TOOLS FOR THE JOB
Are you a hobbyist modder or a wannabe guitar maker and repairer? Either way, you might need to invest in some job-specific tools
Part of The Mod Squad ethos is doing a lot with a little, whether that’s your workshop space (aka the kitchen table) or the tools you might need. As we outlined in issue 478, a few well-chosen tools, very few that are guitar-specific, will stand you in good stead to keep your guitars in top condition, not to mention allowing you to carry out some pretty involved mods.
When you start dipping your fingers into the sort of work a pro would normally do, things can become very different. And expensive. We discussed in that previous issue that a set of nut files can be very costly and are really only viable if you plan to take your modding seriously. While there are plenty of outlets for ‘luthiers tools’ in the UK, none have the sheer mind-boggling array of US-based StewMac. I defy anyone who’s interested in this lark to go onto its website and not think, “Oh, that would be handy…” The trouble is, before you know it, your cart is bursting and the dollars are mounting. Then you’ve got shipping, customs and import taxes to consider.
You’ll find plenty of guitar-specific tools on sites such as eBay and Amazon. I needed
“When you start dipping into pro-type work, things can become expensive”
some small crocodile clips to do some experimenting with different value caps and resistors and had ordered a cheap pack of 30 for a few pounds before I noticed they were shipping directly from China. I can’t believe I clogged up the world’s shipping channels for so little money, especially since I can admit that I’ve used just two of those clips.
Earlier this year, StewMac donated a few bits to The Mod Squad’s toolbox after I’d been discussing with Jay Hostetler that my long-used pillar file – the sort of thing we used back in the day to recrown frets and also round their edges – was now next to useless as the abrasive face had literally worn away in the most used parts of the file. “I’ll send you a Z-File,” he offered. I thanked him, pretending I had some idea of what he was talking about. If you’ve ever levelled the frets on a fingerboard, you’ll know that when you’re done you should have 20-something flat-topped frets when ideally you need ones that are domed in profile. Crowning files aren’t a new concept, there are plenty out there, but ones I’ve tried, and indeed own, are rarely used. Why? Because it’s very difficult to see what you’re doing until you’ve done it, and it’s all too easy to not only redome the fret but shave a bit of the top. That’s why I always went back to my aged pillar file (with its edges ground off ) because I could always see the centre of the fret top, which I’d typically marked with a Sharpie. Yes, there’s a little skill involved, but after a few recrowns on fingerboards with 20-plus frets, you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
But back to the Z-File. Instead of it having a single domed cutting edge, it has two but they’re angled and have a 300-grit diamond abrasive. One edge of the file cuts mainly the left side of the fret, turn it over and you do the right side (it never touches the actual top of the fret), and by lightly rolling the file you get it domed within minutes. It’s harder to describe than it is to do! Your reference is still that Sharpie-marked flat top, but you’ll just see it getting narrower as the Z-File does its magic. While this diamond-coated file isn’t cheap, it’s exceptionally good, and I notice StewMac now offers a compact version (without a traditional handle) that’s not only cheaper but looks even better.
Another tool I bought a couple of years back is StewMac’s Fret Rocker (I don’t know if they invented it; many other brands offer similar). It has four perfectly machined, very straight edges of different lengths, allowing you to lay it across three frets anywhere on the fingerboard. If it rocks, the centre fret is slightly high; if it sits flat, you’re good. Nine times out of 10, slight fretbuzz on an otherwise perfectly level ’board can be chased down with the Fret Rocker. It’s indispensable.
So, let’s say, as I found with my Westone restoration, the frets all seem perfectly level except the 13th fret, more on the treble side than the bass. It was still well seated and a light tap with a hammer didn’t sound ‘hollow’ and certainly didn’t lower the fret. You don’t want to stone the entire ’board as all the frets will have to be recrowned and repolished. And you could address that specific area, but it’d add more work.
Enter the Fret Kisser! It looks like the Fret Rocker, but in the centre of each of those four sides is a 300-grit diamond abrasive strip. Select the correct edge to span those three frets and lightly move it back and forth to level just the high fret. When it’s level, the Fret Kisser will skim over the fret taking no more fret away. You can then recrown and clean up just that one fret. StewMac also tells us how you can do that with your strings on, but we’ll leave that for another time (or the eager among you can learn more on the StewMac website).
As we’ve said, StewMac is not only the premier guitar-related tool supplier in the world, its website is a mine of information – headed up, of course, by Dan Erlewine. We can’t recommend it enough.
That should give you something to think about till our next issue.
In the meantime, if you have any modding questions, or suggestions, drop us a line – The Mod Squad.