@flameguitars5770 I'm in awe of the care and foresight to head off potential problems before they arose. your experience shone through in abundance. I look forward to learning from you in the future. best wishes to you sir. 👍
@flameguitars5770 I'm by no means an expert and you obviously are, but, would taking the frets out before you remove the fretboard allow it to flex up and away from the neck easier?
@@adamimberti6948 possibly, but ebony is a very stiff wood. I am using the frets to transfer heat into the fretboard. If I had known how difficult it was to remove the fretboard using this method I might have taken a different route.
Excellent work. A job well done. The biggest giveaway that the neck has had major work done to it is, (drum roll please), The side dots are all in-line. 🤣
Those late 80s and early 90s Stratocasters are my all-time favourites and I am delighted to see this one restored to original spec with such attention to detail.
18:23 dude the fretboard blank i would take over the regular ebony... Great job my friend, i like that you take your time and care. Wish i was in your area I'd get you to work on my basses......
I'm allways amazed when I see work done on guitars. I am quite handy, with metal and wood, but I would never be able to pull off so many up to the finest details within all the craftmanship that is involved. At one point I would make a mistake, and blow up in smoke the whole process. Very well done.
When I did this I removed all frets and the nut. In heated the board with a clothes iron. It came off super easy no struggle like it looks like you were having.
Wow what a impressive job. Great work. I am 55 and have wanted to learn all my life. I never took the time to learn as I was to busy supporting my family as I did. Back in 2013 I had a work accident and after 4 surgeries it has left me on permanent disability. Now i really want to learn to try and keep my head healthy but can not afford to learn. I went from making really good money to @1050.00 Canadian per month. My issue other then the money is I am a lefty and used or new left handed electric guitars are not so easy to come by and when they are available they are either basket cases or really expensive. I always had dreams of playing a Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster Left-Handed or a Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed. I had a chance on buying a Left handed Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster in 3 color sunburst but just before I was going to buy it someone else offered him $50.00 Canadian more so he sold it to the other guy. I was so let down and kind of angry at the seller. there is a used Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed Maple Fingerboard Polar White (Mexico) but it is is way out of my price range. From what I am told that it is a good price but not affordable for me. The lesson of my story is never forget about your dreams and never let them go. That was my huge mistake years ago.
This is really interesting and relaxing to watch. I can tell your work is top tier with incredible attention to detail. I’ll be coming to you when I need one of my guitars improving or changing.
Very fine work.People ask e why I have different rates for building, setup and standard repair, and repair such as this and I always tell them its so much easier craft an instrument than work around other peoples mistake or undo them.
What an amazing restoration job, a delight to watch. Manufacturing quality from Fender in 1990 seemed to be not as good as it is today, they were still plagued by lot of vices from the 80's I'm guessing, and trying to regain their footing.
Thank you for this video, David. It highlights the level and range of skill required to be a first class luthier. As an amateur dabbler in luthiery, I attempted to remove an ebony fretboard, which behaved in the same way, and resulted in the board repeatedly splintering. Possibly, the brittle nature of ebony combined with the nature of some glues makes destruction inevitable.
Beautiful work! I have an '88 Strat Plus with the locking tuners. My only comment is regarding the string wrapping. If you are using drop tunings like I do, it is better to allow for a bit more winding on the tuners so that the string bend point is not involved when the string is loosened which will cause the string to break at the bend from the bending action itself. Also, it the sting clamping device vibrates loose (which they do), you still have a a wind or two to hold the string tension. Something I learned along the way. That said, I learn way more from you than that tidbit! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I am a professional luthier too. I know that what you're saying is true. I had to allow for string movement by turning the string so that it doesn't bind or break at the headstock. Thank you for sharing your experience here.
What's also interesting about that truss rod slot is that it's not a constant radius. I would assume this is so a lesser force is applied to the thinner part of the neck. More engineering there than would be first perceived.
