I like richlite .. looks very nice and even if you make mistakes , a bit of richlite dust and superglue and it becomes INVISIBLE. BUT fretslotting it by hand was a nightmare !!! The saw was binding in the kerf a LOT.. i tried some hard woods that are much harder than ebony and they cut easily , but this stuff was difficult , i share your pain heheh
Darryl, thanks for watching! So true, a little super glue and some RL dust and scratches magically disappear. I struggle hand slotting as you mentioned. I've since gotten on of those Japanese fret slot pull saws, it works great! I also just rely on the table saw with a fret slot blade. A lot of ways to get the job done, but since RL is so tough, I'll be glad to use power tools when I can. Hope all is well, be safe and take care!
Happy new year from Ireland. I have zero experience with Richlite but I would use it as an alternative to hardwood. The supply of Rosewood and Ebony etc can't last forever and maybe its a small sacrifice to make from an environmental standpoint.
Brian, Happy New Year and thanks for watching! I'm hoping my video won't scare anyone away from trying richlite. I really like the stuff, but thought it would be good to show some of the pros and cons of using the material. I'm pretty sure I can fine-tune my process and it won't be much more work than using more traditional materials like maple or rosewood - going forward. Testing is always good to have, but I hate "wasting time" trying to learn new things. I'm very impatient, ha. Good to hear from you and hope all is well. Take care from Florida!
CircleVI, thanks for watching! Glad the video helped in some way. I've since done a lot more work with richlite, and really like the product. Hope you have great luck with your build project! Be safe, take care and have fun!
Just ordered my son a Kiesel Aries 7 string multiscale guitar for his 28 th birthday and chose this material for the fretboard. After seeing this and plus jumbo stainless steel frets, I doubt he ever has to regret this guitar ever. What a tough material. Thanks for your demonstration.
K K, thanks for watching and Happy Birthday to your boy! What a great gift! Agreed, richlite and SS frets...he can shred for years and only wear out amps. Be safe and take care!
Richard, thanks for watching! I really like richlite, and the more i use it, the easier it becomes to work with. I know the process and what to expect. I've since purchased a Japanese fret pull-saw which works really well for fret slotting "manually". Good luck with your project. Take care!
Andres, Gracias por ver el video. Me alegro de que los subtítulos estén funcionando y espero que ayuden. Entonces, ¿qué había para la cena? : ) Saludos desde Florida, Estados Unidos. Manténgase seguro y cuídese! Thanks for watching the video. I'm glad the subtitles are working and I hope they help. So what was for dinner? : ) Greetings from Florida, United States. Stay safe and take care of yourself!
Bob, good to hear from you and thanks for watching! I'll try to put together a better collections of tools and fixtures, type video soon. I know not everyone will have the same collection of misfit tools that I do, but it may help someone find things that will help. I'm doing well thank you. Hope all is going smoothly for you too. Happy New Year, be safe and take care!
@@theNextProject I totally forgot to wish you all the best for this new year !!! My Marshall project is on its way, I got the wood cut I need to set up the hinges, glue the parts of the old amp, order the new tolex etc. I can't make videos, but I'm taking pictures of the process ;)
Jurgen, thanks for watching! I was curious and wanted to share my findings with everyone. I think every richlite fingerboard will be easier for me to prep and machine going forward. Like most tasks, we pickup up little tricks or shortcuts along the way, hopefully making things easier. I'm glad to share, and hope it helps in some way. Take care my friend!
Greetings from the UK. I tried Richlite the first time I built a complete neck from scratch, It's hard work slotting by hand, luckily I have a radius router jig. I think I'll only ever try it again if I get a table saw. The bass I put it on is still going strong and it plays beautifully. Great video as always
Hague9975, thanks for watching and for the note on your richlite experience. If you build often, then the table saw fret slotting set up is really nice. I've always slotted by hand, and just finally took the plunge to using the table saw for slotting. Soooo nice, wish I had spent the money years ago, but I could never justify the expense. Now I wish I would have found a way to justify it. It is sooo easy and - enjoyable. May I ask what glue you used and if there was any process or special prep needed? The info will be good for me and may help other here - thanks! Glad to hear your bass plays well and is still going strong! Be safe and take care!
@@theNextProject I prepped the richlite by roughing it up with 80 grit sandpaper and used an epoxy resin to stick the board on. I put a strip of electrical tape over the truss rod to prevent the resin from getting in and jamming it up.
I like the Richlite. I used it already twice at two electric tenor size ukulele. I pre radius it and cut the slot with a quite new saw by hand and it worked really well. It is hard stuff but it gives so much stability to the neck and it is not effected by temperature an humidity as wood will and the fingerboard can have a big effect on the stability of a neck. It's the best alternative to an ebony fretboard. I was sanding the richtige with 60-80 grid sandpaper and glued it on with titebond 506/3 classic, works as well and it holds as strong as the epoxy. liked the video a lot. Greetings from Germany P.S. I exclusively use stainless steel fret. And as you say this two things together are super durable. And if you do it, than do it right form the beginning 😉
Andreas, good to hear from you and thanks for watching! Glad to hear you've had good experience with the richlite. I was thinking about picking up a couple different style handsaws to test. The fretting saw I have works great with maple and rosewood, but cleary not up working on rosewood. More testing required. Good to hear your experience with Titebond glue, I know some people claim great luck, and others don't. I'm guessing those who have poor luck may be experiencing process errors, maybe they didn't prep the surfaces, didn't use enough glue, over-clamped the joint... I don't know. Glad you have had good luck with the product. Stainless Steel frets, I'm liking them too. This is only the 3rd time I've used them, and my process went really well this time. Not much more work than nickel-silver fretting. I think richlite and SS frets are a win-win. Take care and talk soon!
