fretboard lifting off body, martin guitar

[David Reilly]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have a Martin 000-28EC in for repair, purchased new 7 months ago, and the fretboard is coming away from the neck. I was able to get a .005 feeler gauge maybe a centimeter in pretty much all the way across the end of the fretboard. I did not push, just gently probe.
We have had a wet winter here, and i have seen some guitars with the "rising tongue", but this tongue has begun to come unglued and rise without the body. There is also a bit of finish flaking damage on the back of the neck near the 1st and 2nd frets. The owner seems to care for it, but i suspect maybe it has been subjected to a bit of heat. Especially after looking at all Frank's Summer Special examples at Frets.com
Can this just be glued down, or does the neck have to come all the way off, which seems drastic on a new guitar? Everything else seems ok. I'm going to examine it some more.
thanks,
David

[Jim Bancroft]

It probably came from factory this way, I have seen a few newer Martins that were probably similar, where you could work a thin feeler guage under the end of the fingerboard. The fingerboard is still pretty much glued down. I've never noticed that there was a rise.
It's really not a big deal, unless you actually see it coming up. You can forget doing anything or work some glue(titebond) in with a feeler guage and clamp with a caul over the end of the fretboard.
I doubt anything like temperature or humidity caused it, it probably happened during the building, and it's not a big deal. You don't need to remove the neck

Jim

[David Reilly]

Jim, thanks for the reply. i would say, ok fine, but as you look down the neck from nut to bridge, the rise, from the 15th fret on, is dramatic. the board is definitely coming up.
thanks,
David

[Jim Bancroft]

Instead of looking down the neck, take a straight edge that spans the length of the fingerboard to check the rise. If you have a rise on the end of the fretboard, you should be able to work a feeler guage in ,probably mid way, on the fret board while the there is no gap at the end of fretboard and the nut end.

Can you work the feeler guage in along the side of the fretboard? If it's really coming unglued you should be able to work the feeler guage in along the edges too.

Jim

[Greg Mirken]

From your description, I don't see any need to remove the neck. Action OK?

Greg

[David Reilly]

Greg,
Glad to hear it. Action measures 6.5/64 at the 12th fret low e and 4+/64 at 12th fret high e, while fretting at the first fret. Pretty close to Martin spec. Could be a hair lower but not much. The owner was just disturbed by the rise in the fretboard.
Do you think i should use Titebond or hide glue to glue it down?
thank you,
David

[Greg Mirken]

It will do no harm to squish a little Titebond under the end of the fingerboard and clamp it. Remember that just like around the edge of the bridge, Martin leaves a margin of finish under the fingerboard extension, so the power of the bond is weak there. That's why they pop up a little bit, but it would be extremely rare for the board to loosen any farther.

Greg

[danove]

Please leave it as is.
The perfect fretboard should have a little rise down the end
to be playable all the way, as the fretboard curvature ideally
follows the underside of the singing string (cigar form).
Should be slightly noticable at the high side and clearly
visible at the bass side if you look bridge to nut.
Also, if you clamp the end you create a tension.

[Jim Bancroft]

Not to be argumentative, but, a fretboard should either be straight, with slight relief(bow), or a slight drop off over the top of the body. Most don't rise up over the body, unless they are in need of a neck reset.
Especially after a neck reset you will see drop off over the body.

There is no problem applying titebond glue and clamping the end of the fretboard. It will not create any tension, as the fret board is flexible at this end.

Jim

[danove]

Right Jim. - No need to argue here.
All we can do is to provide some aspects for David to consider.