I saw another guy on TH-cam do the same thing only he used a thickness sander to remove the fretboard. But his was twice as long and not any better than the end result. He was very much an amateur at this. I could tell since I too have had to remove I don't know how many fretboards in my day. I always do them the same way that you did. Perfect results. I'm only glad that you didn't have any more problems that you already did. I make compound radius fretboards but I am a professional. I've been doing this for more than thirty years. I think this is my thirty fourth or thirty fifth year. I have two necks in the works as of this writing (2/2/2024). I make my truss rods much simpler. It's only routed straight in the channel so as to facilitate a simpler adjustment and replacement. I have no steel brad in the middle to counteract - it's the job of the neck to do that. This isn't a bi-flex truss rod that Fender touts but I make my own single action truss rods that are more dependable and durable. They don't have a separate collar attached to them or anything else welded to them. So as long as the guitar is tuned and treated properly I don't ever have to worry about warping or twisting which double action truss rods have been known to do in the past. Thank you very much for sharing this so that those who have never had to do this can see how its properly done - and by a true professional.
@@flameguitars5770 Allow me to say is not generous but true; from the way you touching the instruments and you move your hands is obvious that you really care about the instruments and your repairs.
Great Job ! What kind of bridge is on that Strat ? Also, where do you get that great Ebony from ? Also, What kind of tuners are on that Strat ? Looks Great ! Thanks
This is amazing work to restore the fretboard! At 29:16 you used push pins to locate the fretboard while gluing. Did you predrill for those pins or did you just push the pins through without drilling? Also, did you apply finish or wax, etc. to the ebony fretboard?
What is that metal circle on the bottom of the heel of the neck? My Dean has the same metal circle and there is a grub screw in the back plate that will hit it. I assume it's for adjusting the neck. Other guitars I have do not have that grub screw or the metal plug in the neck heel.
Those side dot placements were odd. I checked my '88 Strat Plus (Maple Fretboard) and my '93 Tele Plus (Rosewood Fretboard) and both were perfectly aligned. I'm sure Fender line workers would have used a jig to hold the neck. But since it was a Custom Shop job, I guess it was done by hand. Very interesting. Whatever you charged for that repair was not enough. Superb job!
With such a high caliber of craftsmanship, do you think the owner wanted the series number to be covered so that he could sell the guitar without having to disclose the level of repair put into it? Fabulous work btw!
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf Oh well, if he _really_ assures us that it will never be sold, then we can all sleep soundly at night! Inappropriate or not, there is no legit reason not to show the number. The guitar is what it is and the repair was fantastic, and "the lady doth protest too much" just about applies here too.
Hi David, looking forward to this video. Happy new year.🎸 Well that turned out pretty darn good. What an unbelievably difficult repair, you are without doubt a very skilled craftsman and a brave chap to boot. Brilliant video 🍻🎸
After seeing the number of rather difficult obstacles you needed to overcome, my respect for you went up even ANOTHER notch!!! 😅 Truly not a job for the faint of heart. Happy New Year, sir!!!
I completely understand why the owner would want this done. However, I find it ironic that Leo Fender made these with bolt on necks to avoid the expense of requiring this kind of work.
Yes but also important to remember back then there where only 1 series of each model, not like today where everything gets discontinued faster than you can look in favor for a new series 😂
Thanks for this video, the result leaves me speechless... I have a personal question for you, I have a restoration project in progress, nothing crazy, but the neck is cracked and I would like your advice on the necessary repair. Epiphone LP 100 CherryBurst 2007 I plan to open the crack with clamps and a guide, insert glue with a syringe as precisely as possible and reclamp it flat. It's either that or a new neck, I think. If you're not too well versed in this, don't hesitate to refer me to someone who might be available. Have a good Sunday! Mathieu
Your repair plan sounds fine. Gibson use nitrocellulose paint, Epiphone don't. So finish repairs are easier with a Gibson guitar. This is because the new nitro blends well with the old finish. Not so with an Epi. You can't really buy replacements necks for Epiphone guitars in the way that you can for a Fender.
@@flameguitars5770 Thanks so much for the answer. I found one, but black... and there's a guitare attached to it. So I'll guess I'll buy it and try to repair the original. So I got a backup if I make a mess of it. Thank you again
Wow, what a pain!! I've never seen one fight that hard before. Just curious why you didn't start from the headstock end when it started splitting like that.
