Customer Repair - 1967 FG-150

Yesterday I measured all the fret heights at the high e string, where they were the lowest.  Oddly, many of the middle frets are low.  10 were .034" or lower, 6 were .031" or lower, 4 under .030".  But, the worst part was all of the frets were heavily tapered on the ends, losing 1/8" of the frets on each side.  Widening the narrow 1.38" nut string spacing would risk the E strings rolling off the sides.  I suggested they all be replaced, and he agreed.

But the first thing I did today was remove the nut.  I used to score around it slightly and tap it at the fretboard end, but that tended to take some of the neck with it.  Now I score 3 sides and keep scoring until I cut all the way in.  This results in a much cleaner removal.








Then I filed the steam holes at the 15th fret, and removed all the frets.  As usual, I'm always trying to find better, safer, and faster ways to do things.  I used to wet the frets (to soften the wood and reduce fretboard chipping), and use my Stew Mac fret removal pliers to attempt to pull the frets.  It seems Yamaha must have used a press to install the frets.  Most of the time the bottom of the frets are very slightly below the surface of the fretboard.  Attempting to pull the frets usually resulted it taking chunks out of the frets and hopefully getting it out.  Then I had the idea of using a small chisel to get under the edge of the fret.  I've never seen anyone else do this.  This works well, even a slightly buried fret can be pulled up.  I put a piece of tape on the fretboard on the opposite side I'm work, just in case the chisel slips, which sometimes happens when it's tough getting under the fret.  I don't bother wetting the fretboard anymore.  This new metod rarely results in any chips.  











Naked fretboard.

Today I sanded the dovetail surfaces and got the joint back together.  And I chiseled out a 2 inch long section of the bass side and inserted it with a piece of 1/32" plywood.  This area had been heavily undercut when removing the neck.  I need a flat surface for pull sanding the heel.





Finished.

Yesterday I removed the glue from the top & back of the pickguard with denatured alcohol and scraping with a razor blade, made a new saddle (sticks out of the bridge .22" low E & .20 high E), and started making the nut.



Today I finished the nut, clamped the guitar in the neck jig, and strung it up for the first time (tuned to "D").  The neck projects .02" below the bridge and the action is 1/8" low E & a little under 1/8" high E.

The fret ends have been filed again, and the frets & fretboard are oiled with Howard Feed N Wax and polished with 0000 steel wool.  And I put the first coat of shellac on the bare pickguard area.

Yesterday I stuck the pickguard to the top, starting with scraping any high spots in the shellac, sanding it lightly with 220 grit, positioning it, adding pieces of tape & alignment marks, peel off the backing. spraying the top & pickguard with lightly soapy water (put a towel in the sound hole), place the pickguard on the top using the alignment marks, press to squeeze out the water, and clamp.  Almost every time I've done this the pickguard has shifted after clamping, I'm amazing this one didn't.