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Thread: Fret height

  1. #1
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    Hi,
    I am new to the mando and am playing a Washburn Jethro Burns model. I have a question. It seems to me the the frets are two tall. When I do slides up and down the neck it does not feel smooth. The frets really hinder the slide. Are the frets on better mandolin's lower allowing a smoother slide! Can frets be shaved to make them not protrude above the fretboard and if they can would it be worth it (cost wise) on this mando.

    Thanks in advance for and info and thanks for all of the good info that I have gleaned from this website.

    Kelvin

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    Hi Kelvin,

    Sounds like you need a fret dressing. Often times newer mandolins especially Gibsons and Import models need to have their frets addressed right off the bat. I bought an F9 a few/five years back and right away it needed to have the frets milled down and dressed. Things were a lot better after that, no more hanging off the side of the board etc. My luthier/repairman/friend always tells me that no matter what factory instrument you get it probably needs a setup right away. All of the custom builders tend address these issues before the mandolins leave their shop. Gibson sites changes in humidity. They believe that in the two day time it takes for a mandolin to get from Nashville to New York makes the bridge not fit the top anymore and the fret board to have a roller coaster affect. Don't get me wrong Gibson's are great instruments, just when there used to be tons of dealers around here the initial setup of them was terrible. Once setup they play and sound great.

    Import models are even messier sometimes. Although sometimes they're better too. Now the Jethro Burns model is almost identical to the Fender F model (of which I owned many years back). I recall the frets being terrible on that instrument. You'd do well by getting a good setup and possibly dressing the frets. Good luck.



    Philip Halcomb

  3. #3
    Registered User sunburst's Avatar
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    Sounds to me like the frets are poorly crowned.

    No, frets on high quality mandos are not lower, but are likely to be well crowned (at least they should be, on a high quality instrument.)

    Practice will help too, not only because you'll get better at it, but because your fingertips will toughen (callous) and slide over the frets easier. With tougher fingertips you can also get clean notes without pressing down as hard as with soft fingertips, and sliding over the frets is easier when you aren't pressing down as hard.

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    thanks guy's.........When you dress the frets do you round them off?. I have been playing nonstop for 9 months a people that I play with say I am doing exceptionally well. My fingers are tough and calloused. This frets just seem to be to high or not rounded off. when I slid it feel like I am running up against a curb for lack of a better description. I have a friend who dresses his guitar frets and he noticed that the frets on my mando where showing wear and asked if I wanted him to dress them. Would dressing them for wear be the same a putting a crown on them?

    Kelvin

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    Quote Originally Posted by (kelvin @ Nov. 28 2007, 18:35)
    Would dressing them for wear be the same a putting a crown on them?
    No, I think.
    "Dressing" the frets usually means milling them level at the very least, but it could mean milling and re-crowning, the terms I prefer.
    Some say "dress", some say "fret level", some say "mill and re-crown" some say "grind and polish", whatever it's called, the "proper" procedure is this:

    1. Mill the tops of the frets level. This is done with the neck as straight as one can get it. If there's an adjustable rod (that works) straighten the neck, and with a flat file or a straight sanding block, (depending on the amount of wear or deviation from level exhibited by the frets) mill the tops of the frets until you're down to the level of the worn places and all frets are level.

    If you do that, the frets are flat on top with corners where the crown is cut off. That leads us to:

    2. Re-crown the frets. That means file each fret until it once again has a smooth, round crown. This can be done with a safe edge triangular file or with specialty fret files, but if this step is neglected or not done thoroughly, the frets feel just like you say your's feel.

    So, "dressing" the frets, if done properly and with thorough re-crowning, should make them easier to play.

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    Thanks a bunch John. Your explanation on how to work over the frets is just what I needed.

    Kelvin

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    What John said, but in my experience the korean made mandolins of which I believe the Jethro Burns model is often has uneven frets. This is just my assumption however your instrument may just need crowing.
    Philip Halcomb

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