Great video dude, really thorough and exhaustive. I'm not likely to be using richlite any time soon, but if/when I eventually do I'm well armed!!! Thanks for doing this. Andrew
This is so awesome. Hope you make sure the saw- and file-waste won't get into the environment. But now I can't wait to see the video with you making your own truss rod instead of buying it.
Achim, hey man, good to hear from you and thanks for watching! Sorry, the shavings and dust are in the wind (and my lungs) by now. Hmm, making my own trussrod. I haven't made one of those in a dozen years, I think I remember why too, LOL. There are some things I realize (once done) that I don't really want to do again. Not that making a trussrod was hard to do, just wasn't efficient/practical. Ha, that typically doesn't stop me. Hope you are doing well, be safe and take care!
That was good to see. I think that I would certainly go for pre-radiused and slotted then! You've got to put a value on your own time vs how much you want to feel involved. Seems that's not a battle to bother with. Thanks for this.
Chris, I hear that and I was feeling the same way as I was hand sawing and sanding. Thinking "this sucks, I'd rather have a pint right now". Using power tools made it very similar to working with any other traditional fingerboard materials. It is clearly harder, but the table saw and router make quick work of the "hard labor". Finish sanding the final radius was really quite easy, once the initial radius was cut. The sample board I purchased cost $72US, I cut 9 flat blanks from it. That's ± $8.33 per plank. Hard to get a piece of any other fingerboard material for that. All that said. I really appreciate that I had purchased pre-slotted and radiused richlite boards in the past. I didn't know how lucky I was at the time. Now I have a new appreciation for the material and have picked up a few new process tricks to make my future richlite boards. Oh, I've been enjoying your instagram projects - great stuff! Be safe and take care!
No wonder it was so tough, they use this material for counter tops. I checked on their site, they actually sell fret board blanks, The Black Diamond (material you used( is $18, and the highest is $40. they don't come pre-fretted. They state it is "acoustically superior", and is a "perfect alternative to ebony".
Yep, Richlite has a bunch of other uses. It's a rather old product too, developed in the 1940s I believe. I really like the feel and durability if this stuff. Add some stainless frets and the neck should be set for life. I purchased the 1/4" thick, 2'x2', sample, and cut 9 fingerboard blanks from it. Slotting and radius to follow. I just will limit the amount of hand-work being done on this stuff. That said, I have since used a Japanese fretting pull-saw, and it cut reasonable well. I'll still opt for power tool slotting. I can only handle so much fun, ha. Take care!
my 2018 Les Paul custom has richlite and it feels/sounds just like my custom w/ ebony board. I love that it won't be affected by temp and humidity. I laugh at the purist that say they can tell a difference
Walker, thanks for watching! Agreed, richlite is a great product! I love the stuff too, but as you say some folks can tell the "difference" LOL, whatever they want to believe. Checked your channel, WOW man, Jujitsu and metal, nice! Take care, be safe!
Awesome showcase and work. Hey, i am building a guitar using richlite. It is a seven string and really want to build an awesome fretboard. Did not see how you did your inlays, is it stainless tube? Way awesome. Doing custom inlay design ideas , thought of like a big dragon skull at 11th through 13th fret. don't know what else, think skulls, crossbones, celtic windings crosses, ibby style sharktooths are all cool. Plus was thinking a crazy color Richlite fretboard. What is the weight of 7 or 8 string board versus wood? Oh well too many questions and ideas! Love your inspiring videos, thanks so much.
zAvAvAz, thank for watchin! I've done inlays a couple different ways, but currently I'm stuck on small circles. The material I use is 1/4" outside diameter ABS (plastic) tubing. It can be found online or at some hobby stores that sell plastic models or miniature railroad stuff. I will glue it into maple or rosewood with either CA or Acetone, both work. On Richlite, I used epoxy and mixed the Richlite sanding dust in the epoxy to get the "black" color. Fancy inlay work will be cool, but I'm not any help there, I don't really study or practice inlay work at this time. It's on my list, a long, long list. As for weight comparison, I'm sure there is some difference, but it will depend on what you're comparing it to. I really don't notice anything if it is heavier. To simply pick up a RL fingerboard, I don't even notice it. So I'd guess it's not a big difference. It is lifetime durable, so I do suggest installing lifetime frets of stainless, but that's just me. If you do use nickel, and wear them out over time, RL is really good about pulling old and installing new frets, again it's tough stuff. I've been looking at the RL red/black and blue/black material, but currently don't have the right project underway... but there is a bass guitar on a short list... hmm. I like hearing that you have too many questions and ideas, that's a good thing. Means you are alive and thinking! Take any ideas you find here, experiment, make them better, make them your own. Good luck with your project, Be safe, take care and have fun!
