I've watched a few videos this morning where you say "We've done a bunch of videos on already" - it would be helpful if added links to those videos whenever you say that. I want to see the one where you route the binding channel on the neck, and there's a lot of videos to hunt through. Thanks!
I built a 59 les paul and just used a scraper, worked really good. Also several acoustic guitars with the gibson binding. Of course your method looks ok also. either way it is time comsuming. Thanks for the videos you guys build some awesome guitars
Perfect timing Matt ! Just bought a Japan made '79 Tokai SG with a broken truss rod. So i will have to remove the fretboard and i don't think i will be able to save the binding and have to place new binding. Now i know the best way to do that. So not with a weenie roller. Thanks Matt ! Greets from Belgium.
What I do is to use Scotch tape on a very, very sharp chisel, turn the bevel to the fretboard side, leave just enough of the chisel untaped to cut the binding. The rest of the chisel bevel rides on the fret board. This makes pretty quick work of binding. But you have to replace the tape often, and still have to take care to not gouge the fret board. Practice makes perfect.
Thank you, great video! I'm a Fender guy, but looking to buy an SG, and just read today about Gibson binding (SG Junior doesn't have it, apparantly, but other SGs do). Googling it brought up your video, and it's so much better to watch it, rather than read about it. Now I know what I need to know!
ooooooo... the warning at the beginning, NOT GONNA LIE !!!! Made me want to try this modification even more :D hahaha thanks for the great info, i just glued neck onto my LP-style kit, this is def going to be attempted !! THANK YOU !!
Nice one IV just repairing a epihone lp that had no neck so matching binding to body ..I was thinking I should do the frets like a Gibson ..I have done a neck with this as a experiment for a bild ..I feeling more in to it as I watch you work of art
I cannot find anyone who replies to this question. How do you replace a worn fret as well as the plastic fret-nubs on a Gibson style neck with binding that covers the fret-ends? Removing the worn fret would also remove the plastic binding nubs that cover both ends of the fret(s). I own a ‘98 Historic R8 LP that has a worn fret and I was advised to leave it alone because of what I explained above. I was Gibson frets are fairly tall to begin with and as of now the worn-fret does not cause any fret buzz. Still plays well but it’s definitely well worn at the 5th fret where the “G” string sits. Tremendous video tutorial! Thank you Matt!
With the fret you pull it like normal. Maybe use heat if necessary bit not too much as it can melt the binding. To add the nubs back on the fret ends/ repair the binding use acitone as a glue/melt the plasrix
@@sly9889 thank you very much. Thus it’s just acetone mixed with some plastic binding to form a paste like substance? Then you take that paste and spread a bit on the replaced fret ends and to the existing neck binding on both sides of the replaced fret? Then file and form the nub and the repaired neck binding?
When I worked for Mosrite, Semie had us use the back of an old hacksaw blade with tape on each side to protect your hands. We just scrapped the binding right over the frets to get it close to level then finished with a file and sandpaper. Crude but it worked and was fast. Mosrite was in NC when I worked for him . About 1982 I believe. The blade did not hurt the frets.
Back when I was building surfboards, I made a U shaped handle out of PVC, stuffed ceramic light socket in each end, then stretched a B string between the U, and hooked it up to an old Lionel train transformer... Man, it cut through that extrude polystyrene like it was soft butter ! It would cut through the binding, but might scorch the fret board if not careful. Good luck !
I watched the Ladies at Gibson scraping the bindings with small cabinet scrapers they each fashion and scrape along the bindings lengthwise. They are fast and accurate, no sanding is needed afterwards.
Ive always built the gibson tenon.going forward I'll adopt your modern method .i like the way the blank if flat thru so many processes. even fretting. and the truss rod access on the pin router the deep tenon with angle is so cool . I'm a believer. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 thanks
Judging from the toolmarks on my sg, firebird and several les Paul's, they don't use the hot knife thingy. Some sort of machine that speed routes of the entire area and then a file by hand
Shepard- the binding material is a vinyl acetate plastic and acetone is the solvent key that basically liquifies the plastic at the joint face and lets it get gooey and flow a bit to mechanically lock to the structure of the fretboard edge and fret ends. When the acetone finally evaporates you have a mechanical bond with a gillion little acetate fingers gripping the wood fibers and the roughened fret ends. I guess.
