Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Basic steps when DIY defretting for dummies and cheapskates


Zenitram
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='lettsguitars' timestamp='1344437234' post='1764478']
Clean out your slots. Buy your veneer (.23mm). Cut it into oversized strips, along the grain not across it. I use a little whsmith guillotine but scissors will do. Run glue into slots and gently work the veneer down into the slots. Be careful, if the slot is too tight do not try and force the veneers in, they will break into little pieces. If the slot is tight then widen it with your saw. Wait for glue to dry (about an hour) and clip off excess (with your nail clippers?) and sand flush.
Very, very easy to do. Just common sense when you have it all in front of you.
[/quote]

I agree about cutting oversized pieces but after that my technique differs a little. I'll not confuse matters but adding my 2p worth but I should add that Superglue has a wonderful capillary action so can do a lot of the work for you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1344438317' post='1764506']
I agree about cutting oversized pieces but after that my technique differs a little. I'll not confuse matters but adding my 2p worth but I should add that Superglue has a wonderful capillary action so can do a lot of the work for you.
[/quote]:) The nail clippers bit was directly from the op. I use fret nippers to cut excess.
+1 on the no masking tape too. It isn't needed at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

+1 thats why I filled mine, when i got it the slots were empty and the action was high, turned out there was quite a curve on the neck and the truss rod was nearly maxed out. filling the slots with veneers did help alot. I didn't have any special tools or knowledge, just don't rush it and it will look like a pro did it :)

I used PVA glue because it's what I had, its probably not the best thing to use as people have said it takes ages to dry but I always come unstuck when I use superglue - well actually quite the opposite, twice I have stuck my fingers together hours before a gig, not fun!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='brensabre79' timestamp='1344441168' post='1764578']....I always come unstuck when I use superglue - well actually quite the opposite, twice I have stuck my fingers together hours before a gig, not fun!
[/quote]

:D

Hardly a day passes by where my fingers haven't gotten stuck together at some point. I've got this sort of twiddly technique for freeing them now. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Any contrasting coloured beech veneer will work well. Maple veneer is pretty standard and you can get a metre or so for under a tenner from a load of places, ebay, craftsupplies, timberline etc. It's usually about .23mm but I wouldn't worry about that. You might even have a local model shop or craft store which sells it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

[quote name='Rubbersoul' timestamp='1365454685' post='2039951']
Seriously considering doing this to an old damaged Westone Concord. Are there any differences for a varnished maple fretboard?
[/quote]

I did it to a bass with a maple neck. Did the same thing and filled it with Rosewood veneer. Look in my signature for link :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I wanted to avoid starting a new thread, and this rather old thread had a title that fitted me well :)

Will the tool in the below picture be useful for defretting a bass neck? I don't know where this tool came from, but every time I see it, I think 'defret'.

NB: I won't start the defret until I've used this neck for some fret dressing practice.

Just had a thought. If I defret this neck, and want to sand it down, what will that do to the inlays?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting. Never worked on a bass neck with binding (other than a clean and polish) - but I have defretted a rosewood fingerboard with decent results. I used walnut veneer and CA glue to fill the fret slots.

That tool should work - but it's all in the detail. I took a very cheap (i.e. fairly low quality) set of pincers - and filed/sanded/ground the face to an almost flat edge...

Like this guide with pictures: [url="http://munix.dk/tutorials/instruments/refretting-fender-jazz-bass-guitar-diy"]http://munix.dk/tutorials/instruments/refretting-fender-jazz-bass-guitar-diy[/url]

Unless you're working with mandolins or 24+ fret guitars with frets almost on top of each other a small (or medium) pincer like the one above will work great if It's sharp without too much of a gap between the edge of the tool and the face, like below:


The inlays should be fine, as long as they are glued in well, and the fingerboard leveling and radiusing (and subsequent finishing - I used CA glue with decent results) is done with care (go gently when sanding, careful not to let the wood, binding or inlays heat up too much and warp or fall off!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...