Depending on my mood, either large flush cut nippers or large diagonal cutters. The trick is that the backs are ground right up to the cutting edge so you can get get very close to the fingerboard when you're nipping. I used to just make them myself from hardware store cutters, but now I just buy them.Originally Posted by Jim Tobias
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting...et_Cutter.html
http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdpro...r+Fret+Cutters
and now you can get some from FastCap too. I've never tried them so I don't know how durable they are. The LMII ones (the "economy" ones...SPE) are just modified Channel Lock cutters. The cutters themsevles cost around $20.00, so $28 for pre modified ones is a good deal and there's no reason to make them myself anymore. They now have a "professional" cutter. I'm not sure what that is...it's a new product. It must have much harder jaws and works well on Stainless Steel. SS will destroy your tools in just a few sessions of fretting.
Now, of course grinding the backs and removing all that metal makes the edge less durable, so I have another set of unmodified Channel Lock diagonal cutters here that I use to cut the fretwire to size. I suspect the unmodified set in this role will last me many years and it cuts the wear on the more delicate cutters in half. When they get too dull to use, you can slightly blunt the edge and use it as a gripper to wiggle nuts loose, or in the case of really stubborn nuts you saw a kerf down the center and then use the blunt pliers to crush the nut, and remove it that way.
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