essexbasscat

Have you had a look at Stentor luthier supplies in the south of England ? somewhere around the Brighton end of the country Good luck with solving this

Hi Lonestar, thanks for your post -also thanks to everyone else that's contributed Some good ideas here, I'll definately remember the drill bit trick. It's also interesting to see a topic discussed Having re-read the thread, I seem to have ended up echoing much of what Ou7shined said The AFL system thread is entertaining too

Yes, I agree, in some circumstances, you would have to do more work i.e. level off the fretboard and re-fret, if that's what the customer wants in order to acheive their aims. It's really just an example of a situation where measurements may be required in order to achieve a desired a set up. But as other have said here earlier, much of the time it's good enough to set up as best as possible.

The idea of adjusting your guitar until happy works fine much of the time. But what if you are setting up a guitar and desire a lower string height than the build quality of the guitar will allow ? or you are setting up an instrument for someone else and they require a lower height than the instrument in it's current state will allow ? or the instrument's owner requires a certain spec ? This is the kind of situation that may be presented to the luthier.

Accepting what the neck will allow is fine and is often good enough. However, I've come across a few mass produced fretboards with peaks and troughs here and there. Some fretboard levelling and a refret can make a real difference. Not everyone wants to go that far however and not every guitar would be worth the effort.

Sense a popcorn moment coming on...

That looks like a really neat tool to have it in your toolbox ! Should have got something like it ages ago. Edit; This tool would still be a two hand job, as the other hand will be holding the Sherlock Holmes spyglass to help me see the marks

PM's here and there. Is this a controversial topic ?

Just come across and explaination on e-bay. Apparently, you place the wedge on the fretboard rather than the fret. If the wedge is wide enough, it sits flat on the fretboard. You offer it up and twang the string until the string sound changes = height acheived. Let it sit there while you mark the wedge, then measure with vernier gauge. Then deduct height of fret. As for measuring the fret height, I've been using the extending shaft of a vernier gauge as a depth gauge for one or two goes. I don't want to continue with this however, as I suspect this may damage the tool in the long run ? Any ideas here ? Still like the drill bit idea Thanks folks.

Drill bit ? that's an interesting idea. Should give some good starting points for sure. I'm going to look more into that one. Thanks for that idea Johnston

Been looking into the Luthier's side of things lately. I came across a someone offering a small wedge (like a wedge of cheese, not your wages John) as a means of checking string height. The method is, you slide the wedge between the fret and the lower edge of your desired string and make a small mark i.e. pencil at the point the string contacts the surface of the wedge. Seems an OK idea at first glance, but having tried a similar thing over the weekend I discovered; - The wedge tips from side to side from pivoting on the fret unless a really steady hand is used. This is done while the other hand is marking the wedge. This means you are craned over the instrument trying to hold one hand steady to a thousanths of an inch while marking precisely with the other hand. - The wedge also tips from end to end, which can also alter the point of marking, which will in turn influence the final measurement. A combination of rolling the flat base of the wedge of the curvature of the fret as it crosses the fretboard (unless you have a flat fretboard). - Lastly, the geometry problem. A wedge must surely contact the string slightly to the side of the string, which is higher above the fretboard compared to the lower edge of the string. This problem is avoided using feeler gauges, but you have to pile a few together to get to some string levels, which again provides an open door for less than accurate readings. Does anyone have any views / insights / experience and knowledge of this issue ? Thanks in advance for all contributions all

wish my guitarist behaved the same way. He turns his own volume up as well as the PA for the second set.

Well done sorting that out Steve

Bloody Sultans of Swing !

Started off my musical career playing Trumpet with the school brass band. I was one of three trumpeteers playing Herb Alpert's Spanish Flea while standing on stage at the yearly concert for all the 500 + parents. The stage was a good 20 - 30 foot wide and we were spread as far apart from each other as possible, so a good clear area around each of us. As we were just about to start, my mates from the pit in front of me whispered up to me - [size=1]"you're flying low" [/size] [size=1][size=3]What ? [/size][/size] [size=1][size=3][size=2]"you're flying low"[/size][/size][/size] [size=1][size=3][size=2][size=3]What ?[/size][/size][/size][/size] [size=1][size=3][size=2][size=3][size=5]You're flying low ![/size][/size][/size][/size][/size] [size=1][size=3][size=2][size=3][size=5][size=2][size=3][size=4]The conductor is grinning as he waves the baton, one two, three.......[/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size][/size] The next day in registration, my form teacher reads out my name with the word "flies" between my forename and surname. Where's a hole in the floor when you need one ? I was thirteen years old........ Just the first of an ongoing trail of banana skins and open manhole covers, with no end in sight yet

Come and see the next gig !!

Played several gigs where the audience have presented us with a hat of cash at the end of the gig to keep us playing longer, having not clapped once all evening. Go figure......

I used to have an identicle '73. In fact, checked yours to see it wasn't the same one ! Keep promising myself I'll get another one, someday. Lovely stuff.

Played Tuba in the school brass band for around two years, first on the smaller Eb, graduating to a larger Bb. The valve fingerings are the same as the trumpet for a given note i.e. all open = C, first two = A etc. It does take a little practice to develop the respiratory capacity to keep a Tuba going over a decent playing time. I still credit my good lung capacity to playing the Tuba for a good while in my earlier years. The Euphonium is a more versatile instrument. Although it doesn't go as low on the register, it's a bit more flexible in use.

Just a thought. Are thinner necks more susceptable to moving in response to local climatic changes ?

I'd be interested to see a exploratory discussion of this topic, even if it results in an agreement that single fret replacement is best avoided. The supporting reasons would be interesting.

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1319551403' post='1415640'] It can indeed be done. Oscar Pettiford did it - [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWLo8xkOxDc&hd=1[/media] And coincidentally - I just got a cello yesterday too!!! Just like any other tuning - it's all about getting the right string gauges. As to what they would be for a cello tuned in 4ths - I have no idea. [/quote] Oh yes, more of this please

It's interesting that decade upon decade of musical instrument construction has yet to provide an agreed knowledge base about the mechanics of a guitar neck and the best methods of working with it. Entertaining though....

I'm no expert at this topic, just an interested learner. But would I be correct in thinking that a trussrod applies force from a central position (perhaps with the exceptions of rikkys and other dual trussrod instruments), while stings apply force across the fretboard ? And the old favourite - different thickness strings, tuned to different pitches, apply different levels of force. Just a few thoughts.....

Interesting thread this