35th Anniversary Stratocaster-replacing the fretboard
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2024
- A previous owner of this 35th Anniversary Stratocaster had removed the frets and flattened the fretboard radius. And it had not ben done at all well. The current ownerasked me to replace the fretboard and try and get the guitar back to its original state. As I thought it might do, this turned out to be a very challenging project. This video tells the story of that repair.
00:00 Intro
03:50 Bi-flex truss rod explained
06:00 removing headstock plug
10:00 remove fretboard
18:00 making new fretbaord
22:50 fretboard markers
28:30 gluing the new fretboard in place
30:00 Installing frets
31.30 Side markers
36:00 summarry of work 
Хобби
As someone whose hobbies are woodworking and playing guitar, I can genuinely appreciate your work brother!
I appreciate that!
That looked like a very hard job. I'm glad that it was brought to someone who takes so much care to get the details right. The end result was superb.
Thanks. Without doubt my most challenging repair to date.
@flameguitars5770 I'm in awe of the care and foresight to head off potential problems before they arose. your experience shone through in abundance. I look forward to learning from you in the future.
best wishes to you sir. 👍
@@flameguitars5770really interesting to see the detailed work where the plug meets the fretboard. You are an artist sir.
@flameguitars5770 I'm by no means an expert and you obviously are, but, would taking the frets out before you remove the fretboard allow it to flex up and away from the neck easier?
@@adamimberti6948 possibly, but ebony is a very stiff wood. I am using the frets to transfer heat into the fretboard. If I had known how difficult it was to remove the fretboard using this method I might have taken a different route.
Perseverance and attention to detail make you a premier class luthier.
A beautiful, hard faught for, result.
Thank you much appreciated
A meticulous approach to the detail you needed to preserve
Fantastic job a pleasure to watch
I'm allways amazed when I see work done on guitars. I am quite handy, with metal and wood, but I would never be able to pull off so many up to the finest details within all the craftmanship that is involved. At one point I would make a mistake, and blow up in smoke the whole process. Very well done.
Fantastic work as always, David! Loved watching you work!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for this video, David.
It highlights the level and range of skill required to be a first class luthier.
As an amateur dabbler in luthiery, I attempted to remove an ebony fretboard, which behaved in the same way, and resulted in the board repeatedly splintering.
Possibly, the brittle nature of ebony combined with the nature of some glues makes destruction inevitable.
Brilliant work as always David. That ebony board really looks the business! All the best and continued success for 2024.
When I did this I removed all frets and the nut. In heated the board with a clothes iron. It came off super easy no struggle like it looks like you were having.
Superb work. Real craftsman you are. Painstaking work. Very interesting to watch this.
Spectacular job. Since losing Pasquale and Carlo on W 48, I really wish there were someone of your caliber around near me again.
This video deserves some sort of award. I loved every part of this!
That is very kind of you. Glad you enjoyed it.
Wow, I loved watching your meticulous approach and/or your attention to detail. A job well done, inspiring 👏
Glad you enjoyed it!
What an amazing restoration job, a delight to watch. Manufacturing quality from Fender in 1990 seemed to be not as good as it is today, they were still plagued by lot of vices from the 80's I'm guessing, and trying to regain their footing.
Absolute craftsmanship at its best David. My Strat has never played so well since the re fret last year …
Thank you
@@flameguitars5770 I think I would have tried to plane the fretboard down to a slither and then peeled it or sanded it until I reached the glue.
Many thanks it is a privilege to watch you work a happy and healthy new year to you
Thanks Alan. Happy New Year to you too
Thanks for taking the time to answer, I appreciate it, and I am glad you have an exemplary instrument at last
Welldone David, superb work
This is really interesting and relaxing to watch. I can tell your work is top tier with incredible attention to detail. I’ll be coming to you when I need one of my guitars improving or changing.
Thank you for a marvelous insight into your work. Fabulous!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Now I know who to go to if anything needed, thank you David. Best regards from ENGLAND
Hi David, looking forward to this video. Happy new year.🎸 Well that turned out pretty darn good. What an unbelievably difficult repair, you are without doubt a very skilled craftsman and a brave chap to boot. Brilliant video 🍻🎸
Thanks Ray. Happy New Year to you
The repair is amazing. Watching the video is quite relaxing also.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Fantastic job. But I think the new fretboard fitted the body real well. It looked mint!
Absolutely masterful work
Thank you very much!
Fantastic work David 👍
Fantastic results and craftmanship; easily one of the best luthiers out there!
That is very generous of you
@@flameguitars5770 Allow me to say is not generous but true; from the way you touching the instruments and you move your hands is obvious that you really care about the instruments and your repairs.
