Eliminate fret buzz once and for all
The TECHNOFRET fret leveling beam is a high-precision tool which enables luthiers and guitar techs to level frets with absolute accuracy. EVERY TECHNOFRET beam is individually tested and inspected before it goes out to a customer. It is tested on a British made inspection grade surface plate ( the flattest surface it is possible to obtain anywhere in the world ), and if it doesn't meet our rigorous standards, it doesn't go out. Simple as that. The beam is 19" x 2" x 1", constructed from aircraft grade box section aluminium, and both of the 1" wide faces are milled, ground, and lapped to an accuracy of less than .0001" over its entire length (that is one ten-thousandth of an inch). This accuracy far exceeds that achieved by normal commercial straight edges, which normally are "accurate" to a limit of .0015" per foot ( one and a half thousandths of an inch). That level of "accuracy" would be classified as "reject material" by TECHNOFRET. The straightness of both sides of the TECHNOFRET sanding beam is comparable to that of, say, a Starrett straight edge, or any of the high end straightedges which cost well in excess of a hundred pounds. * THIS IS A TRUE PRECISION TOOL.* Two strips of (very) high quality self-adhesive abrasive are supplied , 240 and 320 grit, which can be affixed by the user, one on either side of the beam. Different grits can be supplied if required, all the way from 80 up to 2000, but in practice it will be found that these two grits suffice for fret dressing purposes, enabling the frets to be leveled quickly and easily, while leaving them ready for the final dressing and polishing with steel wool or micromesh. [Heavier grits can be supplied for the purposes of fretboard levelling, ie sanding the wood of the fretboard, with the frets removed] The results achieved by using a high precision sanding beam are much superior to those achieved by rubbing a short file up and down the frets, which hitherto has been the preferred method of many techs. It is also much superior to using a scrap bit of wood and loose sandpaper, which is another method sometimes used. The flatness of the beam far exceeds anything that can be achieved by planing a piece of wood. In skilled hands, it is also far preferable to using radiused sanding blocks, which invariably end up flattening the frets too much at the edges, particularly on fretboards with a compound radius.
The generous length of 19" means that the entire fretboard is covered, requiring only slight movement back and forth to level the frets, and there is no danger of grinding low spots. Previously, we manufactured the beam in an 18" length, but in response to our customers' suggestions we have increased the length to 19" to enable slightly longer scales to be totally covered in one pass. All in all, a highly recommended tool, an absolute must for the professional guitar tech, as well as being a really useful accessory for the enthusiast. Here are a few comments received from some of the many satisfied customers who have bought the TECHNOFRET sanding beam:
[Richard A ...Cambridge]
[ Justin D... Melbourne]
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