That was very challenging, and you did a great job; but it looks to me like there was plenty of wood in the original fretboard, which could have simply been re-profiled and then refretted. Was this not the case?
A couple of people have asked the same question. The end of the the fretboard had been flattened to a 20" radius. Returning that part of the fretboard to 9.5" would have thinned the edges of the fretboard almost down to the maple. And then the fret slots have to be cut into the maple. I discussed various options with the owner. In the end it was his choice to replace the fretboard.
Quality of built in the USA. Excellent video just seems a little bit of brain Pain if you got the right tools, you can do any job😊 now if Eric Clapton would’ve played this guitar, it would’ve been worth Millions 😊
If you tried to re-radius from 20" to 9.5 there would be no fretboard thickness left at the fretboard edge. The fret slots would have to be cut into the maple.
Great work as always. Did you put the truss rod retaining screw through the fretboard? And also, I just wondered if you have ever got to the point of needing to pull out all of the old frets and just plane off the old fretboard?
A couple of people have asked about planing off the fretboard. Thus was my original intention but I didn't know whether I would hit the metal fixing that form part of the truss rod retaining device. As it turned out I would not. But then I never anticipated that the fretboard would be so hard to remove.
@@flameguitars5770 I really enjoy your cautious approach. That looked like a very difficult job. I have had a few like that, where you start to get that worry for a customer’s guitar. But it always comes right in the end. Sometimes you have to walk away from it for a while!
A couple of people have asked the same question, and it was something I discussed with the owner of the guitar. Maybe I should have addressed this in the video. At the end of the end the radius had been flattened to 20". Were I to reshape it to 9.5", the thickness of the fretboard at the fretboard edges would have been reduced down to the maple part of the neck. Frets slots would then have to be cut. Those slot would almost certainly have to be cut into the maple. As the wish of the owner was to try and return the neck back to original, this approach would not have worked.
Like others I’m struggling with the value of this repair vs using a replacement neck. I get it’s a custom shop instrument - but even those don’t really hold their value. How did you ensure proper fret slot position? I see the slotted position guide on the table saw - but it looked like they were eyeballed.
Excellent work sir., novice question?, would it be possible to remove the frets and use a planer to remove the fretboard?, then sand the mating surface of the maple flat to accept the new fretboard?, much respect sir, I do repairs and setups, but nowhere near this level of professional work.
Yes, that is a good question and that was my original intention. What I didn't know was whether I would hit the metal fixing that sat under the 7th fret dot. As it happened the fixing sat below the fretboard. If I had known that, and how difficult it was to remove the fretboard I would have planned off the board.
In 1990 Fender was still using glue that could withstand “the heat” of 80’s shredders. The fretboards cooled off considerably when Nirvana hit the scene shortly thereafter. 😂
If the player does not want to keep the old fretboard at all, how about use a Japanese saw or a multi-tool to cut all the way through and then plane the neck? I guess it is easier than struggling with removing the layer of glue.
Get yourself a monokote iron used un the rc airplane industry to iron on plastic covering on balsa wood. Its a perfect tool for vreaking the glue bond on electric guitar necks... Way better and wY easier than the way I saw you do it here.
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf you must be very happy with the result: out of interest, did you buy the guitar modified, or did you get the guitar altered, and if so, how horrified were you when it came back?
Sorry, it is a lengthy answer, I intend to write on here a full description of this project and it origins, but will get David to approve it first....... Anyway, I purchased it and an identical instrument from a well known musical instrument supplier in USA. They were both on ebay back in 2011. The other guitar is indeed in almost perfect condition, but this one, whilst described as perfect and similarly (strategically) photographed, was actually in dreadful condition as seen here. You have only seen a part of it. After much negotiation, the seller refunded a significant amount as well as supplying a replacement brand new tremolo bridge assembly. This had also been destroyed, but didn't clearly show on the photographs. The electronics had similarly been hacked (it is battery powered and is the forerunner to the Clapton Stratocaster) however I am an electronics engineer and the refurbishment here was easy enough. It has taken since 2011 to find a luthier whom I judged capable of doing this neck - fretboard restoration. The workmanship I can only describe as exemplary and my choice of luthier was based on Davids high quality work on a couple of Les Paul headstock repairs seen on here. I am delighted with the results, David has recovered a wreck to near new condition, it plays and feels better than either of my two other 35th Anniversary Stratocasters....yes, I have three in total.
