All Discussions Tagged 'fretboard' - FRETS.NET2024-03-28T16:58:32Zhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=fretboard&feed=yes&xn_auth=noNeck/Fretboard Repairtag:fretsnet.ning.com,2015-05-03:2177249:Topic:1464052015-05-03T04:29:04.078ZJack of all trades.http://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/Jackofalltrades
<p>I have a neck that I wanted to do a fret level/crowning but It turns out the neck is warped and twisted (back bow on one side while other side is showing relief, as well as as excessive back bow at top 3 frets just past a (scarf?) joint. As well as a dip at the 12 fret). </p>
<p>Needless to say I opted to pull all the frets and re-level/radius the whole thing. The fret board was obviously allowed to dried out as the tangs for the frets were 'raised' on the edges.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Now here is…</p>
<p>I have a neck that I wanted to do a fret level/crowning but It turns out the neck is warped and twisted (back bow on one side while other side is showing relief, as well as as excessive back bow at top 3 frets just past a (scarf?) joint. As well as a dip at the 12 fret). </p>
<p>Needless to say I opted to pull all the frets and re-level/radius the whole thing. The fret board was obviously allowed to dried out as the tangs for the frets were 'raised' on the edges.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Now here is my questions..</p>
<p></p>
<p>Should I hydrate prior to sanding If I do should I oil as well or just bring the humidity up and wait until after the shaping/leveling to oil?'</p>
<p></p>
<p>Also I don't own a neck jig and I'm unsure about how much or little truss rod tension I should give before re-leveling. Or should I just get it as close as I can to straight before sanding/leveling regardless of what that tension may be?</p>
<p></p>
<p>Thank you in advance.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p> Should fretboard fall off at body join?tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2014-01-20:2177249:Topic:1258492014-01-20T00:04:40.599ZRon Daveshttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RonDaves
<p>I'm trying to figure out if I have a problem on the second guitar I've built. Looks like I made a mistake when I attached the neck to the body of this hybrid (classical body, narrower neck). The frets are nice and flat from 1st-to-10th frets when I use a slotted straightedge, but the fretboard then dives down and ends up about 1/16th lower at 18th fret than at 10th. I read somewhere that a dive like I have explained isn't a bad thing...or is it? How much trouble am I in? What do I have to…</p>
<p>I'm trying to figure out if I have a problem on the second guitar I've built. Looks like I made a mistake when I attached the neck to the body of this hybrid (classical body, narrower neck). The frets are nice and flat from 1st-to-10th frets when I use a slotted straightedge, but the fretboard then dives down and ends up about 1/16th lower at 18th fret than at 10th. I read somewhere that a dive like I have explained isn't a bad thing...or is it? How much trouble am I in? What do I have to do?</p>
<p></p>
<p>I've tried to attach a picture. Hope it comes through.</p> Change Fretboard Radius of a 1942 D-18tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2013-06-12:2177249:Topic:1109202013-06-12T06:27:29.701ZGeorge Clementshttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/GeorgeClements
<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>I play a lot of bluegrass on my 1942 D-18 but find the 16" radius not as comfortable as other guitars with say a 14" or 12" radius. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Would it be possible to change the fretboard on an instrument of this vintage? I'm not worried about losing "vintage" value, but rather want to make the guitar as left-hand friendly as possible.</p>
<p><br/>Thanks!</p>
<p></p>
<p>-George</p>
<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>I play a lot of bluegrass on my 1942 D-18 but find the 16" radius not as comfortable as other guitars with say a 14" or 12" radius. </p>
<p></p>
<p>Would it be possible to change the fretboard on an instrument of this vintage? I'm not worried about losing "vintage" value, but rather want to make the guitar as left-hand friendly as possible.</p>
<p><br/>Thanks!</p>
<p></p>
<p>-George</p> How to add inlays?tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2013-02-02:2177249:Topic:1017142013-02-02T17:13:56.073ZAlvaro Balderrama Chiappehttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/AlvaroBalderramaChiappe
<p>Hello everybody. I've build several guitars, and i've never added inlays (I like how fretboards look with no dots). Now I'm finishing a flying v and I'd like to add a rectangle in the 12th.<br/>I know hot to carve the fretboard for the inlay, but I don't know how to place it, glue it, polish it and cover it..</p>
<p>Any suggestion?</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p></p>
