Guitar Fingerboard Repairs

Chipping

Old or brittle fingerboards can turn a simple refret into quite a tedious job. Patience is necessary when removing frets from a fingerboard, even more so when the fingerboard is brittle. Although chipping is unavoidable on some fingerboards I feel it is essential that they be repaired when refretting.

Cracks

Fine line cracks can develop in the fingerboard and stretch a distance of several frets. These are often spotted when cleaning the fingerboard and can be an indication that the instrument is dry and in need of humidity.

If you see cracks develop in the fingerboard make sure the instrument is properly humidified.

After properly cleaning the fingerboard, fine cracks can be filled with wood dust and adhesive. The fill is then leveled and the boards finely sanded.

Replacing Fingerboards

Removal

I have used two tools to remove fingerboards; one is an antique clothes iron that does not have non-stick coating, the other is a special heating blanket made specifically for this purpose. I like the trusty old clothes iron as it will sit atop the frets, avoiding direct contact with the wood and still produce sufficient heat but the heating blanket heats a much larger area at one time.

After heating the fingerboard and softening the glue seam I insert a non-stick wedge and work my spatula from one end of the neck to the other.

Because the neck and fingerboard are assembled before painting, separating the two breaks the finish line which will usually require touch up (some necks may require refinishing).

Plastic inlays (not pearl or abalone) and binding can be damaged when heating a fingerboard and may require replacement.

Fingerboards are available pre-slotted from sources such as LMI. Because accurate fret slot spacing is essential for proper intonation it is a true time saver to order boards pre-slotted.

On occasion it is necessary to replace fingerboards that have been damaged by poor workmanship or are simply too brittle to be repaired.

To replace or repair ? If it is a very old piece that would benefit from remaining original (rare, valuable, irreplaceable) then the extra effort to preserve it should be attempted. But I have come across a few 100+ year old boards that were simply falling to pieces, not only did removing the frets cause chipping but the force of installing new ones did as well. Ugh.
If the instrument is a relatively new (30 years old or less), it is sometimes possible to order the complete fingerboard from the factory. Ideally these come bound (when needed), fretted, inlayed and ready for installation. Not all factories make this available and manufacturers normally only sell these items to their authorized repair shops.

Installing / Gluing

Gluing a new fingerboard on can be a pretty aggravating task. Not only do fingerboards slip and slide once glue is applied, consistent clamping pressure throughout the fingerboard is essential.

For the purpose of positioning a fingerboard for regluing I use locating pins. In fact, some instruments have small pins in place for just that purpose.

After drilling small holes thru two fret slots and into the neck these pins will help to keep the board in proper position while clamping. Because the tiny holes are made beneath the fret all evidence is concealed.

I personally find the easiest locator pin is simply a drill bit turned upside down as the hole and the pin must match exactly to keep the board from moving when gluing.

Repairing Inlays

Celluloid inlays are particularly prone to shrinkage. When this happens the inlays often come loose and can be a nuisance when playing.

Loose inlays should be reglued to reduce the risk of loosing the inlay. While simple squares and circles are easy enough to replace, custom inlay shapes take far more time to reproduce.

It is also more difficult to match some vintage material.

If you are interested in wonderful custom inlay on your instrument I strongly encourage you to visit either Larry Robinson's Site or Bryan England's Custom Inlay site for more information.

Removing Inlay

Shell inlay can be removed by heating with the tip of a soldering iron or other, pinpoint heat source. Once the glue is soft pressure on the edges will cause the inlay to teeter and allow you to either get a grip on the piece or slide under it.

Celluloid inlay is flammable and should not be subjected to direct heat. I usually warm these slowly from a hair dryer to avoid destroying the inlay.

Replacing Inlay

Dot markers and common inlay shapes are available pre-cut and often come in a few color or material choices such as white, gold and black pearl.

Inlay supplies are available thru Ebay and luthier supply stores.