FretGuruFret Crowning File – Diamond Dagger 2.0 Fret File Crowning Tool – The Guitar Luthier Tool for Ultra Precise Frets on Electric, Acoustic, and Bass Guitars - MD, LG, XL Frets

I don't normally do reviews...but when I find a new tool that does an old job well, I'll make an exception. My first impression? Elegant, simple, nicely refined surfaces. The handle edges are rounded, comfortable, and the swell at the end makes for a nice palm grip. This is a solid piece of tool steel with a concave rounded edge that as far as files go, is sharp and effective at crowning frets. I will note though, too much pressure will create a washboard surface on the fret...so let the file do the work. Like I said, as a file it's sharp. It does well at removing material in a convex shape that's perfect for a fret crown. There are two sides to this file...medium and large. The differences appear to be how deep the concave file surface is. I would still recommend taping your fretboard to keep from scratching it. The file's surface that can touch the fretboard is smooth and not abrasive, however shavings will still get between the smooth edge (of the tool) and the fret board and create etches in the fret board. It won't go through tape though. I would also recommend using some fret rubbers (erasers) to polish the frets to a nice glass-like surface. This file does well at crowning, but it shouldn't be expected to create a polish. Doing a proper fret job requires a series of steps. This tool is perfect for one of those steps - crowning. All that said, I'm glad to have this on my bench. It'll get plenty of use. Highly recommended!

I have a Zager, a meme guitar which leads you to believe it's made in America, and is actually constructed in Indonesia and "finished" here. I don't know what counts as finishing, but evidently it isn't a close inspection of the frets. I suffered with seasonal dead frets for the last 6 years on what otherwise is a very nice guitar, and only recently decided (because I cannot afford to take it to the shop) to risk taking matters into my own hands. After buying the basics, like a straight edge, fret rocker, file and micromesh pads, I thought I was in the clear to work on my instrument, and even just with those things, yes, it sounded much better. No more buzzing. No more dead frets. Everything was flat. But I didn't realize they make files just for crowning, and I could feel that my notes no longer 'bit' the way I expected.I'm no luthier, and I know that their tools probably cost as much as or a lot more than this one did, and so I felt I was really taking a dive here, buying a file I might only need to use once, but it would still be cheaper than having had all this fretwork done by a professional, so I yolo'd on it one evening. It showed up yesterday, and I was thrilled to give it a try. I believe next time I change the strings I'll apply it a little more just to be absolutely sure I've covered all my bases, but after going over everything and re-micromeshing the frets back to a mirror polish, I found that "bite" I expected was back in my notes, and suddenly my guitar not only sounded better than it ever had before, but it felt right to play again.I can't say whether this is better than all the other fret crowning files. I don't know. I've never done this before, and it'll likely be a long time before I do again. But I'm satisfied with my purchase. I'm satisfied with the value of the product. I was endeared by the informally written, hand-signed letter enclosed with the product, which is why I remembered to come write up my thoughts here now. I found the use of the tool to be quite effortless, and I find the change in sound on my guitar from before I began all this fretwork to after finishing it with the Dagger to be heart-stopping. Zager's entire pitch is that you can get a sound and a quality of feel which rivals the big name companies' high-end products without breaking the bank, and for the first time since buying the guitar (ZAD50CE), I finally believe it is living up to that promise. It is no longer disappointing and problematic for the money I paid. I believe it really does sit in that same sonic space as the Martins and Taylors I've had the good fortune to play on. For the first time since purchasing my guitar, I feel like I really love it, and am proud of it. It sounds just how I want it to, and I've got FretGuru to thank for getting it over the finish line.

I delayed my review for awhile because i was still working with this product on a few fret dressing jobs.I had already contacted the owner and maker of this excellent tool and he was very responsive and loved the work I had done on a few of my guitars awhile back. I asked him for any possible future tools and handle grips and it seems like they have been in the works but are still on the drawing board!I'm looking forward to any new developments.Ok, this file was used on 3 guitars so far and here's the pro and cons+Excellent movement and versatility, This fixed one fret job where I had to do the fret level and crowning all over again, this file did an amazing job over the other one I used! It put it to shame+Frets were uniform after crowning. This thing evened out the fret ends as well which was a pleasant surprise and only needed to use the fret end file for touchup near the fret board! time saver+2 in 1 large and medium fret gauge 6100/6105+Saved me Alot of time and energy+Perfect for beginners that are learning how to do Luthier work+Easy to clean+Really good grip, no damage to fret board or no sliding off when filing+Got more confidence in my repair work as a learning Luthier (I took this into a guitar shop and got complimented on the frets looked great, just a few minor uneven frets where not enough material was filed off+Longevity+Going off price listing for fret dressing at a local repair shop, I saved around $700-1000 in repairs.Cons:- Handle could be bigger for big hands. rubber coating for grip- Gums up so have a cleaning brush handy- Can be aggressive in taking alot of material off if not careful so keep that in mind considering this is a Higher quality fret fileOverall, I LOVE! this tool and its something i will have on hand in my kit so whenever i get a guitar and it needs a setup, i can do it at the comfort of my home and i can get to playing on the same day!unless I really have to take it to the repair shop. STRONG RECCOMEND!