<p>-ABC</p>
<p>Hello everybody. I've build several guitars, and i've never added inlays (I like how fretboards look with no dots). Now I'm finishing a flying v and I'd like to add a rectangle in the 12th.<br/>I know hot to carve the fretboard for the inlay, but I don't know how to place it, glue it, polish it and cover it..</p>
<p>Any suggestion?</p>
<p>Thanks!!</p>
<p></p>
<p>-ABC</p> Newbie: Seating Frets to Consistent Height; Using cant file correctly.tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2012-10-31:2177249:Topic:959852012-10-31T14:46:14.701ZRobbie Collinshttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/RobbieCollins
<p>I just finished my second refretting - Jazz Bass neck. My first refret was a Danelectro 1445 with just about every neck problem imaginable: slight twist, s-shape with 3 humps, .026" wide fret slots, etc. <br></br><br></br>I had to remove a lot of rosewood on the Dan'O which I figured was appropriate considering its problems. After I hammered in the frets (crimping the heck out of them with the SM tool) I found that the neck was still straight but the frets were very uneven. There were some shadow…</p>
<p>I just finished my second refretting - Jazz Bass neck. My first refret was a Danelectro 1445 with just about every neck problem imaginable: slight twist, s-shape with 3 humps, .026" wide fret slots, etc. <br/><br/>I had to remove a lot of rosewood on the Dan'O which I figured was appropriate considering its problems. After I hammered in the frets (crimping the heck out of them with the SM tool) I found that the neck was still straight but the frets were very uneven. There were some shadow lines on some frets so I think maybe I needed to deepen the frets slots more than I did. In any case, I had to take a lot of metal off the frets and was left with some very wide flats that took a considerable amount of time to round.</p>
<p>I assumed that my hammering technique had something to do with my inconsistent fret seating so I decided to use a arbor press for the JB neck. I tried Erlewine's method of using a 6" radius for the ends and a 9.25" for the actual insertion. The frets all seated cleanly. I was chagrined to find that, once again, I had fret height variation prior to leveling that I considered beyond acceptable tolerances. This meant, of course, that I once again had to take off a lot of metal and leaving me with wide flats to deal with (keep in mind I'm a newbie with high standards, but no one to tell me when I achieve what may be an average result).<br/><br/>It occurred to me that inconsistent pressure applied to the arbor press arm could be to blame. Too bad the arbor press doesn't have a dial that reads force applied (could be a useful mod to the SM arbor press)!<br/><br/>To add insult to injury, when I crowned the files I forgot to tape up the fretboard. I used my new SM cant file for the first time. I assumed that since the bottom vee had been "safed" that I could rest it on the fretboard as I made strokes. Now I have slight grooves pressed into the wood parallel to the frets. Both of the fret jobs look pretty good except for two problems: the fretboard grooves and some slightly twisted fret ends.<br/><br/>I plan to yank the frets on the JB and start over as soon as new fretwire arrives.<br/><br/>I have some questions, but any and all advice is welcome.<br/><br/>Q1: Is there a secret to consistent fret seating other than lots of practice?</p>
<p>As for the twisted fret ends. I'm thinking this is happening either when I'm bending the frets or when I'm clipping off the fret ends. I'm using a homemade fret-bender to over-radius the frets and Dan Erlewine's method for clipping fret ends using a SM clipper.<br/><br/>Q2: Is it more likely my fret-bender is twisting the fretwire or that I'm twisting the wire as I make the cut? Is twisting a problem with pro fret benders?<br/><br/>Q3: As for the fretboard marks, does masking tape provide enough protection to rest the cant file on the fretboard or is this a general no-no? I do have the metal fret guards but had forgotten about them.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p> MIM Fender strat, 1993, rosewood fretboard separating from neck very slightly between the 5th and 8th fretstag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-11-05:2177249:Topic:206642009-11-05T23:18:27.569ZDavid Reillyhttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/DavidReilly
hello all,<br />
i noticed a bump in the neck on this one. looking closer i see that the fretboard has separated, and that it has been unsuccessfully re-glued. looks like super glue was used.<br />
i am able to get a .006 feeler gauge into the separation on both sides of the neck, but not all the way thru.<br />
my idea is: make a 9.5" radius caul for the fretboard, with slots so as not to compress the frets. i have a stew mac, cork lined, neck rest block for the back of the neck.<br />
get as much titebond one as i…
hello all,<br />
