Tackling high frets on H137

[brentrocks]

I was thinking about taking my Heritage H137 Custom to Sweetwater’s for a PLEK job. $300 plus shipping costs. 

I can’t get the action as low as I think it should be. So I checked the frets last night with a fret rocker I have several high frets above the 12th!! 

I have files, crowned, leveled and polished frets before. I’m no pro. Lol.   I was just thinking PLEK because I was being lazy. But a couple hours out of my Saturday vs $350….its a no brainer. 

Well…wish me luck 
 

[brentrocks]

The problem is high frets above the 12th fret. I went over it with a fret rocker. The 13th is high. The 15th is high. The 19th is high. 

The bridge has plenty of adjustability 

The neck angle is good. 

The question of the hour is….can I knock down those high frets and accomplish what I set out to do?

I have filed, dressed, crowned and polished frets before. It really hurts my hands but I can do it. 

I think I’m gonna go for it. 

It’s a good Saturday project.

 

[tsp17]

Only way to learn is to do it.  Go get'um Brent.  Good project.  Let us know how it turns out.  I'd like to learn to do more of my own guitar tech work too, so you'll be my role model!  

[TalismanRich]

Have you tried tapping down those few frets?   I've heard of instances where a fret lifted a bit, but when tapped,  was reseated and fine.    

[brentrocks]

1 hour ago, TalismanRich said:

Have you tried tapping down those few frets?   I've heard of instances where a fret lifted a bit, but when tapped,  was reseated and fine.    

I have not?   I would be afraid to miss and hit my finger.   LOL

[brentrocks]

[brentrocks]

[rockabilly69]

Do you have a levelling beam or radius block? I don't see you doing that step in your pics?

 

[pressure]

I see Flitz ahhh, everything will be alright.

[brentrocks]

1 hour ago, pressure said:

I see Flitz ahhh, everything will be alright.

You have me that tube, my friend!!!

[brentrocks]

3 hours ago, rockabilly69 said:

Do you have a levelling beam or radius block? I don't see you doing that step in your pics?

 

I have a 12 inch radius block.   But that fretboard was a 14 inch radius!!!!   I couldn’t believe it!!!!!

[rockabilly69]

8 hours ago, brentrocks said:

I have a 12 inch radius block.   But that fretboard was a 14 inch radius!!!!   I couldn’t believe it!!!!!

you can make a levelling beam from scratch...

 

[MikeJacob]

You are going in the right direction. Tap them first. If still not resolved, spot level the high frets. I wouldn't pleck it. That machine removes too much material and if you don't have the right tech doing the job, the machine will gouge your fretboard and binding. I know some people swear by it, but what that machine did to my Les Paul Special was nothing short of a massacre.

[DetroitBlues]

Tap, check, tap again.  Straighten the neck and let the weight of the beam do all the work.  There's been a lot of great tools out there now that make leveling and crowning a chinch.... as if I know what I'm talking about.  I've been watching a ton of Milhouse Studio's YouTube channel, the English dude is rather funny but does some nice stuff he explains how he does it. 

He loves this stuff... FRTLZR® - Top Guitar Tools for Guitarists: Elevate Your Play

Nice thing with a 137 is there is no binding or nibs to worry about.  

Edited 16 hours ago by DetroitBlues

[dvnmjc]

This is easy you need fall off so only the last frets 12-end. Use flat file and go slow marking the tops o the frets from 11-22. Best done with under the string radius sanding tool but a flat file can work. The truss rod does not effect these frets. You want to see metal come off the frets even and slightly more pressure as toward last frets. Make sure you get rid of the 13th high fret that should show on the filings but also use a marker. Recrown the tops and polish it might take awhile but I sure would not pay that kind of money for a plek. Using a full length straight edge after your done should reveal a bit of drop in the fingerboard extension. Not much but just enough to keep action low. 

[rockabilly69]

On 1/25/2026 at 10:17 AM, MikeJacob said:

You are going in the right direction. Tap them first. If still not resolved, spot level the high frets. I wouldn't pleck it. That machine removes too much material and if you don't have the right tech doing the job, the machine will gouge your fretboard and binding. I know some people swear by it, but what that machine did to my Les Paul Special was nothing short of a massacre.

If you're going to tap frets make sure to have some super thin superglue and accelerator on hand to wick into the fret slots. I can't count the amount of times I've seen tapped in frets pop right back out. 

As for fall off, I think it's more successful on lower radius fretboards like Fender 7.25" and 9.5" radius boards, where you have to deal with the string choking on higher fret bends, but I've never needed to do it on a 12" radius or higher fretboard, and with a proper levelling I've got ridiculously low actions. Most people that play my guitars don't like how low I get those strings  

IMNSHO levelling beams are superior to radius blocks in getting a good fret level, while taking the least amount of metal. 

[nuke]

Yeah leveling beam to level fretboards and frets. The radius is better at establishing the fretboard radius. I find they work well to radius the top of nuts too. 
 

I have a 2001 535 that I love. I got it used in pristine condition a couple of years ago. It left the factory with a very not level fretboard. It was like a roller coaster. It was also only 9.5 radius too. 
 

Some heroic effort had been applied in its prior life to level the fret tops. It played but had buzzes here and there. it just didn’t feel right either. Some frets were as tall as new wire, some were under .030 tall. 
 

Tried everything I could think of. Then just decided to pull the frets out and do it right. 
 

After leveling the board nicely and sanding it to a 10 inch radius refretting was a snap. Having a level substrate to set the frets in meant not much leveling work was necessary. Saved a lot of meat  on the frets. 
 

Moral of the story, have a good look at the fretboard. If it ain’t level, the frets won’t be either.