LittleBone - Tutorial

Before You Start

• Check the bottom of the file: slide it on a flat, hard, glossy surface (like glass or metal) to make sure it doesn’t leave scratches or lines.

1. Protect the fretboard

Apply masking tape carefully between the frets. Add extra barriers if you want maximum safety.

2. First filing stage

• LittleBone SingleCut or Symmetric: use the file to remove excess material and bring the fret top closer to a crowned shape.
• LittleBone DoubleAngle: alternate the two cutting angles to reach the crown more evenly.

3. Shaping the crown

Round the fret with fine sandpaper under your thumb, or use a rounded sanding support.
⚠️ Be careful not to sand the very top of the fret where the string will make contact.

4. Smoothing

Use very fine sandpaper or abrasive fiber (e.g. #600 grit fiber) to refine and smooth the surface.

5. Polishing

Polish with metal polishing compound: use cotton or a small rotary tool with a felt wheel to achieve a mirror-like shine.

6. Cleaning

Remove all residues of dust and polishing compound. Take off the masking tape from the fretboard.

7. Final check

Normally, if the frets were leveled with the Katana system, there’s no need to redo the setup. The action and intonation should remain stable if the work was done carefully.
In other cases, simply check the setup and adjust it if necessary.