doug

The Warmoth bodies I've made necks for have been the same and fit a Strat sized neck. However don't make assumptions. Geometry... this includes the taper. Now that we know it's a Warmoth, and if Warmoth made the neck pocket etc. then there's a fair chance it has some typical dimensions. -Doug

Additionally you'll need to get a neck with the correct heel geometry. They are not universal. -Doug

My brother's sweat destroys everything... nickel bridges, pickup covers, gold ones, and strings. He claims Elixer strings last longer in that they don't rust up so quick. Still, he has to wipe them down during breaks. Since silver does produce black tarnish, and maybe your skin reacts more with it, you might quickly pick up the black from the fret. Have someone else try after you've wiped then off. -Doug

Dill the pilot holes. It's not hard. Use a depth stop then you'll be able to get just the right depth. If you don't have those fancy clamp on stops, you can make one from a small dowel or scrap of wood. -Doug

Out of curiosity... for those rosewood fingerboard users: Do you find the initial polish given lasts very long? Or, how long does it last? Indian rosewood varieties seem 'softer' to me when working with it than other woods like pau ferro, ebony, or ziricote. In my experience softer woods tend to be less abrasion resistant which theoretically indicates the initial gloss should wear off quite soon. Also, along that same line, the openness of the grain tend to reduce the surface consistency as the edges of the surface pores get 'rounded' off effectively widening them. With used fingerboards I have seen this time and again. Softer open grained woods seems to perpetuate more roughening of the surface over time. This is particularly noticeable around inlays where the rosewood has worn away. Here's where a good fiber hardening, non-building treatment might come in handy. "Finish" of course is widely interpreted, so let's narrow it down to only non-surface building types that harden the fibers. My question is this: if the fingerboard was treated to be more resilient, yet there was no appreciable surface build, why would this not be desirable? Opinions welcome... it's a curiosity. -Doug

Oh yeah, duh... that's what happens when I forget to check who started it all... LOL!!

You're initial post was for 3/32" rod at least implies round... I was stuck in the curved fingerboard rut so a flat fingerboard just wasn't though of.

It would seem that CNC would be the only accurate way. The rod would also have to be bent at the precise curve too. I'm not sure what would hold the frets in though. It might have to be some special adhesive that could flex with the wood and yet maintain a bond with the rod. I'm sure it's possible to make slots without CNC, but any jigs etc. probably would have to be very accurate. Rods for frets might be an interesting look too. Other than looks, why rods? By the way, I see nothing at all wrong with bar frets. The only thing I would ask myself is why be tormented by a project that's supposed to be fun? -Doug

+1 - on not making it any more difficult than necessary... Just make sure your neck pocket is snug. The resulting joint will be very strong. Be sure the neck heel goes in at least as deep as the back of the neck pickup cavity. Also, be sure there is a fair amount of heel left under the neck pocket. You just don't want that too thin. There's a ton of material on set neck construction available as well to help you out. -Doug

+1 for the epoxy filler. Mix the silica with it to give it body and it fills better. I use it all the time. Lacquers go over it just fine. I actually shoot catalyzed urethane or polyester over it just because nitro takes too long to harden. Epoxy is a really great way to go on wenge. I work wenge a lot and the epoxy/silica is wonderful for a filler/sealer. -Doug

+ 1 Here's some quick rule of thumbs: Sealer in general should be applied sparingly. Never use a softer sealer under a harder top coat. Never use too much sealer. (most manufacturers recommend 1 or two coats) Use the proper sealer. It's best to use the same brand as the finish. Most companies make both. (already mentioned) Lacquer based sealers WILL soften with a lacquer top coat. The solvents burn in. The only way around that (used by major manufacturers) is to seal with polyester or other catalyzed product. These are unaffected by lacquer or solvents truly "sealing" the guitar body. Guitar finishes are engineered for guitar bodies and the unique stresses they encounter, which might otherwise cause cracks "furniture" lacquers. (this is a potential, and the reason finish companies make both types) A proven easier to get sealer is System3 clear coat, mixed with the silica thickener. You will get and impervious sealer coat, and subsequent applications of nitro can not soften or penetrate it. System 3 is available pretty much everywhere so you should be able to get it in your locality or at least on line. -Doug

Thing is, if you want a 24 fret bolt on without an extension that's just a normal thing we do. However, this type of neck will NOT fit into your vanilla "Strat" neck pocket because they are sized for the more common width of 2-1/4" and have the extra heel consistent with a 24 fret neck. So, if you are going to build a guitar and want a bolt then 24 frets is doable. If you want to try through neck then of course that is too. (this type of neck would fit a guitar like an Ibanez RG which has a longer neck and a wider neck pocket) Those 24 fret fingerboard extended retrofit necks have bare fingerboard sticking way out the end covering what would otherwise be a pickup. Because the nut is a finite distance from the bridge, the only direction an extension can go in this situation is back towards the bridge. -Doug

