Taylor 414 CE L4: Set Up/Level Frets


1. A Set Up is necessary from time to time, in order to both counter wear and tear and customize an instru- ment's playability according to the needs of the individual player.	2. Lubricating the Truss Rod Nut with white lithium grease will keep this truss rod functioning for some time to come.


3. Adjusting the Truss Rod must be done before I level the frets. I'll adjust the truss rod so the neck is straight.	4. Leveling the Frets with 200 grit, 3-m sandpaper wrapped around our shop's dead-flat, aluminum sand- ing bar. Sanding the frets with a bar like this both removes any pit- ting in the frets and levels the frets. Leveling the frets like this will fasc- ilitate low action with no fret-buzz.


5. Planned Fatigue. I am sanding the frets at the body end of the neck with a shorter sanding bar. This creates a secondary plane which, will counter the disproportionate distri- bution of string tension caused throughout the length of the neck that is due to the neck's increased stability by the neck/body joint. This is called "planned fatigue".	6. No More Fret Wear.


7. Re-Crowning the Frets is necessary since the sanding bar left the tops of the frets flat. A crowning file makes quick work of the fret- crown.	8. Dressing the Fret Ends will reduce friction on the fretting hand allowing for a faster, more comfortable performance.


9. A Properly Crowned and Dressed Fret.	10. Sanding the Frets with sandpaper wrapped around a small, metal rod will sand out any marks left by the crowning file. I like to make my first few passes on the frets with a dowel as it does a better job of getting rid of the file marks on the sides of the frets.


11. Sanding the Frets Cont. I'm now sanding the frets with a lighter grit sanding paper wrapped around my middle finger.	12. Polishing the Frets begins with #0000 steel wool.


13. Micro Mesh Pads complete the polishing process. I'm using these abrasive pads to polish the frets through 12,000 grit.	14. Cleaning and Sealing the Fretboard is necessary to protect this unfinished, ebony fretboard from the elements. I'm cleaning the ebony with naptha. I'll follow this up with some mineral oil to seal the hardwood.


15. Filing Away String Wear will make this guitar easier to tune.	16. Sanding Away the File Marks.


17. Level Frets, with a neck reset, and set up have this guitar playing really nice.	18. All Done.