Robert, thanks for watching and Happy New Year to you! I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and find them interesting. I want to share my findings, good and bad with everyone. Hopefully help others have good experiences with whatever their project may be. Take care!
Bejeezguitars, thanks for watching! I'm a fan of richlite, and the more I use it the more I like it. Sadly, there are those who will forever hate it, some will have never even tried it. Some people are that way, their loss. I'm also interesting in some of the other "richlite" like materials. Rocklite and Paperstone? - I think. If I recall, Rocklite has a more believable "wood" look, if that's what a person if after. I'm open to all sorts of alternative materials, if it works, use it. Be safe and take care!
Real, thanks for watching! I'm impressed with this material. I've used it on 5 necks total now. A couple years ago and never heard of an issue, and 3 more necks recently. This stuff is really tough, which I like. I did experience one negative, and it was an allergic reaction a friend of mine had while playing a richlite fretboard guitar. He said he has a very sensitive system, and we were both surprised by the irritation he gained on his fingertips. Richlite is a food-grade product, but like everything there is a warning... He may be the 1 in a million who is sensitive, but it was interesting to learn. I've also experienced an individual who is hyper sensitive to nickel, and had a reaction when playing a different guitar... nickel fretwire, maybe nickel in the string coating too. I really like richlite and I'm now expirementing with sealing the fretboard surface. First test will be a SuperGlue coating, then polish. I bet I can make this stuff look like glass. Thanks again for watching, take care!
This stuff being so hard, I was wondering if this would affect the adjustability of the neck. But obviously there are many functioning instruments out there already...
Janvi, thanks for watching and great comment/concern. While I was "banging" the frets in, I checked the level of the neck. The tightness of the fret slot to the fret tang is so tight, that fret install (in this case) did cause a back bow. A back bow isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless it's too extreme. So, checking the tang and barb thickness of the frets and also the fret slot is important. Some adjustments may be needed in some cases. Either widening the slot or shaving down the barb a bit depending on the situation. On my real neck test. There is plenty of truss rod adjustment to move the neck, and the strings will also pull the neck flatter as well. I have a scratch build going on, and it will be getting carbon rods flanking the truss rod. So there will be all sorts of forces fighting each other in that case. Thanks again for watching and the comment. Take care!
I'm about to trim a Richlite cutting board down to a smaller size. According to the Richlite fabrication manual a standard circular saws can be used but will often leave saw marks due to less stable nature and lower RPM. My circular saw has 3,700 RPMs, so I think that qualifies as "standard". For a single line cut, think I could get away with that relatively cleanly? If not I'll get my hands on a higher quality circular saw with 5,000-5,200 RPMs like the Richlite fab manual suggests, or a sliding table saw with 3,450-4,000 RPMs.
Hey Ben, good question. I used a table saw, +/- 3500 rpm. The fence help minimize tooth rotation cut marks. I don''t see an issue cutting with a circular saw, as long as you start with a good blade and can clamp some sort of guide/fence to cut along. If you do get some cutting chatter marks along the edge, they can easily be sanded out. Use a flat block and 100grit paper for initial sanding, then finer paper until you reach the texture/smoothness you would like. It should go well. Maybe make a test cut before going to you final size cut. Get a feel for the material and see what the edge will look like. Good luck!
Very cool video. I've started watching your other vids too. I noticed you had some nice looking fret inlays on the one board. Did you make those with a plug cutter and then pour them with epoxy and sand, or did you use something else to make them? Thanks.
Thanks for watching, and I hope you find some other ideas worth improving on. The circle fret marker inlays are something I've been doing for a few years. I made a "cirle hole saw" from a 1/4" piece of round rod. Drilled the center out of it only part way through using a drill bit to yield the wall thickness I need from some 1/4" ABS tubing that I used for the white circle part. I also used a dremel with a thin cutting blade to cut teeth on the 1/4" hole saw. I chuck this little hole saw in my drill press and cut little circles with around a ±0.030" wide kerf. I cut and press in the little ABS circles, soak them with Acetone, and slice off the excess. I may have a couple videos that show the process. I think this video will show you the general process. ruclips.net/video/2WkNDmu1weM/видео.html Hope it helps. Take care!
Hey the Next Project, how have you been? I've got my Richlite FB blank ready to go for my next 5 string bass. I came back to your video for inspiration, and just noticed you used large push pins or thumb tacks to index the board. Was there a particular size you found somewhere? I also noticed those great looking dot or tube fretboard markers! What are they, aluminum tube then filled with something?
