Dear team
After many failed attemps at fretting I am planning to try again and after some help.
1) What is the best fret wire to use?
2) What's the best scale length to use?
3) What is any string height compensation required against scale length?
4) Could I be using incorrect strings and will that make a huge difference?
What is the trick to making these work and play well?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
Mr Bug
(This is clever on an old banjo I have for just an interesting photo, note brass tube to typical 6 string tuners one not used, I kept my kids tooth to make a banjo nut from shhhh dont tell the tooth fairy)
Comments
I'm doing a 22 1/2 in. scale bug this is what the old lapsteel used its great for slide and my bad arm . I use a ruler that's in 100th of an inch you need to be accurate in measuring I just used advice from Mr. Morris on using a razor blade to make the finger board. If the fingerboard will be tapered you want to mark and cut the fret slots when the board is square just mark one slide and use a square to line up your saw. I really suggest you get a fret saw with a depth gauge $30. Buy the fret wire for that saw. Good luck.
Ok cheers John...i'm fairly sure my method is very unperfected at present.
I don't supply pre-fretted fretboards, as this puts the construction out of sequence and potentially puts a backbow on the fretboard. You need to glue the fretboard to the neck, then trim it to width, then install the frets and trim them to width - that's then order I do things in.
Thanks Jim and thanks John...John how much for a fretted walnut one with the frets fitted?
Oh yeah, that photo looks like a tunneled 5th string on a 5 string banjo. Never used a tooth before but why not.
Hmm... let's see. I make instruments from 13" uke scale to 27" banjos. There is no best scale, only accurate measuring. My first attempts I used a factory slotted fretboard and used it as a template. Now I've got a notebook with fret measurements in mm. for most of the scales I use. I use fretwire from CB Gitty and sometimes need to make compensated bridges for better intonation, but accurate measuring and cutting of fret slots is the only thing that I'm nit-picky about when making an instrument. With that being said, some of mine still end up in the scrap heap due to human error. That may be why many of us here love playing slide!
Don't use a printed fret template, it can be quite inaccurate...people place too much faith in the accuracy of their printer and the stability of paper. Best thing to do is to use a fret calculator (like the one on the StewMac website), measure with a steel rule and mark it with a scriber or knife.
My fretboards are slotted with a CNC machined steel index jig, using a table saw with a cast iron bed..so there's a fair bit of investment in the set-up that I use to make my fretboards. The stuff I sell is exactly the same that goes into my own guitars...the fretwire is Van Gent from Holland..you'll also find it used in top quality 6 strings such as Lakewood and other European hand-built guitars.
Scale length that I uses is typically 25 1/2", but I also use, 25", 24 3/4" and 22 1/2".
I played with the bridge position last night and
It's not as bad as I thought, I need to be more careful on exact
Positioning..
What scale templates do you use?
As the red one I have from you works ok.
I presume its the same frets as that you have instock.
I sell fretwire...good quality hard nickel silver made in the EU..available in light, medium and jumbo sizes...I've got loads in stock.
http://chickenbonejohn.myshopify.com/collections/cigarboxguitar-par...
The most important thing with installing frets is you have a good saw that will give you the exact slot width that you need - it is not worth economising on this one tool....of course you could save yourself a whole lot of bother and buy a pre-slotted fretboard from me, or one of my fretboard & wire combo deals.......http://chickenbonejohn.myshopify.com/collections/cigarboxguitar-par...
A guitar for 3 years for me and done very little of it
And he says it is an imperfect system at the best of times
My first CBG with random fretting is a challenge to play!
But any improvement is welcomed.
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