Hi Matt. Great video. Well explained. I've seen several videos on how to do fretboard binding with nibs, but somehow nobody seems to show the final steps. Trade secret? On a regular fret job you would bevel the fret ends with a file to a 35 degree angle, before the final levelling, re-crowning and fret end dressing. How does that go on a bound fretboard the Gibson way? Also using a file on the ABS binding? Or high grit sandpaper stuck on a straight beam? How to round the sharp binding edge between the nibs? Can you tell me - or even better - show us how it is done? Thanks in advance.
I can see another video in my future. I sped up that process on the original one since I thought it would be really boring hahaha. Let me see what I can come up for you, I don't keep too many secrets
Matt there is such a thing as a hot wire cutter its used to cut Styrofoam & other things in mold making but its not cheap, You wouldnt want to buy one unless you were doing hundreds of bound necks, Also try that Japanese rasp file next time it cuts through the binding like Butter.
gibson's custom production area shows a horizontal router that they use for these - obviously a dedicated setup, but the bearing bit that they use is really small radius so that it does most of the work and leaves very little filing. I'd rather have the fret overlapping the binding, but sometimes it's about the look, I guess.
I recently purchased a Gibson VOS that has the binding not quite "flush" to the back of the neck. There's almost like a slight ridge to it. Is that normal to find on reissue models???
Ive always used a1/4" flush trim bit, gets closer. Also i do all the trimming before gluing to the neck. Tried the nipper bit but kept pulling the binding off,probably just me many ways right? Thanks for sharing.
👀 Very interesting technique. Great job as ever, Bro. This reminds me i need to make a pickguard with 4 stripe binding, but i'm so lazy to built a jig for it. All my strength went into snow removal😡 We got up to 10ft in Bavaria here and today it started snowing again (vomit emoji)
6" of Nickel wire....rheostat....two ceramic handles with screws in the end....attach nickel wire to screws....two lead wires to rheostat (black & white...one from each handle)....raise voltage until you have the necessary heat to melt....keep moving to avoid burning the wood...
@@TexasToastGuitars Learned how to do this in the movie industry when cutting large blocks of styrofoam for sculpting and making large columns and mouldings.....Surfboard makers use it as well.
Texas Toast Guitars exactly. The problem is that this particular guitar I’m working on is HPL instead of wood and a bit nervous to go at it with my router, don’t have a separate piece of hpl to try it on and see what happens.
Hi, I have a neck for a gibson with white binding. I want to either change it to black binding or (more preferable) paint over the binding to be black. In your experience or Chris' experience will paint take and stay on the binding of the neck? Thanks for any help!
It's a great look, but it sure is a lot of added effort. I like a bound neck with standard fret ends as well - still a classy look, still hides the tang, and I don't worry so much about "chipping a tooth".
Btw. "Toaster Wire" is easy to built. You need some resistance wire (Constantane?), an old saw bow and a power source. Similar things are built and used to cut styrofoam. I hope this makes sense, i don't know the correct technical terms in English.
Hey Matt, I have a fender neck that I need to do some fretwork on, I’m considering refretting it, (which I’ve done before) it occurred to me that I might be able to add binding to the fretboard while I have the frets out... is this a really bad idea? Or is it passable? It’s maple with rosewood, and it’s already finished.
Before coming to your channel this acetone method completely unknown to me. It’s almost too good to be true. What is the binding like years down the line does it stay stuck. Have you got some long-term results on this because if so this is the way I want to go...
Well John I don't know how many years worth of results you need to put your mind to ease. We have been using this method for many years and have videos that are 4 plus years old demonstrating this method. Only you can decide if this is right for you and I offer no guarantees or accept any liability for you using the methods I have demonstrated.
You said that it would be easier to bind a fingerboard that is not yet attached to the neck. I have always heard that if you install the frets in a fingerboard that is not already glued down to the neck, the 21-24 individual tangs from the fret wires actually work kinda like a bunch of little wedges, and they pry the fingerboard into a bow. Is that not true?
Michael Perkins yes its true, better to glue fretboard on neck first.. some luthiers carve the neck, glue it to the body.. level it then fret it. to make sure backbow is not an issue. but all things are possible. you could do it that way but make sure backbow of the fingerboard is accounted for
nope..not a toaster wire, my good Sir: th-cam.com/video/kOfMzzrOCKY/w-d-xo.html (at about 1:05). Don't we all want some of that heavy duty equipment they have?