Weren't the original fretboard markers mother of pearl? It's hard to tell on the video but they look solid white on the new board. Maybe they're just new and bright. 😊
There’s NO WAY I’d be having this done without having a custom piece of wood as the fretboard and some cool new abalone (at least) inlays. How boring to make it EXACTLY how it was. 😕 Amazing work though!
Some people need to stop using the Internet making them think they are a luthier! I've been a part time guitar repairer for 30 ish years and removing a fretboard is a very very tough job! I do love a ebony board on a fender neck they just look so so good!
As someone whose hobbies are woodworking and playing guitar, I can genuinely appreciate your work brother!
I appreciate that!
That looked like a very hard job. I'm glad that it was brought to someone who takes so much care to get the details right. The end result was superb.
Thanks. Without doubt my most challenging repair to date.
@flameguitars5770 I'm in awe of the care and foresight to head off potential problems before they arose. your experience shone through in abundance. I look forward to learning from you in the future.
best wishes to you sir. 👍
@@flameguitars5770really interesting to see the detailed work where the plug meets the fretboard. You are an artist sir.
@flameguitars5770 I'm by no means an expert and you obviously are, but, would taking the frets out before you remove the fretboard allow it to flex up and away from the neck easier?
@@adamimberti6948 possibly, but ebony is a very stiff wood. I am using the frets to transfer heat into the fretboard. If I had known how difficult it was to remove the fretboard using this method I might have taken a different route.
Perseverance and attention to detail make you a premier class luthier.
A beautiful, hard faught for, result.
Thank you much appreciated
Excellent work. A job well done.
The biggest giveaway that the neck has had major work done to it is, (drum roll please), The side dots are all in-line. 🤣
Thanks, that made me chuckle!
Those late 80s and early 90s Stratocasters are my all-time favourites and I am delighted to see this one restored to original spec with such attention to detail.
Well you have a new sub from Quebec !! ............. Love your work and calm !
18:23 dude the fretboard blank i would take over the regular ebony...
Great job my friend, i like that you take your time and care.
Wish i was in your area I'd get you to work on my basses......
I'm allways amazed when I see work done on guitars. I am quite handy, with metal and wood, but I would never be able to pull off so many up to the finest details within all the craftmanship that is involved. At one point I would make a mistake, and blow up in smoke the whole process. Very well done.
When I did this I removed all frets and the nut. In heated the board with a clothes iron. It came off super easy no struggle like it looks like you were having.
This video deserves some sort of award. I loved every part of this!
That is very kind of you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Very enjoyable to watch, great video! 👍
A meticulous approach to the detail you needed to preserve
Fantastic job a pleasure to watch
Fantastic work as always, David! Loved watching you work!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it
Thanks for taking the time to answer, I appreciate it, and I am glad you have an exemplary instrument at last
Wow what a impressive job. Great work.
I am 55 and have wanted to learn all my life. I never took the time to learn as I was to busy supporting my family as I did. Back in 2013 I had a work accident and after 4 surgeries it has left me on permanent disability. Now i really want to learn to try and keep my head healthy but can not afford to learn. I went from making really good money to @1050.00 Canadian per month. My issue other then the money is I am a lefty and used or new left handed electric guitars are not so easy to come by and when they are available they are either basket cases or really expensive.
I always had dreams of playing a Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster Left-Handed or a Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed. I had a chance on buying a Left handed Squier Classic Vibe '60s Stratocaster in 3 color sunburst but just before I was going to buy it someone else offered him $50.00 Canadian more so he sold it to the other guy. I was so let down and kind of angry at the seller. there is a used Fender Player Stratocaster Electric Guitar Left-Handed Maple Fingerboard Polar White (Mexico) but it is is way out of my price range. From what I am told that it is a good price but not affordable for me.
