Maple Fingerboard Re-Fret/Compound Radius/Fingerboard lacquer tips@StringTech Workstations
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- The Maple Fretboard re-fret presents a much different set of challenges.
This video gives a better understanding of how to deal with creating an
accurate compound radius, by hand @StringTech Workstations
A self adjusting radius gauge is used to adjust the bridge saddles to match the fingerboard radius@StringTechWorkstations
GUITAR REPAIR TIPS
Guitar Tech Workstations / Guitar Tech Tools / Fretting Kits / Bridge Slotting Jig / Compensated Nut Blanks / Neck Removal Jig / Neck Surgery Jig / Radius Disc Sander conversion Kit for your drill press.
Over 720+ videos offering a deep resource of information for Luthiers / Guitar Techs and Guitar Enthusiasts. Please feel free to link this channel to any sites that you feel would benefit from these tutorials.
With the explosion of Kit-Guitars on the Market; many are now choosing to set up a home workshop and start to assemble their kit guitars and make adjustments in the comfort of their mini home workshops.
The GPS and XLT model TechDecks that you see in all of the instructional videos; are being shipped World-Wide.
Guitar Techs / Guitar Enthusiasts and Luthiers from Germany / Indonesia / Japan / South Korea / UK / Slovakia / Slovenia / Australia / New Zealand / New York / Nashville / LA / Los Vegas / Toronto / Vancouver / Montreal / Houston / Boston / Washington / Maryland / Texas /California / Calgary / Winnipeg / London / Paris and dozens of other US and Canadian destinations, are now using the portable, affordable, versatile GPS + XLT model TechDecks.
I remain ever grateful for the encouragement and support from all of my students / customers / TechDeck owners, as you all continue to "Make the World a Better Place" ... one guitar at a time.
Gratefully in your Service, Michael McConville.
I've searched entire stores to hear a guitar play the way all of yours play when you are done teching them out. I've never heard of compensated bridges and nuts until I ran across your video. All my life I've played by feel and can't read a lick of sheet music. To hear yours play is like the first time I heard a note with my soul and the reason I started playing. Pure and free,or what a guy pictures as such in his minds eye.vWish you could tech my Alvarez:) cause you've got God's gift for musical instruments.
Interesting to see the neck finish work. Great video!
Absolutely beautiful video, Mike!
I dig the video. Saying hey from Niagara. ✌️🎸✌️
Cheers John. Seasons Greetings. MMcC
Beautiful Nitro finish and great attention to details as usual. Great service
Thank you kindly MMcC
At 5:48 do you mean that the truss rod should be loosened a little bit before setting the frets in to get that relief possible? I am leveling the fingerboard right now and my truss rod is tightened so that the fingerboard is completely flat and straight.
The adjustment of the truss rod will change from neck to neck. Ultimately; in a perfect world , after the neck has been levelled / corrected for the installation of the new frets; the truss rod should have a slight bit of load on it, so that when you back it off ... there is a little bit of relief ( even without string load on it ). Hope that makes sense for you ... Cheers , Michael
@@StringTechWorkstations so If I understand everything correct, I put a bit of load on the truss rod and level the fingerboard flat. After that I dont release the truss rod and proceed with fret install straight away? I'm from Sweden so I'm having a little bit of language barrier!
@@Emiroj That's right. Leave the load on / install the frets / level recrown + polish.
@@StringTechWorkstations thanks man! Your channel is really informative and I've learned so much from watching your videos
@19:15 you say the measurement at the 12th fret reads 5/32" from the top of the crown to the bottom of the 6th string. Looks like 3/32" to me. What am I missing?
The string "E" distance is 5/32". The High "E" distance is 3/32".
Thank you for sharing your process and explaining it in such detail.
It looked like you did not do any fret levelling after fret installation? Just a polish?
I expected to see testing with a fret rocker and maybe some light levelling of high frets, because my work always seems to need it haha.
Honestly, that was a few years ago ... I don't remember. But I would think that I probably did do a light fret dress.
