So you’ve learned how to adjust the action and intonation on your guitar, and you’ve even purchased the Fret Ends file from StewMac and taken those sharp corners off your budget guitar’s frets. Now you’re thinking about learning how to do your own refrets. I will be writing a lot on this topic in the coming weeks, as I get deeper and deeper into the realm of guitar setup. But I think each tool deserves a review, so today’s tool is… Fret Crown File by AmplifiedParts.
This is a crowning file, and if you’re planning on doing fretwork, you need this file.
Here’s a closeup of a fret crowning file. It’s not the actual product, because I’m far too lazy to take closeup pics of my own file, so this is from the webs. The inside of the file is shaped like a half-circle. When you use the file on a fret, it makes the shape of the fret similar to a half-circle. It’s not a perfect half-circle – it’s more like the top of a school bus.
The Fret Crown File is dual-edged, with a medium groove on one side and a slightly smaller than medium groove on the other side. It sells for around $30. Thirty dollars??? Actually that’s a good price. The StewMac version sells for $40, and this file is 95% as good.
I’ve completed two refrets with this file, and I like it very much. I have the fancy medium three corner file from StewMac and I got decent at using it to put a crown on frets… but I wasn’t consistent enough. I want every fret to be as close to identical as I can make it. I want the landing (the top of the fret where the string touches) in the same spot on every fret, in the middle. I noticed a big improvement in playability once I started using this file.
From what I’ve read, the expensive diamond crowning files work better, but this file works fine, as long as you’re patient and deliberate. In my opinion, unless you’re Dan Erlewine, you shouldn’t attempt a fret level or refret without a crowning file. This file is high quality and lower cost. That’s why I bought it.
Amazon Link: Fret Crown Files Medium
