** Fretboard "Cowboy Chord Damage" Need Value for Credit **

[ADP]

It'd be a Cardinal Sin to cut into that fretboard. The seller should have gotten it back at the first sign of dissatisfaction.

 

[asapmaz]

Do not, I repeat, do not cut into that fretboard!
Hell, it's your guitar, do whatever you want.
But seriously though, don't do it!

 

[rockabilly69]

You guys do know the OP is seriously talented guitar builder right? If not, go check out some of his work through a forum search. He's probably forgotten more about guitar repair than many of us will ever know. The guitar is in very capable hands. Fear not, and wait for his repair reveal.

Here let me help you guys out...

*** A Couple of 1950's Gibson Les Pauls in for Conversions ***

Back in 2018 a customer of mine sent me two 1950’s P-90 LP’s for conversions. He didn’t know the production year of either guitar and asked for my input. Both guitars have issues but with some TLC will make great player old wood guitars. I’d date this one as a late 55, 56 or 57. It has a...

www.lespaulforum.com

 

[ADP]

It'd be a shame to see, is all. I can't wrap my head around buying such a special guitar and immediately cutting the wood out. Return it and find another at that point - or leave it alone.

 

[Wally]

You guys do know the OP is seriously talented guitar builder right? If not, go check out some of his work through a forum search. He's probably forgotten more about guitar repair than many of us will ever know. The guitar is in very capable hands. Fear not, and wait for his repair reveal.

Here let me help you guys out...

*** A Couple of 1950's Gibson Les Pauls in for Conversions ***

Back in 2018 a customer of mine sent me two 1950’s P-90 LP’s for conversions. He didn’t know the production year of either guitar and asked for my input. Both guitars have issues but with some TLC will make great player old wood guitars. I’d date this one as a late 55, 56 or 57. It has a...

www.lespaulforum.com

Thanks for the link. Indeed, @boogieongtr does beautiful work. I simply do not believe in removing original wood unless it is absolutely necessary. Divots don’t confront me…unless 8nsuch a case as this where the stability and/or bedding affect the fret and therefor the sonic is ruined.

 

[Winkyplayer]

It'd be a Cardinal Sin to cut into that fretboard. The seller should have gotten it back at the first sign of dissatisfaction.

Counterpoint: If you want a guitar that can continued to be played for an indefinite period of time, then eventually, repairs like this are required. If you want a guitar for its collectability alone, then originality is king.

a) If the owner likes PLAYING vintage guitars - then the fretboard work may be warranted.
b) If the owner simply likes to OWN vintage guitars - then they might be best to leave it alone.

I like the idea of vintage guitars. If I liked the idea even more, I'd might buy one, but I'd likely be in group "b". Owning the guitar would be the main appeal. I have modern guitars I can play. But others see things very differently. To each their own.

Note: The repair being proposed would be essentially invisible if done to the highest standard. Cross-grain joins (as in headstock repairs) can be made basically invisible with the scribing and staining of individual fake grain lines, combined with an other-worldy talent at refinishing. There was an example posted on this forum a couple of months back. Grain-parallel joins as required here are presumably a cinch to make invisible by comparison. The cross-grain joins will be hidden under the frets.

 

[Wilko]

Grain-parallel joins as required here are presumably a cinch to make invisible by comparison. The cross-grain joins will be hidden under the frets.

Exactly. The repair would be invisible.

If I were doing it, it would be cut in leaving original binding and repair would be parallel cuts and the crossgrain would be under frets.

Have you guys seen Boogie's guitar work? he's very good. I'm not concerned at all about how it will turn out.

 

[jimmi]

Exactly. The repair would be invisible.

If I were doing it, it would be cut in leaving original binding and repair would be parallel cuts and the crossgrain would be under frets.

Have you guys seen Boogie's guitar work? he's very good. I'm not concerned at all about how it will turn out.

I always error on leaving the original wood. If I did anything it would be fill in the divots with small wedges of matched wood… but I would probably just leave it alone at least for a while. If it really bugged me then you can always do something later . Boogie is very detailed which is great when the repair but maybe the same inclination is stopping him from leaving this be.

 

[CptZar]

Even if boogieongtr is an excellent luthier, as we all know, the fretboard would be modified and the binding might be damaged. With a proper refret though, I assume, it would be perfectly playable.

It will stay in collectors hands. So it will not deteriorate.

