Epiphone Special II (Part 2) | Fret Leveling, Crowning & Headstock Prep for EMG Conversion

Welcome back to the James Hetfield EMG Conversion Project! In this episode, we tackle the neck of the used Epiphone Special II to ensure it plays flawlessly before the electronics swap. We found six high frets that needed attention! Join us as we perform a complete fret overhaul—from initial assessment to final polish—to make this gift ready for Christmas morning. What We Cover in This Video: Tuner Upgrade Prep: Removing the old 8mm ferrules and planning to ream the holes to 10mm for new locking tuners. Fret Assessment: Using a fret rocker to identify high spots and deciding on a full fret leveling (10:38). Fingerboard Conditioning: The debate on conditioning the board before leveling to potentially reseat frets (11:19). Tool Talk: Discussing the 12-inch radius, the difference between radius and leveling beams, and the files used for crowning and polishing (18:40). Fret Work Process: Taping the fretboard, leveling, crowning with the Music Nomad S-File, and polishing up to 2500 grit (23:07). Final Results: A smooth, level, and polished fretboard, ready for strings! Next Time: We move to the body! Routing for the rear-mounted 9V battery pack and installing the solderless EMG JH set. Tool Highlights & Tips: Notched Straight Edge: Checking for neck relief (7:16) Fret Rocker: Identifying unlevel frets (8:23) Fret Crowning Files: Comparison of Amazon, StewMac Z-File, and Music Nomad S-File (24:58) Shoutouts: @ForTheLoveOfGuitars - Keith @CDNelson87 - Chris ______________________ Special Thanks to our channel members "The Jacks" Want to support the channel? Feel free to explore Channel membership options: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr6kaWeOvldTHvntB3tnMg/join Ted Talks Guitars & Life Merch Store https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwall.com/ Use our Amazon Affiliate Link.* https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. ___________________ Channel Codes & Coupons: Guyker Referral Link: https://www.guyker.com/?ref=tedtalksguitars If you use the link you will save 15% at Guyker Use the coupon code: TEDSMITH __________________ Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys https://www.youtube.com/@TedTalksGuitars/playlists _______ #guitar #fretleveling #guitarrepair #emgconversion #epiphonespecialii #fretwork #guitarluthier #guitartips #tedtalksguitars