Official Luthiers Forum!

For those who refret maple boards, do you also refinish the fretboard at the same time? If so , do you find it better to finish after it is fretted like the factory did, or do you finish first, then fret?

I finish first and then refret. It works out cleaner for me. I believe the factory paints over the frets because they can't take the time to do it before the frets. It's definitely more difficult but if you're careful it can be done and look beautiful.

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"Try to be the person your dog thinks you are."

http://sites.google.com/site/bertsguitarshop/

Wow! Only one hit on this. Seems not too many luthiers has any experience finishing maple fretboards on this forum. That supprises me.

I avoid them like the plague .....

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I fret then finish.

I've had the players that wanted that used vintage look to the f.b.
So I use very few coats for their necks .
Got to please the clients!
I use a diamond fret file to remove the finish .
Then I tape off the area between the frets and use the soft sanding pads that go up to 2000 grit to polish the frets.
I've done hundreds of maple boards in the last 35 years and this is the best method for me.
BUT I'll try the finish first then fret method soon.
Mike

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Mike Collins

I seal the fretboard with a few coats of laquer, fret it, then shoot a couple more coats.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

I like that !
Good advise !

Mike

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Mike Collins

I've always done the finish then fret method. Some customers like to keep the dirty original fretboard though, so I will only do it if I ask and make sure thats what they want.

If it's a Fender, fret, then finish. Otherwise, how you gonna finish over the tang ends?

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I've finished a few for local repair people. They've always brought them to me already fretted.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

That's a good point Howard. Sure wouldn't look very nice with unfinished tang ends. Mabey thats one of the reasons fender does it that way.