Wonderful repair 👏🏼
Thanks
Beautiful work
I saw another guy on RUclips do the same thing only he used a thickness sander to remove the fretboard. But his was twice as long and not any better than the end result. He was very much an amateur at this. I could tell since I too have had to remove I don't know how many fretboards in my day. I always do them the same way that you did. Perfect results. I'm only glad that you didn't have any more problems that you already did. I make compound radius fretboards but I am a professional. I've been doing this for more than thirty years. I think this is my thirty fourth or thirty fifth year. I have two necks in the works as of this writing (2/2/2024).
I make my truss rods much simpler. It's only routed straight in the channel so as to facilitate a simpler adjustment and replacement. I have no steel brad in the middle to counteract - it's the job of the neck to do that. This isn't a bi-flex truss rod that Fender touts but I make my own single action truss rods that are more dependable and durable. They don't have a separate collar attached to them or anything else welded to them. So as long as the guitar is tuned and treated properly I don't ever have to worry about warping or twisting which double action truss rods have been known to do in the past. Thank you very much for sharing this so that those who have never had to do this can see how its properly done - and by a true professional.
Great work , very impressive .
So good. You did an amazing job. I would be thrilled to own and play this neck. Tremendous.
Thank you, very kind of you.
Another masterful video...kudos!
Thank you
Excellent job sir…..as always
Thanks Brett
Those side dot placements were odd. I checked my '88 Strat Plus (Maple Fretboard) and my '93 Tele Plus (Rosewood Fretboard) and both were perfectly aligned. I'm sure Fender line workers would have used a jig to hold the neck. But since it was a Custom Shop job, I guess it was done by hand. Very interesting. Whatever you charged for that repair was not enough. Superb job!
Looked like a job that was not cheap.
Beautiful work! I have an '88 Strat Plus with the locking tuners. My only comment is regarding the string wrapping. If you are using drop tunings like I do, it is better to allow for a bit more winding on the tuners so that the string bend point is not involved when the string is loosened which will cause the string to break at the bend from the bending action itself. Also, it the sting clamping device vibrates loose (which they do), you still have a a wind or two to hold the string tension. Something I learned along the way. That said, I learn way more from you than that tidbit! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I am a professional luthier too. I know that what you're saying is true. I had to allow for string movement by turning the string so that it doesn't bind or break at the headstock. Thank you for sharing your experience here.
18:23 dude the fretboard blank i would take over the regular ebony...
Great job my friend, i like that you take your time and care.
Wish i was in your area I'd get you to work on my basses......
Very nice work. God bless...
Brilliant job!!
Better than factory, beautiful work!
Friend, you do amazing work. I love those X-rays.
Thank you much appreciated
With such a high caliber of craftsmanship, do you think the owner wanted the series number to be covered so that he could sell the guitar without having to disclose the level of repair put into it?
Fabulous work btw!
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf Oh well, if he _really_ assures us that it will never be sold, then we can all sleep soundly at night! Inappropriate or not, there is no legit reason not to show the number. The guitar is what it is and the repair was fantastic, and "the lady doth protest too much" just about applies here too.
Great job. 👌🏻
Nice job, as per your usual. I've subbed to many Channels I rarely get to your videos until they're a month or 2 old. Any way, great job!!!!
After seeing the number of rather difficult obstacles you needed to overcome, my respect for you went up even ANOTHER notch!!! 😅 Truly not a job for the faint of heart. Happy New Year, sir!!!
Thank you, appreciate your comments
MasterClass work here!!
Thank you
well done
I’ve said it before dave. You are a master craftsman
Thank you very much
Good job.
Wonderful work... It´s hard to see any fretboard replacing...
Many thanks!
I completely understand why the owner would want this done. However, I find it ironic that Leo Fender made these with bolt on necks to avoid the expense of requiring this kind of work.
That was my first thought.
Yes but also important to remember back then there where only 1 series of each model, not like today where everything gets discontinued faster than you can look in favor for a new series 😂
They probably figured people would just replace the neck instead of repairing it.
@@TractorMonkeywithJL Figured? That's exactly what the intention was by having a bold on neck.
Exactly
EXCELLENT.
In 1990 Fender was still using glue that could withstand “the heat” of 80’s shredders. The fretboards cooled off considerably when Nirvana hit the scene shortly thereafter. 😂
a close look at ther treble side and its even @1.23 in!
If the player does not want to keep the old fretboard at all, how about use a Japanese saw or a multi-tool to cut all the way through and then plane the neck? I guess it is easier than struggling with removing the layer of glue.
