Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: WezV on July 10, 2009, 05:34:07 PM
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this is the way i do it. it is by no means the only way to do it but i get good results with it
I have a neck that needs a little bit of wearing in so it seems the perfect opportunity to show this technique.
here is the neck pre roundover:
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/fretpreround.jpg)
its a maple tele neck from warmoth. It has been used a little bit and has a coat of oil on it already. part of the job on this neck is to get the finish a little more consistent and also do some extra fretwork to help give it a worn in feel. that will all be done after the roundover.
I am using an 'irwin' stanley knife blade for this, although i actually prefer a fine razor blade this does the job just fine too!!
here is how i hold the blade - it starts with the first scr@pes at this angle (Blade nearly flat on fretboard face):
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/fretroundangle1.jpg)
and ends at this angle (blade nearly flat on fretboard side):
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/fretroundangle2.jpg)
frets 1 and 2 done
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/fretrounded12.jpg)
and up to 11:
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/fretround1-11.jpg)
here is a short vid or me doing a couple of frets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKy48CP4J9w
on this neck i am aiming for a consistent roundover so my strokes go in 1 direction only all the way from fret to fret. i do switch directions to even it out but essentially its done in full strokes. If i was doing a relic or wanted it to look old rather than just be comfy i would be doing the strokes back and forth which would give a more scalloped feel to the roundover.
this works great on most woods but if they are grainy (like wenge) i would sand the roundover in
after this a rub with 0000 wire wool will leave it perfectly smooth (probably best to use synthetic wirewool on maple to prevent discolouration)
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most importantly... i am not really pressing down, just lightly stroking the blade across the wood. start light untill you develop a feel for how much pressue to apply
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Very helpful tutorial wez, thanks :) Will try it on the next strat neck I buy!
Rounded fretboard edges always feel way better.
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oh, and the golden rule applies
you can take wood away but its very hard to put it back!!!
so go slow
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Nice one Wez, but I didn't want the edges rolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o
Just kidding ;) Looks great, and with a fret 'tweak' will play really nicely too I'm sure. Don't forget they're stainless steel before you go buggering up your nice tools! :lol:
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dont do that to me! ;) this is all part of taking off the newness
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Thanks for that tutorial.
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dont do that to me! ;) this is all part of taking off the newness
I know Wez, just messing ;)
Looks great!
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Nice tutorial! I might give this a go one day.
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I have a question about this.
Why?
I can understand scalloping but rolling?? Especially on the bass side??
Is it a bit like chasing after a vintage strat??
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well i started on the bass side just to show the technique. as an eternal thumb over the top player i do the bass side as much as the treble and just happened to start there
why - simply because its fantastically more comfortable than a hard fretboard edge. i do it on all my guitars, and most guitars i do fretwork on - because they are simply underdone untill the edges are rolled in some way.
the reason i roll rather than do the tyler edge scallop is because i am not after vintage accuracy - i am after something that adds comfort but also looks neat and suits a modern styled guitar (like at least 3/4 of what i make) without making a fretboard that looks like chunks are missing
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I have a question about this.
Why?
I can understand scalloping but rolling?? Especially on the bass side??
Is it a bit like chasing after a vintage strat??
Its so much comfier. Nothing worse than a neck with hard edges, you dont realise how much they dig in til you play a rounded/rolled neck.
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I'll have to try one.
Don't american fenders have rolled edges?
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i believe they do, the custom shop ones definately do... and as far as i recall they do them the same way i have shown - by hand with nothing more than a blade
i tried to be slower on the video but it really is a quick and automatic process once you get used to it. i dont normally do it in my kitchen either but the light was better and i could stand my camera on a saucepan ;) its one of those jobs i like to do sitting in front of the tv, much to the annoyance of my fiancee :)
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My mate just bought a very nice fender USA deluxe strat.
I shall go over to his house soon...
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Too bad I can't do this to my CV Tele. It has a gloss finished neck and fingerboard.
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I think they're slightly rolled anyway aren't they?
I'm a thumb over player too, and as Wez says it's a lot more comfortable when the sharper edges have been taken off :)
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I'm a bit late to this thread, but thanks Wez! :D
I'll give it a go, but still feeling a bit trepidatious about it (I won't be doing it in front of the TV!)
The pictures are also a good example of just how sharp the edges of Warmoth necks are. I can understand why they don't roll the edges, as people will have their own preferences as to how much rolling is done, and presumably it's a process that can only really be done by hand. But I think it really needs doing - I wouldn't dream of buying a finished Warmoth neck with a maple board.
Just on the Fender point, they do this on all the American models, from Highway One upwards (not sure about the vintage reissues). The only thing I don't like about my Mex Robert Cray Strat is the sharp fingerboard edges.
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I was going to ask about the kitchen location! For anyone who is worried about cutting themselves, there are one sided razor blades with a brace on the blunt side. It is worth the effort. Warmoth necks do need a little bit of work when you get them. I always clean up the fret ends too, as they cut them very square.
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I think they're slightly rolled anyway aren't they?
It's the thick coat of poly that rounds off the edges a little.