Andyjr1515 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 OK - confession time. When @PaulThePlug asked if I could convert a Squier guitar neck to a micro-tonal my answer was, of course, 'Yes!' Followed very quickly by the question, 'Er...and just what is a microtonal neck??' And there began a journey into a world previously unknown to me. Bands like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and their album Microtonal Flying Banana, Turkish traditional string instruments, etc, etc. Fascinating. The practicality...adding a half pitch between each semitone. I used the excellent on-line github FretFind2D program to work out the fret positions: Being non-standard (from a Western point of view) arrangement, it was going to need to be hand marked and slotted. We discussed whether it was easier to just ad a fret bang in the middle of each fret pair but, even though the human ear probably isn't capable of hearing the difference, nevertheless - as all measurements need to be done from the nut in anycase - it was just as easy to measure the correct scale positions. The hand marking was done with an accurate steel rule and a very sharp point! Next job would be cutting the frets! 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 Paul and I had a number of online discussions about the fret arrangement. Some players pick the microtones at particular fret positions so that they are usable for specific scales and this makes it easier not to get lost on the fretboard, but Paul has opted for the full set For hand cutting frets, I use a radius block clamped to the fretboard giving me an accurate 90 degree face for the saw to be positioned up to. Done it a number of times before but that first cut is always a bit scary! : Phew! This part of the project went fairly quickly: Next job, fitting the frets 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary mac Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 I'm hoping that none of my customers ask for this. Think I'll send them your way Andy.😂 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 Frets in and new fret-ends being filed: So, with that done we have all the frets now ready for levelling, re-crowning and polishing. Oh, goodness...HOW many frets??????? 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 OMG! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 13 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: OMG! Probably something similar to what your lad will say when he tries to find Am. Or more like OFH!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 (edited) He is trying to get to grips(!) with barre chords, so i thought, 'i'll get the little bugger!'... 🤣 Edited June 13 by PaulThePlug 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard R Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 A bit late for this suggestion, but could you make the additional frets from a different coloured wire? It's going to be great when you sell it with the line "cutaway body, access to the 38th fret" 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 3 hours ago, Richard R said: It's going to be great when you sell it with the line "cutaway body, access to the 38th fret" Nah... not gonna be for sale this one... Birthday present for my Son (16) Plus the 'breathed-upon' by our @Andyjr1515... it's a keeper, and to quote the famous Hughie Green... '...and I mean that most sincerely folks!..' 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzyvee Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Curious if you had considered going fretless? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Next step would be moving frets... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 4 hours ago, jazzyvee said: Curious if you had considered going fretless? He had asked about a fretless guitar after i got him a fretless bass last year as a (very) early 15th Birthday... how could i say no? Was thinking of ripping the frets out an old Encore strat... but the neck is a bit BackBowBolloxed, so set the action up high for a bit of a lap slide guitar!... But never say never... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 Better check this amazing YouTube channel if you want to hear and know a lot about microtonal music and moving frets guitar... https://youtube.com/@microtonalguitar?feature=shared 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 And so to the levelling, re-crowning and polishing. The fretwire I have used was a touch higher profile than the originals and so there was quite a bit of levelling to do to get them down to the levels of the original frets. The good thing, though, was that there would be negligible loss of overall fret height from the original in the final levelled board. I used my levelling beam and a radius block with emery cloth stuck on with two-sided tape to do the initial levelling. Because the fret gaps were now so small, my usual fret rocker was not much use and I had to improvise with a cut-up old store-card: For the fret re-crowning, I started with a Hosco crowning file and then used one of the excellent Chris Alsop diamond crowning files, first just by itself, and then with 400 & 800 emery papers, using the same file as a former, and then 4000; 6000; 8000; 12000 micromesh cloths** done the same way: Hard work** but a pleasing result: Finally, I mixed some macassar ebony dust with some clear epoxy and filled the new tang cut gaps at the fret-ends: So a bit of tidying up and re-oiling of the fretboard and a final check that the fret levels are all as they should be and it should be ready to return to @PaulThePlug **So that's 42 frets each having treatment from 8 passes - a total of 336 passes altogether. Many of you know that : 1. I play sax 2. I have hand arthritis slowly creeping up on me which is already starting to impact on 1. above 3. With 1. & 2. combined, I usually reckon that a normal fret job puts me out of action on the sax for a week Well, 336 passes - I reckon that will probably knock the sax out for the rest of the month! Word has got around and my local Village Community Association have asked me to pass on their sincere gratitude and thanks for this unexpected but welcome period of peace to @PaulThePlug 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 (edited) Your Poor Paws... If you can still grip a pen or pencil after all that, please sign, initial or makers mark and date the neck heel ...and don't forget to stick the nut back in 😉 Thank so much for taking this on. Edited June 14 by PaulThePlug 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 5 hours ago, PaulThePlug said: Was thinking of ripping the frets out an old Encore strat... but the neck is a bit BackBowBolloxed, so set the action up high for a bit of a lap slide guitar!... But never say never... I defretted a Squier Affinity Strat that I got for very little as the neck was somewhat bowed (Crack Converters staff don't understand truss rods). Must go back over it, the filling I did is pretty horrible. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted June 14 Share Posted June 14 https://www.bestbassgear.com/ebass/bass-of-the-week/studio-63-headless-36-fret.html Next step is to make this a 71 fret bass... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 (edited) So the neck arrived back earlier... spent a while admiring the job and turning it over in my hands. Strung and tuned up with 9's, waiting for it to settle before attempting a bit of trem balance, string height and intonation... BIG thanks to @Andyjr1515 on behalf of my Son... 'tis rather special. Edited June 18 by PaulThePlug 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 Great to see it on a guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 (edited) I've got a curly lead for that old school Hendrix vibe... and hidden the lighter fluid Edited June 18 by PaulThePlug 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael2003x Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 What witchcraft is this ?? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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