Has anyone made a fretboard from scratch?

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Thu Nov 06, 2008 9:25 pm

I really want to get my old Decca back into playable shape, and that means I need to put in a new truss rod and make a new fretboard because the old moldy shit splintered when I was removing it. Aside from the stew-mac articles, has anyone else any experience doing this and can offer any tips to ease what I know will be a gallon of pain?

DGNR8 · Post by **DGNR8** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:59 pm

Robert and maybe Dawn of Zion. It seems fairly straightforward, but tools would help. Pics?

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 3:27 pm

Pics of? The Decca? Can poast pictur when I get hoem today.

plopswagon · Post by **plopswagon** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:04 pm

Aren't they usually made of wood???

sorry couldn't help myself...

mellowlogic · Post by **mellowlogic** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:16 pm

This whole process sounds like a fkin nightmare, but I'd love to see a project post of someone doing it
I know I did see a demo of robertog doing inlays but I don't think the actual fretboard process was in there.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:00 pm

Well, I shopped around about just having someone else do it but that would've run me $300, and I bought the damn guitar for $60. At the same time, I love how it plays and sounds, least until the rod snapped. I really want it back up and running but I do not see the point in dropping $300 on having someone do it, if I can just go slow and do it myself then I want to try at least. If I fuck it up, I can just sell off the parts or whatever.

I'm mostly just looking for any tips from anyone that's made one before. I've been searching for articles on the subject to get familiar with it as best I can.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:07 pm

Oh shit, actually I can probably just buy one of these from Stew Mac and just trim it down to fit.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:11 pm

my vote goes to maple

not for looks or anything but for the $13.26 price tag

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:01 pm

$19 is still super cheap. That plus truss rod plus fretwire plus replacement tuner knobs, still super cheap and I get my guitar working.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:06 pm

what? 300 bucks?
thats insane.
i took some shots of the fretboard saw that i used in school, its really simple and just requirse a bit of know how and measuring.
basically.
table saw, with skinny ass fucking blade, like 1/32 of an inch or something(not really that thin)
make a peice that slides on the slots for the fence that runs vertially into the blade.(make sure its notched at the blade)
then insert a rod, or a pin, or even a small peg on the face of the running fence towards the blade.
this is where is gets tricky, you gotta make a template for whatever scale you want.
the obvious method is to make notches the same size of the peg(so that you can set each slot on the peg indepently)
then double stick that template to the fretboard(usually 7-8 mms) and go at it, doing one at a time.
i know it probly makes no sense without seeing it, but its really easy and some places actually sell fretboard templates that work this way, so you just have to make a fence bit.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:22 pm

Yeah, I'd seen some articles discussing using a miter box and some careful measuring. I think I'm going to just buy one of these premade ones at StewMac instead.

First thing to do, though, is get that old fucking truss rod out. That's going to be a pain.

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 10:42 pm

is it one of those compound rods?
you know thats anchored in at one end.
those are kinda tricky.
there are a few other places you can get fretboards for less and more, i can't really remember them offhand, i just make mine everytime i go to st. lious(explains why i have 10 maple boards and nothing else atm)
if you fee froggy you should get a board with blind fret ends.

Justin J · Post by **Justin J** » Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:07 pm

PenPen wrote:$19 is still super cheap. That plus truss rod plus fretwire plus replacement tuner knobs, still super cheap and I get my guitar working.

you'll still have to buy some tools for fretting. a plastic-tipped hammer, a radius sanding block (for fretboard and fret leveling), end nippers, and a fret file. that is assuming you don't already own any of these.

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Sat Nov 08, 2008 1:28 am

bubbles_horwitz wrote:
PenPen wrote:$19 is still super cheap. That plus truss rod plus fretwire plus replacement tuner knobs, still super cheap and I get my guitar working.
you'll still have to buy some tools for fretting. a plastic-tipped hammer, a radius sanding block (for fretboard and fret leveling), end nippers, and a fret file. that is assuming you don't already own any of these.

Boards are pre-radiused. I will be contact cementing sandpaper to my level to handle the leveling. I have cutters and files. I have a hammer and scrap wood to tap them in. I'm all set as soon as I'm ready to dew this. I just dropped $200 on my speaker cab. This is next month's project.

Getting the cover wood off the old truss is gonna be a bitch I think, though I don't think I really need to keep that piece. I can probably just cut through it and cover the new one with wax paper when I glue the new fretboard in place.