I clamp a set square to the neck at each fret and use that as a guide for my saw, but I'm planning on making a fret cutting jig similar to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKR75uJ-ug in the coming weeks.
I used to use a Zona razor saw to cut my fret slots and widen the slot a little with a stanley blade, works really well, but I now have a fret saw that I purchased from a luthier supplies website here in the UK.
Hello everyone, I am on my first 4 String CBG build and was looking for a fret layout. I found this site and man it seems pretty straight forward calculator. http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/ You can print out a template for your neck with fret lines ready for cutting.
Not sure if this has not already been posted on here so I wanted to share what I found.
Yeah, that's a very cool way of doing it. It's analogous to how frets on the lute, and some variations on the oud, are done. In fact, I saw a reference recently to Uncle Bob's technique on a custom replica Renaissance instrument site out of the UK.
This thread reminds me of the way that "Uncle Bob" strings his home-made instruments. On some of his instruments, he takes a single length of "wire" (could use real wire or nylon fish line, etc.) and wraps it around the neck, making sure each fret slot get's its share of wire. Each end is tacked down with a nail. Let me see if I can find a photo or two... Here you go...The front side of the neck has fret slots cut to accept the wire and are just deep enough to hold the wire in the places the wire should be for use as frets. The next photo shows the back side of the neck:
I remember reading that with real wire, it takes two pairs of hands to wrap it tightly enough.
Also, 'round about now, you should be asking, "But where are the tuners?" On his instruments, he often uses a tail piece that he designed that includes home made tuners. You should check out his website for some real innovating ideas. Here's the link: The Uncle Bob Guitar Project.
If you don't want to use fret wire, then finishing nails are just one way. Steel (not copper or copper alloy) coat hangers are another. Ummm, lessee, chain link fence wire...lots of small broken steel drill bits...very fine brass tubing...small hinge pins...
I fretted the necks of my first two builds using finishing nails. I still cut fret slots, then epoxied the nails into the slots, let them dry, then snipped off the ends. I then used a small file to finish the fret ends. No dropouts so far. But I also have fret wire that will be used on future builds.
I agree with Dan: copper wire, even thick gauge wire, is soft, and will wear pretty quickly.
However, Dan's idea of drilling small holes in the neck and fish hooking the wire into them gives me an idea. Have y'all ever seen the frets on a sitar? They are curved, and are tied onto the neck with a notch on each end. The playable strings sit OVER these frets, and are plucked and fingered, much like a deeply scalloped Strat fretboard such as Yngwie Malmsteen uses.
Couldn't really play slide on it, but it might give an interesting tone. Hmmmm...
Stu74 > Ron "Oily" SpragueSeptember 13, 2011 at 4:55pm
Thanks oily and dan.
I thought copper wire might be to soft.I am going to have to have a good think about it.I dont want to give into using fret wire if i can help it.
Oily "Strat-O'-Nine-Tales" Fool said:
Stu,
I fretted the necks of my first two builds using finishing nails. I still cut fret slots, then epoxied the nails into the slots, let them dry, then snipped off the ends. I then used a small file to finish the fret ends. No dropouts so far. But I also have fret wire that will be used on future builds.
I agree with Dan: copper wire, even thick gauge wire, is soft, and will wear pretty quickly.
However, Dan's idea of drilling small holes in the neck and fish hooking the wire into them gives me an idea. Have y'all ever seen the frets on a sitar? They are curved, and are tied onto the neck with a notch on each end. The playable strings sit OVER these frets, and are plucked and fingered, much like a deeply scalloped Strat fretboard such as Yngwie Malmsteen uses.
A while back I had tried using finishing nails as frets, but I had a hard time getting them to stay glued to the fretboard. I kept finding them on the floor all the time. I finally gave up and went to conventional fret wire.
That said, you could certainly use copper wire, though I would think it would wear fairly quickly since it is so soft. Rather than glue it down, you could try drilling small holes on either side of the fret board and bend each end of the copper wire around into a fishhook shape and push it into the holes.
Just something to try.
Stu74 said:
I am starting to make my 1st cbg.Fitting frets is my biggest concern before i start.I want it to look as home made as possibleSo i like the idea of copper wire glued on.I was concidering snipping nails to size and using them.
BT Cohosh said:
I've seen Dan's video & it's good.
I use a template-layout program called Wfret (you can find it through Google), and glue lengths of salvaged copper electrical wire on. Not as fast as a fret-saw and traditional frets, but looks cool.
