh...........................don't give me any ideas.

 

[László]

If only the world was that simple....................................ehh...........................don't give me any ideas.

Ha! No ideas given...don't want to be shot!

 

[mildew]

After a few days playing the guitar ive gotten used to the slightly lower frets. They are still higher than the vintage type on my strat, and it plays really well. I should have read the instructions - the kit says "just give each fret a few swipes with each grit".

The flat wideness the frets now have reminds me of the flat trapezoid frets on a LP custom.

The guitar is my triple p90 with maple neck/fretboard. Im pretty sure the frets are smaller than usual on this model anyway, and when you fret your finger is meant to touch the fingerboard strat style.

It already had low frets before i oversanded them, now they just seem a bit ......... lower

 

[mad monk]

There is a fairly well known luthier supply company in Ohio that sells a product called "fret erasers", very similar to the pink block pencil erasers from (most of) our youth. They remove no metal, yet polish nicely.
Use once a year, or so. I've had the same one for 3 years, and have done well over a dozen guitars with it.

 

[DHW]

I like fret erasers too... no metal bits to get sucked into the pickups and they do a fine job quickly. As for the original poster... Check the intonation on every fret, you may have changed it more than you think.

 

[mildew]

I found a buzzy fret on one string, and based on the large effort it took me with 400grit to lower 1/6th of the next fret enough to stop the buzz, im feeling more confident that i wont have to refret. As long as i refrain from any more fret sanding!

 

[mildew]

Wound up finding a local luthier who re leveled the two guitars i mangled for $150 each. A somewhat expensive mistake, but now both play beautifully

 

[bodia]

Wound up finding a local luthier who re leveled the two guitars i mangled for $150 each. A somewhat expensive mistake, but now both play beautifully

Glad to hear you got things straightened out. Live and learn, live and learn.

 

[Parralax view]

There is a fairly well known luthier supply company in Ohio that sells a product called "fret erasers", very similar to the pink block pencil erasers from (most of) our youth. They remove no metal, yet polish nicely.
Use once a year, or so. I've had the same one for 3 years, and have done well over a dozen guitars with it.

I'v e used the old hexagonal school erasers forever as fret polishers. You can feel the grit but its so slight all it does is shiny up the frets and make them smooth.

 

[JEguitars]

A lot of people level frets with a flat beam, that has never made any sense to me, the nut is radiused, the bridge is radiused, the fretboard is radiused, and the frets are radiused. It makes about zero sense to use a flat beam to level a radius.
I always use a radius block the same radius as the guitar and just a few swipes and it usually levels everything out with minimal fret loss. Then just recrown and go over with the appropriate grit papers, then I get a dremel with a cotton buffing wheel and some jewelers polish.