Fret Level Question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nola
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[MENTION=94267]miroslav[/MENTION]. I keep a couple of sets of 12s and 13s around for stubborn necks just like you did, I string em up, go over A440 pitch, and let em sit. A set of 13s gets em to behave right quick. :D
 
A guitar player I know put some boilers of water on the stove top and got them boiling and steamed a screwed up telecaster neck and bent it back into shape.
I had never heard of such, but the neck was as good as new when he got done with it
 
[MENTION=12915]Jimstone[/MENTION] The moisture and heat do the trick....but ya can't forget a bit of brute force :D
 
RFR said:
[MENTION=12915]Jimstone[/MENTION] The moisture and heat do the trick....but ya can't forget a bit of brute force :D
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Yup...that's how I've done it...brute force with a controlled touch. :)
 
It turns out the truss rod isn't working. Period. With it all the way tight it's the same exact bow as with the neck off and the truss rod entirely loose!

I'm still going to try to clamp and straighten the wood. Yikes.
 
Nola said:
It turns out the truss rod isn't working. Period. With it all the way tight it's the same exact bow as with the neck off and the truss rod entirely loose!

I'm still going to try to clamp and straighten the wood. Yikes.
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If I wanted to do some fret work...I would buy one of those cheap Chinese necks off ebay, that have functional truss rods, and throw the broken neck off the $10 guitar away.

why would you try to heat and manipulate a neck with no truss rod?
You would be spinning your wheels.
 
I'm happy to say that after 4hrs of clamps, a little heat, and nudging the truss rod to the max (not sure it's working, but I did it anyway), it appears dead on! Ignore the purple fingers (I was eating blueberries right before testing). I realize there's no reference shot, but it was about a half mm gap before.

image1.webp
 
miroslav said:
Now put the strings back and tighten to pitch...and then put some relief back into the neck. :)
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Have to fix those high frets first!
I was skeptical the neck would straighten enough to do that. Pleasant surprise.
 
Nola said:
I'm happy to say that after 4hrs of clamps, a little heat, and nudging the truss rod to the max (not sure it's working, but I did it anyway), it appears dead on! Ignore the purple fingers (I was eating blueberries right before testing). I realize there's no reference shot, but it was about a half mm gap before.

View attachment 103073
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Awesome!
:D
 
Nola said:
Thanks for the help, and Miroslav, too.
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Np. ;)

Edit: I don't know why you're thanking me. ;)

Maybe you forgot how in PMs, I was trying to talk you into doing a smash up video.

:D
 
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So it turned out pretty well. I was able to get the action down to 2mm without buzz. It was 3mm before and ad buzz and a handful of dead frets. The dead frets are mostly fixed (there are one or two left -- my guess is this is because I had to use a triangle file to crown. The crown on those doesn't seem great, but they're level). I see my friend tonight, so I'll give it back to him and see what he thinks.

How do you decide when to spot level a few frets (this one needed 5) and level the entire board?
 
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