Advice on filing back fret sprout?

[glasshand]

A couple of my guitars have developed moderately bad fret sprout (thank you, Northeastern winters and baseboard heaters) and I'd like to learn how to fix it. Anybody here have any experience with doing this? I have the StewMac Rough Fret Smooth + Shine Set, but honestly it seems like what I really need is more like a leveling file like Dan Erlewine describes here, because I can't imagine trying to knock back all the fret ends (without putting marks in the fretboard edges) with a little file like the fret leveling file.

[honyock]

I prefer to use a room humidifier. Give it a week or two and it fixes most fret sprout on any guitar I have purchased.

Even in the absurdly low low humidity we have here basically 9 months a year.

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[mickey]

I prefer to use a room humidifier. Give it a week or two and it fixes most fret sprout on any guitar I have purchased.

Even in the absurdly low low humidity we have here basically 9 months a year.

Here in Floriduh, we use room DEhumidifiers for the same final result.

[Morrison]

I recently bought this fret end file. I had a few guitars with fret ends that needed filing. I “practiced” on the Squier Strat I have. It really wasn’t too difficult and made a huge difference. Next time I change the strings I’m going to re-work a few of them.


Watch a YouTube videos if needed.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... SsEALw_wcB


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[redman]

I have one of the StewMac fret end files but don't really use I prefer to use a 6" flat file and I just use painter's tape on the fretboard to protect it from the file. Just be careful and don't be afraid to use some elbow grease it will come out fine.

[glasshand]

Incidentally, I found this pretty cool overview of files, which explains a lot of stuff I never knew:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... OhlOXL.pdf

[andrewsrea]

I use a Stew Mac diamond fret leveling file on a roughly 60 degree angle from the fretboard, then finish with a fret dressing file.