ChinJazz, good to hear from you! I just finished moving a couple weeks back, my girlfriend has really helped keep me focused and I actually have some picture in the wall and pots n' pans out away. The pushpins are typical message board variety, nothing special. Probably the hardest part was finding a small enough drill bit. I did some test drilling to verify the hole was just snug for the push pin. I believe I've snapped a drill bit, as it is really small. I've also used toothpicks and some small brad nails rather than pushpins. Main reason I like the pushpins, is there is nothing left in the neck when done and the fret slot is clear and ready for frets. The dot markers I'm currently using are ABS plastic. I found them at a local hobby store. Used for building small scale models and such. I use the 0.25" OD tubing, I think the wall is around 0.030" thick, maybe a smidge less. I made a "holesaw" for drilling the receiving circle in the fingerboards. It works perfectly on real woods such as maple and rosewood. Richlite required a process change. I use a 1/4" forstner bit, then mix some epoxy with Richlite sanding dust and glue/fill the tube dots in place. This process my change a bit as I keepy trying different approaches. Hope that helps. Good luck with your build and please keep me posted. Take care!
@@theNextProject Awesome, thanks so much for these details! I do like your approach for the indexing the fb without leaving anything in the slot and will try that (i’ve been a tooth pick or plastic side dot guy). I’ve done the face dots technique like you mentioned before. Your neck came out so great looking I couldn’t tell if the inner portion was just dust filler! Bravo my friend, and thanks again for the tips/detail!!!
I'm very interested in your table saw fret slotting sled and template. Is that something you made yourself or did you buy it. Can you give us more details or demostrate it on video at normal speed?
Peter, thanks for watching and the great comment. The table saw fret slotting sled and template are home made. I can put together a short "tip" video outlining the basic idea. That template was pretty easy to make but took a couple attempts to get one that was accurate. It is the result of a lot of repetitive measuring and a couple "not good enough" predecessors. Here is an "i'm a fool" disclaimer. The template I used on the tablesaw sled is 25" scale length. As noted, I slaved to make a precise template. Once I arrived at a final template and slotted the board, I realized I had a 25" scale pre-slotted rosewood board from StewMac... I could have used it as a template to make my working template... I slap myself in the forehead for that one. The plastic template I used on the hand slotting fixture was laser cut. A trade of work made that template happen. I'll try to get some footage together soon for a table saw sled and template video. Til then, take care!
Hey man, thanks for watching! LOL, my help wants to kill me at times for sure. Long hours, no pay, no benefits, I just crack the wip, a slave driver for sure. Hope you are doin well. Take care!
Thanks for sharing your exploration! Mind sharing what one of these sheets set you back? I’ll reach out to the manufacturer to see if they’ll make a sheet long enough for 5-6 string bass fbs.
ChinJazz, thanks for watching! I purchased a 24"x24"x0.25" sample directly from richlite. The cost was $72US, i think shipping was free within the US. www.richlite.com/collections/partial-sheets I too was thinking about a sample big enough for bass fingerboards. They may also have other thickness options other than what is mentioned in their "sample" area. Good luck with your search and keep me (us) updated as to what you hear about oversized sample availability. Be safe and take care!
I am just about to glue my richlite fretboards. I see you tried normal wood glue and epoxy, did you have any bonding issues and what one would you use in the future?
Devin, thanks for watching! Great question regarding the use of wood glue, or epoxy. I've now used both options, and no issues to date. HOWEVER!!! If using a wood glue, you MUST roughen up the Richlite glue surface really well. I think richlite recommends 100 grit paper, but I'm pretty sure I used 80 grit, then ensured no sanding dust remained before glue-up. Richlite Info link here: ruclips.net/video/0UT7Me7FUdw/видео.htmlsi=ARyPla2aefkAO_zS&t=228 I've also read the a ployurethane "Gorilla Glue" works well, but I have not tried that product. Link to that info here: balsambanjoworks.com/product/richlite-fingerboards/#:~:text=Adhesion%3A%20The%20manufacturer%20of%20Richlite,in%2080%20grit%20or%20lower. At this point, I really love richlite. I am still very cautious about my glue up when using a Titebond type glue (maybe look into titebond II or III). I have personally talked to a couple builders who had do-overs because the fingerboard "popped" off. They both mentioned not having prepped the board properly and used wood glue (I don't know what wood glue was used). I don't know what their assembly process was either, perhaps they took too much time getting the board on the neck and clamped, too much or too little glue, too much clamping pressure... A lot of variables. So please keep that in mind. Thanks again for the great question. Good luck with your project(s) and please keep me posted. Be safe and take care!
I like richlite .. looks very nice and even if you make mistakes , a bit of richlite dust and superglue and it becomes INVISIBLE.
BUT fretslotting it by hand was a nightmare !!! The saw was binding in the kerf a LOT.. i tried some hard woods that are much harder than ebony and they cut easily , but this stuff was difficult , i share your pain heheh
Darryl, thanks for watching!
So true, a little super glue and some RL dust and scratches magically disappear. I struggle hand slotting as you mentioned. I've since gotten on of those Japanese fret slot pull saws, it works great! I also just rely on the table saw with a fret slot blade. A lot of ways to get the job done, but since RL is so tough, I'll be glad to use power tools when I can.
Hope all is well, be safe and take care!
Happy new year from Ireland. I have zero experience with Richlite but I would use it as an alternative to hardwood. The supply of Rosewood and Ebony etc can't last forever and maybe its a small sacrifice to make from an environmental standpoint.