That's all well and good for an original production but when a refret is needed, it just an issue. Personally I don't think the minor aesthetic advantage is worth the future problems it's creating for the owner.
Since you guys do it and not Gibson (the Kings of Quality), the strings won't get caught between fret and binding. Customer gets what he wants. I wonder if this was ever tried with a purfling.
@@TexasToastGuitars @Texas Toast Guitars Very informative videre there 😎 What's the idea using the acetone on the binding? Will the acetone interact with the binding plastic? Thanks 🤘😁
Another lame design by Gibson. I did one neck that way, never, never, abolutly never again. Even on the 335 copy it was not an option. No logical benefit from nibs. But you are game brother.
I have done a bunch of them... in fact, the first two guitars I built at Roberto Venn utilized the nibs with wood binding. I actually think it is a good idea from the perspective of fret ends.
The irony that is Texas Toast doesn’t have a hot toaster wire hahahahahahahahaha!! Great video! Eagerly awaiting part two!! 🤟🏻🎸
HAHAHA just for that reason alone I should build one
I’ll be watching for that video!!
Well, that and they're not in Texas either.
I've watched a few videos this morning where you say "We've done a bunch of videos on already" - it would be helpful if added links to those videos whenever you say that. I want to see the one where you route the binding channel on the neck, and there's a lot of videos to hunt through. Thanks!
Awesome channel. Super informative and engaging.
I built a 59 les paul and just used a scraper, worked really good. Also several acoustic guitars with the gibson binding. Of course your method looks ok also. either way it is time comsuming. Thanks for the videos you guys build some awesome guitars
Perfect timing Matt ! Just bought a Japan made '79 Tokai SG with a broken truss rod. So i will have to remove the fretboard and i don't think i will be able to save the binding and have to place new binding. Now i know the best way to do that. So not with a weenie roller. Thanks Matt ! Greets from Belgium.
What I do is to use Scotch tape on a very, very sharp chisel, turn the bevel to the fretboard side, leave just enough of the chisel untaped to cut the binding. The rest of the chisel bevel rides on the fret board. This makes pretty quick work of binding. But you have to replace the tape often, and still have to take care to not gouge the fret board. Practice makes perfect.
Thank you, great video! I'm a Fender guy, but looking to buy an SG, and just read today about Gibson binding (SG Junior doesn't have it, apparantly, but other SGs do). Googling it brought up your video, and it's so much better to watch it, rather than read about it. Now I know what I need to know!
Thanks Al, glad you enjoyed the video. That is cool it came up in a search too
ooooooo... the warning at the beginning, NOT GONNA LIE !!!! Made me want to try this modification even more :D hahaha thanks for the great info, i just glued neck onto my LP-style kit, this is def going to be attempted !! THANK YOU !!
You can do it!
Nice one IV just repairing a epihone lp that had no neck so matching binding to body ..I was thinking I should do the frets like a Gibson ..I have done a neck with this as a experiment for a bild ..I feeling more in to it as I watch you work of art
I cannot find anyone who replies to this question. How do you replace a worn fret as well as the plastic fret-nubs on a Gibson style neck with binding that covers the fret-ends? Removing the worn fret would also remove the plastic binding nubs that cover both ends of the fret(s). I own a ‘98 Historic R8 LP that has a worn fret and I was advised to leave it alone because of what I explained above. I was Gibson frets are fairly tall to begin with and as of now the worn-fret does not cause any fret buzz. Still plays well but it’s definitely well worn at the 5th fret where the “G” string sits. Tremendous video tutorial! Thank you Matt!
With the fret you pull it like normal. Maybe use heat if necessary bit not too much as it can melt the binding. To add the nubs back on the fret ends/ repair the binding use acitone as a glue/melt the plasrix
@@sly9889 thank you very much. Thus it’s just acetone mixed with some plastic binding to form a paste like substance? Then you take that paste and spread a bit on the replaced fret ends and to the existing neck binding on both sides of the replaced fret? Then file and form the nub and the repaired neck binding?
