various repair Questions

[WhoFan]

looking for tips from more experienced repair guys.....

1-i have to refret an Epi Les Paul...... there is a hump in the fingerboard at the 3rd fret. With my normal sanding blocks and paper will the little edges of plastic binding sand down with the rosewood too, or will i have to scrap it?

2-is the fret edge angle file from Stew Mac a good file..... i have trouble getting the ends angled right..

3-I want ti try and refret a Fender Mexican standard neck with 6100...... can an all maple neck be carefully refretted without having to re-spray the finnish on the fingerboard? If i do need to sand the finnish off i'll just use oil on the neck....

4-If i do need to sand that mex's neck i may want to change the radius to a 12 and add a Floyd Original...... I know Fender offers a Mex Model with a Floyd but does the Truss Rod adjustment get in the way of adding a Floyd nut on a top adjusting Mex neck

Thanks.

WhoFan

 

[WhoFan]

Re: various repair Questions

Any help guys?

WhoFan

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: various repair Questions

Any help guys?

WhoFan

PM John John and Zerberus

 

[WhoFan]

Re: various repair Questions

Thanks

 

[theodie]

Re: various repair Questions

looking for tips from more experienced repair guys.....

1-i have to refret an Epi Les Paul...... there is a hump in the fingerboard at the 3rd fret. With my normal sanding blocks and paper will the little edges of plastic binding sand down with the rosewood too, or will i have to scrap it?

2-is the fret edge angle file from Stew Mac a good file..... i have trouble getting the ends angled right..

3-I want ti try and refret a Fender Mexican standard neck with 6100...... can an all maple neck be carefully refretted without having to re-spray the finnish on the fingerboard? If i do need to sand the finnish off i'll just use oil on the neck....

4-If i do need to sand that mex's neck i may want to change the radius to a 12 and add a Floyd Original...... I know Fender offers a Mex Model with a Floyd but does the Truss Rod adjustment get in the way of adding a Floyd nut on a top adjusting Mex neck

Thanks.

WhoFan

#1 yes, the binding will sand down with the radius blocks along with the fret board.

#2 For the bevel, I use one of these
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fretting_tools:_Fret_files/Fret_Beveling_Files.html

To knock the sharp corners off I use one of these
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Fretting_tools:_Fret_files/Fret_End_Dressing_File.html

#3 Maybe maybe not. The hard part will be either sanding down the tang that stick out of the side of the neck and If you cut the tang 1/16th shorter than the width of the neck, you will have to fill in the slots and smooth those down without marring the laquer.

#4 I would say that it shouldnt but, I dont have a Mexican neck around here to look at to say for sure. BTW, you can get a Floyd setup with a 10 inch radius. I would reccomend that over changing you radius to a 12. BTW, if you made a big radius change you may have to get a slottting saw to deepen the slots a bit.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: various repair Questions

looking for tips from more experienced repair guys.....

1-i have to refret an Epi Les Paul...... there is a hump in the fingerboard at the 3rd fret. With my normal sanding blocks and paper will the little edges of plastic binding sand down with the rosewood too, or will i have to scrap it?

2-is the fret edge angle file from Stew Mac a good file..... i have trouble getting the ends angled right..

3-I want ti try and refret a Fender Mexican standard neck with 6100...... can an all maple neck be carefully refretted without having to re-spray the finnish on the fingerboard? If i do need to sand the finnish off i'll just use oil on the neck....

4-If i do need to sand that mex's neck i may want to change the radius to a 12 and add a Floyd Original...... I know Fender offers a Mex Model with a Floyd but does the Truss Rod adjustment get in the way of adding a Floyd nut on a top adjusting Mex neck

Thanks.

WhoFan

1. Don´t sweat it, the binding will sand down evenly w/ the fretboard edge.

2. I just use the same file I use for fret leveling, can´t comment on the Stew Mac unit....but anything Dan Erlewine had a hand in will probably perform as desired. For the rounding of the fret edges and crowning I use a small triangle file with blunted edges, practically Identical to the One Dan Erlewine recommends and Stew-Mac sells... http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Frettin...ner_Fret_Dressing_Files/Pictures.html#details , #1601 would essentially be my file.

3. It´s almost impossible to do without at least a touch up. The fret ends are the critical point, the lacquer almost always chips when you pull the fret. AS odie said, you can install them as if there were binding (shortening the tangs) when reinstalling, but you run the risk of the ends lifting if you go too far.

But if you´re refretting with the same size or larger you can get away with not refinishing the board if you´re careful and the neck is straight. If the board needs leveling, you´re boned

4. Yes if you want to change the radius, no way around it. If the neck has a "Bullet" truss rod, then you´ll have to take a look at www.floydrose.com to see which nbut you need to clear it, all other rods should cause no problems.

If you´re refretting anyway then you shouldn´t have a problem sawing them deeper as Odie stated. but considering you´re flattening the radius (removing more in the middle than on the sides) it´s unlikely...but he warned you


Soo, Odie, you´re one of those "nu-luthiers", cheating where they can... Just wait till I show you how we used to do it... (if I can still remember, it´s been so long :laugh2: ) :beerchug:

 

[theodie]

Re: various repair Questions

Soo, Odie, you´re one of those "nu-luthiers", cheating where they can... Just wait till I show you how we used to do it... (if I can still remember, it´s been so long :laugh2: ) :beerchug:

Bring it on brotha!!! I want to see how you old farts do it!!!!! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Maybe I can teach an old dog a few new tricks also!!! :laugh2: :laugh2:

 

[WhoFan]

Re: various repair Questions

Thanks for the imput guys. I had taken a night school course about 6 years ago on guitar making and loved it.... Made a bunch of strat and tele necks and bodies..... Nothing amazing quality but a lot of fun. I kind of given up making them as the finnishing work is stinky around the house. I may try and use an oil on some bodies... what body wood is good for oil finnishes if any? Anways the course was taught by a pretty smart man who was not a trained guitar maker.... he had taught himself and made a lot of his own tools along the way.... His acoustic side bending iron was a cast iron pipe with a toaster oven element inside of it.... His radius blocks were hand made. He tried to never buy tools unless they had to be perfect like fret saws..... Learned a lot of neat stuff off him.

Anyways i bought a few fret saws, a larger size fret crown file, a nut slot file, a few radius blocks, and that is about it so far..... i know i need to buy more someday that is for sure..... I need Nut Files-(the local store so far loans them to me) and a small fret wire crowning file, and that Bevel File and the End dressing file. I've become pretty good at fret dresses but complete refrets i only try on cheaper guitars so far.... the ends always give me trouble...

WhoFan

 

[theodie]

Re: various repair Questions

Great,as if i wasn't already feeling like Old Yeller at the end of the film............!!BANG!!

LOL!!!!!! Sorry my brotha!!!! :laugh2: :laugh2:

BTW, you said Dremels, I have a few of them!!!! They are a must have.