Fretboard replacement question

[Jad20540]

Hi, I recently removed my fretboard from the neck of my acoustic guitar and am about to replace it with a new fretboard. My new fretboard doesn’t have a radius or frets installed (it does have fret slots). My question is this: Should I first radius the fretboard and install the frets (plus level and crown them) .. should I do all that before attaching (gluing) it to the neck or should I first glue the fretboard to the neck before I do all that?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[mirwa]

My process
- shape the radius of the board
- cut the fret slots
- drill the fret marker locations on top
- shape the board to same neck shape
- drill side fret markers
- fit the fretboard
- fit the fret markers
- level and reshape the board again
- fit frets
- level frets
- recrown frets
- fit strings and test play


Steve

[Jad20540]

Hi Steve, many thanks for sharing your process, this is great information for a beginner like myself. Do you see anything wrong with installing the frets on the board before gluing it to the neck? I think I can understand that leveling and crowning the frets should only be done after attaching it to the neck.

[mirwa]

Yep, dont, you end up with a less than the best end result, this comes from the fact you are not levelling the end product, you are levelling and finishing a part that will change its shape and geometry when fitted to the final product

Steve

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Jad20540

Hi, I recently removed my fretboard from the neck of my acoustic guitar and am about to replace it with a new fretboard.

I'm assuming that you have a replacement that is the same scale length as the original.

should I do all that before attaching (gluing) it to the neck or should I first glue the fretboard to the neck before I do all that?

I've done both. A better result is obtained levelling the fingerboard and fretting after the fingerboard is glued to the instrument. You can radius the fingerboard before or after, but levelling of the fingerboard is best afterwards.

[Jad20540]

Yes, the replacement is the same scale length.

I, too, thought that a better leveling result might be reached after gluing the fretboard to the guitar, I just wasn’t sure why Thanks for confirming this.

[Jad20540]

I am thinking of radiusing, as well as installing the new frets, before gluing the fretboard to the guitar (I think it would make the job easier) and then do the levelling and crowning after the fretboard is glued to the guitar.

[mirwa]

Originally Posted by Jad20540

I am thinking of radiusing, as well as installing the new frets, before gluing the fretboard to the guitar (I think it would make the job easier) and then do the levelling and crowning after the fretboard is glued to the guitar.

Manufacturers do that all the time, it is a time saving method, it does not give the best result but generally an okay one.

You do not need to justify which method you use, take all the knowledge givin and then do what you feel comfortable with.

Steve

[runamuck]

It's fine to install the frets before gluing the fingerboard to the next. Just don't level them until afterwards.

[Jad20540]

Thanks very much for all the replies, very much appreciated

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Jad20540

I, too, thought that a better leveling result might be reached after gluing the fretboard to the guitar, I just wasn’t sure why Thanks for confirming this.

A reason why is that any irregularities, particularly at the juncture of neck to body and fingerboard-to-top, are telegraphed to the fingerboard when it is glued down. Gluing first, then levelling the surface of the fingerboard prior to fretting, eliminates those irregularities from the surface of the fingerboard.

If you start with a glued fingerboard then make it dead-level - no dips, no hollows, no bumps - as long as the frets are fully seated, their tops are level and require little or no levelling after installation. Some amount of irregularity in the surface of the fingerboard can be corrected by levelling the tops of the frets, but only so much. If you fret first, you are forcing yourself to have to rely on fret levelling to take-up any irregularities in the fingerboard that are introduced by clamping and gluing the fingerboard. Both methods can - and do - work, but it is helpful to be aware of the implications of each.

As Steve points out, it isn't uncommon to find factory-made guitars that have had the fingerboards fretted prior to gluing the fingerboard that have humps in the fingerboard at the neck/body juncture.

[Jad20540]

Originally Posted by charles Tauber

A reason why is that any irregularities, particularly at the juncture of neck to body and fingerboard-to-top, are telegraphed to the fingerboard when it is glued down. Gluing first, then levelling the surface of the fingerboard prior to fretting, eliminates those irregularities from the surface of the fingerboard.

If you start with a glued fingerboard then make it dead-level - no dips, no hollows, no bumps - as long as the frets are fully seated, their tops are level and require little or no levelling after installation. Some amount of irregularity in the surface of the fingerboard can be corrected by levelling the tops of the frets, but only so much. If you fret first, you are forcing yourself to have to rely on fret levelling to take-up any irregularities in the fingerboard that are introduced by clamping and gluing the fingerboard. Both methods can - and do - work, but it is helpful to be aware of the implications of each.

As Steve points out, it isn't uncommon to find factory-made guitars that have had the fingerboards fretted prior to gluing the fingerboard that have humps in the fingerboard at the neck/body juncture.

Great post, I’ll take all that on-board. I am really quite new at all of this. Luckily, I am not experimenting on a Martin and it’ll be a few years before I get one My hand work is still in the early stages of development and I don’t own high end (StewMac) tools, etc .. I am striking a balance between what I think I can manage and yet still achieve a reasonable result. Something in the line of what Steve pointed out ‘’ Manufacturers do that all the time, it is a time saving method, it does not give the best result but generally an okay one’’.

Thank you guys, I've only just joined the forum and already have learned so much

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Jad20540

I don’t own high end (StewMac) tools,

Very modest tools, when properly prepared and used, are all that are necessary to do good work. It's nice to have high-end tools, but most aren't really necessary, contrary to what sellers of tools might like you to believe. Part of the learning process is determining what tools you actually need versus those that people want to sell you.