Nut slotting files

[JD01]

Can @muttley or @Bubba recommend me a cheapish but serviceable set of nut files. I'm never gonna be a guitar tech but I don't want to buy twice even though I'll only be using them a few times a year.

[JD01]

These look like they're probably good... but also expensive and sold out
https://www.crimsonguitars.com/collecti ... ting-files

[muttley]

All mine are years old from back when you could only really get them from Hosco in Japan or Germany. They still set you back a good bit though. If you are going to be just doing a few bits of setup work then I would think the cheaper Chinese import stuff from China you can get on Ebay would be OK. Nut files rae not the sort of thing that wear out quick. You may have to use and old string to polish the slot after cutting if the kerf is too rough, I have never used them though. If you want the best then Hosco are the Go to.

[JD01]

Basically, I think I want to get a few bits of kit so I can make a better job of working on my own guitars.
Aside from the nut files, I think I'd like a a few bits to level, crown and polish my frets.

[muttley]

Leveling and crowning can be done with some modified standard files if its just the odd bit here and there. Maybe a decent diamond stone if you need to do lots of leveling. Polishing frets can be done with auto wet and dry paper and some Goddards silver cloth after masking off.

[JD01]

Cheers, I'm gonna put together a bit of a guitar tool kit. I should probably get a new soldering iron and do some practice too

[Greg_L]

Fret leveling and crowning is one thing I'm not fucking with.

[JD01]

Fret leveling and crowning is one thing I'm not fucking with.

Ah... my crimson could do with a sprucing up after, what? About 5 years and an average of about 2 hours a day. Maybe I'm not the guy to go fucking with this.

I've actually started using my tele more in the evenings so I'm not playing my Crimson all the time.

[Greg_L]

Ah... my crimson could do with a sprucing up after, what? About 5 years and an average of about 2 hours a day. Maybe I'm not the guy to go fucking with this.

What makes you think it even needs it? Do you have dents and high/low frets?

[Bubba]

I bought a cheap ebay set and they did ok. Three files with a different slot width on opposite edges. What I will say is that they are numbered 1 string size bigger than what you need. Use a gauge 5 file for a .046 (6th) string, for example. That leaves you with a problem of what to do with the E1st string slot, but providing you take the top of the nut down so that the string isn't sitting in a super deep slot, you can use the 1st file gauge for both the E1 and B strings.

[Bubba]

By the way, I have no idea why you would be using them more than once on any guitar, unless you're changing the nut every couple of months!

[JD01]

Ah... my crimson could do with a sprucing up after, what? About 5 years and an average of about 2 hours a day. Maybe I'm not the guy to go fucking with this.

What makes you think it even needs it? Do you have dents and high/low frets?

Yeah, starting to see a few dents in a few frets. Wouldn't mind getting it done to keep on top of it instead of waiting until the frets are totally mangled. I'm not in a massive rush for this. They're stainless steel, it'll likely take a few years before there's anything that will really affect playability.

[JD01]

Aside from the fact that this guitar really needs a clean when I next re-string it. You can see that I'm starting to get some wear.

Fret wear.jpg

[muttley]

Mate, unless it affects the playing those are fine. Just a little polish up with a silver cloth and condition the fret board. If it aint broke dont fix it.

[JD01]

Cool, when I've found out what a silver cloth is and bought one I'll give this guitar a well deserved clean.

Cool - 3 quid 50 delivered off Amazon.

[Greg_L]

Yeah I agree with the mutt. Those mega jumbos have about sixty thousand years left in them. You'd probably do more harm than good. At the very least get a junk neck to practice fret dressing on before you go mangling the crimson. That fretboard is plenty gross as fuck though. You could fix that.

[JD01]

That fretboard is plenty gross as fuck though. You could fix that.

Yeah, there's plenty of skin-fakes and bad-aids in there.

[WhiskeyJack]

I think those frets and finger board just need a good deep clean and the frets could get a good polishing. That's all. there is nothing wrong with those.

The nut files @Bubba mentioned are the same ones i have been keeping an eye on to to go on sale at a local Canadian supplier but they haven't come back in stock yet.

For future reference, save a few bucks on some of the things you are after and make your own. for my tele build (yes lol, that is still going on, i just haven't been updating the thread as motivation to just get it done, but i am unbelievably close to the finish line now, i came upon some majorly annoying stumbling blocks / set backs) i decided to not buy the tools i need and make a few of my own. Stuff that i might need maybe like 5 times in my lifetime.

The fingerboard leveler flattener checker thing a majigy.



I bought an cheap but rigid aluminum meter stick (3 bucks), marked out the frets for my tele neck and then my gibson and gibson style necks on the opposite side and then took a round diamond file (2 bucks at princess auto) and put the necessary divits in it. +/- an hour and half of my time.

Fret leveller




I got a 12 inch beam level (9 bucks) , really really thin double sided tape (5 bucks i think) and i applied a strip of 320 grit wet dry automotive sanding paper (already had some laying around) to the one flat side.

Both are crude as fuck but did what they needed to do. I feel like of the two the fret leveler may be the weak link. I think it might have been a little long, and the weight wasn't there that i needed. However after masking off the finger board and putting the sharpie down on my frets to watch the progress of the levelling it proved to do the job it needed to do. I added no extra pressure and took my time and just let gravity ease it along. no doubt it took probably twice as long to do then if i had a good beam with some weight to it, but for a novice first timer the fact it put a gun to my head to take it slow and easy was probably for the best.

If i am only ever going to be playing nurse with my guitars then I don't give a shit really these are more than adequate in my opinion.

[muttley]

@WhiskeyJack

I like how you got some new Police radios for Christmas too.

Did you check the steel rule was true? I say that because I know someone who did exactly what you did then couldnt work out why his setups were all wonky... The rule was about 2mm out end to end.

The best fret leveling tool I have is a flat diamond stone about 9 inch long. It also serves as a top drawer sharpening stone as intended. Well worth the investment if you move on for the level.

[WhiskeyJack]

@WhiskeyJack

I like how you got some new Police radios for Christmas too.

Did you check the steel rule was true? I say that because I know someone who did exactly what you did then couldn't work out why his setups were all wonky... The rule was about 2mm out end to end.

The best fret leveling tool I have is a flat diamond stone about 9 inch long. It also serves as a top drawer sharpening stone as intended. Well worth the investment if you move on for the level.

I did actually and you hit it on the head. There was a bit of wow in it from end to end but the problem seemed to lie in a weird burr right on the very end of it. It wasn't a burr as you and i would know it but almost like a small tiny blob of molten aluminum that dried pretty quickly? Or a run in your wall paint that you missed while painting. If you can picture that? Presumably where they cut it off at the factory? So that is the end i decided to part with and cut it off. I checked it again after lopping it off and there is still a bit of a wow in it, but were talking like sub mm amounts of light coming in underneath it. I could live with that.

After building that chess board i have a new, very deep appreciation for ensuring that everything is square and true before I really get going.