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When fretting a neck before attaching to the body, should it just be as straight as possible before filing the frets, or have some relief? If it should be straight, how effective will the truss rod be at accomplishing this without string tension? TIA.

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

The down side is that you don't know what the the FB extension is going to do when you glue it to the body. It may go up or down. Theoretically, if you set the neck properly before finishing it "should" be straight but stuff happens that we don't plan on. That's why I level the FB and fret after the neck is attached.

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

I'm seriously considering doing the final leveling and fretting after the
neck is attached. That's probably the best way but I've fretted a couple of
extensions after attaching the neck and even with a metal block held
under it it was a little frightening. Maybe the $$$$$fret buck?
Terry Kennedy[/QUOTE]

Or try building with the end block/fingerboard support tongue described elsewhere on this Forum. Makes fretting
the attached fingerboard extension a breeze.

Do you want it dead flat? Or do you want any relief at all? Or does the string tension impart a slight amount of relief? As a beginner I am trying to understand this concept. From what I have been reading, when you lay a straight edge on top of the frets, you want about 1/32 - 1/64th of relief at about fret 7. Am I on the right track?

Good question Larry, glad you brought it up.

Thanks!

Jeff

if fretting the asssembled guitar you want to install and level the frets with neck/fingerboard dead straight from at least nut to body join. there are some who like a bit of fallaway of the fb extension and build it in.

after installation and leveling, string tension will induce a bit of relief, but .007 - .010 is a more usual figure rather than 1/32"(.031")-1/16"(.063")which would be a trigger for truss rod adjustment.

I fret both before and after installing the neck.
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Have you ever necked before and after fretting?
joking aside...I always fret my necks after installing them. Only exception is bolt on Fenders/electrics and for some reason I seem to have more problems when I fret the necks without the bodies. I know it realy shouldn't matter with the Fender's but for some reason it just seems like it does. On the Mando that I just put a new fret board on ...I fretted everything from 15 on up with the board off the neck and then glued it on. ( I hadn't removed the neck from the body just the old fret board) Then finished fretting the board after the glue dried ( and I removed the rubber bands...that was a first for me...rubber bands for clamps)

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

dave

how is that mando restoration going? and how are the knees? you aren't pushing too soon are you?crazymanmichael38499.9919212963

Just to be different I Fret the finger board before glueing it to the Neck. The only time I freted after I ended up with Backbow.

Do you fret the whole board, including the the extension, or fret that after attaching to the body? Also, what clamping method do you use when gluing the board to the neck? Locating pins?

Thanks for the help.

Jeff

I fret the whole Board Extension and all and then Clamp it to the neck by wrapping it with either Heavey Lelastics Or bungy cords. I do a bolt on Neck. The only important thing to watch for is that as you wrap it you wipe excess glue off as you go so it doesn't get on the fret board. I make sure the neck is dead flat before glueing and have had no problems at all. As I said I freted on neck after glueing and ended up with Backbow so haven't done it since. I figure If it is working for me I'll keep doing it this way but I don't know of anyone else who does it like this. It is just so easy though I don't see a reason not too. I rarely have to dress the frets much this way either

I bolt on the neck, and like to get the fretboard dead flat, FBE included, before fretting. Then I unbolt the neck and fret the entire thing, bolt it back on and make sure the crown of the frets is still flat, grinding a little off if any back bow was introduced. The truss rod is in the neutral position during all of this. After it is strung up it will get a little relief, usually the correct amount. I then put a small amount of tension on the rod to keep it from rattling and to add an extra amount of stiffness to the neck.

Sometimes a little extra tightening is required but not usually.

JohnJohn Kinnaird38502.2834490741

john

why not take any induced backbow out before you level after neck installation. by grinding then taking out the backbow you create a dip into your fret height above the fb.crazymanmichael38502.4267013889

I level the fretboard first. The bowback that might be induced is induced by the wedging effect of the frets. This seldom happens but is always a possibility.

Do you guys glue in the rod, or rely on tension to keep it put? I know the Martin-style rod instructions say use glue on the sides, but the LMI one (1/4" wide) says no glue...I'm more than willing to not glue, but it just seems wrong somehow.

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

I'd think it depends. For some U-channel rods, I could see how gluing them in would help make them work: the U-channel becomes an integral part of the neck, fixed in place, with the active rod inside doing the adjusting.

I personally use StewMac's HotRods, which don't get glued.

Okay, so then the rod itself under tension will stay put, but it just won't add structural strength to the neck?

Larry

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http://www.presnallguitars.com

jonh

i am all too aware of the mechanics of fret induced backbow having used it in compression fretting in helping the straightening of many old martin necks.

i was referring to your sequence you described wherein   you leveled the frets before adjusting the rod to remove the backbow. in leveling in this manner the mid neck and above frets will be lower relative to the fb surface, and significantly lower than the first 7 or so after the rod is adjusted. to me you should adjust the rod to remove the backbow and bring the neck straight then do any leveling required. required relief can then be achieved with string tesion/rod adjustment as required.