When I worked for Mosrite, Semie had us use the back of an old hacksaw blade with tape on each side to protect your hands. We just scrapped the binding right over the frets to get it close to level then finished with a file and sandpaper. Crude but it worked and was fast. Mosrite was in NC when I worked for him . About 1982 I believe. The blade did not hurt the frets.
I have often wondered about the processes that were used by Mosrite, thanks for watching Mike
Back when I was building surfboards, I made a U shaped handle out of PVC, stuffed ceramic light socket in each end, then stretched a B string between the U, and hooked it up to an old Lionel train transformer... Man, it cut through that extrude polystyrene like it was soft butter ! It would cut through the binding, but might scorch the fret board if not careful. Good luck !
Thanks Kyle sounds like a pretty slick set up
I watched the Ladies at Gibson scraping the bindings with small cabinet scrapers they each fashion and scrape along the bindings lengthwise. They are fast and accurate, no sanding is needed afterwards.
No doubt about it... they make it look easy
Duuude... thank you from your Austin, Tx friend at MGC.I never knew. Now I know!
Thanks for watching brotherman
Ive always built the gibson tenon.going forward I'll adopt your modern method .i like the way the blank if flat thru so many processes. even fretting. and the truss rod access on the pin router the deep tenon with angle is so cool . I'm a believer. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 thanks
Thanks Front Ranger, I like your style
Great video Matt 🤟🤟
Who’s doing the background tunes? Great stuff! Enjoy your videos thanks!!
Ever tried a hot wire foam cutter to trim the excess binding? Seems to be similar to what you describe as a toaster wire.
I appreciate that tedious work your doing...great video!
Thanks for watching David
Great info
Awesome work, Matt!
Thanks amigo it can be a soothing task if I'm in the right frame of mind
There has to be some way to use a weenie roller for this...
Kevin B
The No. 1 use is taking a shot 😆
Cheers
There is always a sexy way to use a weenie roller
Do you glue the fretboard to be the full size of the neck and then use a rabbeting bit to make the channel for the binding ? Cheers !!
I played a 59 les paul that had fret binding . It was the nicest guitar ive ever played in 32 years of playing guitars.
Magic guitar
Hello, do you glue the binding or only use acetone?
Judging from the toolmarks on my sg, firebird and several les Paul's, they don't use the hot knife thingy. Some sort of machine that speed routes of the entire area and then a file by hand
Like I say, I have it on good authority but have never seen it with my own eyes
This was helpful to understand why I can’t do this on my own and need to take to a professional. Does the acetone help speed up the glue cure?
Not that I know of, generally, acetone dissolves stuff like CA glues.
I guess I don't understand?
We use the acetone in place of any other adhesives
Shepard- the binding material is a vinyl acetate plastic and acetone is the solvent key that basically liquifies the plastic at the joint face and lets it get gooey and flow a bit to mechanically lock to the structure of the fretboard edge and fret ends. When the acetone finally evaporates you have a mechanical bond with a gillion little acetate fingers gripping the wood fibers and the roughened fret ends. I guess.
Can't Wait,
Looking good.
Nice video !! definately looks a pita to do !!
It takes a lot of time but I like the way it looks sometimes
Have a link to cutting the binding slots not many videos I can find on TH-cam.
So Matt, am I correct in thinking that the fret ends here are filed at 90 degrees?
Hi Matt. Great video. Well explained. I've seen several videos on how to do fretboard binding with nibs, but somehow nobody seems to show the final steps. Trade secret? On a regular fret job you would bevel the fret ends with a file to a 35 degree angle, before the final levelling, re-crowning and fret end dressing. How does that go on a bound fretboard the Gibson way? Also using a file on the ABS binding? Or high grit sandpaper stuck on a straight beam? How to round the sharp binding edge between the nibs? Can you tell me - or even better - show us how it is done? Thanks in advance.
I can see another video in my future. I sped up that process on the original one since I thought it would be really boring hahaha.
Let me see what I can come up for you, I don't keep too many secrets
@@TexasToastGuitars Awesome. That'll be some rare footage, I think. Thanks.
Matt there is such a thing as a hot wire cutter its used to cut Styrofoam & other things in mold making but its not cheap, You wouldnt want to buy one unless you were doing hundreds of bound necks, Also try that Japanese rasp file next time it cuts through the binding like Butter.
There is no way it is a better file than "Mighty Little"
The legend of Velvet Jeff
HAHAHA
Very Good!
