Slightly catchy fret edges - best way to fix?

fretmeister

I've got a very cheap Jim Deacon P bass and some of the fret edges are uncomfortable.
Not actually sharp, but annoyingly noticeable.

It's not on the tang, it's above that.

What's the best approach? Files or a bit of Wet n Dry paper?

ta

Flip

I assume they're not stainless steel.

I use a small fret file, flat on one narrow edge, as Dan Erlewhine does, gently file the fret ends with a 'round and over' motion. Do this to both sides of the fret and both ends, then carefully polish with steel wool using a masking tool to avoid touching the fretboard.

BillDL

Is it a maple or rosewood board?

Bound or unbound?

An unbound rosewood board is the easiest and safest fretboard to do this on because there is obviously no risk that you will file into plastic binding or file off lacquer.  If you scuff the edges of a rosewood board you can usually rub some very fine wet & dry paper along it and conditioning it with oil will darken the scuffed and sanded parts again.  Depending how much the sharp edges of the frets are protruding, you might be able to round them over a bit with a folded piece of fine wet & dry paper (eg. P400) in two fingers rubbed along the edges of the board longitudinally.  It's more likely that you will need to file them to remove the worst of the sharp bits though.

Usually I take a narrow flat needle file and file across and down the end of the frets following the angle of the bevel and rotating very slightly more downwards into an arc as I go to catch any tang protrusion where the profile of the fret joins the tang right at the edge of the fretboard.  For accuracy it is best to guide the file with the fingers of your free hand and only do smooth forward motions with each pass rather than tring to do backward and forward saw cutting motions.

If you do that and running wet & dry paper up and down the edges of the board still doesn't round the edges sufficiently well for comfort, you will have to use a file to do a "round and over" motion on each side of the end of each fret as mentioned by @Flip. ;;; By far the easiest and safest way to do this without filing notches into the board around each fret end is with a file that has a "safe edge" where it is running against the wood of the board.  Even if you use tape across the board between the frets it doesn't offer full protection around the end of the fret because you have to get in against the fret end tightly with a file to catch the sharp burrs.

I have had the same thin triangular file for 40 years to do this.  It is just a fine ordinary tapered triangular file about 1.5 times the thickness of frets and I carefully ground off the very tip of the serrated sharp corners making them smooth and unable to file ("safe edges").  The file is just wide enough to use for the 1st step I mentioned (i.e. angled and following the bevel), but it's harder to control than a flat needle file.  You don't need a triangular file.  A narrow flat needle file works fine as long as you have a smooth "safe edge" or you work very carefully.  The bespoke "Fret Finishing File" shown on the Crimson Guitars website is flat and has a safe edge (plus an "ergonomic weighted handle"), but it costs £26.95.

https://www.crimsonguitars.com/collections/fretting

You can get cheaper and more expensive tools of this kind of varying quality from other luthiery supplies, but for a one-off job on a budget guitar you might already have a suitable file to hand.  Some of the old fashioned metal fingernail files have a smooth edge and may be just resilient enough to file the fret ends on one guitar before it dulls the teeth completely.

There are videos showing the best motion to use for consistently good results.  Some people position the guitar with the fret ends they will be working on facing them, but that's awkward and most work across the board on the fret ends facing away from them.  Assuming you will be filing the right-hand side of a fret end on the other side of the board as you look across the board at it, you start with the file in against the edge of the fret end and the file angled up about 45 degrees from the board and angled slightly out to the right.  You push smoothly, arcing the file up as you go so that you are following the edge of the fret over the edge of the board and moving the file slightly outwards to the right.  Your final file position will be angled outwards from the fret and down around the side of the neck.  This rolling motion rounds over any angular edges left from just bevelling the frets and the end and removes little rags and burrs.  Assuming you are right-handed, doing the left side of the same fret is a slightly less intuitive motion.  There's a knack to it and it helps to control the file with your free hand even if it means hooking your finger over the file to keep it from slipping as you push and roll it around the fret end.

Once you are used to working on fret ends you can usually loosen the outside strings a bit and pull the string towards you while you work on the fret, but accidental contact with the file on a string can weaken it, so you are better doing this while the strings are off.

Dan Erlewine in action (while marketing his Stewmac tools).

Ben Crowe of Crimson Guitars in his unique jerky and animated style showing his skills with a file, rolled-up sandpaper, and fret rubbers (wet & dry on your fingers does the same).

axisus

I'd use a small file then finish off with awesome Micro Mesh pads

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Micro-Mesh-Soft-Touch-Variety-Pack

BillDL

Yes, I forgot about the micromesh pads.  Good suggestion.  I don't use them though.  I know somebody whose daughter in law has a beauty salon and uses those very fine slightly padded nail buffing "files" that have an extremely fine abrasive quality.  I acquire a few of them when I visit, because I'm a cheapskate and they cost a lot more than they really should.

Funkfingers

It is possible that fret wire is protruding because the fingerboard has shrunk. 

WezV

A triangle file with ground flat edge (aka fret dressing file) to dress the ends if it's really bad.

In certain situations I then use 400g wet and dry over a firm, but not solid, sanding block, up and down the neck.  If the fret ends tear the paper go back to the file. Work up the grits.  This works well on unlacquered boards where a slight round over is desirable.   

@FelineGuitars did a vid that shows the motion you need with the fret dressing file.  The video is much better than trying to describe it.

fretmeister

Lovely.

It's a rosewood board. No binding.

BillDL

Excellent.  Much easier to do without messing anything up.