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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on November 9, 2013 at 1:45am

If you look at my page here on CBN, I made some beginner videos that should help a bit.

Basic Neck Layout

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/basic-neck-layout

How To Fret A Neck

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/how-to-fret-a-neck

String Action and Height

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/how-to-fret-a-neck

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Permalink Reply by Yankee Dog on November 9, 2013 at 2:07am

Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.

Get a piece of paper and draw it all out before you start. 

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on November 9, 2013 at 3:22am

If you want low action and proper intonation on a fretted, you gotta angle the top of the neck back (down) from the top of box. About 2-3 degrees is good, especially if you then angle the headstock back by about 12-15 degrees from the neck. It also helps to have a fretboard that sits above the box; most people seem to use 1/4" hardwood for this purpose, because it holds fret tangs well. If you wanna practice, get a piece of poplar for a practice neck, and a cheap box.you can shim the neck back from the tail end to achieve your 2-3 degree down angle. The Phrygian Kid uses a neat trick, by cutting a scarf joint in the tail end of the neck, then sliding the resultant wedge until you get your neck angle right.

Then you can try fretting with...bobby pins. The flat ones. Use super glue; if you screw up the fret measurement, you can pop em off and start over. You can also use bamboo skewers, or finishing nails. Or you can go straight to Dan's vids, and learn how to do fretting properly.

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Permalink Reply by Jon Leslie/Runaway Veal Music on November 9, 2013 at 7:21am

"get a piece of poplar for a practice neck, and a cheap box.you can shim the neck back from the tail end to achieve your 2-3 degree down angle. The Phrygian Kid uses a neat trick, by cutting a scarf joint in the tail end of the neck, then sliding the resultant wedge until you get your neck angle right.

Shim the neck down???? What does that mean.
What's a scarf joint? Can I have hit? Just kidding but really
I have a regular drill and some hand saws...a few chisels..
I know it's been down without power tools. I've seen incredible results...
I'm not trying to be a smart ass but how do you do the about not necccessrily what do you do as you be explained already.

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Permalink Reply by Jon Leslie/Runaway Veal Music on November 9, 2013 at 7:24am

Dans videos ...I was sent a link but maybe doesn't work on a mobile device...
Someone please send again....sorry and thanks as usual gotta make one fretted and learn

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Permalink Reply by jeff maurer on November 12, 2013 at 3:11am

on my first cbg i used toothpicks, but hindsight being 20/20 id just get some bulk fret wire from cbgitty. its cheap and plentiful. frettn is actually a lot easier than it seems. youtube is full of vids showing how to do it and i can definitly recomend dan sleeps vids also. the real trick to frettn is gettn your scale correct. i now have a fret rule i got from stew mac, but before i got that i used to mark my fret positions out by placing the fretboard up to the neck on my 6 string SG. (not a gibson but one of the silvertone knock off copies). 

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