Official Luthiers Forum!

StewMac offset 300 grit. Can't think of any better design for a crowning file. 150 grit would be way too coarse, IMO. 300 already goes fast enough that you have to be careful not to mess up the leveling.

I bought some off ebay and threw them away.

I guess it depends on who you buy them from I guess.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

i was expecting more than a 25% price differential....still, i bet they are the same tool

I bought a couple from an ebay supplier and they worked well. I couldn't recall the the guys name so the next time I was in the market I bought a few stew mac files from a guy who was getting out of the guitar repair hobby on ebay. But the original ones worked well and still do.

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Another day, another dollar.

I bought one from Stewmac, it was the dual grit kind, the problem was the "crown" inside was too flat, I was grinding the top of the fret rather than the side, and this is using the right size too because it looked as though it was meant for fretwire that are over 1/4" thick!

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

I have have the SM 300 grit offset. not the greatest for smaller frets. Works fine on medium and jumbo.

I have this 150 grit diamond file from Stew Mac

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html

A little pricey, but have done at least 14 guitars with stainless steel frets and still going strong. The 300 grit would be nice, but IMHO too fine to start with on stainless, would be great for touching up though.

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I've got one of these from StewMac and I really like it although I pretty much use only the 300 grit side.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Dual-grit_Diamond_Fret_File.html

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Stewmac dual grit.

I do use the 150 grit side also, only for a pass or 2 before going to the 300.

Works well but that's all I've ever used FWIW.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

Ditto on the dual grit.
I upgraded from the old toothed file from LMI to these and found them handier and cleaner, not to mention no chatter lines!
Coe Franklin

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Give me 50 cents worth of regular.
Check my oil too, if you don`t mind,,,

I bought one very similar to this from a luthier suppler on ebay.com and the cut was so rough/coarse I ended up running a round diamond needle file along the groves to smooth them a bit - works great now, but perhaps the 330 grit from the same seller you show might be a better choice?
I nearly bought the stewmac one you mention, but was put off by Kevin Waldron's comments on the stewmac site (pg 3)

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

SM dual grit for me. It's done 14 guitars and doesn't seem to be showing signs of wear. It's somewhat ergonomically fits my hand. It's more comfortable than the the offset.

Enjoy The Day

I've bought two of these from this guy and have had good results with the 220 side followed up with fine steel wool:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Diamond-fre ... 3cc14cb3c0

The first one lasted for a hundred or so guitars and the second is still going strong. I have no experience with the SM offset file so I can't compare but it looks like a nice tool. I think I would miss not having a handle to hold on to.

I never get chatter marks with files, but I am using triangular files to crown the frets rather than fretfiles, more flexibility and a lot cheaper too. I guess if I had 100 guitars a day to dress then I'd invest in a fretfile to save time. After I finish crowning I just use micromesh 1500 all the way up to 4000 then polish, and the result is very professional.

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Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com

+1.

IMO, diamond fret files are the spawn of Satan ...I just don't like the profile they give.

Frets which are individually crowned with a three square (triangular) file are way more playable, and also intonate better, since you can make the fret profile resemble a pyramid rather than a school bus. The string sits cleaner on the fret midpoint.

But, admittedly, diamond fret-files are way faster than using a three-square file, and, hey, if the customer doesn't complain ...well ...why not use them if it saves time...

But I would never crown the frets on one of my own guitars with a diamond fret file, neither from Stew Mac nor from anywhere else ..

I have used the SM offset files for several years now. I modify them a bit, but once that is done I love 'em.
If you do a lot of fretwork, I would recommend buying the 150 as well as the 300 grit.
I have worn out my first (300 grit) after about 60 fret jobs. Using the coarse file speeds the process enormously and will save wear on the fine file... Especially if the original fret job was done poorly & you have a lot of material to remove.
The 150 grit does leave deep scratches, so you want to change over to the finer file well before the "line" gets removed.
I've tried several other types of fret file & all have disappointed me.
I haven't tried the e-bay equivalents, so can't comment there. It'd be nice if there was a lower priced (equal quality) alternative.

Any pics or description of your mods Daniel?

So, I'm not going crazy! Haha. I did my first dozen or so with a triangle, then got a 'fret file', then SM duel grit and finaly after drooling long enough got the offset. The diamond is faster and easier to be accurate, although I have never been able to get the same nice profile as with a triangle file. It is a bit like a school bus haha. However no one has ever complained including me so I'm sticking with it.

Sorry to hijack Filippo, I have never tried one from eBay but I do recommend getting just the 300 grit if only one.


Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

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Pat

I have the offset diamond files I got from Stewmac 15 years ago and still use them, although the plating is starting to come off the handle portion, which prompted me to get the Ebay ones that I threw away.

They look like the ones in your link although I don't remember the seller, ad anyway they all look the same in pictures to me.

I don't like the triangular fret crown, and the "schoolbus" top to me just looks flat.

So I actually start with the new diamond files from Stew-mac: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html
I like them 'cuz they cut fast.

then I carefully shape them with the triangular file, then I finish up with my old offset diamond files to smooth and round the top, leaving a very fine markered line across the center of the fret (I index with marker).

Then I polish the frets up to 1000 grit and Mother's metal polish.
I've gone and markered the tops of the frets and slid the strings back and forth across the frets to see where the string rubs, and the crown is round, but the string hits in the very center of the fret only.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I have the ultimate answer: No fret file! I haven't quite managed it yet but I can now fret a board that requires a touch up on just a few frets. I use a flat needle file to restore the crown.

ZING!!

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http://www.CostaGuitars.com
PMoMC

I tried this one from SM. I used it on one fret and went back to the LMII 3in1 unit. You couldn't tell the differences between the 2 radiuses, and it scratched (300 grit modle.. Not the 150) the heck out of the fret making for a lot more work. Anyone want to buy it? Half price..!

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... _File.html

Hey Michael

If your serious ill take that file off your hands.

Let me know

Thanks

Joel

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http://Michaudmade.com

To answer Darrel's question... As Todd mentioned, you can get good results with the SM offset file if you "rock" the file. When I bought my fist one, I almost sent it back because I was ending up with those "school bus roof" profiles & the edges of the file made contact with the FB well before I wanted it to. Being in a hurry to get some jobs done, I took the brand new $100.00 file & carefully filed the edges down to get a shallower profile. I removed enough material to allow the file to be angled 15 -20 degrees each way, without bottoming out on the fretboard.
The only bummer about doing this is that the chrome starts peeling off once it is disturbed.
Sometimes, I still need to use a three corner file to dress the sides of the frets.
Though not a perfect tool, I find it works better than any other I've tried, once modified.

The regular fret file worked ok in restoring the top profile, just file until the line in the middle becomes real thin.

Thing is if I had to modify the diamond fret file and rock it back and forth to make it work, then I might as well just use a cant saw file or a flat triangular file... to add injury to the insult it costs more than twice as much as a regular fret file that works decently already.

I can file SS with regular triangle file, and if it wears out then I just buy another one, its only 3 dollars a piece anyways.

_________________
Cat-gut strings are made from kitten guts, stretched out to near breaking point and then hardened with grue saliva. As a result these give a feeling of Pain and anguish whenever played, and often end up playing themselves backwards as part of satanic rituals.

Typhoon Guitars
http://www.typhoon-guitars.com