Hi all, I'm new to CBN and the CBG world, and I'm going to be building one very soon, just waiting on my last few parts. One thing I haven't totally thought about is a fretboard. Do I need one? Can I just fret my neck? Should I use one? What are the pros and cons of having one vs not having one? Thanks for any and all help, guys and gals of CBN!

(I should note that I'm using a poplar 1x2 for my neck)

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A totally personal choice, but, as you intend to fret the guitar, i'd recommend adding a fretboard, just to maintain straightness if nothing else, some bowing on a fretless guitar is un important, once frets are added, playability is dictated by the action and true of the neck

I will ditto on Grandpa's answer.  I often use 1/4 inch oak which I can get at a big chain store lumber place (Menards).   But I have also used yard sticks (cheap ones at Lowes and Home Depot) for a rustic look and lately have used lathe - bought in a big bundle and cheap.

Hey Uncle John, since yardsticks are about as hard as butter tossed in an open fire, do you make your necks thicker to aid in preventing neck bending? I plan on making a few 3 strings in the future using some yardsticks I purchased for fretboards, they will be fretless, and I realize a little bending on  a slide instrument isn't detrimental, but I want as little as possible.

You can easily harden a yardstick.

Just go to your local homebrew store and pick up a pack of liquid yeast meant for dry wines and add it to 5 gallons of... oh... wait... that's to harden cider... never mind...

 :D

LOL

Hey Richard. I have found some nice vintage yardsticks at junk stores here and there, and they make nice fretboards. The old-school yardsticks were made, I believe, from better wood than the current modern iterations. Generally thicker, too. Sometimes they are wider than the 1 x 2 necks I generally use, but a little judicious sanding can bring them into spec. Or, if you have the capacity to cut your own necks, cut one a little wider to accommodate a particularly awesome old yardstick. One caution...even old yardsticks are a lighter wood than the usual fretboard lumber, so use a light touch when cutting fret slots. Easy to go too deep real quick. BTW, I have an Uncle John diddley bow with a nice narrowed down yardstick on the skinny neck. It looks real nice after some years of different folks playin' it.

I've always used Red Oak for my fretboards/fingerboards. I like the way the grain looks, it holds frets very well and it takes strain well or looks fine natural.

Always get it at Lowe's or Home Depot. Also make my necks out of it. It's a good durable hardwood and offers a bright tone to my ears.

Richard, the modern yardsticks I have gotten from Lowes and Home Depot are SOFT wood.   But as far as neck strength, glued up to one inch hardwood (or even pine) I think they add a lot of strength.  The vintage yard sticks seem to be of tougher wood, but it's getting so I hate chopping them up. 

I think the issue with the soft wood yard sticks could be with a lot of finger chording and picking could wear that wood faster.  For fretless, they should be great.  For fretted, it would take a lot of playing to wear them down.  I sure do like the look of a yardstick finger board. 

Roland, unless you are a perfectionist, I encourage you to just dive in and do a couple of simple builds and enjoy.  Then work your way into harder builds if that is still your desire.

Definitely not a perfectionist, but I am trying to just make something that'll last a while as funding is very tight for me for the next few months.

Good reason, Roland.  The best way to get your time and money worth is a simple fretless.  A stick in a box.

If you don't have a jig for cutting fret slots and don't know how to make a jig for that purpose, you can clamp a straight edge or framing square to the board and cut along the straight edge.

I bought a Xacto Knife Set long ago that had a small saw blade in it. It happens to be the right size for cutting fret slots. Xacto makes 3 different thickness saws like this and can be found at local hobby stores for cheap.

I do need to get my hands on some Xacto's, I'll check into that. Thanks!

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