Thanks bowfrog
Nice work! Looks awesome!👍😎🎸🎶
Thanks for watching brotherman
@@TexasToastGuitars yep...my pleasure!👍😎🎸🎶
gibson's custom production area shows a horizontal router that they use for these - obviously a dedicated setup, but the bearing bit that they use is really small radius so that it does most of the work and leaves very little filing. I'd rather have the fret overlapping the binding, but sometimes it's about the look, I guess.
I have never seen how they do it I was just told about the hot wire. I have seen several that look like they need a little more TLC
What's the best way to do the binding channel if I don't have a dremmel?
We use a router but there are other tools too
@@TexasToastGuitars I have a router.. would it just be a flush bit with a 1.5mm offset?.. thanks by the way
That's the true big hella "block neck profile" ! lol
Yes it is
I recently purchased a Gibson VOS that has the binding not quite "flush" to the back of the neck. There's almost like a slight ridge to it. Is that normal to find on reissue models???
Weird, I have not seen many of the newer Gibson guitars
Ive always used a1/4" flush trim bit, gets closer. Also i do all the trimming before gluing to the neck. Tried the nipper bit but kept pulling the binding off,probably just me many ways right? Thanks for sharing.
With a 12" radius and the board not attached to the neck the flush trim bit is a time saver that's for sure
Not sure which one I hate worse, doing binding nibs or filling fret tangs
Fret work is one of those things I'm not really thrilled to do either hahaha
👀
Very interesting technique.
Great job as ever, Bro.
This reminds me i need to make a pickguard with 4 stripe binding, but i'm so lazy to built a jig for it.
All my strength went into snow removal😡 We got up to 10ft in Bavaria here and today it started snowing again (vomit emoji)
DANG!
I haven't seen that much snow in Colorado in years
6" of Nickel wire....rheostat....two ceramic handles with screws in the end....attach nickel wire to screws....two lead wires to rheostat (black & white...one from each handle)....raise voltage until you have the necessary heat to melt....keep moving to avoid burning the wood...
Sounds like you have a great set up
@@TexasToastGuitars Learned how to do this in the movie industry when cutting large blocks of styrofoam for sculpting and making large columns and mouldings.....Surfboard makers use it as well.
Fret nibs !
Would binding work without routing if you lacquer layers to the binding height/width? Maybe stupid question, but just wondering your input.
Are you asking if you could build finish to the level of the binding? I'm sure it's possible but I don't think it is advisable.
Texas Toast Guitars exactly. The problem is that this particular guitar I’m working on is HPL instead of wood and a bit nervous to go at it with my router, don’t have a separate piece of hpl to try it on and see what happens.
Hi, I have a neck for a gibson with white binding. I want to either change it to black binding or (more preferable) paint over the binding to be black. In your experience or Chris' experience will paint take and stay on the binding of the neck? Thanks for any help!
It will... depending on the paint
Wouldn't Acetone be corrosive to the wood?
Maybe but I wouldn't worry about it
It's a great look, but it sure is a lot of added effort. I like a bound neck with standard fret ends as well - still a classy look, still hides the tang, and I don't worry so much about "chipping a tooth".
I like them both too. When we designed the Challenger we didn't do the little nubs/nibs
Btw. "Toaster Wire" is easy to built.
You need some resistance wire (Constantane?), an old saw bow and a power source.
Similar things are built and used to cut styrofoam.
I hope this makes sense, i don't know the correct technical terms in English.
Hey Matt,
I have a fender neck that I need to do some fretwork on, I’m considering refretting it, (which I’ve done before) it occurred to me that I might be able to add binding to the fretboard while I have the frets out... is this a really bad idea? Or is it passable? It’s maple with rosewood, and it’s already finished.
Hi Daniel
I would say that it is a better idea to just build a new neck. adding a binding channel to a carved neck can be a tricky deal.
@@TexasToastGuitars sounds like the next step in my development...
Can that be done with solid copper binding?
Hi Scott, I have no idea it is my understanding that copper is tricky to work with
Great job Matt,how's the Hamer California coming
It is actually in the paint booth now. We should have a rocking out video soon
What file did you use
I use lots of files for this job. I'm pretty sure I show what tools I used in the video
Before coming to your channel this acetone method completely unknown to me.
