I'm going to try and add
information and pages to this section
as soon as possible.....
This section is NOT complete.
The Guitars used to illustrate this procedure are a : -
Vintage 1967 Gibson Flying V
( This
vintage guitar needed a 'Fret Job' entirely due to string
wear 'grooving' the frets with use. The
guitar had been played constantly around the world for years, but at this stage rattled and buzzed too much
to really be used as a main instrument. She had also been re-fretted at least
once.)
and a
'58 Tokai Flying V
( This
is actually my guitar. To this point I hadn't really bothered too much about
doing a 'Fret Job' as she did play very well, but as there was a fair amount of
deep-ish 'grooving'
present in the frets and also that
the fingerboard had some deep scaring
due to use - probably from the previous owners long fingernails !
The time was about right to 'tart' her up a bit.)
THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS
The 1st Stage..... Preparation. Find a nice clean flat area that can be used and find a soft cloth or old bed sheet to lie the guitar on to prevent any possible damage. 'Swinging' room is also needed as the guitar will have to be positioned at various angles to surface used.
Requirements.....
A large area - flat, clean & stable
with a good light source. A large soft cloth or sheet..... see
below.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 2nd Stage..... Checking
over the Instrument. It is best to lie the guitar down and check her all over for any damage, loose parts or screws..... in fact, anything that
might have to be done later, or anything that may cause a problem when trying to do the task in hand.
A small 'labeled'
container is handy to put 'bits', if any need to be taken off, or in case some do fall off !
You never know.
If they are left lying around, the guitar may be put on top of them by mistake..... and touching-in or
re-spraying shouldn't have to be part of the deal !
( Take notes if possible.)
A 1967 Gibson Flying V.
A nice big area - flat, clean & stable with a good light source if possible.
Also.....
While still strung up, the guitar neck
needs to be looked
over to
see if there are any noticeable problems
that are reasonably obvious..... For example
- if there is a twist
in the neck, or the bass side pulls up
a lot more than the treble. If there are
potential problems at this stage, take
notes and compare
the neck when the strings are off. Only then can a
strategy
be planned .
Other things to check for are..... if there are already 'dinks' and 'dents'
noticeable on the neck or fingerboard, or any cracks or chips in the finish or
damage of any kind.
( Best to take notes again here.)
(
In the case of a 'bolt-on' neck..... check if the neck is
correctly aligned
with the body and if any 'shims'
have been used to alter the neck angle.)
Tools Required.....
A note-book & pen, a small-ish labeled
container and a selection of screwdrivers and Allen-keys etc.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 3rd Stage.....
Taking the Strings off.
Take the strings off the guitar, put them together and safely out of the
way.
I tend to.....
unwind them from the machine heads, then wrap them round in a few circles and stash the up by the bridge, where they're out of the way. Usually I'll hold them down with a couple of bits of masking tape.
It's generally best to use the 'low
tack' type, especially in cases where there may be potential problems with the finish.
The vast majority of guitars however will be no problem at all.
( This last point is very important
- some finishes may pull off
like a 'sheet', other may flake off.....
even with
the use of 'Low-tack' tape..... Great care
must be taken !)
In the case of the '67, the strings easily came off the tremolo unit, so I
wrapped them around a few times and hung them up out of the way. I then took the
bridge off and put it in a labeled container.
I never throw the strings
away until right at the end, as you may not know what the exact gauges are.
So if you need to find out, you can still check them with a micrometer.
( Useful Tip.)
Tools Required.....
A string-winder is useful and so is a roll
of 'low-tack' masking tape and a container.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 4th Stage..... Examining the Fingerboard & Frets. This is where things really start to happen. Initially the fingerboard must be checked to make sure it is clean and free from dirt, grease and 'crap' left over from the player playing the instrument over whatever time period - maybe years. This sort of debris usually accumulates each side of the frets. On lacquered fingerboards, it can usually be removed with a cloth with a bit of furniture polish - like 'Pledge'. If it's a bit more 'stubborn', a colour restorer like 'T-Cut' can be used by carefully and gently rubbing it over the surface with a cloth, making sure that afterwards, all traces of the cleaner are removed as well.
However, with Natural
Wood Fingerboards, especially
Rosewood, 'dirt' tends to
accumulate in great quantities over a period of time and moreover goes hard and
crusty ! It is not easy to
remove.
Mmmmm !!!
The only way to remove 'it' is to initially very
gently
'scrape'
off as much as possible by using either a small
flat scraper blade, or a 'Stanley' Knife blade,
along the grain of the wood - in the up
& down direction and Not across
the fingerboard. If 'it' proves to be a little tough, wipe some Olive
oil over the entire fingerboard and let
the oil soak in a bit. This will help to soften
the dirt making 'it' easier to remove. When eventually 'it' all comes off, wipe
a little more Olive oil over the fingerboard, let it
soak in
for a few minutes
and then finally wipe any excess off with a cloth. The Olive oil 'feeds'
the wood and prevents the fingerboard getting dry and 'flaky' over a period of
time, which also makes it easier to work on in years to come.
Next is checking
the Level, which is one of
the most important
tasks of all, is to make
sure that the fingerboard is reasonably flat
from end to end so the frets
can be uniformly leveled. It is only then
that the job can really start. The best tool to use is a 2ft
straight edge - but it must be straight !
By laying the edge carefully on the frets along
the length of the fingerboard, in the area
of the centre-line and towards both the treble and the bass sides as well, you can tell
if there is for example a 'hump'
or a higher area
in the middle region of the fingerboard - around say the 7th to 12th fret for
example. If there is a
'higher area'
here it can usually be relieved by 'slackening
off' the truss rod a
little ( 1/8th of a turn at a time
).
