Hi everybody, my third build is underway and it's time to call upon the wealth of knowledge here in 'The Nation'. I have decided to try a seperate fretboard for no.3 and would be grateful if anybody could help me with a couple of questions?
Firstly, is it best to fret the fingerboard before attaching to the neck, or is it better to sand and shape the neck and fretboard together before fretting?
Secondly, is it sufficient to just glue the fretboard on, or does it need to be screwed as well? I guess it depends a bit on the glue to be used....?
Any advice would be gratefully received.
Regards - Julian
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Just brilliant! I knew I could rely on 'the Nation' ! I slotted my fretboard and glued it on last night. I now see what you mean when you say 'it squirms around on the glue'! Will definitely be using the pin trick next time. I don't have enough clamps really, so I put the neck between the two halves of my Black 'n' Decker workmate and tightened it up as evenly as possible. Apart from glue squirting out on the floor, this seems to have worked quite well. Fingers crossed and I'll keep you posted. Thanks again to everyone for sharing your experience and skills.
By the way, when you are glueing the fretboard on, drive in a veneer pin at both ends of the neck, clip then off to a point sticking up a couple of mms before you offer-up the fretboard and clamp, that'll give just enough 'bite' to stop the two parts from squirming about while being glued, and will keep them properly aligned.
thanks for the tip... I'll try it on the next build...
the best,
wichita Sam
Andy Estabrooks said:
One more tip on fretboards. I drive a couple of tiny nails into the neck an snip the heads off leaving a bit projecting. When I glue and clamp the board to the neck, the nails bite into the board and keep it from slipping. Like the rest of the gang, I precut the frets and use a length of wood on top to get uniform clamping.
One more tip on fretboards. I drive a couple of tiny nails into the neck an snip the heads off leaving a bit projecting. When I glue and clamp the board to the neck, the nails bite into the board and keep it from slipping. Like the rest of the gang, I precut the frets and use a length of wood on top to get uniform clamping.
Now I'm going to have to make a neck rest so's I don't mark up or ding up the neck when I put the frets in.
Jim Mitchell said:
Hey Wes I actually use a tool that is made by the Fret Guru (SP ) you can find it on Ebay stew-mac sells something similar.... Or you can just take a 2'level and flatten it using the old sandpaper on the table saw trick... The nice thing about sand paper is the process is very controllable....
Hey Wes I actually use a tool that is made by the Fret Guru (SP ) you can find it on Ebay stew-mac sells something similar.... Or you can just take a 2'level and flatten it using the old sandpaper on the table saw trick... The nice thing about sand paper is the process is very controllable....
Wes Yates said:
Damn, not a bad idea! almost like a long plane of sorts. This way, you are getting all the highs/lows off at once. Also +5 on the idea of making marks to determine any sway/rock/tilt/level.
-WY
Jim Mitchell said:
I am in the slot the over sized fingerboard camp then glue...once I have it glued in place and trimmed to fit I draw lines at an angle, the entire length of the fingerboard, next I take what is a leveling bar ( something like a 2' level that you have taken the time to flatten would work) with sand paper attached and level the fingerboard so that it is dead flat (when the lines are gone you have a pretty good indication you are where you want to be)... Next I install the frets... I find this method saves me a ton of time leveling the frets and cuts down on string buzz... Hope it helps - Jim
I'm now shaping, staining and installing the neck... then
cutting, fretting, finishing and installing the fretboard as the last major operation...
Then it's cut the nut/bridge and install the electrionics (if any)
I find fretting an already installed fretboard is awkward.
BTW, when you are gluing up the fretboard, I like a board over the top of the fretboard to spread out the pressure of the clamps evenly (yes, use a lot of them). This keeps a clamp from "dimpling" a fret which has happened before I started doing this, but hasn't happend since.
I hadn't even considered the difficulty of shaping the neck with frets in place! Man, am I glad I asked the question!
Thanks for the top tips guys, I feel confident enough to tackle the job now...
Will be sure to post photos of the finished geetarrr if I'm successful!
Tim said:
+1 thats how the pros do it with tradtional gutiars. if you fret first it can cause the fret board to become uneven. if you fret after its all atactched and shaped theres a few advantages 1. if the fret board moves while clampend no biggie to shape it down and fix it 2 you are able to level the fret board and the neck helps keep it stable while fretting. 3 you arnt having to shape a fret board with steel frets in it thats kinda difficult.
ChickenboneJohn said:
I cut the neck to width but leave it square, leave the fretboard a little over-width, then slot the fretboard (put in position markers if you are using them), glue it onto the neck (use Titebond or hot hide glue), shape the neck, install frets, trim the ends, level the frets, profile and polish the frets. That's how I do it and it works for me.
+1 thats how the pros do it with tradtional gutiars.
if you fret first it can cause the fret board to become uneven. if you fret after its all atactched and shaped theres a few advantages 1. if the fret board moves while clampend no biggie to shape it down and fix it 2 you are able to level the fret board and the neck helps keep it stable while fretting. 3 you arnt having to shape a fret board with steel frets in it thats kinda difficult.
ChickenboneJohn said:
I cut the neck to width but leave it square, leave the fretboard a little over-width, then slot the fretboard (put in position markers if you are using them), glue it onto the neck (use Titebond or hot hide glue), shape the neck, install frets, trim the ends, level the frets, profile and polish the frets. That's how I do it and it works for me.
Damn, not a bad idea! almost like a long plane of sorts. This way, you are getting all the highs/lows off at once. Also +5 on the idea of making marks to determine any sway/rock/tilt/level.
-WY
Jim Mitchell said:
I am in the slot the over sized fingerboard camp then glue...once I have it glued in place and trimmed to fit I draw lines at an angle, the entire length of the fingerboard, next I take what is a leveling bar ( something like a 2' level that you have taken the time to flatten would work) with sand paper attached and level the fingerboard so that it is dead flat (when the lines are gone you have a pretty good indication you are where you want to be)... Next I install the frets... I find this method saves me a ton of time leveling the frets and cuts down on string buzz... Hope it helps - Jim
Replies
thanks for the tip... I'll try it on the next build...
the best,
wichita Sam
Andy Estabrooks said:
Now I'm going to have to make a neck rest so's I don't mark up or ding up the neck when I put the frets in.
Jim Mitchell said:
Wes Yates said:
I'm now shaping, staining and installing the neck... then
cutting, fretting, finishing and installing the fretboard as the last major operation...
Then it's cut the nut/bridge and install the electrionics (if any)
I find fretting an already installed fretboard is awkward.
BTW, when you are gluing up the fretboard, I like a board over the top of the fretboard to spread out the pressure of the clamps evenly (yes, use a lot of them). This keeps a clamp from "dimpling" a fret which has happened before I started doing this, but hasn't happend since.
the best,
Wichta Sam
Thanks for the top tips guys, I feel confident enough to tackle the job now...
Will be sure to post photos of the finished geetarrr if I'm successful!
Tim said:
if you fret first it can cause the fret board to become uneven. if you fret after its all atactched and shaped theres a few advantages 1. if the fret board moves while clampend no biggie to shape it down and fix it 2 you are able to level the fret board and the neck helps keep it stable while fretting. 3 you arnt having to shape a fret board with steel frets in it thats kinda difficult.
ChickenboneJohn said:
-WY
Jim Mitchell said:
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