Brian, Happy New Year and thanks for watching!
I'm hoping my video won't scare anyone away from trying richlite.
I really like the stuff, but thought it would be good to show some of the pros and cons of using the material.
I'm pretty sure I can fine-tune my process and it won't be much more work than using more traditional materials like maple or rosewood - going forward.
Testing is always good to have, but I hate "wasting time" trying to learn new things. I'm very impatient, ha.
Good to hear from you and hope all is well.
Take care from Florida!
this helped me make some important decisions about a build, thank you!! looking forward to diving into your back catalog
CircleVI, thanks for watching!
Glad the video helped in some way.
I've since done a lot more work with richlite, and really like the product.
Hope you have great luck with your build project!
Be safe, take care and have fun!
Just ordered my son a Kiesel Aries 7 string multiscale guitar for his 28 th birthday and chose this material for the fretboard. After seeing this and plus jumbo stainless steel frets, I doubt he ever has to regret this guitar ever. What a tough material. Thanks for your demonstration.
K K, thanks for watching and Happy Birthday to your boy!
What a great gift!
Agreed, richlite and SS frets...he can shred for years and only wear out amps.
Be safe and take care!
Thank you for this. I'm very much thinking of a custom build with richlite and this was very helpful.
Richard, thanks for watching!
I really like richlite, and the more i use it, the easier it becomes to work with. I know the process and what to expect.
I've since purchased a Japanese fret pull-saw which works really well for fret slotting "manually".
Good luck with your project.
Take care!
EXCELENTE, agradezco los sub titulos tambien. Muy buena información, gracias ! Lo ví mientras cenaba en Argentina.
Andres, Gracias por ver el video.
Me alegro de que los subtítulos estén funcionando y espero que ayuden.
Entonces, ¿qué había para la cena? : )
Saludos desde Florida, Estados Unidos.
Manténgase seguro y cuídese!
Thanks for watching the video.
I'm glad the subtitles are working and I hope they help.
So what was for dinner? : )
Greetings from Florida, United States.
Stay safe and take care of yourself!
Hey there !
I hope you are doing good.
Very nice addition to the video with the tools you used.
Take care
Bob, good to hear from you and thanks for watching!
I'll try to put together a better collections of tools and fixtures, type video soon.
I know not everyone will have the same collection of misfit tools that I do, but it may help someone find things that will help.
I'm doing well thank you. Hope all is going smoothly for you too.
Happy New Year, be safe and take care!
@@theNextProject I totally forgot to wish you all the best for this new year !!!
My Marshall project is on its way, I got the wood cut I need to set up the hinges, glue the parts of the old amp, order the new tolex etc.
I can't make videos, but I'm taking pictures of the process ;)
Great research.... Doing all the hard work for the rest of us
Jurgen, thanks for watching!
I was curious and wanted to share my findings with everyone.
I think every richlite fingerboard will be easier for me to prep and machine going forward.
Like most tasks, we pickup up little tricks or shortcuts along the way, hopefully making things easier.
I'm glad to share, and hope it helps in some way.
Take care my friend!
Greetings from the UK. I tried Richlite the first time I built a complete neck from scratch, It's hard work slotting by hand, luckily I have a radius router jig. I think I'll only ever try it again if I get a table saw. The bass I put it on is still going strong and it plays beautifully. Great video as always
Hague9975, thanks for watching and for the note on your richlite experience.
If you build often, then the table saw fret slotting set up is really nice. I've always slotted by hand, and just finally took the plunge to using the table saw for slotting. Soooo nice, wish I had spent the money years ago, but I could never justify the expense. Now I wish I would have found a way to justify it. It is sooo easy and - enjoyable.
May I ask what glue you used and if there was any process or special prep needed? The info will be good for me and may help other here - thanks!
Glad to hear your bass plays well and is still going strong!
Be safe and take care!
@@theNextProject I prepped the richlite by roughing it up with 80 grit sandpaper and used an epoxy resin to stick the board on. I put a strip of electrical tape over the truss rod to prevent the resin from getting in and jamming it up.
@@Hague9975 Thanks for the info.
Take care!
I like the Richlite. I used it already twice at two electric tenor size ukulele.
I pre radius it and cut the slot with a quite new saw by hand and it worked really well.
It is hard stuff but it gives so much stability to the neck and it is not effected by temperature an humidity as wood will and the fingerboard can have a big effect on the stability of a neck. It's the best alternative to an ebony fretboard.
I was sanding the richtige with 60-80 grid sandpaper and glued it on with titebond 506/3 classic, works as well and it holds as strong as the epoxy.
liked the video a lot.
Greetings from Germany
P.S. I exclusively use stainless steel fret. And as you say this two things together are super durable. And if you do it, than do it right form the beginning 😉
Andreas, good to hear from you and thanks for watching!
Glad to hear you've had good experience with the richlite.
I was thinking about picking up a couple different style handsaws to test. The fretting saw I have works great with maple and rosewood, but cleary not up working on rosewood. More testing required.
Good to hear your experience with Titebond glue, I know some people claim great luck, and others don't.
