Andy Eagle ( Guitar repair tech for 30 years )

Andy, what would you recommend for a crowning file? Decided it's time to do my own levelling and crown jobs.
 
I use a safe edge triangle file. I have used crowning files but I don’t like the fact that you can’t see what you’re doing . The Z file is easy to use but only provides part of the solution.
IMG_2387.jpeg

This is 57110 stainless steel with a triangle file.
 
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Eagle said:
I use a sale edge triangle file. I have used crowning files but I don’t like the fact that you can’t see what you’re doing . The Z file is easy to use but only provides part of the solution. View attachment 19046
This is 57110 stainless steel with a triangle file.
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Well that looks rather great. :)


Crimson Guitars has a few, this one would do the job I guess:
www.crimsonguitars.com

Traditional Fret Crowning 3-Corner File

The 265mm long Traditional Triangular Fret Dressing File has been precision ground for guitar fret crowning or profiling work. quality smooth cut file 11mm wide 175mm long with a 145mm working length 3-square file precision ground safe edges custom, ergonomic 60mm handle handle made in the UK...
www.crimsonguitars.com www.crimsonguitars.com

Also a couple others, slightly more expensive:
www.crimsonguitars.com

Premium Fret Crowning 3-Corner File Smooth Cut

The 200mm long New Premium Fret Crowning 3-Corner File Smooth Cut - PRE ORDER quality Vallorbé Swiss Made file 11mm wide 150mm long with a 130mm working length 3-square file precision ground safe edges custom, ergonomic 60mm walnut handle walnut handle made in the UK Our fret crowning files are...
www.crimsonguitars.com www.crimsonguitars.com

www.crimsonguitars.com

Premium Fret Crowning 3-Corner File 2nd Cut

The 200mm New Premium Fret Crowning 3-Corner File 2nd Cut quality Vallorbé Swiss Made, 11mm wide 150mm long with a 130mm working length 3-square file precision ground safe edges custom, ergonomic 60mm walnut handle walnut handle made in the UK Our fret crowning files are the traditional tool...
www.crimsonguitars.com www.crimsonguitars.com
 
Eagle said:
You can make your own by smoothing the corners of a quality triangle file . You can buy very cheap diamond chisel sharpeners from eBay that are good to make the edges smooth and rounded.
Something like this works well;

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk
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I ordered the "trad" file from Crimson, don't want to deal with anything DIY for my first file , but thanks for the input. :giggle:
 
I've had the weird circumstance of owning two guitars that had twisted necks: an Epiphone Les Paul I bought new and just used standard 10s with since I bought it, and a used 2008 Gibson Shred V, which came with a terrible setup with some telephone cable looking wound strings. This made me gunshy about string gauge and really got me into used balanced tension packs, but I know most people don't use balanced tension. My new guitar came with a 9 - 46 set, and I do like them, so I wonder, how common are twisted necks really, and what normally causes that phenomenon?
 
State of Epicicity said:
I've had the weird circumstance of owning two guitars that had twisted necks: an Epiphone Les Paul I bought new and just used standard 10s with since I bought it, and a used 2008 Gibson Shred V, which came with a terrible setup with some telephone cable looking wound strings. This made me gunshy about string gauge and really got me into used balanced tension packs, but I know most people don't use balanced tension. My new guitar came with a 9 - 46 set, and I do like them, so I wonder, how common are twisted necks really, and what normally causes that phenomenon?
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A twisted neck is usually the result of several factors .In wood the climate it is subject too and how well seasoned it was are the main two. The string gauge is pretty much last and least . Don’t worry a 9-46 set is not going to damage anything if the guitar is looked after.
 
Fast growth small tree wood seasoned artificially quick and then used in short order are the reason 95% of twisted necks fail. As soon as you add a poor environment these necks move in the direction the grain dictates. Vintage compression truss rods massively increase the likelihood.
 
Eagle said:
If you do other stuff yourself I would have a go. If it is a 59 reissue it all has go through the F hole, no fun. If you take out the bridge pickup and the rout goes into the body it’s not really that difficult, you can just use rubber tubing to pull everything through.
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Update: the rout opens into the body! Definitely not the easiest pickup swap I've done, but it was totally manageable. I spent the whole time worrying that some 55 year old solder joint was going to break while I was dragging stuff around in the cavity, but everything held up. I put in a set of ESG-102B Throbaks and they're exactly what I was hoping for.
 
AutomationBias said:
Update: the rout opens into the body! Definitely not the easiest pickup swap I've done, but it was totally manageable. I spent the whole time worrying that some 55 year old solder joint was going to break while I was dragging stuff around in the cavity, but everything held up. I put in a set of ESG-102B Throbaks and they're exactly what I was hoping for.
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I’m glad it worked out, Throbak pafs are just excellent ( better than a lot of original ones.)
 
If my pickup rings arrive today (replacing the stock cream with black) I'm going to tackle a pickup swap in my PRS Core CU24 with stock 85/15 to Dimarzios.

To me, there's a lot not to like with factory PRS wiring. First, the output jack shield is soldered to the volume pot casing, with a glob of solder RIGHT ON TOP of the output black wire, which is then passed to a volume terminal. Doesn't seem like the greatest idea. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ When redoing wiring with wires with braided shield, I've separated that so the inner wire(s) don't get heat damage, but maybe I'm dumb? Hopefully, I won't have to touch this.

Next is the frikkin' treble bleed. They wire a 180pf cap between volume pot terminals and then another .033uF cap (looks like a resistor so they prob have their diagram wrong lol) between the vol and tone pots. This is another thing I intend to leave alone, at least for now.

My real problem is getting the Dimarzio's Red, White, Black and Green matched up with PRS' Red, White and Black. Confounding this is the fact that PRS wires their neck pu's in reverse of their bridge pu's. I don't want to have to turn one of the magnets. :hmm

@Eagle, do you have a "simple" solution to this, keeping in mind (for now) I just want to get the new Dimarzio's in place - I can undo the treble bleed for a more normal one, later, if I decide to. I would greatly appreciate the wisdom of someone who I suspect has done a "few" of these. :grin The only other PRS I've rewired was a total gut job, which made actual sense to my poor brain.

Here's an image just in case:
PRS CU24 85-15 Wiring 40PerResize.jpg
 
Ignore the PRS colour and treat them as hot ground and coil tap . In dimarzio this is red hot, green and bare ground and black and white together as coil tap for both. Take a photo of the wires so you know how it was and take it from there.
 
Eagle said:
Ignore the PRS colour and treat them as hot ground and coil tap . In dimarzio this is red hot, green and bare ground and black and white together as coil tap for both. Take a photo of the wires so you know how it was and take it from there.
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Eagle said:
By ignore I mean forget that PRS flip them for neck and bridge.
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Thank you, makes sense - I get into overthinking mode, easily :grin - I really appreciate it!
 
"Be different they said," to Paul. :LOL:

My McCarty has waited a year + for me to finish a PU install.

I should be more like you and get shit done.... and over with. :facepalm
 
la szum said:
"Be different they said," to Paul. :LOL:

My McCarty has waited a year + for me to finish a PU install.

I should be more like you and get shit done.... and over with. :facepalm
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Well, it ain't done yet dawg! But maybe today, if not, tomorrow morning.

And you're retired (and I'm jelly), so you should feel no pressure.
 
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