prs man Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Hi I have been reading post here for a few months and have found a ton on great info. this is my first post and I hope I have do everything correct. first a little about myself I have worked in furniture shops for 20 years. on breaks and lunch I can use the machines to do my guitar projects. I have been building guitar for a few years now and have all the building steps down good and have as nice shop at home as well. I have search here for info on finger boards if it is out there I just did not find it. now here is my question I make my own fret boards I sand all fret boards to 1/4 thick and all the fret boards have turned out nice. I have always used quarter sawn finger boards. I have a vary nice piece of birds eye maple that is flat sawn could I use the maple for a finger board on a guitar. any input would be cool. thanks prs man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimS Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 should work fine. the fretboard doesn't carry very much string tension, so stability isn't critical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 I would definately not agree with TimS's statement that stability isn't crucial in a fretboard, because it most definately is since the bow in the truss rod will be pressing up against it. Regardless, it does not have to be quartered. By definition Bird's eye with nicely visible eyes is flatsawn, and thus to use it you'd have to be able to use a flatsawn fretboard, which you most certainly can do. You can use alot of woods for fretboards, some flatsawn, some quarter sawn, both are good. Chris PS: Show us some of your finished work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 thankyou Chris I would love to show pictures of my building projects. I have not had time to learn how to post pictures. I have all my pictures saved on my computer so when I find out how I will definitly post them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Flatsawn boards are very often used. You can't get special figuring (such as quilting and bird's eye) on qsawn. Quartersawn wood is often considered "less pretty" than flatsawn, though it varies with the wood and cut. I wouldn't worry. CMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Y'know.. I get a kick out of things like this. If you asked a group of acoustic builders about the importance of well quartersawn boards. You would get one answer. Ask a group that mainly builds solid body electrics. You get a different answer. Seems kinda silly, as a fretboard is a fretboard. Anyhow. Much as in selecting neck wood(it is neck wood ). Try your best to keep the orientation one dircetion or the other(flat or quarter). This will help to minimise the effects of radial/tangential shrinkage. Try your darndest to avoid rift sawn. Straight grain of course is best. Be sure the wood is extreamly well dried prior to final surfacing. From my personal experience. I try to avoid flat sawn unless there is a compelling reason(such as Birdsey figure). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted November 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 thanks to all of you. the birds eye maple would tie in to the body and as soon as I can fid out how I will post a picture. the body is curly walnut with birds eye maple. if the fret boars is birds eye then it would look cool thanks you everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 ..even many an acoustic builder has been known to use a faltsawn bit of wood if it was pretty enough. If the stock's dry, stable, doesn't exhibit the need to warp all over the place, go ahead and use it. Heck, most ebony boards (one of the least stable woods I use; takes FOREVER to get dry enough) you get are likely flatsawn. Often kinda hard to tell if it's quartered or not, but it becomes pretty clear if/when they start cupping a little while drying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Hey prs man. To post a picture, you'll need someone to host your pictures. I highly recommend photobucket. You can locate them at www.photobucket.com. You can make seperate albums to organize your pictures (helpful when you have over 300 uploaded like me) so keep that in mind if you have lots to upload. After you upload a picture from your computer to the website, you can link them! Just click on the "URL" box, right click on it, then click on copy and paste that information here. It will look like this. http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b74/Jons...d/6string28.jpg That's all there is to it for basic linking. PM me if you need more help with linking pictures, there are many other ways to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 Hey Mattia- So is this a typo or intentional. ..even many an acoustic builder has been known to use a faltsawn bit of wood if it was pretty enough. P.S.(To Mattia) It was really amazing to me how I was grilled(in a cool way) over at the OLF when I offered up some FB's at the Swap. The knowledgable guys really know how to keep a guy Humble, and even the begginers are quite sharp and well informed. I think I learn at least two or three things every time I visit that forum. Peace,Rich Can't wait to see the Pictures . I have a stack of Birdsey fretboards that I have been seasoning for a few years now(I love the look of that figure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I hope I got this right this is my first project done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 (edited) I will try again you can not see the top is carved ash.I will try to get better at posting picture thanks for the info on www.photobucket.com. I feel good I git this done I have picture to add soon. thannks again for the help. Edited November 7, 2006 by prs man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted November 7, 2006 Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 I will try againhttp://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p314/1prsman/red%20prs%20done/Image003.jpg you can not see the top is carved ash.I will try to get better at posting picture thanks for the info on www.photobucket.com. I feel good I git this done I have picture to add soon. thannks again for the help. A helpful tip, hit enter before you paste the link, it will space it down one or more times. So it will look like this http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p314/1p...ne/Image003.jpg Instead of this http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p314/1p...ne/Image003.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prs man Posted November 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2006 thanks for your info I just posted walnut maple project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsguitar Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 Your maple will be a great fingerboard, here is one I made out of birds eye maple......Hope you like it....... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 Mike, That is a great looking fretboard! I bet it evenlooks better in person. Pictures just don't do justice to Birdsey(it has so much flash and depth). Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 (edited) One would think a q-sawn fretboard to be less durable than flat sawn. The direct pressure applied on the underside of the fretboard by the trussrod is right down the center of the neck. One might expect a potential split along the grain if not glued and clamped thoroughly. I guess the frets help to hold it together. Flatsawn endview |------------------------------| |------------------------------| |------------------------------| _________â–² Quartersawn endview | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ______â–² Edited November 8, 2006 by Southpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fryovanni Posted November 8, 2006 Report Share Posted November 8, 2006 One would think a q-sawn fretboard to be less durable than flat sawn. The direct pressure applied on the underside of the fretboard by the trussrod is right down the center of the neck. One might expect a potential split along the grain if not glued and clamped thoroughly. I guess the frets help to hold it together. Flatsawn endview |------------------------------| |------------------------------| |------------------------------| _________â–² Quartersawn endview | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ______â–² Well.... You could think of it another way. Flatsawn would have a greater degree of runout on the horizontal plane. As force is applied it would promote seperation or delamination of the growth rings. As soon as that starts it is history. NOT that that is likely at all. I am just stretching a hypothetical. Of course both of these assumtions woud be pretty mute points if the wood you used had an interlocked grain structure. Sorry I am stretching.... Peace,Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.