I'm guessing those who have poor luck may be experiencing process errors, maybe they didn't prep the surfaces, didn't use enough glue, over-clamped the joint... I don't know.
Glad you have had good luck with the product.
Stainless Steel frets, I'm liking them too. This is only the 3rd time I've used them, and my process went really well this time. Not much more work than nickel-silver fretting.
I think richlite and SS frets are a win-win.
Take care and talk soon!
Great video dude, really thorough and exhaustive. I'm not likely to be using richlite any time soon, but if/when I eventually do I'm well armed!!!
Thanks for doing this.
Andrew
Andrew, thanks for watching. I'm working on a part 2 video, basically a little more new info to me.
Hope all is well, take care!
This is so awesome. Hope you make sure the saw- and file-waste won't get into the environment.
But now I can't wait to see the video with you making your own truss rod instead of buying it.
Achim, hey man, good to hear from you and thanks for watching!
Sorry, the shavings and dust are in the wind (and my lungs) by now.
Hmm, making my own trussrod. I haven't made one of those in a dozen years, I think I remember why too, LOL.
There are some things I realize (once done) that I don't really want to do again. Not that making a trussrod was hard to do, just wasn't efficient/practical. Ha, that typically doesn't stop me.
Hope you are doing well, be safe and take care!
That was good to see. I think that I would certainly go for pre-radiused and slotted then! You've got to put a value on your own time vs how much you want to feel involved. Seems that's not a battle to bother with. Thanks for this.
Chris, I hear that and I was feeling the same way as I was hand sawing and sanding. Thinking "this sucks, I'd rather have a pint right now".
Using power tools made it very similar to working with any other traditional fingerboard materials. It is clearly harder, but the table saw and router make quick work of the "hard labor".
Finish sanding the final radius was really quite easy, once the initial radius was cut.
The sample board I purchased cost $72US, I cut 9 flat blanks from it. That's ± $8.33 per plank. Hard to get a piece of any other fingerboard material for that.
All that said. I really appreciate that I had purchased pre-slotted and radiused richlite boards in the past. I didn't know how lucky I was at the time.
Now I have a new appreciation for the material and have picked up a few new process tricks to make my future richlite boards.
Oh, I've been enjoying your instagram projects - great stuff!
Be safe and take care!
No wonder it was so tough, they use this material for counter tops. I checked on their site, they actually sell fret board blanks, The Black Diamond (material you used( is $18, and the highest is $40. they don't come pre-fretted. They state it is "acoustically superior", and is a "perfect alternative to ebony".
Yep, Richlite has a bunch of other uses. It's a rather old product too, developed in the 1940s I believe.
I really like the feel and durability if this stuff. Add some stainless frets and the neck should be set for life.
I purchased the 1/4" thick, 2'x2', sample, and cut 9 fingerboard blanks from it. Slotting and radius to follow. I just will limit the amount of hand-work being done on this stuff. That said, I have since used a Japanese fretting pull-saw, and it cut reasonable well. I'll still opt for power tool slotting. I can only handle so much fun, ha.
Take care!
my 2018 Les Paul custom has richlite and it feels/sounds just like my custom w/ ebony board. I love that it won't be affected by temp and humidity. I laugh at the purist that say they can tell a difference
Walker, thanks for watching!
Agreed, richlite is a great product!
I love the stuff too, but as you say some folks can tell the "difference" LOL, whatever they want to believe.
Checked your channel, WOW man, Jujitsu and metal, nice!
Take care, be safe!
I really appreciate that!@@theNextProject
Awesome showcase and work. Hey, i am building a guitar using richlite. It is a seven string and really want to build an awesome fretboard. Did not see how you did your inlays, is it stainless tube? Way awesome. Doing custom inlay design ideas , thought of like a big dragon skull at 11th through 13th fret. don't know what else, think skulls, crossbones, celtic windings crosses, ibby style sharktooths are all cool. Plus was thinking a crazy color Richlite fretboard. What is the weight of 7 or 8 string board versus wood? Oh well too many questions and ideas! Love your inspiring videos, thanks so much.
zAvAvAz, thank for watchin!
I've done inlays a couple different ways, but currently I'm stuck on small circles. The material I use is 1/4" outside diameter ABS (plastic) tubing. It can be found online or at some hobby stores that sell plastic models or miniature railroad stuff. I will glue it into maple or rosewood with either CA or Acetone, both work. On Richlite, I used epoxy and mixed the Richlite sanding dust in the epoxy to get the "black" color.
Fancy inlay work will be cool, but I'm not any help there, I don't really study or practice inlay work at this time. It's on my list, a long, long list.
As for weight comparison, I'm sure there is some difference, but it will depend on what you're comparing it to. I really don't notice anything if it is heavier. To simply pick up a RL fingerboard, I don't even notice it. So I'd guess it's not a big difference.
It is lifetime durable, so I do suggest installing lifetime frets of stainless, but that's just me.
If you do use nickel, and wear them out over time, RL is really good about pulling old and installing new frets, again it's tough stuff.
I've been looking at the RL red/black and blue/black material, but currently don't have the right project underway... but there is a bass guitar on a short list... hmm.
