StewMac T-STYLE Assembly Instructions Manual page 5

Seat the frets
Before sanding the neck use a fretting hammer to make
sure the frets are all seated properly. The more evenly your
frets have been hammered in, the less leveling work there
is to do later.
After finishing, the frets will be leveled and dressed for the
best playability.
Sand the neck
Sand the neck with 220-grit followed by 320-grit. Try to avoid
sanding the fret tops. A foam pad wrapped in sandpaper
works well for sanding between the frets. Slightly break any
sharp edges on the fretboard and peghead. Softening hard
edges promotes even finish coverage. Later, when you're
lightly sanding between coats of finish, these edges are less
likely to sand through to bare finish.
Run your fingers lightly along the edge of the fretboard and
feel for sharp fret ends. If the frets feel sharp where they
meet the edge of the neck, gently sand them back with long
strokes down the length of the neck. Use care not to change
the bevel of the frets in the process.
Wipe the neck with a damp cloth to raise the grain. After it's
dry, sand it again with 320-grit.
Degrease with naphtha
When you've finished sanding, wipe the body and neck with
a naphtha-dampened rag to remove any oils or grease. From
this point on, wear clean gloves when handling so you won't
contaminate the wood.
Tape off the string nut before spraying, so it remains free
of finish.
stewmac.com
5