I Need Help!

[metallisomething]

I have just finished slotting, and shaping my fretboard and low and behold, the fret slots AREN'T perpendicular to the center line. Dont bother asking how it happened because I dont know, I planned very carefully. Ok, If I draw a line perpendicular to the fret slots and compare it to the center line its off by 0.5 degrees. This means that by the end of the fretboard the center line and the perpendicular line are 0.2 inches apart.

Is this a MAJOR problem that will render my not yet existing guitar useless?

I am frantically trying to figure out if I need to go to the wood place (which is very far away from my house) to get a new one

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

THANKS

[n8rofwyo]

My opinion is that it may be moderately playable, but it will never be right. If it was me I'd start over with a new fingerboard. Your guitar, your call.

Hope everything turns out for ya.

Nate Robinson

[fryovanni]

I have just finished slotting, and shaping my fretboard and low and behold, the fret slots AREN'T perpendicular to the center line.  Dont bother asking how it happened because I dont know, I planned very carefully.  Ok, If I draw a line perpendicular to the fret slots and compare it to the center line its off by 0.5 degrees.  This means that by the end of the fretboard the center line and the perpendicular line are 0.2 inches apart.

Is this a MAJOR problem that will render my not yet existing guitar useless?

I am frantically trying to figure out if I need to go to the wood place (which is very far away from my house) to get a new one

PLEASE HELP!!!!!

THANKS

←

If you are asking if you need to get a new fretboard, and slot it correctly. I think you are answering your own question. You say not to bother asking how it happened because you don't know. You should probably figure it out before you tackle another board.

Rich

[metallisomething]

Ok, Heres exactly what I did

I drew a center line on the fretboard blank. I attatched the fretboard blank to the fret slotting ruler and placed it in the fret slotting mitrebox from stew mac (making sure everything was lined up. I cut all the slots. I then measured and drew the taper. I used an angled fence attatchment for my table saw to cut the taper. Everything was lined up as perfectly as it could be. So someone tell me how you make a flawless fretboard. Im a little frusterated and angry that after all that work I have a useless, beautiful piece of ebony.

Thanks again

[unclej]

it's perfectly normal to get angry and frustrated when you see your hard work go down the drain. my guess would be that the mistake came somewhere while cutting the taper. it wouldn't take much of a mistake to create the problem that you describe.

i've never made my own neck and the only fretboards that i've slotted were for the lap steels that i make and they don't have a taper so i'm not sure if this is good advice or not but...it seems reasonable that after you cut your fret slots that you cut the taper a little proud of the final deminsions. then after you glue it to the neck making sure that the slots are parrallel to the nut you can sand the edges down to match the neck.

if that's not the way it's done someone with more experience will probably correct me.

anyway, sorry for your frustration but sometimes you've just got to chaulk one up to experience and try again.

good luck on the next one.

[balooka]

is it possible to correct the bad taper by redoing it (where possible) and bind the board to fill the 'gaps'?

[egdeltar]

I would definately chuck it in the trash and start a new baord.

[Southpa]

There is the option of filling the slots with ebony dust/glue mix and reslotting. I can't say for sure if the old slots will be noticeable afterwards. The new slots will cross the old slots and then maybe installing jumbo wide frets will cover most of it. There is always a salvage option somewhere so don't just chuck it out.

[Daniel Sorbera]

Or you could make alot of ebony nuts for violins...

[fryovanni]

Ok, Heres exactly what I did

I drew a center line on the fretboard blank.  I attatched the fretboard blank to the fret slotting ruler and placed it in the fret slotting mitrebox from stew mac (making sure everything was lined up.  I cut all the slots.  I then measured and drew the taper.  I used an angled fence attatchment for my table saw to cut the taper.  Everything was lined up as perfectly as it could be.  So someone tell me how you make a flawless fretboard.  Im a little frusterated and angry that after all that work I have a useless, beautiful piece of ebony.

Thanks again

←

Ok, this may be a very stupid question. Did you cut the taper on both sides of the fretboard with your table saw (don't chew me out for asking, I am just covering the bases). Did you check to be sure that both edges of the blank where parallel before you used the fence to cut the taper.

I don't use a table saw to cut the taper on my fretboards. I cut mine on my bandsaw, a bit fat (but very close).

Peace,Rich

[metallisomething]

I didn't just cut the taper on one side. It's a very reasonable question. I have an angle jig for my table saw and it seemed the easiest way to get a constant(perfectly straight) taper on the wood, which it did. and i am proud to say that i am pretty sure I made in error in thinking i made an error.... The error was off by about the width of a pencil line, and thats what i think happened, my pencil was off because i checked everything again with a digital calipre and everything seems ok. The thought of it being right outwieghs my embarrassment. Relief!

So I am going to glue it on now and hold my breath until its dry....

[fryovanni]

Outstanding!

Sounds like you are on the ball, and triple checking everything. That kind of attension will pay off when your guitar plays great . Very happy for ya.

Peace,Rich

[n8rofwyo]

[erikbojerik]

digital calipers Couldn't live without 'em.

[lovekraft]

In the event that you can't correct the fret slot angle, couldn't you simply adjust the nut ( and the bridge, if necessary) so it's parallel to the frets? One of the majors ( Rickenbacker?) used to make an axe with angled frets, ostensibly to make it easier to barre - those guitars felt a little weird to me, but I never noticed any intonation problems. It's not really a fix, but it's a potential solution if you really need to salvage that fretboard.

[Mattia]

Quite. As long as the frets and the nut are parallel, it should intonate fine.