Pre-Fretted Fingerboard

[dhayes3]

I'm building a guitar from a kit but don't trust my ability to hammer in (with a consistent amount of pressure) the frets. Can someone suggest where I can buy a pre-fretted fingerboard? Thanks.

[taylorcc]

Friend of mine built an archtop for his son. Came out niiice. He did the woodworking and finishing but he brought it to a luthier to do the fretwork and setup.

[naccoachbob]

The frets only go in so deep, and not any further. Decent pressure on the hammer blows will insure they seat properly.
There is some dressing, levelling, crowning and finishing that is required, but it's not really difficult.
I bought a plastic hammer from StewMac (all the supply places are high for those), but Bill Cory at the Kit Guitar Forum took a steel hammer and glued part of the top from a plastic butter container on it and used that for his fretting. Not much force is needed, but you need to have the f/b on a very hard surface to do the fretting. I used a brick fireplace on my first kit, and will use the cement floor in my garage for the next. Either works well.
Good luck,
Bob

[Kitchen Guitars]

Frets should go in after the board is on the neck. Otherwise it will bow. Embrace the unknown. Its rewarding.

[moon]

Maybe this would help: Stewmac Luthiers Digital Caliper.html.

[Kitchen Guitars]

Originally Posted by moon

Maybe this would help: Stewmac Luthiers Digital Caliper.html.

A digital caliper is the #1 tool of the shop! Save $25 get it from Harbor Freight. I got mine on sale for 15-20 3 years ago, never even changed the battery.

[dhayes3]

Thanks. Will give this a try.

[marioed]

Some folks prefer to install the frets after attaching the fretboard to the neck and some prefer to install the frets before attaching the fretboard. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. I prefer to install the frets before gluing the fretboard to the neck. To minimize the fretboard bowing, start at either end of the fretboard and alternate installing the frets so you finish at the center. Make sure the fretboard is on a solid surface and if possible clamp it down. This will help prevent bowing while you install the frets. After you've finished if the fretboard has bowed some you can clamp it down to a solid flat surface for a day or two. These days I prefer to use an arbor to press the frets in, I clamp the fretboard to a piece of 1 by 3 oak before I start pressing . I also wick a very small amount of LMI white glue into each fret slot before I install the fret. It lubricates the slots and seems to help hold the fret in.
Regards,
Ed

[Brackett Instruments]

Originally Posted by dhayes3

I'm building a guitar from a kit but don't trust my ability to hammer in (with a consistent amount of pressure) the frets. Can someone suggest where I can buy a pre-fretted fingerboard? Thanks.

Originally Posted by dhayes3

Thanks. Will give this a try.

It sounds to me like you've got it under control. If you want a fretted board, or would like for me to install frets in yours contact me. If you want to practice before actually installing the frets I can send you some scrap wood with fret slots cut.

[teledave]

I hope I am not paraphrasing the stew mac kit instructions wrong, but this technique worked well for me. You hammer in the frets up to the 12thfret before gluing it to the fretboard. Check how much out of line the fret tangs have bent the fret board. Then you put the the base of the neck in a vise and use a board to bend the neck out of straight, the same amount but in the opposite way, neutralizing the bowing. Then you glue it together. When dry, with their 2 way truss-rod in a neutral position,the neck was true. I have not tried it yet but just read about nipping your frets to the exact size (less the tiny bit it slides outward as the angle flattens when pounded in) and doing fret end filing and dressing before you put them in.