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On my current build the fretboard has a pretty good bow,end to end.If I slot the bow side up and fret before attaching to the neck,I`m thinking the back bow created should straighten the fret board.Either that or slot it and glue it to the neck first.I`m not sure which approach would be better.When laid on the workbench the board has about 1/4 inch bow up in the middle with the ends laying on the bench.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I woudlnt worry about that .. simply gluing it flat will eliminate the bow.

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

1/4" bow sounds like an awful lot to me. Has it always been like that or did you flatten it already? Either way, I'd be concerned about using it at all. Might be reaction wood that will cause problems down the road.

BTW, you didn't expect everyone to agree and have a conclusive answer, did you?

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

1/4? Wow, that's twisted I remember I once agonized over a much smaller 1/16 dip and planed it flat. Then I had to recut the fret slots to make up for the lost depth, was fun I guess I maybe did all the work for nothing, but in a way the ideea of a forced fit would have bugged me.

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Build log

I`m pretty sure as Tony has said that gluing it to the neck will take care of it.I can straighten it by pushing down with very little pressure.What I need advice on is ,should I glue it to the neck first to straighten it.Or should I fret it and let the backbow this creates help to straighten it and then glue it to the neck.
James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

My method on this stuff is very simple: find out how much force it takes to take out the warp and make a decision based on that.

If one can push a fretboard flat with one finger, then how does that amount of force compare to the amount needed to warp a neck or break a glue joint? On the other hand, if one needs significant force to 'make it fit' then that tells a story as well.

This is completely different from the bow caused by 'compression fretting' which, if done on an 'off-neck' board would cause a very stiff bowing requiring a lot more force to flatten.

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Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

James,I always glue to the fretboard first, that way you will have the option of leveling it without the frets in the way should it need that. Mark