Leveling the first fret (or not)

[adamrobertt]

I recently begun working as an assembly tech at a well known boutique guitar/bass company in their USA custom shop. During setup, we do not level the first fret. I was even taught to level the frets and told to never touch the first fret (even though the actual fret leveling is done by a different department, I’m just cutting the nut and doing final dress).

It was explained to me that in this scenario the unleveled first fret basically acts like a zero fret, but I’m having trouble envisioning/understanding exactly how this works physically. Anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.

[schoolie]

I have always wondered about this. It seems to me that if the frets require significant leveling, it would feel stiff and awkward on the first few frets, since the nut slots would need to be higher for the 1st fret. I don't know, but it just seems to me that the geometry would be off a bit with lower action.

[adamrobertt]

I have always wondered about this. It seems to be that if the fret require significant leveling, it would feel stiff and awkward on the first few frets, since the nut slots would need to be higher for the 1st fret. I don't know, but it just seems to me that the geometry would be off a bit with lower action.

Our instruments play very well with low action. So it definitely isn’t impeding that at all

[CaptainCrunch]

That doesn’t sound right to me. A zero fret maybe, but if the first fret isn’t leveled, then you’re left with a first fret that needs one nut but and others that need a slightly different one.

I guess that past a certain length up the neck it’s not noticeable, but it just seems like it would create more problems than it solves.

[HarlowTheFish]

I know some of the proggy metal axe Euro custom shops (off the top of my head Skervesen, and I think Mayones and OD as well at least at some point) use smaller frets as you go up the fretboard. Their reasoning is that with a stiff neck (as their exotic laminate ones with reinforcement rods tend to be) you want it to stay as straight as possible, so lowering the frets as you go up the neck gives the string a bit more room to move where it's gonna move more (i.e. closer to the center of the scale length) and allows more evenly low action on all the frets without any need to raise it to avoid buzz or fretting out higher up.

I'm kinda scratching my head at this one though, you'd maybe want the first fret leveled a bit higher (to avoid it being uncomfortably hard to play because it's so close to the nut, which I've definitely encountered), but not leveling it at all seems kinda sketch. Like, if it works it works, but if I was putting it together myself I'd be concerned that it would just leave the first fret as a (by necessity, since it isn't being leveled) potentially problematic guide for how the other frets need to be radiused/leveled -- though, if you're CNC-ing stuff and using a mechanical press then it wouldn't necessarily cause issues -- or as a potential point of buzz on the open strings with it being higher than everything else.

[timtam]

If the first fret truly acted like a zero fret then it would shorten the scale length. The open string would effectively be fretted at the first fret. But if the string doesn't rest on the first fret when open, then it's not acting like a zero fret. So that sounds like an inaccurate analogy to me.

One wants the open string to clear the first fret by at least a small margin. Otherwise it will buzz. People argue about just low first fret action can be. Some say "at least <value>". Others say as low as you can go, which may be somewhat less than <value>. Since you are doing the nut, what is their preferred first fret action ? Of course many manufacturers leave/set the first fret action too high. Either because they want to allow for environmental changes in the neck without making the guitar unplayable. Or they can't be bothered filing the nut slots to set it precisely low.

But the logic of not levelling the first fret is still obscure. How do they level ? With a levelling beam or radius block that they stop before reaching the first fret ? Perhaps some logic lies in the limited consequences if the first fret ends up higher than the rest ? The consequences of a high fret anywhere on the neck (buzz) usually only arise when you fret the string one fret lower (or further back). For the first fret, there is no lower fret, just the nut. So I guess one could argue that as long as you get the nut slot depth right, allowing sufficient clearance over the first fret for the open string, then it doesn't really matter if the first fret is higher than the other frets. When you fret at the first fret, the string just clears the higher frets by a bit more than it normally would, if all frets were at the same height, plus relief. So in that case fretting at the first fret is then .... a bit like a zero fret.

[jorri]

So they must mean a part of the process like a levelling beam, then they more manually level the first with more control?

Well whilst the nut controls buzz there it can still be worn, needing crowning. Also, if you have a higher first fret, well aside from wonky action i would bet wonky intonation into the next frets, and having a nut that seems too high except when you play 1st fret. Also when guitar truss rod is set you would end up with a straighter neck than intended if using the usual method.

[adamrobertt]

If the first fret truly acted like a zero fret then it would shorten the scale length. The open string would effectively be fretted at the first fret. But if the string doesn't rest on the first fret when open, then it's not acting like a zero fret. So that sounds like an inaccurate analogy to me.

One wants the open string to clear the first fret by at least a small margin. Otherwise it will buzz. People argue about just low first fret action can be. Some say "at least <value>". Others say as low as you can go, which may be somewhat less than <value>. Since you are doing the nut, what is their preferred first fret action ? Of course many manufacturers leave/set the first fret action too high. Either because they want to allow for environmental changes in the neck without making the guitar unplayable. Or they can't be bothered filing the nut slots to set it precisely low.

But the logic of not levelling the first fret is still obscure. How do they level ? With a levelling beam or radius block that they stop before reaching the first fret ? Perhaps some logic lies in the limited consequences if the first fret ends up higher than the rest ? The consequences of a high fret anywhere on the neck (buzz) usually only arise when you fret the string one fret lower (or further back). For the first fret, there is no lower fret, just the nut. So I guess one could argue that as long as you get the nut slot depth right, allowing sufficient clearance over the first fret for the open string, then it doesn't really matter if the first fret is higher than the other frets. When you fret at the first fret, the string just clears the higher frets by a bit more than it normally would, if all frets were at the same height, plus relief. So in that case fretting at the first fret is then .... a bit like a zero fret.

The frets are leveled with a non-radiused beam and crowned as normal - the first fret is not leveled. It doesn't get hit with the beam, just crowned.

I think your last paragraph is getting to the reasoning. We cut the nut at the end of the setup process by measuring the distance of the strings from the first fret with a special tool (Stew Mac sell it, it's specifically for this purpose) and then we cut the slots to 0.020'' (or about half a millimeter).

As I've said, the instruments play exceptionally well and are set up with low action. So it definitely doesn't affect playability at all in a negative way.

I guess the "zero fret" thing is a pretty bad analogy though, because the strings def. aren't resting on the first fret.