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 Post subject: Refretting an old Regal
PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2017 12:57 am 
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Cocobolo
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:58 pm
Posts: 191
Location: usa
First name: george
Last Name: s
Country: usa
Focus: Repair
Status: Amateur
The frets were down to the point I couldn't crown them any more, so they had to go. I was dreading it because the FB is old ebony and my past experience with ebony was it is like talc. . . but the tip I picked up here was HEAT. Thanks for that. I got all 20 fret out pretty cleanly with 6-8 small chips to fill.

I am taking this opportunity to level the fingerboard while the frets are out. After a few swipes with 320 grit I have about enough relief between the 6th and 14th frets to slide a piece of paper under the straight edge. When I put in the new frets I am thinking I will get a little bit of back bowing (does this sound right?). Do you leave a little relief before fretting or go for dead straight. It has pretty inlays so I think if I take it down any more the inlay will need to come out, so I am not keen to do that.

Additional information the neck looks to be a 5 of 7 ply (like a '30's Washburn) and from removing the nut, it looks like it has a fixed truss rod, with a thick ebony slab fingerboard, so it is pretty stiff.

Thanks.

GS


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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2017 7:55 am 
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Koa
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Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:13 pm
Posts: 832
Location: Durango CO
First name: Dave
Last Name: Farmer
City: Durango
State: CO
The fit of frets has to be pretty tight to back bow a stiff neck.
Sometimes you may want a slight back bow unstrung.

Clues about what will happen include:
How much relief was in the neck strung before removing the frets?
what size was the tang and barb of the old wire?
what size is the tang/barb of the new wire?
What size are the fret slots now?
Stringing it up with no frets and seeing how much relief you have will tell you something about how stiff the neck is.



These users thanked the author david farmer for the post: gxs (Fri May 19, 2017 9:55 am)
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PostPosted: Fri May 19, 2017 9:58 am 
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Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:58 pm
Posts: 191
Location: usa
First name: george
Last Name: s
Country: usa
Focus: Repair
Status: Amateur
Thanks - replies inline

david farmer wrote:
The fit of frets has to be pretty tight to back bow a stiff neck.
Sometimes you may want a slight back bow unstrung.

Clues about what will happen include:
How much relief was in the neck strung before removing the frets?
[It was a comfortable amount, about right with light strings]

what size was the tang and barb of the old wire?
what size is the tang/barb of the new wire?
[old and new tangs were about the same size]

What size are the fret slots now?
[Good point, a little bigger due to extractions]

Stringing it up with no frets and seeing how much relief you have will tell you something about how stiff the neck is.

[Great idea]

Thanks


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