Removing Fretboard

[Jake=Suck]

In my quest to make my silvertone bass a decent instrument ive done alot including defretting it and now im going to take it a step farther and basically remake everything but the neck, im making a new body for it and i want to get an ebony fret board and i was just wondering how i would go about removing the fret board without damaging the neck?

[AG]

There is a guide on http://www.projectguitar.com that I found pretty helpfull.

[Son of Magni]

Looks like you're refering to this page:
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/removal.htm

I would say, definitely read that first, then...

Here's how I've done it.

Instead of the iron I use a heat gun, not the little kind for heat-shrink tubing but the big kind for burning off paint. If I'm not careful I could probably burn the whole neck to ashes... I don't use a razor blade, just a small, sharp (and very stiff) putty knife. Once the glue is hot I just tap the knife in with a small mallet and start working my way to the other end. Once the first few inches is released I switch to a butter knife.

Remember to go slowly, the glue is still very sticky and releases slowly.

[Jake=Suck]

is there any faster way i dont care about damaging the fretboard if not thx anyway

[Son of Magni]

is there any faster way i dont care about damaging the fretboard if not thx anyway
The only thing I can think of that would be faster would be to cut it off with a safe-t-plane but I don't even think that would be much faster.

Really, releasing the glue with heat is the best way.

[NavyBass]

In all seriousness, you're wasting time and money.

Just get a new fretless neck with an ebony fretboard and be done with it. Since you're making a new body, why use the old neck?

Carvin sells a bolt on neck with an ebony fretboard and an unshaped headstock for $169.00.

Check it out here http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=BN4&CID=BKT

[Jake=Suck]

In all seriousness, you're wasting time and money.

Just get a new fretless neck with an ebony fretboard and be done with it. Since you're making a new body, why use the old neck?

Carvin sells a bolt on neck with an ebony fretboard and an unshaped headstock for $169.00.

Check it out here http://www.carvin.com/products/single.php?ItemNumber=BN4&CID=BKT

I would rather spend $40 on a peice of ebony and spend my time doing something i enjoy than buy something that's already made for 4x the price. Sure it might be an entire day of work but it's work that i like doing and its gonna save me $120

[NavyBass]

I would rather spend $40 on a peice of ebony and spend my time doing something i enjoy than buy something that's already made for 4x the price. Sure it might be an entire day of work but it's work that i like doing and its gonna save me $120

If it ruins your neck you wouldn't have saved a thing.

Also, whether you enjoy it or not, your time is worth money also.

I know that by doing it yourself you can save some money, but think of the other factors involved.

How you're going to do the arch of the fretboard.

The piece of ebony has to be perfectly flat from nut to end of neck, meaning that the arch has to be smooth also, no little bumps at all, or the string will hit the high spot and not give you the right note.

You have to remove the old fretboard. That is quite a bit of work in itself. You're already asking for a quick way to remove the old fretboard. Truely, there is no quick way to do this whole project if you want it done right.

You have to make sure that the 2 mating surfaces are perfectly flat.

You have to make sure you don't get too much glue into the truss rod or that will prevent it from working right.

You'll have to taper the fretboard to match the neck taper.

The neck you're starting with really isn't one of the better necks out there. It's a Silvertone. There could be problems later on that would render all your work useless.


I'm not trying to bash you for your decision to take on this project, just giving you a little more to think about.

[Jake=Suck]

you do bring up alot of good points, and i've always loved your basses and respected you as a luthier because of how creative your stuff is, its nice to see basses that dont look like everything else. so i may take your advice and buy a new neck since you know what your talking about, the only bad thing is now im going to have to put of buying everything until ive got about $120 more than i do now.

[da_s_man13]

Definately listen to JP on that one. Its not really worth doing all this work to a Silvertone anyway. If your making a body already as it is, just buy a new neck and put it on the body your building.

[Polyamarous]

I would rather spend $40 on a peice of ebony and spend my time doing something i enjoy than buy something that's already made for 4x the price. Sure it might be an entire day of work but it's work that i like doing and its gonna save me $120

No offence but I doubt VERY much, that you will do this without cocking up. Especially seeing as it's your first time.

[Son of Magni]

No offence but I doubt VERY much, that you will do this without cocking up. Especially seeing as it's your first time.
What are you saying, no one can do something right the first time? That's a bunch of bull :smash:

[AG]

That and how is he meant to learn how to do something without trying.

[Polyamarous]

He's talking about saving money.
If he does poop it it'll cost him even more.

[Jake=Suck]

^^ actually i would have to fuk it up several times before thats true. Anyway i've stumbled into some money and insted of keeping the old neck im making a new one. I have experience with this kind of thing just not this exactly, and if i do fuk up at least ill have learned what not to do next time instead of taking the easy way out and still being in the dark next time i want to do something like this.

[Son of Magni]

^^ actually i would have to fuk it up several times before thats true. Anyway i've stumbled into some money and insted of keeping the old neck im making a new one. I have experience with this kind of thing just not this exactly, and if i do fuk up at least ill have learned what not to do next time instead of taking the easy way out and still being in the dark next time i want to do something like this.
Way to go! And you will be one more step up the curve, and leaving the nay sayers behind.