Secrets of the CBG Underground
Tips, Tricks of the Trade and Secrets that (almost) no one is supposed to know about...
Tell us your secrets!
Tell us your secrets!
Making and Installing Frets on your CBG
There are many ways to install frets on a CBG. Some CBG makers use toothpics, some use regular tang type guitar frets installed in a slotted fret board or directly into the neck material, and some use a wood burning tool as a position marker on slide type CBG's. You're mind is the limit!
I have a thing for using quality finishing nails. You can find them in just about every size, quality and also in brass, steel or even stainless. Finishing nails give you the look of a rustic home made CBG without going toward the standard guitar fret look.
Here is the way that I prefer to install them...
On this particular CBG, I used brass finishing nails with the heads cut off glued directly to an Oak neck. After measuring the width of your neck, cut the nails off slightly larger with a strong pair of nippers. Then, grind them down using a grinder to just a tad bit larger than the proper length. You want the frets extending past the sides of the neck, but just slightly.
After marking the fret positions on the neck or fret board, cut straight, shallow slots with a fine toothed hacksaw blade. A hacksaw blade is just about the right width for most finishing nails which are long enough to span a 3 to 5 string neck. You can make the cuts shallow or deep, so that the fret sits high or low. It's a preference that must be decided upon.
I finish the slot off with a small round rat tail or a large nut file. I then glue them into the slot with strong epoxy type glue. The best fret glue I have found is golf club shaft glue, which is very strong, and available at Golfsmith or at Golf Galaxy. (Yes, I make custom golf clubs too!)
After the glue dries, you can file the edges to about 30 to 40 degrees using either a belt sander or a file. I use the belt sander method, but this method does have a tendancy to chew up belts pretty quickly due to the rough and sharp edges of the frets extending past the sides of the neck. You can also ruin the edge of a nice neck or fret board very easily and quickly.
Another method is to use a fine file, and file each side of each individual fret which takes alot of time. Another way is to mount a file edgewise in a piece of wood a bit longer than the file, at the angle in which you want the edges of the frets to be (usually 30-40 degrees). You can then file the fret edges down by stroking the board mounted file lengthwise along the neck.
By Dragon
I have a thing for using quality finishing nails. You can find them in just about every size, quality and also in brass, steel or even stainless. Finishing nails give you the look of a rustic home made CBG without going toward the standard guitar fret look.
Here is the way that I prefer to install them...
On this particular CBG, I used brass finishing nails with the heads cut off glued directly to an Oak neck. After measuring the width of your neck, cut the nails off slightly larger with a strong pair of nippers. Then, grind them down using a grinder to just a tad bit larger than the proper length. You want the frets extending past the sides of the neck, but just slightly.
After marking the fret positions on the neck or fret board, cut straight, shallow slots with a fine toothed hacksaw blade. A hacksaw blade is just about the right width for most finishing nails which are long enough to span a 3 to 5 string neck. You can make the cuts shallow or deep, so that the fret sits high or low. It's a preference that must be decided upon.
I finish the slot off with a small round rat tail or a large nut file. I then glue them into the slot with strong epoxy type glue. The best fret glue I have found is golf club shaft glue, which is very strong, and available at Golfsmith or at Golf Galaxy. (Yes, I make custom golf clubs too!)
After the glue dries, you can file the edges to about 30 to 40 degrees using either a belt sander or a file. I use the belt sander method, but this method does have a tendancy to chew up belts pretty quickly due to the rough and sharp edges of the frets extending past the sides of the neck. You can also ruin the edge of a nice neck or fret board very easily and quickly.
Another method is to use a fine file, and file each side of each individual fret which takes alot of time. Another way is to mount a file edgewise in a piece of wood a bit longer than the file, at the angle in which you want the edges of the frets to be (usually 30-40 degrees). You can then file the fret edges down by stroking the board mounted file lengthwise along the neck.
By Dragon
Paul H (PRH)
BTW, The classes were help in Chicago and I can recomend them highly (some interesting custom builds too). .
John Sims said:
Nov 29, 2009
Penny Nelson
Dec 1, 2009
Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates
saw I use with a modification that includes a depth gauge. The jig is scraps of wood left over and some dowel made a removable jig to cut square frets with. I also looked at StewMacs saw and decided to make an adjustable depth gauge. Once the guide reaches the top of the jig, the cut should be the depth. Nice and even. I just need some 1/8" screws to hold the depth gauge with.
Dec 2, 2009