If it would bug me that much...I'd wait for an ABR 55/56/57 which is like I want it. And then just switch guitars. A fretboard modification, will definitely have influence on how "original" that guitar is considered. And it is not of any relevance who did that.

It's an original 1957 in excellent condition. Not a 52/57 conversion. I am sure there is members here, who would love to have it, just like it is. With a fretboard modification, that group will be smaller.

Also, even if the owner left his marks on the fingerboard, he did not fall into the trap to sand it down, thus changing the neck angle, as the bridge has to be lowered considerable. That is a major issue then.

Lovely guitar.

 

[marshall1987]

Here's the tentative plan. I have some very close matching Brazilian. I think I will pull the first fret and remove the nut then I'll inlay a small piece of Bz. I'll make the cuts below the 2nd and 4th strings to hide as much of the line. I'll do the same repair for the second fret divot.

Your first photo on page one...seems to show significant fingerboard divots under the E and B strings on the 3rd fret too. The divot under the B string butts right up against the position inlay as well. Are you planning on repairing those divots as well? My thinking is.... it may not look esthetically pleasing to the eye if your guitar exhibits pristine repairs at the 1st and 2nd frets....but then, out of the blue ......you encounter the odd looking divots under the E and B strings on the 3rd fret.

 

[fretwire]

First of all, when I saw those pictures the first thing I thought was someone really loved playing that guitar...a lot! The same thing I think when I see a Tele fretboard stained all to hell. Not sure what the going price is for a guitar like this, but that would have been upsetting to me. This is not the same as a scalloped board as one poster mentioned. But I would probably keep it though, especially if its still playable. I have one super jumbo fretted guitar that does not necessarily lend itself to my playing style because I like my fingers digging into the rosewood. But mentally I compensate so not push notes sharp. Wasn't sure I could do that. This guitar would be no different to me. I would play it for a while and maybe see if the fretboard could stay as is.

 

[jimmi]

Your first photo on page one...seems to show significant fingerboard divots under the E and B strings on the 3rd fret too. The divot under the B string butts right up against the position inlay as well. Are you planning on repairing those divots as well? My thinking is.... it may not look esthetically pleasing to the eye if your guitar exhibits pristine repairs at the 1st and 2nd frets....but then, out of the blue ......you encounter the odd looking divots under the E and B strings on the 3rd fret.

I like seeing patina on the fret board. There is a famous shop in town that I will probably never use again after they planed the board on one of mine while replacing the frets. Sometimes it has to be dealt with….but those are rare times. It really is hard to know without the guitar in your hands.

 

[charliechitlins]

I'm a fairly competent tech, but I always explain to my clients, I am not a luthier; meaning, I don't mess with wood.
I'm always interested in learning new stuff, though.
I understand that wood can be cut along the grain and joined almost invisibly, but how would one make such a precise cut to a fingerboard on the guitar?

 

[poor man's burst]

With sharp tools, skills and patience, or a milling machine and the same.

 

[charliechitlins]

With sharp tools, skills and patience, or a milling machine and the same.

Something very accurate, like a Bridgeport...yup...I can see that.

 

[NINFNM]

Why doing that? The divots don't affect playability, and concerning the resale value, it would be affected

 

[Wilko]

Why doing that? The divots doesn't affect playability, and concerning the resale value, it would be affected

resale value is affected by the wear that wasn't disclosed. Invisible repair will only improve value. Boogie knows that.

 

[asapmaz]

Cannot disagree more. I'm a vintage guitar collector, and if I ever heard wood was cut into, I'd be out. Period.
Value versus buyer pool. You're cutting your buyer pool by 90% with any such structural mods.

 

[thin sissy]

I actually see the wear on the dealer pic, but I must be the only one

Regarding value and fingerboard, I guess it's up to whoever it gets sold to. Some people prefer a visible headstock repair (I am one of those), and some prefer a vener to make it look better. Both are good.

I don't want to argue the point though, to each their own. And Boogie has certainly worked on more vintage LP's than I have ever seen.

 

[JIMI55LP]

Many years back I saw a post restoring a 1956 LP GT that had very bad frets and board divots worse than this op has, and he removed the frets, binding, radious sanded the board until it was perfect and pulled the fret board off the neck. He plained the boards bottom side to make it flat with no voids or chips and glued a veneer layer of rosewood onto the neck the proper thickness of the wood removed and then glued the board over the veneer and reistalled the binding and frets. It looked perfect after the reinstall! This was a lot of work but a perfect restoration to a very BAD board.