Installing A New Guitar Saddle' title='Installing A New Guitar Saddle' />Fret Removal, Fingerboard Sanding, Slot Cleaning, Fret Installation. Step 1 Fret Removal. I generally use heat when removing frets. Its a good way to determine if glue was used during installation and facilitates easier removal. In order to apply the heat only the to frets crown I use a wide tipped soldering iron. I like to file a small notch in the tip so it can seat on the crown without sliding around. In order to pull frets out cleanly, I use a small pair of end nippers that I have filed to flatten the head which rest against the fingerboard. Instead of pulling frets out, I am pinching the out. The thin blades of the end nippers slide beneath the crown of the fret and gently wedge them upward as I walk the nippers from one end of the fret to the other, never lifting the pliers but using the wedge effect. Older, brittle boards require patient care as the tang of the frets tends to pull small chips free as the fret is lifted from the slot. When youve re fretted as many 8. A4tech Usb Pc Camera H Driver there. Finger Lakes Guitar Repair specializes in the repair and restoration of guitars and bass guitars. Located in upstate NY, we do repair work for local, regional and out. Edit Article wiki How to Adjust Acoustic Guitar Intonation. Three Methods Making Basic Adjustments Compensating at the Neck Adjusting the Saddle Community QA. IMG_1183-600x450.jpg' alt='Installing A New Guitar Saddle' title='Installing A New Guitar Saddle' />I have, it isnt a question as to whether they will chip, its how badly. Removing the frets correctly means less repair is necessary after removal. Heat can damage and destroy celluloid binding and inlays. It is critical that the irons tip touch nothing but the fret crown. Chip Repair Some of you have witnessed less than professional fret jobs that left the fingerboard littered with chips. While chip out can not always be avoided it can and should be repaired. Amongst my favorite techniques is using some sawdust sanded from the fingerboard mixed with Duco cement. Fills are then block leveled and further fingerboard prepping can begin. Step 2 Prepping The Fingerboard For Frets. Sanding The Radius. With the frets out and the neck adjusted flat it can now be checked for trueness and planed if necessary. Web Service Wsdl Test Tool on this page. To properly plane a neck straight I feel the best sanders to use are close or equal to the length of the fingerboard. Longer planes and sanding blocks cover a greater surface area and make equal removal of material far easier. A radius gauge is an easy way to measure the fingerboards radius and choose the correct caul for sanding. After planeing, if necessary, I switch to lighter grit sandpaper and a sanding caul that is radiused to match the intended fingerboard radius. A long straightedge is used to ensure the neck is straight and no highlow spots remain. Cleaning The Fret Slots. Group Sitting S.N. Goenka. When working on a newer instrument I may use the air hose to blow the sanding dust from the slots. On delicate vintage boards air pressure is enough to blow chips out of the board and is best avoided. A feeler gauge can be used to measure the width of the fingerboard slot and determine the fret tang size needed. While nearly everyone knows that fret wire comes in many different crown sizes short, tall, wide, skinny some are unaware that it also comes with different size fret tangs. Using the correct tang size is essential and should not be overlooked. Fret Tang Choices. Using a fret tang that is too small for the fret slot can cause frets to quickly loosen and lift. It can also weaken the stiffness of the the neck as the lack of fret slot compression allows the neck to bend more easily. A fret tang that is too large can add too much compression to the neck. When large enough, this can actually back bow the neck as it adds mass to each fret slot. I use to strengthen and straighten older necks with no adjustable truss rod. The fret slots on unbound fingerboards can be cleaned with a traditional fret slotting saw of the appropriate size. Bound necks require very short bladed saws that will fit between the binding or, my favorite, a small hook tool that nicely scrapes the slot clean. Changing The Fingerboards Radius. To some extent the original radius can be changed if desired. We are however limited by the fingerboards inlays and overall thickness. A drastic change to the radius could require so much wood removal that we endanger the inlays or thin the board. Compound Radius vs Single Radius. A compound radius means the board starts out with a tighter radius at the nut and gently tapers into a flatter radius. A fingerboard with a single radius is shaped the same from the nut to the heel. While we all have our preferences as far as fingerboard radius is concerned I will through out a few tips, but mind you YMMV. Because a tighter radius produces a rounder fingerboard, chord players and those with hand problems may enjoy the tighter radius of 7. The biggest problem with a tight radius occurs when attempting a substantial string bend with average to low action. The string will contact the fret and fret out or buzz. If your a heavy string bender avoid the vintage 7. A radius of 1. 6 or flatter may be preferred by those playing lead. These are generalizations of course. How do I know which radius is best for me Take the instruments that feel most comfortable to you and measure their fingerboard radius. Or check their specs. If theres a consensus, youve dialed it in. If not, it may not matter much to you. Step 3 Fret Wire Preparation. Bending Fret Wire. Some fret wire is sold in straight lengths while others come in a coil. Before pressing the fret wire into the prepared fret slots it should be cleaned with Naphtha or similar solvent to remove oil. It is then sent thru a Fret Bender to bend the radius to match the fingerboard. Nickel fret wire wants to spring when being pressed into the fret slots and it is usually necessary to slightly over radius it. Stainless steel fret wire is another story. Because it is rigid and retains its original arch it should be bent to match the fingerboard exactly. Fret Wire Size. For more information on fret wire size and materials, check out my Fret Wire page. Step 4 Installing New Frets. Cutting Fret Wire When the fingerboard has no binding each fret is cut slightly longer that the fretboards slot and clipped flush with the fingerboards edge after installation. Cutting Frets For Bound Fingerboards. Bound fingerboards require far more work. Each fret must have its tang cut to fit between the binding, leaving the crown to overlay the binding. Once the tang has been cut with fret wire nippers, the remaining bur is filed so the crown can sit flush against the binding. The fret wires tang is clipped and the remaing bur filed away. Gluing Frets In. Glue is used when necessary. A new fingerboard rarely needs to have its frets glued in as using the appropriate fret tang will enable the fret to grip the board nicely. Older, brittle boards or ones that have been re fretted numerous times, some, less than professionally, may require gluing. Some boards simply dont grip the fret wire as intended and feel a bit soft when installing frets. Maple, Im talking to you. An instrument that is subject to low humidity and less than ideal care may also be a candidate for glued in frets. Subjecting an instrument to dry climates can cause shrinking and swelling of the fingerboard which can cause frets to spring free. While this problem is best addressed by taking proper care of the instrument, if its a known problem glue adds a little insurance. Because I use the compression method I will either be tapping the frets in with a fretting hammer or pressing them in with a arbor press. To avoid dinging the new fret when installing them I use a fretting hammer with a plastic tip. The arbor press is equipped with feet which are machined from brass and are shaped to match the fingerboards radius.