I like hearing that you have too many questions and ideas, that's a good thing. Means you are alive and thinking!
Take any ideas you find here, experiment, make them better, make them your own.
Good luck with your project,
Be safe, take care and have fun!
Your videos are always interesting, we learn a lot.
Happy New year !
Robert, thanks for watching and Happy New Year to you!
I'm glad you are enjoying the videos and find them interesting.
I want to share my findings, good and bad with everyone.
Hopefully help others have good experiences with whatever their project may be.
Take care!
i think richlite is going to eventually be the new standard for fretboards. Martin guitars says in sound tests it yields a better tone than ebony.
Bejeezguitars, thanks for watching!
I'm a fan of richlite, and the more I use it the more I like it.
Sadly, there are those who will forever hate it, some will have never even tried it.
Some people are that way, their loss.
I'm also interesting in some of the other "richlite" like materials. Rocklite and Paperstone? - I think. If I recall, Rocklite has a more believable "wood" look, if that's what a person if after.
I'm open to all sorts of alternative materials, if it works, use it.
Be safe and take care!
Let’s continue, hammer time…someone has been watching Bedo
Real, thanks for watching!
I'm impressed with this material. I've used it on 5 necks total now. A couple years ago and never heard of an issue, and 3 more necks recently.
This stuff is really tough, which I like.
I did experience one negative, and it was an allergic reaction a friend of mine had while playing a richlite fretboard guitar. He said he has a very sensitive system, and we were both surprised by the irritation he gained on his fingertips. Richlite is a food-grade product, but like everything there is a warning... He may be the 1 in a million who is sensitive, but it was interesting to learn.
I've also experienced an individual who is hyper sensitive to nickel, and had a reaction when playing a different guitar... nickel fretwire, maybe nickel in the string coating too.
I really like richlite and I'm now expirementing with sealing the fretboard surface. First test will be a SuperGlue coating, then polish. I bet I can make this stuff look like glass.
Thanks again for watching, take care!
This stuff being so hard, I was wondering if this would affect the adjustability of the neck. But obviously there are many functioning instruments out there already...
Janvi, thanks for watching and great comment/concern.
While I was "banging" the frets in, I checked the level of the neck. The tightness of the fret slot to the fret tang is so tight, that fret install (in this case) did cause a back bow.
A back bow isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless it's too extreme.
So, checking the tang and barb thickness of the frets and also the fret slot is important. Some adjustments may be needed in some cases. Either widening the slot or shaving down the barb a bit depending on the situation.
On my real neck test. There is plenty of truss rod adjustment to move the neck, and the strings will also pull the neck flatter as well.
I have a scratch build going on, and it will be getting carbon rods flanking the truss rod. So there will be all sorts of forces fighting each other in that case.
Thanks again for watching and the comment.
Take care!
I'm about to trim a Richlite cutting board down to a smaller size. According to the Richlite fabrication manual a standard circular saws can be used but will often leave saw marks due to less stable nature and lower RPM. My circular saw has 3,700 RPMs, so I think that qualifies as "standard". For a single line cut, think I could get away with that relatively cleanly?
If not I'll get my hands on a higher quality circular saw with 5,000-5,200 RPMs like the Richlite fab manual suggests, or a sliding table saw with 3,450-4,000 RPMs.
Hey Ben, good question.
I used a table saw, +/- 3500 rpm. The fence help minimize tooth rotation cut marks.
I don''t see an issue cutting with a circular saw, as long as you start with a good blade and can clamp some sort of guide/fence to cut along.
If you do get some cutting chatter marks along the edge, they can easily be sanded out. Use a flat block and 100grit paper for initial sanding, then finer paper until you reach the texture/smoothness you would like.
It should go well.
Maybe make a test cut before going to you final size cut. Get a feel for the material and see what the edge will look like.
Good luck!
@@theNextProject thanks a lot! The cutting board is just 0.38” so I think it shouldn’t be too hard. Going for it today.
Very cool video. I've started watching your other vids too. I noticed you had some nice looking fret inlays on the one board. Did you make those with a plug cutter and then pour them with epoxy and sand, or did you use something else to make them? Thanks.
Thanks for watching, and I hope you find some other ideas worth improving on.
The circle fret marker inlays are something I've been doing for a few years.
I made a "cirle hole saw" from a 1/4" piece of round rod. Drilled the center out of it only part way through using a drill bit to yield the wall thickness I need from some 1/4" ABS tubing that I used for the white circle part.
I also used a dremel with a thin cutting blade to cut teeth on the 1/4" hole saw.
I chuck this little hole saw in my drill press and cut little circles with around a ±0.030" wide kerf. I cut and press in the little ABS circles, soak them with Acetone, and slice off the excess.
I may have a couple videos that show the process.
I think this video will show you the general process.
ruclips.net/video/2WkNDmu1weM/видео.html
Hope it helps.
Take care!
Excellent, nice process. Thanks for sharing.
Hey the Next Project, how have you been? I've got my Richlite FB blank ready to go for my next 5 string bass. I came back to your video for inspiration, and just noticed you used large push pins or thumb tacks to index the board. Was there a particular size you found somewhere? I also noticed those great looking dot or tube fretboard markers! What are they, aluminum tube then filled with something?