i noticed a bump in the neck on this one. looking closer i see that the fretboard has separated, and that it has been unsuccessfully re-glued. looks like super glue was used.<br />
i am able to get a .006 feeler gauge into the separation on both sides of the neck, but not all the way thru.<br />
my idea is: make a 9.5" radius caul for the fretboard, with slots so as not to compress the frets. i have a stew mac, cork lined, neck rest block for the back of the neck.<br />
get as much titebond one as i can into that tiny separation and clamp the heck out of it for a few days.<br />
any ideas, thoughts, warnings about the above? would be much appreciated.<br />
thanks,<br />
dr Putting relief in the frets, not the board?tag:fretsnet.ning.com,2009-07-04:2177249:Topic:157662009-07-04T13:41:11.217ZJeremy Borkathttp://fretsnet.ning.com/profile/JeremyBorkat
Happy 4th, all. As a celebration of America's independence, I come here posting a quandary and looking for all input and thoughts. About 2 weeks ago, I read through almost every post here, and when my current dilemma came up, I figured this would be a better time than any to sign up. I work for a guitar company that makes very different guitars, and therefore has to do it's own unique style of luthiery, thus lending itself to occasionally unconventional solutions. This is my first time posting,…
Happy 4th, all. As a celebration of America's independence, I come here posting a quandary and looking for all input and thoughts. About 2 weeks ago, I read through almost every post here, and when my current dilemma came up, I figured this would be a better time than any to sign up. I work for a guitar company that makes very different guitars, and therefore has to do it's own unique style of luthiery, thus lending itself to occasionally unconventional solutions. This is my first time posting, so please excuse my limited knowledge of the jargon. I welcome corrections. Also, this may be wordy, but I'd rather err on the side of detailed caution.<br />
<br />
Right now, I have a nylon string guitar, and the fretboard has no relief. In fact, when I put a straight edge on the top of the frets, the first 9 are dead level with each other, and from there, a fall-away develops and peaks to around 1/8-5/16inch gap between the bottom of the straightedge and the 19th fret. The reason for this is a process problem where a lot more material was taken off near the bridge side of the fretboard, leaving it a lot thinner up in the higher frets.<br />
<br />
Normally, the way I would assume any luthier would go about it would be to remove the frets and flatten the board, however, the board in this case is made of phenolic, something which requires being sanded with more aggressive tactics than wood, sanded through 800 grit and requiring a good buffed shine in the end, something very difficult to do well while the board is on the guitar. Also, wood planes don't exactly take to phenolic very well (at all...) so a good leveling would require some hefty, time consuming elbow grease and a long radiused block.<br />
<br />
As a lowly luthier in this small company, I usually have to do what I am told. In this case, I put up a hell of a fight because I was being told that "Classical guitar makers add relief in the fretwork all the time, and anything you do to this guitar will make it better. Just do a fret level and put more emphasis on the area where the peak of it is." My response was "There is so much fall away, fretwork won't do a thing, and I am sure classical guitar builders make sure their board is flat before they attach it to the guitar."<br />
<br />
I've attached a solidworks sketch which attempts to visually explain it.<br />
<br />
We are using Medium fretwire, and if I actually took the time to level the frets, the 9th-14th frets would disappear seeing as an 1/8th inch fallaway in the fret board would require some serious metalwork, leaving untouched 1st and 19th frets, and the middle of the board flattened, creating one of the most peculiar looking, unplayable boards ever.<br />
<br />
Personally, I'd rather not touch the thing. I'd rather make a new fretboard than try what seems to be the "lipstick on a pig" method -- improving something which is really bad by doing minute adjustments will only improve it quantitatively in measurements and numbers, but not to anything but a precision straightedge. If anything, the experimentation will cause more issues. If it's not going to actually solve a problem, why spend so much time working on it?<br />
<br />
So, fret folks, what should I do?<br />
And hypothetically speaking, say I had a fretboard which was flat on a nylon string guitar, and wanted to add relief, could it be done to the frets in a predictable, repeatable way? My hesitations there are that filing and shaving frets progressively and putting more effort in one area than another will possibly yield unpredictable results, and I'd rather learn and get good at a process that's repeatable than having to play a guess/check/pray game with abrasives every time.