I just tape them to the fingerboard, mark the positions, and then take it off the fingerboard. I have used the same template 15-20 times already. They hold up really well.
BT Cohosh said:
I keep thinking that rather than print-and-cut the scales every single time I build I should transfer them to something permanent, but somehow I never get around to it. Funny how it's the simplest things that end up taking the longest to bring around.
I keep thinking that rather than print-and-cut the scales every single time I build I should transfer them to something permanent, but somehow I never get around to it. Funny how it's the simplest things that end up taking the longest to bring around.
Replies
Hi everyone,
I have some guitar scales in pdf format on my blog http://www.cigarboxguitars.co.uk/cigar-box-guitar-plans just print them out, cut them to size and tape to your neck, then you can mark where each fret goes.
I clamp a set square to the neck at each fret and use that as a guide for my saw, but I'm planning on making a fret cutting jig similar to this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCKR75uJ-ug in the coming weeks.
I used to use a Zona razor saw to cut my fret slots and widen the slot a little with a stanley blade, works really well, but I now have a fret saw that I purchased from a luthier supplies website here in the UK.
Another cheap fret slot cutting jig is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PJBvQESKSI
Let us know how you get on.
Hello everyone, I am on my first 4 String CBG build and was looking for a fret layout. I found this site and man it seems pretty straight forward calculator. http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/ You can print out a template for your neck with fret lines ready for cutting.
Not sure if this has not already been posted on here so I wanted to share what I found.
J.C.
Rand,
Yeah, that's a very cool way of doing it. It's analogous to how frets on the lute, and some variations on the oud, are done. In fact, I saw a reference recently to Uncle Bob's technique on a custom replica Renaissance instrument site out of the UK.
Hi All,
This thread reminds me of the way that "Uncle Bob" strings his home-made instruments. On some of his instruments, he takes a single length of "wire" (could use real wire or nylon fish line, etc.) and wraps it around the neck, making sure each fret slot get's its share of wire. Each end is tacked down with a nail. Let me see if I can find a photo or two... Here you go...
The front side of the neck has fret slots cut to accept the wire and are just deep enough to hold the wire in the places the wire should be for use as frets. The next photo shows the back side of the neck:
I remember reading that with real wire, it takes two pairs of hands to wrap it tightly enough.
Also, 'round about now, you should be asking, "But where are the tuners?" On his instruments, he often uses a tail piece that he designed that includes home made tuners. You should check out his website for some real innovating ideas. Here's the link: The Uncle Bob Guitar Project.
-Rand.
Stu,
If you don't want to use fret wire, then finishing nails are just one way. Steel (not copper or copper alloy) coat hangers are another. Ummm, lessee, chain link fence wire...lots of small broken steel drill bits...very fine brass tubing...small hinge pins...
I fretted the necks of my first two builds using finishing nails. I still cut fret slots, then epoxied the nails into the slots, let them dry, then snipped off the ends. I then used a small file to finish the fret ends. No dropouts so far. But I also have fret wire that will be used on future builds.
I agree with Dan: copper wire, even thick gauge wire, is soft, and will wear pretty quickly.
However, Dan's idea of drilling small holes in the neck and fish hooking the wire into them gives me an idea. Have y'all ever seen the frets on a sitar? They are curved, and are tied onto the neck with a notch on each end. The playable strings sit OVER these frets, and are plucked and fingered, much like a deeply scalloped Strat fretboard such as Yngwie Malmsteen uses.
May have to try this fretting technique on a future build: http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/sitar/sitar_maki...
Couldn't really play slide on it, but it might give an interesting tone. Hmmmm...
I thought copper wire might be to soft.I am going to have to have a good think about it.I dont want to give into using fret wire if i can help it.
Oily "Strat-O'-Nine-Tales" Fool said:
Stu,
A while back I had tried using finishing nails as frets, but I had a hard time getting them to stay glued to the fretboard. I kept finding them on the floor all the time. I finally gave up and went to conventional fret wire.
That said, you could certainly use copper wire, though I would think it would wear fairly quickly since it is so soft. Rather than glue it down, you could try drilling small holes on either side of the fret board and bend each end of the copper wire around into a fishhook shape and push it into the holes.
Just something to try.
Stu74 said:
I just tape them to the fingerboard, mark the positions, and then take it off the fingerboard. I have used the same template 15-20 times already. They hold up really well.
BT Cohosh said:
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next