It’s almost too good to be true.
What is the binding like years down the line does it stay stuck.
Have you got some long-term results on this because if so this is the way I want to go...
Well John I don't know how many years worth of results you need to put your mind to ease.
We have been using this method for many years and have videos that are 4 plus years old demonstrating this method.
Only you can decide if this is right for you and I offer no guarantees or accept any liability for you using the methods I have demonstrated.
@@TexasToastGuitars cool... if you have been using it for sometime it’s good enough for me. I will try it. Great tip, many thanks. 😎🤘
Thank you for the reply, exactly what I wanted to know.
A Hard Maple or other contrasting wood binding would be a great alternative to that plastic binding I think .
I respectfully disagree Craig, I'm not a fan of wood binding. I know some people really like it though.
You could have doen it whit a round scraper , but this works too
You said that it would be easier to bind a fingerboard that is not yet attached to the neck. I have always heard that if you install the frets in a fingerboard that is not already glued down to the neck, the 21-24 individual tangs from the fret wires actually work kinda like a bunch of little wedges, and they pry the fingerboard into a bow. Is that not true?
Michael Perkins yes its true, better to glue fretboard on neck first.. some luthiers carve the neck, glue it to the body.. level it then fret it. to make sure backbow is not an issue. but all things are possible. you could do it that way but make sure backbow of the fingerboard is accounted for
@@aevoguitars2576 Leveling is when you level the frets. How can you level level the fingerboard before you put the frets in?
Jim Morris i meant level the fingerboard wood or sand it straight.
@@aevoguitars2576 OK
Cool vid mijo
Thanks brotherman
I like the back round music but unable to shazam ????
That is Tokyo Rodeo... facebook.com/tokyorodeoband/
nope..not a toaster wire, my good Sir: th-cam.com/video/kOfMzzrOCKY/w-d-xo.html (at about 1:05). Don't we all want some of that heavy duty equipment they have?
Smile when you back drag that file, podnuh.
Okay
Because filing binding is better than watching tv. lol
HAHHAHA must be some rotten TV
That's all well and good for an original production but when a refret is needed, it just an issue. Personally I don't think the minor aesthetic advantage is worth the future problems it's creating for the owner.
Alot of extra work, but it does look cool.
I kind of like it too. It can be soothing work if I'm in the right frame of mind
Since you guys do it and not Gibson (the Kings of Quality), the strings won't get caught between fret and binding. Customer gets what he wants.
I wonder if this was ever tried with a purfling.
I was actually wondering that myself the other day. I guess it would be pretty easy. Like why not the LP Custom... that thing is loaded with purfling.
@@TexasToastGuitars Loaded with something...yeesh...Gibson.
Gee whiz working in your shop !!! Mine mine mine don't touch my glue bottle and don't touch my file.
Oh, it can get bad some days
Can this be done to a set neck that is already in to a finished guitar??
Hi forest20, you sure can. I have had to do it to lots of Les Paul guitars after refretting
Texas Toast Guitars thats good to know! What about if the original set neck did not have biding before hand?
Fuck Gibson style, i like your style!!! Siñor Toast es el mejor!!!
Thanks brotherman
Matt,I know your busy but I'm Jonesing for a video,been to long
Sorry brotherman, I have been really sick after NAMM lots of stuff coming at you in the next few weeks
I'm a displaced machinist now working in a cabinet shop. I see gross abuse of files every time someone else uses one.
Your struggle is real. I guess you could write your congress-person?
@@TexasToastGuitars @Texas Toast Guitars Very informative videre there 😎
What's the idea using the acetone on the binding? Will the acetone interact with the binding plastic? Thanks 🤘😁
why not scrape the binding in between frets with a razor blade?
you can do that. but it adds "chatter" to the binding top edge.
She likes her Neck Bound but prefers a Corset and an occasional Leather Wrapped Hand Cuff
What about that saw the lady in half magic trick box?
Wrong way to neck binding,
good to know
Another lame design by Gibson. I did one neck that way, never, never, abolutly never again. Even on the 335 copy it was not an option. No logical benefit from nibs. But you are game brother.
I have done a bunch of them... in fact, the first two guitars I built at Roberto Venn utilized the nibs with wood binding.
I actually think it is a good idea from the perspective of fret ends.