Occasionally, slackening off the truss rod will not take out the higher middle
area - it can still be there - and in this case there are going to be problems.
( This scenario will be in an Advanced Section later.)
If there is a 'dip'
or lower area
in the middle region, rather than a 'hump', the truss rod can be tightened
gently (
1/8th of a turn at a time
) until, in most cases, the neck straightens out. Truss rods need to be approached with the
utmost caution
as they don't always work..... and very occasionally will break !
The 1967 Flying V neck 'curved down' when the strings were removed, so the truss rod had to be slackened off. When slackened completely, the neck was 'straight' when using the level as a reference and could then be worked on.
'Click
for Pix'
( A
note must be made of how much the truss rod is adjusted, in whichever direction
- there is then a reference to use which makes it easier to set
the guitar up afterwards.)
Tools Required.....
Extra Virgin Olive
Oil & cloth, a scraper blade, some polish, another cloth, a 2ft straight edge and a suitable
truss-rod key.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 5th Stage..... Masking.
The point of no return
! To prevent causing any damage to the
guitar, the area of the body around where the neck joins the body has to be masked
up using 'low-tack'
masking tape. This includes : - the pickups
and scratch-plate
in the vicinity of the neck and all the parts of the body
in that area including possibly the 'horns'.
Also the top-nut
or area behind it needs to be masked over.
See the picture(s) below.
'Click for Pix'
It important to
carefully scan
the whole neck an body area at this stage, to see if there are any 'bare
patches'
where there is no lacquer due to
wear
or just
knocks
or
dents. This is particularly important with
Maple Necks
and
Fingerboards. No
oil, crap, grease or dirt must get in
there at all.
This is very important. If there are any areas like this you
must mask them up at this stage.
Tools Required.....
Plenty of 'low-tack' masking tape. A pair of sharp scissors. A sharp 'Stanley' blade & a
plate.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 6th Stage.....
OK ? 'Stoning' or
Leveling. At
this stage a lacquered fingerboard doesn't need to be masked between the frets
unless there is wear and damage, but will have to be masked before Stage
8.
A natural wood fingerboard doesn't need to be
masked at all.
Personally I've always used an 'Oil-stone'
for doing frets. Some people prefer to use a specially adapted file, but I find
that an oil-stone works for me
- and that's what's important..... being comfortable
with your tools.
( If you have not used an Oil-stone before, I'm planning a Section on - Tools and How to Use Them - but I've not got that far yet I'm afraid.)
With the Oil-Stone you have to use a lubricant, and I find the best and most cost effective is Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Drizzle a few 'globs' of oil on the 'face' of the stone and smear the oil all over the rest of the face. Let it soak in. ( If it's a new stone, it might take quite a bit of 'filling up' !) When the oil will lie on the surface, 'stoning' can start.....
'Click
for Pix'
I WILL CONTINUE
STAGE
SIX AS SOON
AS I CAN
Tools Required.....
A 'flat' 8" medium grade oil-stone, Extra Virgin
Olive Oil and some soft rags - No 'witches brews' or special potions required.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 7th Stage..... Taping up the Fingerboard. This does not need to be done on a natural wood fingerboard. However, if there are plastic or soft pearloid inlays or inlays that you are not sure about, you must mask them up before the polishing stage ( Stage 10 )as they do have the tendency to 'melt' or 'pull' when subjected to the heat generated by a buffing wheel.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 8th Stage.....
Re-Beveling the Fret-ends. This job is actually a lot trickier than it may initially
seem to be !
A nice even 45 degree (or less) angle is needed on the frets at the edge of the fingerboard - from the First
to the Last, which also forms in a 'straight
line' which follows the edge of the
fingerboard..... and you will be amazed how few guitars actually have this right
! Usually, when you get up to the proximity of the body, especially
on the bass side, you will find that the frets are not beveled properly and in
some cases not at all.
'Click
for Pix'
Tools Required.....
For this a 6" to 8"
Flat file is best. I'll get a photo sorted.
* * * * * * * * * *
The 9th Stage.....
Re-Profiling the Frets. This is probably the
most difficult part of the whole procedure !
I do not use 'fret files' as most others seem
to do. I cannot see how you can possibly get an even feel
to all the frets if you are working on one fret at a time when re-profiling
them..... But - Yes it is possible !
I prefer another approach, which I'll talk
to you about later.
I have used this system on all the guitars I've
made, all the guitars I've repaired and every
request for a "Fret Job". It does work.....
and works very well indeed. I personally think this is the best method to use.
I should also mention here that when I started doing this sort of work.....
'Fret Files' were not readily available - you could not get hold of them easily
anyway, so there was no incentive to use them. These days, most of the things
that 'you think you may need' are far more easily available than they have ever
been, but 'they' may not always be what you 'need' to do the job. Keep it simple
!
I WILL CONTINUE STAGE NINE AS SOON AS I CAN
Tools Required.....
* * * * * * * * * *
The 10th Stage..... Polishing the Frets.
I WILL CONTINUE THIS AS SOON AS I CAN
The 11th Stage..... Cleaning Up.
I WILL CONTINUE THIS AS SOON AS I CAN
The 12th Stage.....
Putting The Guitar 'back together' again
- including any Adjustments
&
Finally giving her a 'Test out' making any further Adjustments necessary so
she's 110%.
1967 Gibson Flying V..... afterwards.