Fret Leveling Beam — Lutherie Encyclopedia

Fret Leveling BeamType: toolA long, flat abrasive beam used to level fret tops to a uniform plane, eliminating high frets that cause buzz.## Description A fret leveling beam is a rigid, precision-flat bar, typically 12 to 24 inches long, with adhesive-backed sandpaper applied to one face. The beam is made from aluminum, steel, or granite and must be dead flat to function correctly. Sandpaper grits from 180 to 320 are commonly used. The beam spans many frets at once and, when stroked along the fretboard, removes material only from the highest frets until all frets are at the same height, creating a uniform playing surface. ## Use in Lutherie After fretting a new instrument or when addressing fret wear, the luthier levels the frets to ensure they all sit at exactly the same height relative to the fretboard surface. Even slight variations of 0.001 to 0.002 inches can cause fret buzz. The leveling beam is stroked along the length of the neck with the neck adjusted to simulate playing conditions (typically flat or with slight back-bow). Marker ink is applied to fret tops before leveling; when the ink is removed uniformly from all frets, leveling is complete. After leveling, frets must be re-crowned and polished. ## Selection Guide The beam must be verified flat. Aluminum beams from Stew-Mac and LMI are popular and affordable. A granite surface plate can serve as an alternative. The beam length should span at least 12 frets for effective leveling. Some luthiers use multiple beams of different lengths for different sections of the neck. Budget 20 to 60 dollars for a quality leveling beam. ## Tips - Adjust the truss r…