9.5” to 20” radius? Wow! That poor guitar! I could understand a 9.5” to 12” compound but that’s nuts
Compound radius no such thing as a compound fretboard it can be described as 9.25 to 12 r or you can add in the word compound
Great Job ! What kind of bridge is on that Strat ? Also, where do you get that great Ebony from ? Also, What kind of tuners are on that Strat ? Looks Great ! Thanks
Bruh….next level
Get yourself a monokote iron used un the rc airplane industry to iron on plastic covering on balsa wood. Its a perfect tool for vreaking the glue bond on electric guitar necks... Way better and wY easier than the way I saw you do it here.
Great work as always. Did you put the truss rod retaining screw through the fretboard? And also, I just wondered if you have ever got to the point of needing to pull out all of the old frets and just plane off the old fretboard?
Ignore me!! I’ve just watched that bit!
A couple of people have asked about planing off the fretboard. Thus was my original intention but I didn't know whether I would hit the metal fixing that form part of the truss rod retaining device. As it turned out I would not. But then I never anticipated that the fretboard would be so hard to remove.
@@flameguitars5770 I really enjoy your cautious approach. That looked like a very difficult job. I have had a few like that, where you start to get that worry for a customer’s guitar. But it always comes right in the end. Sometimes you have to walk away from it for a while!
Remove the frets. Place cloth on fret board. Apply iron. Even heat across the fret board. Probably use lower heat as a result off even heating?
It may have been eaiser to reomove the frets an plane the fretboard away. Less risk. Fabulous job!
Yes, I've replied to this on a similar comment. This was my original plan but I wasn't sure whether the truss rod support fixing sat within the fretboard. As it turned out, it sat just below the fretboard. I can't imaging I will ever be asked to undertake such a job again. If I was, I would plane off the fretboard.
What is that metal circle on the bottom of the heel of the neck? My Dean has the same metal circle and there is a grub screw in the back plate that will hit it. I assume it's for adjusting the neck. Other guitars I have do not have that grub screw or the metal plug in the neck heel.
Great stuff .Btw is there a British version of StewMac ?it's a bit expensive paying the post from th U.S.
Never knew that screw was there below the inlay on the 7th fret.
Wow, what a pain!! I've never seen one fight that hard before. Just curious why you didn't start from the headstock end when it started splitting like that.
Reasonable question. On reflection, here are a number of things I could have done differently.
Do you mind revealing the pricerange one has to calculate if one were to want to do that aswell... for example a change from laurel to ebony ?
That was very challenging, and you did a great job; but it looks to me like there was plenty of wood in the original fretboard, which could have simply been re-profiled and then refretted. Was this not the case?
A couple of people have asked the same question. The end of the the fretboard had been flattened to a 20" radius. Returning that part of the fretboard to 9.5" would have thinned the edges of the fretboard almost down to the maple. And then the fret slots have to be cut into the maple. I discussed various options with the owner. In the end it was his choice to replace the fretboard.
@@flameguitars5770 Thank you. Sounds like the right decision then!
why not heating the fretboard while setting it under tension with the knife? I imagine it should pop off easy with that method ..
Excellent work sir., novice question?, would it be possible to remove the frets and use a planer to remove the fretboard?, then sand the mating surface of the maple flat to accept the new fretboard?, much respect sir, I do repairs and setups, but nowhere near this level of professional work.
Yes, that is a good question and that was my original intention. What I didn't know was whether I would hit the metal fixing that sat under the 7th fret dot. As it happened the fixing sat below the fretboard. If I had known that, and how difficult it was to remove the fretboard I would have planned off the board.
Thanks for the reply!, your work is excellent, great channel!
i actually thought you considered discarding the bi flex rod system, on glue up of position dots!
Why didn't use use an iron to heat up the fretboard?
How do you cut the side dots down without damaging the finish?
Good question, I just read that he used mother of pearl for the markers….
Where do I get those bands that keep things together during gluing?
You can use surgical tubing.. Can be found everywhere.
There’s NO WAY I’d be having this done without having a custom piece of wood as the fretboard and some cool new abalone (at least) inlays. How boring to make it EXACTLY how it was. 😕 Amazing work though!
pain in the ass Fingerboard award 🏆goes to this Strat phew.
Any reason why it wasn’t possible just to re-radius the fretboard?
If you tried to re-radius from 20" to 9.5 there would be no fretboard thickness left at the fretboard edge. The fret slots would have to be cut into the maple.
Weren't the original fretboard markers mother of pearl? It's hard to tell on the video but they look solid white on the new board. Maybe they're just new and bright. 😊
I used MoP for both the fretboard and side markers. The original fretboard markers were MoP but I think the side markers were plastic.
Were the fret slots cut flat or 9.5 degrees?
Flat
Dude, you need to get yourself a monocote iron. It works so much better than what you're doing. You're just laid that iron on top of the frit board and it Heats it up, and it loosens all that glue up so you don't have near as much trouble. Getting those fretboards off and you won't pull as much wood up out of the neck itself
happy new year sir
Thanks. And to you
Next time,, use white vinegar with a syringe. White vinegar is the only chemical which disengages glue !! Thank me later!!