I have a 1930 Martin that I refretted some time ago. It has bar frets. (the fingerboard needed attention so the frets had to come out) They are about 1/16" deep into the fingerboard. Also, from Martin they were glued into slots larger than the fret itself. Not much of course, but still wider. One thing about them is that they never need crowning... They came flat on top and were something like .033" wide. I had to reuse the original frets because Martin no longer makes that exact size. As far as strengthening or weakening a neck, I'd say that's speculation. One thing for sure is that a well respected guitar company used them for many years. I'm no historian or anything but I'd venture a guess and say frets like we have today were not invented yet. Like anything else, if you choose the bar fret route, as long as they are properly installed and leveled they should be fine. You might ask yourself is the effort worth it? Seems like they'd have to be fairly thick or they might otherwise turn into little razor blades should you slide a finger down a worn edge. -Doug

Wes... "easily damage your neck..."? :o) I thought we were in control here... Make a wood "base" to cover the feet. Then make a saddle for the neck shaft like 10" wide. Line it with cork. Then shim as necessary. Honestly I've used this method for years on hundreds of necks and there's only about 2 shims I ever use. The saddle supports the neck shaft. As I get close to the heel I add the shims under the heel. This way it all stays level. You only need just enough pressure to seat the fret then move on to the next one. I'm actually thinking of making it pneumatically actuated this summer. -Doug

I have some customers request the brass, so I use them. Like anything else guitar related it's a personal preference. The resonance is different, yet is it better or worse? That's a perspective question. Myself, I guess I still like the graphite or bone. I've never been asked to make a zero fret guitar so I can't comment on what that's like specifically. I do however a make a ton of necks with them so they must be popular. -Doug

LMI stocks Jescar wire... Their general manager told me a while ago. You'll notice the description similarity too. -Doug

Sure, if you want to call bronze a "strange brass composition". 15% Tin 1% Iron .1% Titanium And Copper making up the rest. Well that's what I get for not being a learned metallurgist.... -Doug

Thanks! -Doug

Stewmac sells a binding laminator. It can squeeze the layers together after you apply acetone. The trick is to get the layers you've just softened onto the body before it hardens. You have some working time thought the acetone evaporates in seconds. The layered binding will be soft for a little while. Binding glue is thicker than CA so there is a little more potential for your layers to equal more than .160" if you use it. The only real world suggestion I have is that you tape each layer in place solidly as you work your way around the body. If you have thin binding layers, then glue two at a time before attaching to the body. Remember to attach to the body before all the solvents dry because they help keep the binding pliable for a while. -Doug

V slot method really is a great way to go.... About the only time I've had "strange" sounds like you describe is with metal nut material. I like the tonal aspects of brass, yet other types of nut seem to introduce less misc. sounds. One time I had a brass nut slotted with too much angle and I think the string was vibrating in the slot because of it. I tossed the nut and made another and it was fine. However, it still introduced that metal nut sort of sound we attribute to the metal nut which some of us like. Using bone, graphite, or corian eliminated the artifacts in the general headstock vicinity. -Doug

+1 Just get the size you like. They make the best fretwire going. Jescar Gold frets don't have any gold in them nor any silver. They are more like a strange brass composition. Anyhooo, most of the places common to retail sales stock Jascar wire including LMII.

It's an arched fixture that holds the neck with forward bow while the fingerboard is being glued. After allowing proper set time for the glue, it's removed. I add a little tension on the truss rod to straighten the neck then I level the fingerboard. Once the frets are pressed in the neck is remarkably straight with no tension on the truss rod. This provides maximum adjustment when the neck is put into service. -Doug

Erikbojerik, that's one comprehensive 'how to' reply.... nice. Pre-stressing is a wonderful thing... Does that squeezing method work on hard fingerboards? It seems like it would be more effective on softer woods. Maybe it's hair splitting... :o) I've actually never tried either approach (sanding or squeezing) so I'm just curious. Sounds like the fall away trick seems to work for you too. -Doug

You could give a little backbow to the neck while putting your final rough sanding/radiusing on the fingerboard. However, I caution you not to use too much or it might look funny (fingerboard thinner around 12th fret than the rest). Did you prestress the neck with relief when you attached the fingerboard? If so then skip what I just said. If the slots are properly wide enough you should still be okay. The CF will add some stiffness to counteract the back-bow potential. As for dropping the frets on the higher registers, just don't go crazy. Some is nice. I do it on all my necks by default, but the jury is still out in my mind as to its effectiveness. I usually start about the 12th fret, but only lightly. Recently I've done this on a couple of my custom guitars. It might make it easier to get closer action, but like I said, I've not decided that yet. This is one of those 'opinion' things so prevalent in discussions. If you decide to try it, you'll be the one to decide if it does what you think. Make the fingerboard straight (level) before leveling the frets. -Doug

WCR pickups are quite outstanding... mind you, this is an opinion from someone who used them.... Not everyone may share the same perspective. Truthfully, I am a bigger fan of DiMarzio DP100, so everything I try sort of gets compared to them by default... I've used a couple different models (can't recall which), both were loud and yet very articulate. My ears and brain tell me they are bright, very bright. Yet, they will still distort quite easily. Though bright, they are not sterile like EMG or lackluster like a Duncan JB. The attack is detailed and they'll really punch ahead in a mix. Like buying a new pair of sneakers, the choices are endless and you'll really never know if they're for you until you try them. -Doug