The lesson of my story is never forget about your dreams and never let them go. That was my huge mistake years ago.
Absolute craftsmanship at its best David. My Strat has never played so well since the re fret last year …
Thank you
@@flameguitars5770 I think I would have tried to plane the fretboard down to a slither and then peeled it or sanded it until I reached the glue.
Now I know who to go to if anything needed, thank you David. Best regards from ENGLAND
This is really interesting and relaxing to watch. I can tell your work is top tier with incredible attention to detail. I’ll be coming to you when I need one of my guitars improving or changing.
I think it will be impossible to detect the fretboard has been replaced. Very excellent work.
Very fine work.People ask e why I have different rates for building, setup and standard repair, and repair such as this and I always tell them its so much easier craft an instrument than work around other peoples mistake or undo them.
Superb work. Real craftsman you are. Painstaking work. Very interesting to watch this.
What an amazing restoration job, a delight to watch. Manufacturing quality from Fender in 1990 seemed to be not as good as it is today, they were still plagued by lot of vices from the 80's I'm guessing, and trying to regain their footing.
Brilliant work as always David. That ebony board really looks the business! All the best and continued success for 2024.
Welldone David, superb work
Thank you for this video, David.
It highlights the level and range of skill required to be a first class luthier.
As an amateur dabbler in luthiery, I attempted to remove an ebony fretboard, which behaved in the same way, and resulted in the board repeatedly splintering.
Possibly, the brittle nature of ebony combined with the nature of some glues makes destruction inevitable.
Beautiful work! I have an '88 Strat Plus with the locking tuners. My only comment is regarding the string wrapping. If you are using drop tunings like I do, it is better to allow for a bit more winding on the tuners so that the string bend point is not involved when the string is loosened which will cause the string to break at the bend from the bending action itself. Also, it the sting clamping device vibrates loose (which they do), you still have a a wind or two to hold the string tension. Something I learned along the way. That said, I learn way more from you than that tidbit! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I am a professional luthier too. I know that what you're saying is true. I had to allow for string movement by turning the string so that it doesn't bind or break at the headstock. Thank you for sharing your experience here.
Spectacular job. Since losing Pasquale and Carlo on W 48, I really wish there were someone of your caliber around near me again.
Wow, I loved watching your meticulous approach and/or your attention to detail. A job well done, inspiring 👏
Glad you enjoyed it!
Many thanks it is a privilege to watch you work a happy and healthy new year to you
Thanks Alan. Happy New Year to you too
What's also interesting about that truss rod slot is that it's not a constant radius. I would assume this is so a lesser force is applied to the thinner part of the neck. More engineering there than would be first perceived.
Fantastic work David 👍
Thank you for a marvelous insight into your work. Fabulous!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I saw another guy on TH-cam do the same thing only he used a thickness sander to remove the fretboard. But his was twice as long and not any better than the end result. He was very much an amateur at this. I could tell since I too have had to remove I don't know how many fretboards in my day. I always do them the same way that you did. Perfect results. I'm only glad that you didn't have any more problems that you already did. I make compound radius fretboards but I am a professional. I've been doing this for more than thirty years. I think this is my thirty fourth or thirty fifth year. I have two necks in the works as of this writing (2/2/2024).
I make my truss rods much simpler. It's only routed straight in the channel so as to facilitate a simpler adjustment and replacement. I have no steel brad in the middle to counteract - it's the job of the neck to do that. This isn't a bi-flex truss rod that Fender touts but I make my own single action truss rods that are more dependable and durable. They don't have a separate collar attached to them or anything else welded to them. So as long as the guitar is tuned and treated properly I don't ever have to worry about warping or twisting which double action truss rods have been known to do in the past. Thank you very much for sharing this so that those who have never had to do this can see how its properly done - and by a true professional.
12:12 How did you remove those screws? Im dealing with the same problem at this very moment!
Fantastic results and craftmanship; easily one of the best luthiers out there!
That is very generous of you
@@flameguitars5770 Allow me to say is not generous but true; from the way you touching the instruments and you move your hands is obvious that you really care about the instruments and your repairs.