@@StringTechWorkstations thanks for the reply. 👍
I enjoy these - thanks for making them. If you were using stainless frets wouldn't you have to radius each fret for each slot? Or at least every 2-3 slots? Then leveling them afterwards - would you use a steel beam along the string line ?
Hi Jordan. I am not a fan of SS frets. I use the EVO frets instead. Never used a steel beam. I roll the fret wire ahead of time in a continuous loop. Take a minute and watch thisth-cam.com/video/KYdhVuyi7aQ/w-d-xo.html it explains my approach. Cheers, MMcC
@@StringTechWorkstations thanks - I am installing some stainless in a guitar I have now. Have done quite a few and I really do like the feel of stainless (have installed evo several times as well). I am installing frets with a caul / press so I am switching caul radii every 3-4 frets to match the board.
The regular fret wire has a lot more flexibility than EVO or SS. This simplifies the install; by simply over-radiusing the wire ... and then letting the beads "grab" the saw kerf to hold it down tight to the wood of the fingerboard. I find the SS too rigid ( IMHO ) ... where as the EVO is "slightly flexible" .... also allowing a bit more forgiveness when driving the fret home. I understand that lots of people use SS ... it wears MUCH longer than regular wire. I find the EVO wears about 7X as long as regular fret wire ... but is easier to work with than SS. That's why I go that route. Thanks Jordan ... this all makes for an interesting conversation. Cheers, MMcC
Please don’t mind I ask. Did u say string height is 5 thirty seconds for the low E ? Or did u mean 5 64?
5/64" from the top of the fret crown to the underside of the string ... at the 12th fret. Thanks for catching that ! MMcC
How long are you leaving that fretboard lacquer for before taping off and levelling/crowning the frets? Is there ever any issue with tearing lacquer off with the tape ?
Good question Steve. I give it a couple of days to set, before rubbing out. Never had any issue with Darcy's work. Only on original Fender fingerboards. I'll post a video link tomorrow for you.
th-cam.com/video/gbN4JaMX3Yc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks again for teaching me to make a compound radius by hand. Do you think there's an ideal amount of taper to the cone shape for playability? For example Collings does a 14-26", which is more than I've seen you do here.
14" -26" sounds nice ! As long as you under stand the concept and support the instrument properly ... you'll be in the driver's seat. Very Best Regards, Michael
Michael, I always forget to ask, Do you ever bevel the fret slots with a tiny file before you put the new frets in?? I have seen a lot of guitar builders on utube say that you should bevel the fret slot a tiny bit to help the frets seat & reduce tear out if it ever needs fret removal. Thanks Michael🎸🎼🎹👨🏻🦯👨🏻🦯
Sometimes with an ebony fingerboard I will open up the top of the kerf with a small triangular file. With maple I don't bevel that top edge. Rosewood ... sometimes .... if the kerf is a bit tight for the tang. Thanks for asking. MMcC
Excellent work on that Tele, with more "sealing" work than i could imagine. There are very few videos on the subject, on TH-cam. And I kind of understand why, it must be expensive and for some, the guitar may loose it's relic appearance. But the maple fretboard suffer a lot, I guess. Question, can a "spot" lacquer job work?
th-cam.com/video/gbN4JaMX3Yc/w-d-xo.html
I have a request, can you please indicate those small measurements in mm as well?
When it goes below 0.25 of an inch I'm completely lost LOL
Got it. Will do.
EJ Strat has a 12 radius from the nut to the 21st fret.
Thanks for the heads up on that Marino !
The Ultra features a 10”-14” compound radius that get flatter as you progress up the neck.
Gostaria de um dia ter a oportunidade de ter uma das minhas guitarras em suas mãos, seus trabalhos são incriveis.
Thank you ! I have always dreamed of going to Portugal. Hopefully we get to meet one day ! MMcC
EJ strats are 12 inch radius. Not compound, I have two
Yes you are right. Someone else had corrected me on this as well.
I would like to request a guitar. I want to change the curvature from 7.25 to 10. I believe it, but this is South Korea
In most cases it can be done. We recently shipped another TechDeck to South Korea. Email me : mcconvilleguitars@gmail.com I will find that contact for you. MMcC
I did find a SK contact for you. Let me know if you are interested. MMcC