May i ask why you didn’t just take the frets off and sand it back to 9,5 again?
A couple of people have asked the same question, and it was something I discussed with the owner of the guitar. Maybe I should have addressed this in the video. At the end of the end the radius had been flattened to 20". Were I to reshape it to 9.5", the thickness of the fretboard at the fretboard edges would have been reduced down to the maple part of the neck. Frets slots would then have to be cut. Those slot would almost certainly have to be cut into the maple. As the wish of the owner was to try and return the neck back to original, this approach would not have worked.
Why didn't he just buy a replacement neck? This is ridiculous amount of work, time consuming.
Leo Fender must be laughing his ass off. A bit like taking the tread off your tyre whilst the wheel is still on the car.
Why og why put the truss Rod in from the rear when you’ve built a two piece neck! 🤷♂️
I’m guessing the conc machines were set up for one piece necks at the time.
Like others I’m struggling with the value of this repair vs using a replacement neck. I get it’s a custom shop instrument - but even those don’t really hold their value.
How did you ensure proper fret slot position? I see the slotted position guide on the table saw - but it looked like they were eyeballed.
The jig I use ensures correct location for the 25.5 scale length. It was a very expensive repair but ultimately that is the customer's choice.
04:58 "he decided to have it x-rayed" ... I'd like to decide that too - where on earth can you have your guitars x-rayed?????
Ill do it for you, but I live in New Zealand... most NHS Radiography staff are impoverished, so they'll likely do it for a meat pie 🙂
I own the guitar and the answer is a Vet. The settings used are for "Domestic Cat". It worked first time.
@@PeterSmith-rh7gfyou can't see this but I'm really laughing right now. Thanks for making my day. Epic! So how does the cat play? :D
@@PeterSmith-rh7gf you must be very happy with the result: out of interest, did you buy the guitar modified, or did you get the guitar altered, and if so, how horrified were you when it came back?
Sorry, it is a lengthy answer, I intend to write on here a full description of this project and it origins, but will get David to approve it first.......
Anyway, I purchased it and an identical instrument from a well known musical instrument supplier in USA. They were both on ebay back in 2011. The other guitar is indeed in almost perfect condition, but this one, whilst described as perfect and similarly (strategically) photographed, was actually in dreadful condition as seen here. You have only seen a part of it. After much negotiation, the seller refunded a significant amount as well as supplying a replacement brand new tremolo bridge assembly. This had also been destroyed, but didn't clearly show on the photographs. The electronics had similarly been hacked (it is battery powered and is the forerunner to the Clapton Stratocaster) however I am an electronics engineer and the refurbishment here was easy enough. It has taken since 2011 to find a luthier whom I judged capable of doing this neck - fretboard restoration. The workmanship I can only describe as exemplary and my choice of luthier was based on Davids high quality work on a couple of Les Paul headstock repairs seen on here. I am delighted with the results, David has recovered a wreck to near new condition, it plays and feels better than either of my two other 35th Anniversary Stratocasters....yes, I have three in total.
You can see on the initial down the board shot that the fretting is worse than the contouring; I hope this wasn't done by a professional, otherwise dude got ripped off.
yes, I commented on the poor quality of the fretwork but it was cut in the edit as the video was getting too long.
Some people need to stop using the Internet making them think they are a luthier! I've been a part time guitar repairer for 30 ish years and removing a fretboard is a very very tough job! I do love a ebony board on a fender neck they just look so so good!
pretty sure I would have just use a radius block to sand original neck back down to 9.5, lotta work and now its not original, plenty of meat on that fretboard to take her back down to a 9.5, plus you wont find as good of wood today as they used back then.. watch that fingerboard wont break in like the original . . . fine repair otherwise
I'm afraid I disagree. At the end of the fretboard it had been flattened to 20". To return a a 20 to 9.5 requires reducing the fretboard thickness at the edge by a lot. And even if there was still some fretboard thickness left at the edge of the board the fret slots would have to be cut into the maple neck.
YOU cant do that with a maple fret board...LMAO
I can't understand why Fender still use that ugly and antiquated skunk stripe on necks with separate fingerboards, it makes no sense at all kind of like Gibson and their terrible headstock /neck method of construction! Fender wouldn't need to worry about fiddle farting around with (bi-flex) rubbish if they just routed the truss rod slot from the top on their guitars with 2 piece necks! I personally only use spoke wheel truss rods on my builds unless a client has to have an old school rod, yes I realize nobody cares!
Perhaps they used different glues on each side of the fretboard?
I wonder why dont you use hammer to push the blade under?
Heat gun and a little paint thinner