The Guitar Gallery Forums - The Guitar Legacy of Matsumoku

This is a hot potato right now in the industry. Sam Ash has just started to carry it.

Looking for some input from members on this. I am really trying to keep an open mind until the one I ordered is received and I have tried it out on a junker guitar or two, before I pass judgement for use on any of my collection.

For those who don't know, this product claims to level the frets with the strings on and in tune ! Then by turning it over, approximates a dressing - not pro technical set up luthier quaility, but then not all of us can always justify the cost of this can we !

I've read both sides of the argument, which actually fall into 3 camps.

a ) Load of bs - very strong traditional opinions from guitar techs. Must be done with strings off, needs a straight edge, traditional long and narrow type lutiher file, crowning file to get the correct contact etc. I know this is the accepted and correct way.

b) Best thing since sliced bread - probably the " preachers " and I don't actually like sliced bread.

c) Somewhere in the middle - players

One point that I would add, is that some gurus of the fretboard do claim that you can only level the fingerboard properly if the neck is under tension and have devised many a strange jig for doing so. Logically as an engineer the same must be true for the frets ! Naturally the neck has to be adjusted nigh on dead nuts for this to have a chance to work. Perhaps there is more to this idea than meets the eye,

Here is a good example of the green monster from one of the gurus and some interesting comments about taking a shower in a raincoat ( no it is not a condom joke )

http://www.richbeckguitars.com/FretGuide.htm

I am trying to keep an open mind but I also know

a) there is no such thing as a free lunch and guitar players like golfers will buy anything.
b) some guitar techs ( not all ) are perfectionists and like to run up the price, because they can do so on the expensive guitars
c) I cannot justify $ 50 or $ 100 every time I need frets cleaned up and dressed.
d) I may still end up learning how to do it the old fashioned way

However the most interesting thing I found is the reference to an advert for the same product in a 1980 Guitar World. Same company, same sales pitch etc etc. Patent must have expired and been renewed.

Here is the link it is on the page 82
http://guitarworld.com/backissueviewer?EMC-BT9514612007

As a lot of us are to put in politely in the late summer of our musical career, I wondered if anyone had tried it back then ? I never even knew such a product existed but back then I did not have the interest in the inner workings of a guitar fretboard just the playing.

I will report on my findings as I am sure several of us would like to at least try the product before making a decision.

Mikey

From what I can tell it looks a lot like just thin radiused spot leveling blocks.

I wouldn't know if there were an easy way to do it. I've always done it the old fashioned way. Stewmac came up with a fretting jig which can also be used to keep the neck in "playing tension shape", but is costly to buy. Built my own. Hardly use it any more.

When you spot level the arch or bow on the neck is not near as critical since you're only working with 3 or 4 frets as opposed to most of them along the length of the neck.

Re crowning and dressing isn't that difficult but the files can cost a few bucks.

The idea of keeping the string tension on the neck is worth merit as unlike Stewmac's thinking it is difficult to precisely duplicate the neck's shape under tension without that tension.

From what I have seen on the pictures of the device it is an Aluminum block with a flat sanding surface - no radii.

I had a similar thought to the last poster - maybe try to use it for the first few heavily worn frets as more of a spot fret level. Problem is then that you change the clearance at cowboy frets 1 -5 but not at the others.

The other thing I have picked up is that the guitar stores are starting to use them on factory new axes due to poor set ups. Not sure if that is good or bad but it is a bad reflection on the quality of axes being built today - even the more expensive ones. Uncle Matt will be spinning.

I have one and I love it, it works great. I prefer the crown it gives to that of my crown files and it is FAR quicker and less wear and tear on the elbows.
When I am going to completely level the frets on a guitar I use a file , then use the Ginex to polish them down and crown them.
But for just dressing the frets , man the thing is a time saver.

I am not suprised this thing is catching on.