Fretboard Fall off

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tippie53
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
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Re: Fretboard Fall off

Post by tippie53 »

I use shims on resets but not on new building. Learning to get the geometry right is tricky for a few builds.
I prep the angle into the side then when I set the neck I true up the fretboard plane so the fretboard is flat. I again true the fretboard after gluing it on the neck.
I want about .010 to .020 fall off to allow RH movement of the top. so 1/32 isn't horrible and when you dress the frets you can tweak a bit more out if need be,
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
Mal-2
Posts: 104
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:56 am

Re: Fretboard Fall off

Post by Mal-2 »

tippie53 wrote:1/32 isn't horrible and when you dress the frets you can tweak a bit more out if need be,
This was my thought exactly. Install taller frets on that section and then level them to match the others, and nobody will care about the wood underneath falling away. The frets are so close together there that you can't push the strings all the way down anyhow -- and even if you want to do heavy vibrato that way, the tall frets will make it easier, not harder. Bottoming out a string is only good to prevent you from driving it TOO far sharp when chording, and without a cutaway, nobody will be doing any chording up there (or if they do, they'll have the skill necessary to not bottom out).
ruby@magpage.com
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
Location: Chestertown Maryland

Re: Fretboard Fall off

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Mal

I recently saw John Jorgenson playing Gypsy Jazz, and he played ABOVE the frets, most of the way over the soundhole, by using one finger to simulate a fret, and the adjacent finger to pluck the very short string. He did not care about fall-off at all.

Ed
Ed M
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