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What's wrong with pressing in all the frets before gluing the FB to the neck?

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hesh, i think that the yellow thing is the curved brass insert to help press the fret in, nice tool!

JJ, There's nothing wrong with pressing in frets prior to gluing the fb down. The finger board will take on a convex curve due to the wood compression, but very light pressure flatens it out. I use a caul to calmp the finger board with and use epoxy for the joint. Works well.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Hesh,

I think the way it works is that the black thing with the 3 screws and round knobs holds the radius'd inserts, the "flat yellow thing". It looks like this rig is attached to the end of the big metal caul that's clamped to the neck/fb. It's basically a screw clamp with a radiused fret caul insert attached to the end of a metal beam. Looks like it's designed for the 3 or 4 fret slots at the heel and neck block.

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Chris Nielsen
Soquel, CA.

Probably a unique design of fret press caul that is also made of brass and into which the fret press inserts are put under Hesh, that's what it looks like from here but i could be wrong i think it happened to me in 1977!

The angled body caul? For solid body guitars.

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Aoibeann

Hey Hesh, got any idea where a feller might get a copy of that article by
Mario? I've looked around for "Guitar Builder" magazine at the local
bookstores but haven't had any luck.

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Mike

"The Dude abides. I don't know about you but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners. Shoosh." The Stranger

[QUOTE=Hesh1956] [QUOTE=JJ Donohue] What's wrong with pressing in all the frets before gluing the FB to the neck?[/QUOTE]

Nothing brother JJ and I agree with you and certainly after reading Mario's excellent article in the current guitar builder. He presses frets into the board off the neck and then places a 1/2" shim under each end and weights the middle over night. He says that this reverses the back bow and sets the fret tangs better into the slot as well. He also uses HHG in the slots which I can't figure out how he gets it in there but it sounds like a great method and i am going to fret the current build just as Mario's article describes.

He also claims that with this method, a level fretboard before starting, straight neck, etc. only 2-3 frets may need any attention what so ever. And if you don't need to level frets because everything is built true and stright you also don't have to recrown them - all good things.....[/QUOTE]

That's the way I've fretted since #1 but I use LMI white glue. It's so easy it's ridiculous! With all due respect to SM, IMHO, save the Jaws money and buy Zoot!

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Hesh

you mean this extra yellow piece?



I think Chris said it already, you may have missed it in his post.

I would think that is for pressing the frets overtop of the neck block, where the back is angled use this caul on the bottom of the clamp.

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My guess is that it is an angled caul with a yellow rubber cushion for putting against the heel cap of the neck on the under side....

ooop`s didnt see that that Rod already got it....sorry

cool tool, especially in repair situations.
I fret my boards before attaching as well.

MattMatt Gage39086.2872337963

Yah. I do it "ala Mario" also. Works fine for me...

-Mark

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[QUOTE=JJ Donohue] What's wrong with pressing in all the frets before gluing the FB to the neck?[/QUOTE]

JJ, I think if you're building a guitar that works great as you say, but when doing a fret replacement job, you don't really want to remove the FB from the neck... so this is a tool used for repair work moreso than for building.

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Good point, Don

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

I use the Jaws II fret press for my necks. I am using a Mayes type neck joint and first fit the neck and get everything level, then take it back off and use the Jaws to do the fretting. It's a piece of cake.

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Dave Rector
Rector Guitars

I use a plastic hammer.

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