Gobshite Senior is unwell.

[Bubba]

This could be a bit of a TL:DR post, but here goes.

I put a new set of strings on my main gigging guitar last Thursday and noticed a problem of the E6 string fretting out a little around the 7th fret. I put my close-up glasses on and found that some of the frets on that side and one in particular had started to lift! This is a 40-year old neck, stolen off my first guitar (an Antoria Les Paul) and fitted to the home-made body about 1985. I spoke to Muttley and he said I'd be able to sort it myself.

I've just started making preparations for sorting out this fret problem.
The first job is to make a hardwood caul of the correct radius to clamp the fret down, plus a curved block to protect the back of the neck while clamping.
My biggest problem though is that the frets may have started lifting many years ago. I had a situation (before I knew anything about guitars) where the top E would sometimes get caught under the fret ends.
I think in hindsight that those frets had lifted slightly. I cured the problem at the time by just putting a little dot of superglue on to prevent the string from getting lodged there. Subsequently I have had a fret level and crown done and I don't think it will be possible to clamp the frets on the treble side to where I would like them.
In any case, I'm going to do my best and I think I will do the bone nut plus a level, crown and polish while I'm at it. The band has three weeks off so I have the time.

[Lt. Bob]

double post so double the encouragement!

[JD01]

RIP Gobshite: destroyed by amateur hour DIY when he should have gone to a luthier. 2019.

[Bubba]

RIP Gobshite: destroyed by amateur hour DIY when he should have gone to a luthier. 2019.

LOL - bollocks!

I've had a productive hour down the shed just now. I made my clamping cauls then I set about investigating the condition of each fret. It seems that much of what was causing the strings to catch on the treble side in the past was fret sprout, not fret lift. This means that the fret ends need dressing so that they don't protrude past the binding. So I set about cleaning under the frets on the bass side where they are actually springing and preparing for the clamping and gluing. I actually got two frets done, the really bad one and one next to it. The thin CA glue wicks in really well and I used the Stewmac tip of using a little furniture paste wax on each side of the fret to prevent the glue from getting onto the fingerboard. Success!

[muttley]

[muttley]

Its good that you can do small jobs like that. It would start at 50 quid for me to be able to do it..

[Bubba]

Its good that you can do small jobs like that. It would start at 50 quid for me to be able to do it..

Yes, for me it just meant having the confidence to start it. The first time you see anything like that the reaction is "oh, shit" then it all seems a bit daunting and you want to pass the problem to somebody else..

After talking to you and then getting a grip, I just thought to myself "you can do this kind of thing, you understand the principles, you've got the tools and the skills, how hard can it be?"

I'm going down to the shed for the second session, in a minute. Frosty day, though!

[rayc]

Well done Bob. Now about the hole in the roof...!

[Bubba]

Well done Bob. Now about the hole in the roof...!

Ha ha - how did you know we had a hole in the roof? We have a little man coming to fix the flat roof on our extension on Thursday!

Anyway, I got all the problem frets glued down, all the ends dressed back to the binding, then finally leveled, crowned and polished the whole lot!

I just need to do the replacement bone nut now and I've done one of those before so it should be sweet!

[Lt. Bob]

Its good that you can do small jobs like that. It would start at 50 quid for me to be able to do it..

Yes, for me it just meant having the confidence to start it.

yeppers ...... there's literally nothing about working on guitars that an intelligent person can't learn to do.
Anyone that can carve an amazing dino head can do this ..... I can work on gits but there's no freakin' way I could carve a dino.
glad you decided to do so.

[Bubba]

I've almost finished - I got the nut made and installed, and cut the initial fret slots. I strung it up at this point then carried on cutting the nut slots a little deeper, reducing the height and refining the shape of the nut a bit at a time. It's now playable, every fret works and the fret ends feel nice. The nut action is not quite where it needs to be yet but I've left off for today and I'll tackle the last bit tomorrow. That's the bit that just cannot be rushed because I like a nice low nut action - but with that is the risk of ruining it with one file stroke too many.

On the whole, I'm bloody stoked.

[CeeBee]

If you cut a little too deep you can always try the baking powder and superglue method to fill the slot. I've done that many times.
Regarding the hole in the roof. My brother had the same and trying to save money, decided to fix it himself by pouring tar all over the roof. He only realised his folly after his missus started screaming that it was dripping all over the furniture. Pays to get a professional sometimes.

[Bubba]

If you cut a little too deep you can always try the baking powder and superglue method to fill the slot. I've done that many times.
Regarding the hole in the roof. My brother had the same and trying to save money, decided to fix it himself by pouring tar all over the roof. He only realised his folly after his missus started screaming that it was dripping all over the furniture. Pays to get a professional sometimes.

Ha ha - very true.

Thankfully I didn't need that trick! I just finished the nut action and i have to say, I think I've done a pretty damn good job. The action's never been so low without a buzz. In fact it's a bit low for what I'm used to!

[JD01]

Cool. Well done, mate.
Will Gobshite remain the #1 guitar for the foreseeable then.

[Bubba]

Cool. Well done, mate.
Will Gobshite remain the #1 guitar for the foreseeable then.

Yes, I think so.I actually love the crippling weight and I love the pickups.

I ought to have taken pics of this process, hadn't I? Difficult to do if you're working on your own, though. I might actually buy a crowning file. Crowning frets with a normal flat file, even a small fine one, is a very tricky job.

[muttley]

Well done Bob. Now about the hole in the roof...!

Ha ha - how did you know we had a hole in the roof? We have a little man coming to fix the flat roof on our extension on Thursday!

Anyway, I got all the problem frets glued down, all the ends dressed back to the binding, then finally leveled, crowned and polished the whole lot!

I just need to do the replacement bone nut now and I've done one of those before so it should be sweet!

A hole in the roof you have is it?...

IMG_20191025_115943.jpg

[JD01]

Shit, is that your extension?

[muttley]

Shit, is that your extension?

Thats half of the first floor. There is another dormer going next to that one on the other side and the downstairs is completely gutted. We never do things by half...

We are camping in our own house.. and we had the frost on the inside this morning.

[JD01]

Shit, is that your extension?

Thats half of the first floor. There is another dormer going next to that one on the other side and the downstairs is completely gutted. We never do things by half...

We are camping in our own house.. and we had the frost on the inside this morning.

That's a hell of an extension... hope your builder turns out good and isn't too much of a charlatan!

[Bubba]

Ha ha - how did you know we had a hole in the roof? We have a little man coming to fix the flat roof on our extension on Thursday!

Anyway, I got all the problem frets glued down, all the ends dressed back to the binding, then finally leveled, crowned and polished the whole lot!

I just need to do the replacement bone nut now and I've done one of those before so it should be sweet!

A hole in the roof you have is it?...


IMG_20191025_115943.jpg

Wow - are you having any exterior timber detailing? I think your place would suit weathered green oak.