Fantastic job. But I think the new fretboard fitted the body real well. It looked mint!
Great Job ! What kind of bridge is on that Strat ? Also, where do you get that great Ebony from ? Also, What kind of tuners are on that Strat ? Looks Great ! Thanks
Beautiful work
This is amazing work to restore the fretboard! At 29:16 you used push pins to locate the fretboard while gluing. Did you predrill for those pins or did you just push the pins through without drilling?
Also, did you apply finish or wax, etc. to the ebony fretboard?
Thank you. I pre-drilled the holes for the locating pins. I used lemon oil on the fretboard.
Absolutely masterful work
Thank you very much!
Better than factory, beautiful work!
Great work , very impressive .
Very nice work. God bless...
Another masterful video...kudos!
Thank you
Wonderful repair 👏🏼
Thanks
So good. You did an amazing job. I would be thrilled to own and play this neck. Tremendous.
Thank you, very kind of you.
Friend, you do amazing work. I love those X-rays.
Thank you much appreciated
well done
The repair is amazing. Watching the video is quite relaxing also.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What is that metal circle on the bottom of the heel of the neck? My Dean has the same metal circle and there is a grub screw in the back plate that will hit it. I assume it's for adjusting the neck. Other guitars I have do not have that grub screw or the metal plug in the neck heel.
Those side dot placements were odd. I checked my '88 Strat Plus (Maple Fretboard) and my '93 Tele Plus (Rosewood Fretboard) and both were perfectly aligned. I'm sure Fender line workers would have used a jig to hold the neck. But since it was a Custom Shop job, I guess it was done by hand. Very interesting. Whatever you charged for that repair was not enough. Superb job!
Looked like a job that was not cheap.
I’ve said it before dave. You are a master craftsman
Thank you very much
Excellent job!
Excellent job sir…..as always
Thanks Brett
Nice job, as per your usual. I've subbed to many Channels I rarely get to your videos until they're a month or 2 old. Any way, great job!!!!
With such a high caliber of craftsmanship, do you think the owner wanted the series number to be covered so that he could sell the guitar without having to disclose the level of repair put into it?
Fabulous work btw!
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf Oh well, if he _really_ assures us that it will never be sold, then we can all sleep soundly at night! Inappropriate or not, there is no legit reason not to show the number. The guitar is what it is and the repair was fantastic, and "the lady doth protest too much" just about applies here too.
29:30 what is that "elastic black rope/string" you use to clamp the fretboard to the neck?
Longs strips of rubber banding. You can get it in different widths and lengths
Great job. 👌🏻
Hi David, looking forward to this video. Happy new year.🎸 Well that turned out pretty darn good. What an unbelievably difficult repair, you are without doubt a very skilled craftsman and a brave chap to boot. Brilliant video 🍻🎸
Thanks Ray. Happy New Year to you
MasterClass work here!!
Thank you
Wonderful work... It´s hard to see any fretboard replacing...
Many thanks!
After seeing the number of rather difficult obstacles you needed to overcome, my respect for you went up even ANOTHER notch!!! 😅 Truly not a job for the faint of heart. Happy New Year, sir!!!
Thank you, appreciate your comments
Great work , looks like factory .
Great stuff .Btw is there a British version of StewMac ?it's a bit expensive paying the post from th U.S.
Do you mind revealing the pricerange one has to calculate if one were to want to do that aswell... for example a change from laurel to ebony ?
I completely understand why the owner would want this done. However, I find it ironic that Leo Fender made these with bolt on necks to avoid the expense of requiring this kind of work.
That was my first thought.
Yes but also important to remember back then there where only 1 series of each model, not like today where everything gets discontinued faster than you can look in favor for a new series 😂
They probably figured people would just replace the neck instead of repairing it.
@@TractorMonkeywithJL Figured? That's exactly what the intention was by having a bold on neck.
Exactly
Thanks for this video, the result leaves me speechless...
I have a personal question for you, I have a restoration project in progress, nothing crazy, but the neck is cracked and I would like your advice on the necessary repair.
