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Fretting - before or after finish? Pros & Cons?

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Jimmy Caldwell
http://www.caldwellguitars.com

In my shop, before is best. I've tried it both ways and have found several faults to fretting after finish.
1) when pressing in frets the end pushes on the finish on the edge of the fingerboard and can "delaminate" it from the board itself. That sort of makes it look white.
2) I like to handle the guitar as little as possible after finish. Less chance of dings or scratches.

I agree with Paul. I always do something to the finish every time I touch a guitar
Tracy

I level the fretbord and fret after finish. Paul is right care must be taken to do it after. I French polish most of my necks so touch up is easy. I do the leveling and fretting after for a couple reasons. I am not real automated in my neck and fretboard construction or fit-up and this leaves me some fudge room in case of 14th fret hump happens, plus I have had problems in the past with 14-21 causing the extension to bow down due to the tangs expanding the fb when ferting before neck attachment. propably operator error

I am in the process of developing a bolt-on solid contact extension. once the design is completed I should be able to level on the finished body as I currently do then fret but disassembled from the body. I am not there yet but coming soon.

I Fret before glueing the Fret Board to the Neck, then finish the fret work befor attaching the neck. I rarely have to touch the frets after attaching the neck.

Before is my choice too!

Better play it safe!

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

I just can't seem to get the fetboard shape right and the frets level if I do it before assembling the neck to the body. Since I do a lot of my finishing before that, I perforce end up fretting the finished guitar. Yes, it has its drawbacks. What doesn't?

Hoooo.....Im not alone in this world There are other out there like me

I'm another one in the after category.

I radius, inlay position markers and fret after the guitar is finished. Yes you have to be careful and occasionally do a minor finish touch up, but it works fine for me.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
http://www.canadianluthiersupply.com
https://www.facebook.com/canadianluthiersupply?ref=hl
House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
http://www.houseguitars.com

Jimmy--I fret before AND after attaching the fretboard as well as many other times during the course of construction.
Nelson

Afterwards for me too. One thing I am cautious of is hammering the ends to agressively. If you do compress the wood with the fret ends the finish (speaking of urethane lacquer here) can delaminate.

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tim...
http://www.mcknightguitars.com

I fret first finish afterwards. Just makes for less problems.

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Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

I started using the directions in Tim McKnight's article recently. It made me nervous to be fretting a finished instrument, but the results so far have been great.
I do a rough level & arch before installing the neck, but the final shaping happens after.
I had a couple of spots where the lacquer pulled away on the FB edge, but a bit of CA & shellac stick covered it flawlessly.
Next time, I'm gonna clip the tang section back a bit & see how that works.

After after after. Unless you're jigged and setup from dozens of trial and
error test guitars and follow the same procedures perfectly (or using a
Taylor-style neck joint), I really don't think you can achieve a perfectly
level fingerboard unless it is final leveled after assembly.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Sure you can... you just have to finish it with the neck glued on first.   

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

before...

i'm with al and david.

Same here, I cannot ever get the fretboard aproach angle perfect with the top of the guitar and there is always a little leveling to be done. NOW that said, If I were using a system like John mayes, John Kinniard or any others that have the fretboard extention bolted down and I would positivly fret first, hmmmm
I (am) starting a new group of guitars.....

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