Currently working on a couple 4 string uke builds for my daughters and noticed the tiniest bowing deformity of the fretboards after gluing them on. I cut the fret slots already. The bowing is going in the "right direction" for string tension. The necks are made from 3/4"+ cherry and 1/4" aspen for the fingerboards.
Just wondering if I should re-plane and re-cut the fret slots for a perfectly flat fretboard before fretting or can I expect the 4 strings to provide enough tension to pull straight. Just trying to save myself as much time with the fret leveling later. No truss rod and am planning on using extra light strings.
Overall, the question is whether you should shoot for a perfectly flat fret board before fretting and stringing it up or just go for it and level the frets out later.
Replies
Hang on - are you not using nylon strings? I would have thought the lower tension of nylon strings wouldn't really have any bearing on the neck... could be wrong though. If it's a back bow as you say, it depends how severe it is; some of my first builds had a bit of that, and it never really caused a problem. Then again these days I would insist they're true. Also - I must admit I'm a little disappointed your name is not really Barsymes :(
Yep, not using nylon strings on these, although in retrospect probably a good idea. Went with extra light strings and was planning on getting the action low enough so the kids could play them. They already have a classical guitar with nylon strings. I'm putting a piezo disk pickup in each of these and thought would get better energy transfer with regular strings. Will have to think about that. I'm pretty sure the OCD in me will end up planing these true. The cherry is pretty solids and I doubt i'll get much correction with extra light strings. Only takes me a few minutes to recut the fret slots.
Well I'd say do it then - it'd only come back to bother you later. I would say nylon strings would be easier to play for kids than even the lightest steel strings, plus you could set the action a little higher without affecting playability...you're right about the piezo, but ditto it would also work with nylon strings...
Quick question, I have very little experience with nylon strings except for my kids' classical guitar, do these string up ok on a regular upright tuner pegs, I got the shane speal signature tuners from CB Gitty for these builds. Do you get slippage, tuning issues?
Nah they work fine!
Great advice again, thanx Ron. As far as the name this was my college nickname provided to me by a housemate that amazingly stuck. Pronounced (Bars-"eye"ms). Random and weird, but was told the name came from a book and he decided it fit me.
So sayeth Wikipedia and Google.
Please tell me Cratchnee is a family name >:-E
Nope, believe it or not, my nickname was also given a last name. Again, have no idea where it comes from. My friend is a little eccentric. Interesting information on Barsymes though, thanx for that.
Understand not wanting to do work over. However, stringing it up is a relatively quick way to check to see what will happen, and destringing is even easier, so why not give that a go? Worst that can happen is the tension from 4 strings, which should total maybe 40 ft-lbs using extra lights, depending on your scale length and tuning, will have no effect at all on the back bow (which I assume is what you mean by "bowing in the right direction). Then you know that some surgery may be required. Or maybe, use heavier strings, see if that pulls it the way you want. Best that can happen is, you find that it's playable once strung up. I string / de string at least a coupla times, sometimes more, when fine tuning a neck; heck even had to do this to fix a too-high fret and install string trees on the 6-banger Dan Sleep built me last year. Which is no slight on his building skills; it just got the git to the way I liked it.