RGGR Posted February 12, 2007 Report Share Posted February 12, 2007 How would you go about replacing fretboard on binded neck. Meaning, current neck has binding, and I would like to replace the fretboard. With tutorial on this site, I'm pretty confident I could pull off a standard fretboard removal. But with the binding....I guess you have to remove and re-apply that too, right? Comments are welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted February 17, 2007 Report Share Posted February 17, 2007 Since its actually the fretboard that's bound and not the neck, I can't think of any way to remove a bound fretboard without bringing the binding with it. Even if I could, don't think I would - too much work. When you remove the fretboard, bring the binding with it. When you replace it, you can put back a bound or unbound fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Since its actually the fretboard that's bound and not the neck, I can't think of any way to remove a bound fretboard without bringing the binding with it. Even if I could, don't think I would - too much work. When you remove the fretboard, bring the binding with it. When you replace it, you can put back a bound or unbound fretboard. +1. The binding's stuck to the edge of the fingerboard. Just remove the whole thing as you would a regular 'board, and replace it with whatever you want (binding material's not that expensive, and applying binding is simple. Bit of superglue and tape, scrape flush, you're done). Mattia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted February 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 One of my next projects, I will have to deal with that whole binding thing.....On body, neck and headstock. Thought of doing Faux-binding on body and headstock....but Setch just pointed something out I had never thought of: Binding is not purely cosmetic, it also protects the vulnerable edges of the guitar from knocks or bumps. If you bang your headstock against something (uumm, make that when, not if...) you will chip the painted binding, and the result will look cheap and nasty. If you bang a bound headstock, you may chip the clear over the binding, but the chip will be pretty inconspicuous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted February 18, 2007 Report Share Posted February 18, 2007 Even on solid body electrics, binding is functional. It isn't essential. There are many fine guitars without binding. If it fits the look you want to have it or not have it, its good either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 I disagree with the above. You should remove the binding first, then deal with the fretboard. Some people/manufactures only bind the fb itself, but others.... the binding goes farther down, into the neck itself. If the binding goes into the neck wood, it will cause a lot of problems unless you remove the binding first. It's usually easy to tell. If the binding gets really thin down at the upper frets it's probably just the board. If the thickness is fairly consistent the length of the neck, then it goes down into the neck wood. Assuming you're going to refin the neck, use a heat gun and heat about 2 inches of binding really hot, then slowly and carefully peel it off, then heat the next 2 inches.... continue all the way around the neck in this manner. If a splionter pulls up with the binding, use a razor blade and cut the wood from the binding, and superglue the splinter back into place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 the binding goes farther down, into the neck itself. If the binding goes into the neck wood, it will cause a lot of problems unless you remove the binding first. It's usually easy to tell. If the binding gets really thin down at the upper frets it's probably just the board. If the thickness is fairly consistent the length of the neck, then it goes down into the neck wood. What? I have never, ever seen a guitar neck that is constructed that way. Do you mean that the binding is wider than the thickness of the fret board or what do you mean? Who uses that technique and why? I would really like to see that and know why on earth somebody would do it like that. The main idea behind a bound fret board (except for cosmetic reasons) is to stop moister to get into the fret end slots. Can’t really see any reason to why anybody would use a binding wider that the board. Got a link or a pic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pmarlin Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 The 1978 Iceman that I am working on is that way. The binding goes down past the fretboard slightly and there is a small channel routed in the neck for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted February 19, 2007 Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 You live and you learn. So 70's Ibanez were made that way. I got to look out for one and have a look. Luckily I never have had one in for a fretboard removal. That might have been a disaster if I went on like I use to. Or use to... I have only made two fretboard removals Thanx for the info pmarlin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted February 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2007 The guitar I was after was a Ibanez K7 with ugly inlay. I was thinking picking up the guitar for cheap and replacing binded fretboard with nice Ebony one. I ended up buying new mahogany body blank and some neck wood to roll my own version. Body and headstock will get faux-binding, while neck get binding. Will be first for me. That's the fun part of building guitars, you always can try something new. It's never boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsilver Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 That's the fun part of building guitars, you always can try something new. It's never boring. +1 Good luck and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Swede The channel for the binding goes into the neck wood so the binding is the same or nearly the same height at the nut and the end of the fretboard. I do mine that way, Fender basses with binding are done this way too. I think jacksons are this way as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwedishLuthier Posted February 20, 2007 Report Share Posted February 20, 2007 Thanks Postal. I finaly get the picture. Its done to get an even height for the binding along the length of the neck, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 That just seems idiotically complex to me. Heck, it's the reason I decided not to try doing an 'inlaid fingerboard'; you can't get the board off easily if you need to. If you want even depth at the end of the fingerboard, radius so you get even depth (either taper the 'board so it's a bit thicker at the end of the body than at the nut, or do a compound radius board), I'd say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Right Swede, Binding should be about the same thickness the entire length. Mattia..... fender..... compound radius.... 2 words that dont belong in the same sentence! It really isnt hard though. If you undersize your fretboard for binding, glue FB in place, unclamp after 1 hour if using titebond, scraping most excess glue out of the channel is easy at that stage- Let dry thoroughly, then grab a file. It doesnt take long at all to lower the channel into the neckwood at the upper frets. I've done 3-4 like this and probably took 10-15 minutes each neck. Checking the depth with a peice of 1/4" binding to see if the excess is roughly the same the entire length. I forgot jacksons are compound radius. They tend to be about 200-220 thou though, so they probably do go into the neck wood a bit. They have other complications though, since jackson angles the binding so it's wider at the neckwood, and narrower at the top of the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 23, 2007 Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 Wierdo traditionalist For that matter, fender and neck binding really, really, really don't belong in the same sentence, do they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 HAHAHA! Touche`! They do have a number of basses with it though.... 70', 75' JB, Geddy Lee 74' JB, marcus miller, and maple tops with binding. Fender uses very thin fretboards, and some of those models listed are available with rosewood boards, so if the binding didnt go into the neck wood, at 21-22 fret the binding would only be about 1/16" thick.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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