Official Luthiers Forum!

Do you folks install frets before the fretboard is glued to the neck, or after it is glued? Does it matter? It seems to me before would be best, but I wanted some other opinions. Thanks Jeff

    I to have done it both ways. There is no , one way is the right way , you need to find your own technique. I still use the hammer method but instead of HHG I used tite bond. It isn't that the glue holds the metal fret but that the glue fills the voids and hardens the wood.
    The method I am using now I nip the fret ends and sand the fretboard edge and let the dust settle on the slots , then use thin superglue and let that wick into the slot and wick through the dust. This gives my fretboards a clean pocket fret appearance. This does glue the frets in.
   Hammer or press both work but don't use a carpenter hammer . I use a cobblers chasing hammer for fretting. The face is larger and the handel of the hammer is thin and very controllable . You can use your drill press to press in frets. The SG will breakdown with heat when you need to pull them later.
john hall

I use a bolt on neck: I glue the fb to the neck, bolt the neck onto the body, level it. Remove the neck, press in the frets. Reattach the neck and level the frets, if needed. Works great for me.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

My approach is the same as Ron's with the neck removed from the body. I don't glue if it's a new fretboard and have glued when refretting.

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Michael Lloyd

“I was born to ignorance, yes, and lesser poverties ...
I was born to privilege that I did not see ... I didn’t know it, but my way was paved” – John Gorka

I also have done it both ways and perfer to install them prior to attaching the fb to the neck. I press in my frets using my drill press.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

[QUOTE=Jim_W] I also have done it both ways and perfer to install them prior to attaching the fb to the neck. I press in my frets using my drill press.[/QUOTE]

same here....

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I guess I'm the weird one here...

I do the fret work last.
After the lacquer,
After gluing the neck on
Hammer 'em in
No glue

Mark

[QUOTE=Blanchard] I guess I'm the weird one here...[/QUOTE]

unique, not weird!!

I'm with the bolt on brigade!!

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

I hammer in the frets when the fretboard is glued onto the neck BEFORE it is carved...it means that it an sits nicely and securely clamped on my heavy slab of marble I scrounged from a stonemasons.

This is all prior to fitting.

Oh, perish the thought of the hammer slipping and smashing the guitar top, because I can't afford a Stewmac Fret buck!!

mark, rest assured that you are neither weird nor unique. as one who learned his fretting chops in the repair side of the business, and still favours a dovetail mortise and tenon, i also still hammer them in after the instrument is finished and assembled. i just prefer to retain the option of a final fretboard level after the neck is on before installing the frets.

i guess old habits die hard!

and i firmly believe that the difficulty of installing the frets in the extension is grossly exaggerated. i don't have a fret buck, not even a shop made clone, though i must admit to having lusted after one a bit as my wrist and fingers get stiffer. i just hold a small bag of shot under the extension. a bag of sand will also suffice. haven't cracked a top yet....

I'll join the last thing crowd. I've never had good results fretting the board before it was glued on so I't the last thing I do before stringing up. However I do file the fret ends and polish them before I install them so all I have to do is a quick level and buff of the fret tops.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Frets go in last for me (after lacquer). I use a semihemispherical approach taught to me by Sylvan Wells. It eliminates the need for dressing the ends after they are installed (also eliminating the need for dealing with binding, fb damage, or open slot issues).

I'm a sort of hybrid. My building system means that I don't glue the fingerboard down to the guitar top but only to the neck and it's extension, which just fits a pocket on the headblock. I can therefore level the fingerboard after gluing it to the neck then install all of the frets.

I use an arbor press, just tap the ends in with the deadblow hammer then press them in using the radius caul simply held in a groove in a block of cherry.

Since using this method I have never had to level the frets or reprofile the fret tops. just dress the ends and job done.



Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Oh I forgot to say that for my lutes I just tie the frets (gut) on after it's all strung up! Re-fretting is a doddle.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=crazymanmichael]mark, rest assured that you are neither weird nor unique. [/QUOTE]


Darn !!

Mark

at least as far as you fretting preference go.....

I press mine in after lacquer. I used to hammer but
I like to press em now with my drill press.

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Anderson Guitars
Clearwater,Fl. 33755