ChinJazz, good to hear from you!
I just finished moving a couple weeks back, my girlfriend has really helped keep me focused and I actually have some picture in the wall and pots n' pans out away.
The pushpins are typical message board variety, nothing special. Probably the hardest part was finding a small enough drill bit. I did some test drilling to verify the hole was just snug for the push pin. I believe I've snapped a drill bit, as it is really small. I've also used toothpicks and some small brad nails rather than pushpins. Main reason I like the pushpins, is there is nothing left in the neck when done and the fret slot is clear and ready for frets.
The dot markers I'm currently using are ABS plastic. I found them at a local hobby store. Used for building small scale models and such. I use the 0.25" OD tubing, I think the wall is around 0.030" thick, maybe a smidge less.
I made a "holesaw" for drilling the receiving circle in the fingerboards. It works perfectly on real woods such as maple and rosewood. Richlite required a process change. I use a 1/4" forstner bit, then mix some epoxy with Richlite sanding dust and glue/fill the tube dots in place. This process my change a bit as I keepy trying different approaches.
Hope that helps.
Good luck with your build and please keep me posted.
Take care!
@@theNextProject Awesome, thanks so much for these details! I do like your approach for the indexing the fb without leaving anything in the slot and will try that (i’ve been a tooth pick or plastic side dot guy). I’ve done the face dots technique like you mentioned before. Your neck came out so great looking I couldn’t tell if the inner portion was just dust filler! Bravo my friend, and thanks again for the tips/detail!!!
I'm very interested in your table saw fret slotting sled and template. Is that something you made yourself or did you buy it. Can you give us more details or demostrate it on video at normal speed?
Peter, thanks for watching and the great comment.
The table saw fret slotting sled and template are home made.
I can put together a short "tip" video outlining the basic idea.
That template was pretty easy to make but took a couple attempts to get one that was accurate. It is the result of a lot of repetitive measuring and a couple "not good enough" predecessors.
Here is an "i'm a fool" disclaimer.
The template I used on the tablesaw sled is 25" scale length.
As noted, I slaved to make a precise template.
Once I arrived at a final template and slotted the board, I realized I had a 25" scale pre-slotted rosewood board from StewMac... I could have used it as a template to make my working template... I slap myself in the forehead for that one.
The plastic template I used on the hand slotting fixture was laser cut. A trade of work made that template happen.
I'll try to get some footage together soon for a table saw sled and template video.
Til then, take care!
@@theNextProject That would be awesome. Thanks!
Good show ole buddy. I could use one of those fretboards myself. I would have went ahead and hammered that guy!
Hey man, thanks for watching!
LOL, my help wants to kill me at times for sure. Long hours, no pay, no benefits, I just crack the wip, a slave driver for sure.
Hope you are doin well. Take care!
@@theNextProject , if I were any better I’d be twins 😜
Thanks for sharing your exploration! Mind sharing what one of these sheets set you back? I’ll reach out to the manufacturer to see if they’ll make a sheet long enough for 5-6 string bass fbs.
ChinJazz, thanks for watching!
I purchased a 24"x24"x0.25" sample directly from richlite.
The cost was $72US, i think shipping was free within the US.
www.richlite.com/collections/partial-sheets
I too was thinking about a sample big enough for bass fingerboards.
They may also have other thickness options other than what is mentioned in their "sample" area.
Good luck with your search and keep me (us) updated as to what you hear about oversized sample availability.
Be safe and take care!
@@theNextProject Thanks! I’ll give them a shout. This material looks great and would also be a great fit for fretless basses.
I am just about to glue my richlite fretboards. I see you tried normal wood glue and epoxy, did you have any bonding issues and what one would you use in the future?
Devin, thanks for watching!
Great question regarding the use of wood glue, or epoxy.
I've now used both options, and no issues to date.
HOWEVER!!!
If using a wood glue, you MUST roughen up the Richlite glue surface really well. I think richlite recommends 100 grit paper, but I'm pretty sure I used 80 grit, then ensured no sanding dust remained before glue-up.
Richlite Info link here:
ruclips.net/video/0UT7Me7FUdw/видео.htmlsi=ARyPla2aefkAO_zS&t=228
I've also read the a ployurethane "Gorilla Glue" works well, but I have not tried that product.
Link to that info here:
balsambanjoworks.com/product/richlite-fingerboards/#:~:text=Adhesion%3A%20The%20manufacturer%20of%20Richlite,in%2080%20grit%20or%20lower.
At this point, I really love richlite. I am still very cautious about my glue up when using a Titebond type glue (maybe look into titebond II or III).
I have personally talked to a couple builders who had do-overs because the fingerboard "popped" off. They both mentioned not having prepped the board properly and used wood glue (I don't know what wood glue was used).
I don't know what their assembly process was either, perhaps they took too much time getting the board on the neck and clamped, too much or too little glue, too much clamping pressure... A lot of variables.
So please keep that in mind.
Thanks again for the great question.
Good luck with your project(s) and please keep me posted.
Be safe and take care!