krazyderek Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 just a quick question, does everyone use super glue when pressing they're frets in? i'm guessing it'd work fine without the glue, it's just kinda some insurance to keep them in place. I'll probably use glue, but would epoxy be just as good? or will epoxy make it impossible to remove the frets for a refret down the road? (i'm thinking that only super glue can be heated up to make it loosen up) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr_XD Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 i think you don´t really need it if your cut has the right dimension, but if it was a bit wide it will help for sure. have in mind on the other hand that it will be harder to change them if you ever attempt it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 4, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 ok well the neck in question is a 10" radius and the wire has been bent to 10" radius, and i have the proper 10" radius press thingy.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1sh Posted August 4, 2003 Report Share Posted August 4, 2003 when I do setups, sometimes the frets loosen up, and it really kills sustain. if you run your fingers down the frets, and it kinda sounds "hollow" then you need to apply a little bit of super thin superglue (model airplane glue) to each side and then just usa a SHARP razor blade and clean it up. Works Wonders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGM Guitars Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 If it's a brand new fretboard that's never been fretted and the slots are the correct width you don't need to glue them. I do glue frets in a refret situation though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 I glue them in on every neck I fret, simply presonal preference but an argument can be made that it does help sustain and eliminates dead spots in the neck by adding to the surface area connecting the frets to the neck. If you dont get it I'll explain more later it's 6:30 am and I'm not awake yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 5, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 ok well let's say i use my epoxy, put some on the bottom of the fret and press it in the new board, do i have to hold it pressed in for 5 mins so that the epoxy sets up or just make sure the fret is good and in there, then move on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 I'd get an injector and put it in the fret slot then press in the fret, checking for level after every 4 or 5 frets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted August 5, 2003 Report Share Posted August 5, 2003 also you dont need epoxy, just use gap filling super glue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1sh Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 definitly use super glue. the thinner the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butcherboy Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 try wood glue, that way it wont stick to the fret but will fill the slot up so its a nice snugg fit. a new bord souldnt need gluing at all realy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jseverin Posted August 6, 2003 Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 I employ Hide glue and work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 6, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2003 ya, i just said screw it and pressed them in since it was a new FB.... i'll try some super glue/filler when i refret my other guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 7, 2003 Report Share Posted August 7, 2003 Using no glue requires a rather tight fit of the fret tang into the fret-slot. The big disadvantage of that is that it's very hard, if not impossible, to create a perfectly straight neck under string tension this way. You usually have to loosen the truss-rod to take out the back-bow, which often isn't consistent along the entire length of the neck,up to the body-joint. You'd have to have a precision straight-edge on the fret-board and measure with feeler gauges to see what I mean. With the old no glue, hammer method, you very likely get measurable gap differences at different parts of the neck. This is why the "old school" hammer fret-jobs usually require .012" of relief, instead of .002"-.005" of relief which is what I get, using a "neck-jig" to level the board under simulated string tension. I have to be careful not to have too tight fitting frets, or all my accurate fret-board leveling goes out the window in the end. It's a fine line, to keep the frets tight enough to need very little glue and to keep the tone that tight frets create. I used to always use epoxy, but don't anymore, usually, because I do leave the fret-slots .019"-.023" and shave the fret-tang "beads" instead of routing the slots wider, like I used to. I now use super-glue or yellow wood glue, which both work fine. The yellow glue is cheaper and wipes away with a damp rag. Some have run test about how the different glues affect tone, and it resulted in the frets with no glue having the most "dead" sound. I'll have to rely on such test by others, because I sure as hell ain't running my own tests of this. I guess epoxy is rather thick, has to be mixed properly, and isn't as cheap as wood glue. If you have a full clamp and caul supply, the wood glue method will only take one or 2 nights for all the frets to dry while being clamped. All the mentioned glues bonds are broken (enough) by applying soldering iron heat to the frets. I think super-glue is the hardest bond to break with heat, but it's still not much of a problem. Most guitars already have pieces put together with yellow wood glue, plus epoxy has a reputation for being thought of as plastic by pro players with "gifted" ears, so I tend to use wood glue for these reasons , also. A lot of the "old school" fretters often use white glue, which I would think isn't as brittle as yellow glue and wouldn't sound as good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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