Epiphone LP 100 CherryBurst 2007
I plan to open the crack with clamps and a guide, insert glue with a syringe as precisely as possible and reclamp it flat.
It's either that or a new neck, I think.
If you're not too well versed in this, don't hesitate to refer me to someone who might be available.
Have a good Sunday!
Mathieu
Your repair plan sounds fine. Gibson use nitrocellulose paint, Epiphone don't. So finish repairs are easier with a Gibson guitar. This is because the new nitro blends well with the old finish. Not so with an Epi. You can't really buy replacements necks for Epiphone guitars in the way that you can for a Fender.
@@flameguitars5770 Thanks so much for the answer.
I found one, but black... and there's a guitare attached to it.
So I'll guess I'll buy it and try to repair the original. So I got a backup if I make a mess of it.
Thank you again
Wow, what a pain!! I've never seen one fight that hard before. Just curious why you didn't start from the headstock end when it started splitting like that.
Reasonable question. On reflection, here are a number of things I could have done differently.
Nice job.
Were the fret slots cut flat or 9.5 degrees?
Flat
a close look at ther treble side and its even @1.23 in!
How do you cut the side dots down without damaging the finish?
Good question, I just read that he used mother of pearl for the markers….
Why didn't use use an iron to heat up the fretboard?
Where do I get those bands that keep things together during gluing?
You can use surgical tubing.. Can be found everywhere.
That was very challenging, and you did a great job; but it looks to me like there was plenty of wood in the original fretboard, which could have simply been re-profiled and then refretted. Was this not the case?
A couple of people have asked the same question. The end of the the fretboard had been flattened to a 20" radius. Returning that part of the fretboard to 9.5" would have thinned the edges of the fretboard almost down to the maple. And then the fret slots have to be cut into the maple. I discussed various options with the owner. In the end it was his choice to replace the fretboard.
@@flameguitars5770 Thank you. Sounds like the right decision then!
Quality of built in the USA. Excellent video just seems a little bit of brain Pain if you got the right tools, you can do any job😊 now if Eric Clapton would’ve played this guitar, it would’ve been worth Millions 😊
Good job.
Any reason why it wasn’t possible just to re-radius the fretboard?
If you tried to re-radius from 20" to 9.5 there would be no fretboard thickness left at the fretboard edge. The fret slots would have to be cut into the maple.
Great work as always. Did you put the truss rod retaining screw through the fretboard? And also, I just wondered if you have ever got to the point of needing to pull out all of the old frets and just plane off the old fretboard?
Ignore me!! I’ve just watched that bit!
A couple of people have asked about planing off the fretboard. Thus was my original intention but I didn't know whether I would hit the metal fixing that form part of the truss rod retaining device. As it turned out I would not. But then I never anticipated that the fretboard would be so hard to remove.
@@flameguitars5770 I really enjoy your cautious approach. That looked like a very difficult job. I have had a few like that, where you start to get that worry for a customer’s guitar. But it always comes right in the end. Sometimes you have to walk away from it for a while!
May i ask why you didn’t just take the frets off and sand it back to 9,5 again?
A couple of people have asked the same question, and it was something I discussed with the owner of the guitar. Maybe I should have addressed this in the video. At the end of the end the radius had been flattened to 20". Were I to reshape it to 9.5", the thickness of the fretboard at the fretboard edges would have been reduced down to the maple part of the neck. Frets slots would then have to be cut. Those slot would almost certainly have to be cut into the maple. As the wish of the owner was to try and return the neck back to original, this approach would not have worked.
Like others I’m struggling with the value of this repair vs using a replacement neck. I get it’s a custom shop instrument - but even those don’t really hold their value.
How did you ensure proper fret slot position? I see the slotted position guide on the table saw - but it looked like they were eyeballed.
The jig I use ensures correct location for the 25.5 scale length. It was a very expensive repair but ultimately that is the customer's choice.
Why didn't he just buy a replacement neck? This is ridiculous amount of work, time consuming.
Remove the frets. Place cloth on fret board. Apply iron. Even heat across the fret board. Probably use lower heat as a result off even heating?
why not heating the fretboard while setting it under tension with the knife? I imagine it should pop off easy with that method ..
