Fretboard Not Parallel

[clock906]

I brought a pre-cut fretboard, pre-slotted freboard, but it is wider than what I wanted, so I need to trims both size to get it to the width I wanted...

but while doing that, I kinda over cut one size, so I had to compensate by cutting less the other size

In the end, I get a freboard with a shape that look like this (exgerated)

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|-\

|--\

|---\

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Basically, it is not parallel, but only slightly (off by about 1mm? can't notice if you just visually look at it.)

And my question, is it gonna be a big problem down the road if I continue with this?

What kind of problem will I run into?

And what's a good way to fix it without scraping the freboard?

Thank for the help!

Edited December 23, 2005 by clock906

[Hunter]

Binding!

Route a binding channel or whatever, and put binding on it.

[SwedishLuthier]

+1

Reshape it so that it has the right measurements minus the thickness of the binding, and then glue the bindings on. If you have a rosewood or ebony board and don't like the look of bound fret boards, you can always get wood strips of the same wood and bind the fretboard with those. They are commonly sold for binding acoustic guitars bodies.

[clock906]

I don't really like the look of binding...(Plus it has a vine inlay, the binding will end up fairly close to the leaf)

If i just go ahead and use it, will I run into a lot problems?

basically, I can put the neck on a perfectly parallel neck, but the fretboard will be slightly angled (not visible to eyes, less than 1 degree?), and the TOTAL lenght of the entire fretboard will be .5-.8mm off from one side to the other. (And I will just adjust the scale length by adjusting the bridge.)

But am I missing anything? I don't want to run into other unexpected problems later down the road?

[erikbojerik]

Are the frets (slots) still at a 90-degree angle to the centerline? If not, then the neck will not intonate properly. This is the most important thing you have to get straight....no matter how it looks, if the frets aren't right, the neck will be unplayable.

If they're good, then bind it with the same wood that the fretboard is made of, it will look fine and won't look like there's binding on it at all.

[clock906]

Are the frets (slots) still at a 90-degree angle to the centerline?  If not, then the neck will not intonate properly.  This is the most important thing you have to get straight....no matter how it looks, if the frets aren't right, the neck will be unplayable.

If they're good, then bind it with the same wood that the fretboard is made of, it will look fine and won't look like there's binding on it at all.

←

well...how do you measure exactly?

If I use a metal ruler to measure, the fret slot is basically 90' to the centerline, but then since the slot is sooo short, i guess you wouldn't be able to tell wether it is off by a few degree with naked eyes... (1 or 2 degree off is probably gonna make 0.001mm difference in such a short distance)

[Marzocchi705]

draw the centerline then use a protractor or square.

[erikbojerik]

Use a carpenters square, with the long end along the centerline; I'd line up the centerline along the inside edge of the square. If the frets (slots) are parallel with the short end of the square (outside edge), you're good to go.

If you can't tell by eye, they're close enough....assuming you have the right prescription.

[imott]

...Or angle the nut and bridge to equal the frets.

[Mattia]

Are the frets (slots) still at a 90-degree angle to the centerline? If not, then the neck will not intonate properly. This is the most important thing you have to get straight....no matter how it looks, if the frets aren't right, the neck will be unplayable.

If they're good, then bind it with the same wood that the fretboard is made of, it will look fine and won't look like there's binding on it at all.

Sorry, but that's not strictly true. You only need look at a normal guitar to see that; the strings never, ever run perpendicular to the fret slots (OK, maybe the middle two, but not the high or low E strings). Isn't the ratio the same no matter what angle the strings go past on (similar isoceles triangles and all that)?

I'd still go with the binding option, though.