Fret Crowning File Guitar Luthier Leveling Dressing Tool Bass Electric Acoustic Dual Cutting Edges Ultimate Dagger Design Jumbo 6100 6105

I'm a hobbyist, but am trying to learn how to do basic guitar maintenance, as some of my guitars are over 20 years old now, or were purchased used with previous wear and tear. Was starting to notice string deadening and some partially dead frets that could not be remedied by changing string height, so it was time to address the frets. After a LOT of research on the best way to do this, I opted for this FretGuru crowning file. So, far I've been pretty pleased with the results - an update/revision will be posted if I encounter problems or have additional thoughts or tips on using the file.I think there are pros and cons to all of the different fret crowning options I came across. If money were no object, I'd probably just buy the StewMac diamond crowning file, but it's like $130, and I hopefully only need to do this a handful of times. You can get a $7 triangle file and there are loads of YouTube videos showing you how to shape a fret crown. But I really worried about inconsistency from fret to fret, and that my results would end up more "angular" than "crowned".The FretGuru file seems well-crafted, and in my early attempts with it, I've been pretty happy. Paid around $40 for it, so if this is the end of my search, I'll be satisfied with that investment. You definitely want to use permanent marker on the frets you are crowning, and then what should happen is that your fat Sharpie line should narrow to a very thin - but still visible - line on the top of the fret. This represents the contact point with the string, and it's important for intonation and string clarity that this contact point is narrow and centered.So does the Fret Guru accomplish this? So far, yes. I definitely saw a narrowing of the line without removing all of the material off the top. And, when checking the frets with a rocker, it didn't seem to have worsened as compared to after I leveled with the sanding beam.That being said, I'm sure I'm still making mistakes, and will just have to learn techniques and best practices with this whole process over time. Also, not all frets are the same - the Jackson DR6 I elected to use as a the "test pilot" for this process actually has pretty large/wide frets compared to some of the Strats I want to work on afterwards. And even from fret to fret on the Jackson, some of frets had been "flattened" more by the sanding process than others, so they were behaving differently when I went to file them. Still, I don't know that there's any other tool (especially not the triangular file) that is going to make this task any more predictable. I think it just caution, time, and experience. But the FretGuru file appears to work, and at least guides you to apply the same technique to every fret, versus free-handing it with a file.

I work on guitar necks for some custom builds I do. Sometimes the necks need to be leveled and crowned.I looked up this product and recently ordered it. Looking at the packaging and the feel of the product, I can tell it is a high quality tool.I tried it out on a strat neck that I am working on and I think it is a great tool.It is easy to use, doesnt hurt your hands and it works quickly.It does not take off any of the top of the frets so far.It does work on standard modern jumbo frets.I would reccomend this product highly.Pros:Good qualityWorks EasilyDoes not take any unecessary portion of the fretsCons:None at the moment

I bought and used this once so far. My neck specs say 6105 frets. The 6105 side of the file seemed too small, so I used the larger side. It seems to work well, I would just suggest measuring your frets against the tool before using for safety. (almost damaged a solid rosewood neck)

Updating my review to 5 stars, despite my concerns outlined below. I just crowned all the frets on a P bass in less than half the time it would have taken with my old file and much less hand cramping (easier shape to hold). I used a sharpie as described below to be sure not to remove any height from the frets. The slight extra time required for that was more than offset by the fast and precise cutting of this file.As others have noted, this file has teeth all the way to the top of the profile - which means it will not only crown the fret but also remove height. If you use a fret leveling beam to level the frets, and want a file just for crowning, this file is not ideal. There are a few crowning files available that do not have teeth at the top of the profile which makes the task easier and safer.Quality of this file seems very good, just the cutting action is not what I was expecting based on the product description.There was a very helpful tip from another reviewer, that is worth repeating if you want to use this file just for crowning: mark the fret tops with a sharpie, and then check frequently during the crowning process to not remove all of the sharpie.

Having tried several different files for maintaining my own gear, this one has proven to be my favorite. Easiest to control, and have leveled/recrowned four guitars with this file now. It is showing no signs of dulling or reduced cutting capability. I am surprised at how little is required to finish-sand the frets to a mirror shine after using this file (it cuts smooth without bouncing or gouging). Definitely works for small-scale DIY type maintenance. Cannot speak for professional luthiers, whom I have a great deal of respect for.

Pros: cuts through any fret metal, I used it on stainless steel frets (Jescar) and it cut fast. I'd choose this over the Baroque file (ver.3 which I had to return). It's a high quality file. Overall I'm happy.Cons: the concave surface is a bit too deep. Sometimes you want to hold it at an angle, but the edge can damage the fretboard next to the fret. I'll have to modify it at some point, but I shouldn't have to do it at the premium price level. I would look elsewhere if the price was over 40 bucks. Also, it's a bit too wide as well, and I'm talking about doing jumbo frets with the smaller side.However, I must say, the cons I've listed are pretty much nothing compared to its performance. I've re-crowned an entire neck and it wasn't too much of a chore.

Very good. I am not an expert luthier or anything although I've played guitar for 30yrs. Guitar tech for the last 2 yrs of serious time spent studying. I used large LG XL for 2018 Charvel San Dimas neck Jumbo frets. Did the trick. Looks like it should last. Quality feel. Fret Guru seems to be a bit more accurate and nicer features (tilt away handle) than the 3rd Gen Baroque guitar fret crowning dressing file. Both work good though. I wanted to compare both. Fret Guru seems slightly better quality in my opinion.

The quality is there as soon as you feel the weight. You get a hand written, addressed to you, thank you from Bernie the man himself. This file takes the effort out of the job, it’s gets it done with results you’d expect from a high quality hand made tool.Definitely worth the money. I highly recommend.

I make my living as a guitar tech and I have tried many files, from Hosco, StewMac and UO-CHIK-YU.. this fret guru file is the cleanest smoothest cutting one of the bunch (not including diamond files.