Excellent work sir., novice question?, would it be possible to remove the frets and use a planer to remove the fretboard?, then sand the mating surface of the maple flat to accept the new fretboard?, much respect sir, I do repairs and setups, but nowhere near this level of professional work.
Yes, that is a good question and that was my original intention. What I didn't know was whether I would hit the metal fixing that sat under the 7th fret dot. As it happened the fixing sat below the fretboard. If I had known that, and how difficult it was to remove the fretboard I would have planned off the board.
Thanks for the reply!, your work is excellent, great channel!
In 1990 Fender was still using glue that could withstand “the heat” of 80’s shredders. The fretboards cooled off considerably when Nirvana hit the scene shortly thereafter. 😂
9.5” to 20” radius? Wow! That poor guitar! I could understand a 9.5” to 12” compound but that’s nuts
Compound radius no such thing as a compound fretboard it can be described as 9.25 to 12 r or you can add in the word compound
EXCELLENT.
i actually thought you considered discarding the bi flex rod system, on glue up of position dots!
If the player does not want to keep the old fretboard at all, how about use a Japanese saw or a multi-tool to cut all the way through and then plane the neck? I guess it is easier than struggling with removing the layer of glue.
Get yourself a monokote iron used un the rc airplane industry to iron on plastic covering on balsa wood. Its a perfect tool for vreaking the glue bond on electric guitar necks... Way better and wY easier than the way I saw you do it here.
happy new year sir
Thanks. And to you
You sir are what I think a Proper English Gentlemen is....not one obscenity during the fretboard removal....I'd be cussing like a sailor 😂😂😂
Maestro
Thanks
Never knew that screw was there below the inlay on the 7th fret.
04:58 "he decided to have it x-rayed" ... I'd like to decide that too - where on earth can you have your guitars x-rayed?????
Ill do it for you, but I live in New Zealand... most NHS Radiography staff are impoverished, so they'll likely do it for a meat pie 🙂
I own the guitar and the answer is a Vet. The settings used are for "Domestic Cat". It worked first time.
@@PeterSmith-rh7gfyou can't see this but I'm really laughing right now. Thanks for making my day. Epic! So how does the cat play? :D
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf you must be very happy with the result: out of interest, did you buy the guitar modified, or did you get the guitar altered, and if so, how horrified were you when it came back?
Sorry, it is a lengthy answer, I intend to write on here a full description of this project and it origins, but will get David to approve it first.......
Anyway, I purchased it and an identical instrument from a well known musical instrument supplier in USA. They were both on ebay back in 2011. The other guitar is indeed in almost perfect condition, but this one, whilst described as perfect and similarly (strategically) photographed, was actually in dreadful condition as seen here. You have only seen a part of it. After much negotiation, the seller refunded a significant amount as well as supplying a replacement brand new tremolo bridge assembly. This had also been destroyed, but didn't clearly show on the photographs. The electronics had similarly been hacked (it is battery powered and is the forerunner to the Clapton Stratocaster) however I am an electronics engineer and the refurbishment here was easy enough. It has taken since 2011 to find a luthier whom I judged capable of doing this neck - fretboard restoration. The workmanship I can only describe as exemplary and my choice of luthier was based on Davids high quality work on a couple of Les Paul headstock repairs seen on here. I am delighted with the results, David has recovered a wreck to near new condition, it plays and feels better than either of my two other 35th Anniversary Stratocasters....yes, I have three in total.
Weren't the original fretboard markers mother of pearl? It's hard to tell on the video but they look solid white on the new board. Maybe they're just new and bright. 😊
I used MoP for both the fretboard and side markers. The original fretboard markers were MoP but I think the side markers were plastic.
Bruh….next level
There’s NO WAY I’d be having this done without having a custom piece of wood as the fretboard and some cool new abalone (at least) inlays. How boring to make it EXACTLY how it was. 😕 Amazing work though!
Some people need to stop using the Internet making them think they are a luthier! I've been a part time guitar repairer for 30 ish years and removing a fretboard is a very very tough job! I do love a ebony board on a fender neck they just look so so good!