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Fretboard summit approacheth...
Who's going to Fretboard Summit this year? I'd love to meet you! I'll be wearing my trusty Looth Group hat for easy identification. I have DMV local looth stickers to hand out as well! Cheers, Kalimar
Palm Bender Tips from Seth Lee Jones
triage neck on LP copy
This is an LP copy from Memphis guitars. It looks like it has had the headstock repaired at some point. Also, there is what looks like some separation of the fretboard near the nut. I don't know if its left over from the repair or if its something new and just trying to go this way. I'm asking the group to look at the pics to help me figure out if any corrective steps are needed. Also from a finish repair standpoint, how to deal with i…
A Repair That Won’t Be Seen (Literally)
Washburn Neck Reset
I am working on a neck reset on a Washburn Parlor - SN 283552. I have read that the 28 in the SN indicates that is was built in 1928, but the owner thinks based on her research that it was built before 1920. I am assuming a dovetail joint and that I can get into the neck joint for steaming by drilling into the 13th fret slot, but if anyone knows differently please let me know. The fingerboard extension has already separated slightly…
Epoxy glue
Good morning everyone, it is been a while since I wanted to replace my glue (standard Titebond) with epoxy. The best I can find in EU, and specifically in Italy, is the West System 105 with 206 hardeners. Is it any good for fretboard and top gluing or neck gluing? For all the other small task, like top jointing etc I'll still use Titebond or polyurethane glue. Thanks!
Glue for Martin DXME Fretboard Extension
Anyone know what glue type is appropriate for a Martin DXME fretboard extension to secure it to the plastic laminate top (or whatever it is)? I have one on the bench that has broken loose, and I’m not sure what to use. I tried contacting Martin, but they won’t help since I’m not an authorized Martin repair shop. 🫤 Thanks!
Help needed to pinpoint my mistakes please!
Hi all, I am a newer guitar tech and after dozens of repairs this particular Simon & Patrick Luthier Cedar top SP6 acoustic dreadnought from the 90-ies with a bolt-on maple neck has been an incredible challenge. It came with a maxed out and stuck truss rod with a considerable up bow in the neck, extremely low saddle with barely any string break angle, so it needed a neck reset. Later on I figured out that it also has a pretty dras…
Battle-Scarred: A '57 Strat Goes Under the Knife
The Neverending Fret Buzz
Hi everyone, Every once in a while, I come across a bass that simply refuses to stop buzzing. Right now, I’m working on a bass (I won't name the brand, but it’s in the €2,500 range) that has a slight fretboard hump near the neck pocket. I figured that was the culprit, so I performed a fret level under string tension. The frets are now perfectly level... yet, it continues to buzz across the entire fretboard, even with fairly high a…
Dan Erlewine - Fretboard Radius Change
Yamaha FG410A with very fragile fretboard
Hello everyone, I hope you're doing good. I'm very much a new guitar repair enthusiast, any advice or feedback would really appreciated. I'm working on this Yamaha FG410A, as you can see, it's in rough shape. The guitar lived in a case in a storage container since the 90s. The guitar was really dry when I got it, so I started my slowly introducing moisture. I removed the frets and then put the guitar in a bag, with a hygrometer…
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VRCC - Fingerboards
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Council Of Elders February 5th 2026
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Vintage Schmintage, with Mark Stutman of Folkway Music
Gagliano 701 Jumbo Neck Joint
A Gagliano Jumbo probably made by Kay in the 1950's. It looks like this had a previous neck reset based on the shims and some sloppy chisel work. I removed the 14th and 15th frets because I had read that these might have a straight tenon. I didn't need to drill any holes for heat, as the spruce shims both split in half after the fretboard extension was released. The dovetail is about 11mm long, the pocket is 14mm deep, and the 15th fret…
Vega Solo Lute Baritone Ukulele Neck Joint
I just pulled the neck off a Vega Arthur Godfrey Solo Lute baritone ukulele. It was pretty easy. First I heated and loosened the short fretboard extension. I already knew the neck was attached with a glued butt joint and small straight tenon. The picture show where I drilled three holes for foam cutter heaters. I only used the two on either side of the tenon, at the 16th fret (Note: neck joins body at 16th) and didn't need the hole at…