#1 resource for Cigar Box Guitars, Free Plans, How-To, Parts & More!

Fretting about my frets: Spiraling wire around neck?

My first build is a banjo ukulele based on a rectangular cookie tin. I want to fret it, because I want to use this instrument to learn to play the uke.

I originally planned to do zip tie frets, but my test runs reveal that they are wide, don't lie flat, and are just plain ugly. I've read some threads on CBN about fret alternatives, and given several ideas some thought. I don't want to buy fret wire because I'm cheap. :-)

I have some 18ga wire, and I'm thinking about spiraling it around the neck. I'd make V-shaped grooves on either side of the fingerboard at the proper position, so the wire would lie flat across the board, but would run diagonally across the back of the neck to the next fret.

Has anyone tried something like this? I can't imagine I'm the first to think of it. Pros? Cons?

3 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Karl G. Siewert on March 8, 2012 at 3:15am

I want to be clear that, despite the title, I'm not really scared of the work of putting in real frets. It's all about the money. I know that $10 plus shipping is dirt cheap for fretwire and instructions from Gitty, but it's still outside my budget for this build, which I told She Who Must Be Obeyed was $0. Capisce? :-)

You've all given me great tips here, enough to let me know that it's worth trying. This is going to be arguably more work than standard fretwire, since I'm thinking of recessing the wraps around the neck to keep it smooth. That means I get to cut a diagonal slot on rounded stock. Woohoo!

Again, thanks for all the advice.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on March 8, 2012 at 3:25am

Capisce! I like the challenge of a $0 guitar (or close to it).

Invention is the mother of necessity, or something like that.

Have a lot of fun with fretting this way. I think it will look really cool. You won't be screaming up and down the fretboard with the wires going around the back unless you cut an ample groove to recess them, but it will still look great.

When it is time to do the real fretting, don't watch any of the videos from the pros with all the special tools. Just get a plastic hammer and a saw with a narrow blade. I just used my little coping saw and eye-balled the depth. No shame in supplementing with a little glue if necessary.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Grease Stains on March 9, 2012 at 3:36am

If your still going the spiral wire route, why not drill diagonal holes instead trying to cut the slots in now. It'd use less wire and leave the back of the neck smooter in the rounded area.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Karl G. Siewert on March 9, 2012 at 6:07am

That's an interesting idea. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a drill press or another way to make holes through the neck at an accurate angle.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on March 9, 2012 at 6:20am

I agree with the Kid about fret wire, but also love DIY and doing stuff with what you already have and keeping the Queen of Finance happy always is a good thing. Rather that v shaped grooves, what do you think about cutting slots all the way across so that the wire sits about 1/2 way down into them? I think the slots would be faster/easier and would help keep the fret height low.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Karl G. Siewert on March 9, 2012 at 7:04am

There's two reasons. First, I want to make the notches at the edge of the fingerboard so that the wire will lie flush with the top. Wire never makes a 90deg turn, but always has a radiused curve. The notch is to compensate for that. I want to keep it on top of the fingerboard, rather than recessing it, because I'm already worried about how small my bridge is going to have to be to maintain a decent action. My fingerboard is going to be flush with the top of my tin, which leaves me little room for error. Higher frets means that I can make a bigger bridge without sacrificing action.

I'm really working on several problems at once here. I have to make my nut and bridge before I can calculate and lay out the frets, but I have to choose my fret material and attachment strategy before I can decide on how high the bridge and nut should be, and where they should go. Chicken and egg. :-)

I'm probably overthinking the whole mess, to be perfectly honest.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on March 9, 2012 at 7:25am

Okay, I just want to play nicey nice...this method goes back to ancient times. http://www.whitetreeaz.com/guitar1650/fretknot.htm

Here is a little tip: My "Bob's your Uncle" oil drum banjitar has the frets wraped around the fingerboard first and then it is mounted to the neck. Having the fret wire on the back side of the neck, as you know makes sliding up and down the neck uncomfortable. It is really difficult to reinvent the wheel. Certainly there are possibilities, but in the long run the final product might have more issues that doesn't justify the ease of production. Enjoy, Keni Lee

http://youtu.be/8gKnxXrV7bo

Check out the site for more info.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Bluesheart on March 9, 2012 at 8:06am

If you have the resources, adding a "fingerboard" to the neck will also give you more room between the strings and top and provide more action adjustment options.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on March 9, 2012 at 9:10am

Brian the barefoot Cajun did one about a year or so Ago maybe message him

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wade on March 9, 2012 at 11:51am

My best answer is skewers- they work great on Ukes. For wire wrapping - There is a site that has one of my wire wrapped guitars on it - interesting site for low budget builds : cyberferal.com

My experience with wire wrapping is:

- it takes about the same amount of time as putting in frets (but does look cool)

-wrapping wire on the lower frets is a bit tricky because of wide angle of wire as it is wrapped and is best done on hardwood because the wire crushes the wood and loosens the wire

-the last note that prevented me from wrapping wire for frets any further is that the wire never really lays flat on the fingerboard. There is a bit of spring in the wire that I could never get rid of and affected the tone (in a bad way)

Like others have said - it's easy to fret once you know a a few tricks -I have found that an absolute flat fretboard and cleaning out the fret slots before installing frets is a must.

good luck with your project

Wade

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Karl G. Siewert on March 12, 2012 at 5:46am

Thanks for your advice, everyone. I've added a fretboard that I trimmed from an old 2x4 and whittled down to size. The wire is spiral-wrapped around in groups. Here it is being glued.