...roll your own...

[MIKE20]

simple tools...Barney bath towel is optional...these buffing polishing boards are great for fretwork...

I like using the small 1/2 round...use the file as a scraper,no pressure applied,scrape or draw from nut towards pickup...

start parallel to board and gently angle downwards as you go back and forth between the nibs...the first few passes you will see the binding starting to come off...then some binding and rosewood...I suggest doing both high E and low E sides of the board only once lightly and evenly and clean it up nicely...

 

[MIKE20]

...I suggest doing both sides once only as it depends on how much roll you want...

you can tape off the fret ends,also the top above the fifteenth fret, with green painter's masking tape(it's very safe on finishes) and use the nail buffing boards or some 1500 sandpaper to soften the fret ends and the nibs,then use the same on the binding and the edge of the rosewood...I suggest doing it once only and then play the guitar for a while to see how you like it...repeat the process until you get the desired results...If you repeat the process,I also suggest you do the high E side of the board an extra time as guitars that have the honest to goodness wear are slightly more worn in on the high E side...

 

[MIKE20]

the end result ...I have done this R0 five times over the last year and am pleased with the results,a nice comfortable feel of a nicely broken in neck...

 

[marT]

I'm thinking about getting something like this done by my luthier at some point, I find the new frets of the standard a little square for my liking and if they were rounded off slightly would help my playing a lot. I'm used to playing strats etc with rounded frets.

Would this effect happen over time naturally from playing or should i have it done? (I wouldn't trust doing it myself)

 

[MIKE20]

I'm thinking about getting something like this done by my luthier at some point, I find the new frets of the standard a little square for my liking and if they were rounded off slightly would help my playing a lot. I'm used to playing strats etc with rounded frets.

Would this effect happen over time naturally from playing or should i have it done? (I wouldn't trust doing it myself)

...it will happen eventually from a lot of playing...

 

[Gold Tone]

Here I am bringing up an old thread!

Mike20 - I am starting to roll the binding on an R9. I am following your directions since it seems a reasonable approach and your results look fantastic!

One question - "No" pressure applied to the files when drawing against the fretboard edge? When I do this nothing happens. NOTHING is removed by the file. I tried a touch of pressure and still nothing. I am concerned about putting to much elbow into it and ruining the board.

How did you get the files to work? What kind were they (fine, course)?

Thanks for any advice!!

Cheers,

GT

 

[Mike Shaw]

I burnish my ends with the shank of a screwdriver or similar tool.

 

[Gold Tone]

I burnish my ends with the shank of a screwdriver or similar tool.

I brought this up before as the method I would use as it is least likely to end in tears. I was told that you don't actually roll the edge this way but compress the wood.....either way, same to me, same end result.

But, by doing it this way how do you get a nice even roll fret to fret? Without ending up with a sort of 'scalloped' profile?

Thanks!!

GT

 

[Mike Shaw]

Rats!!! I did a nice reponse and then it didn't post for some reason. I usually don't do a heavy roundover - just enough to break the edge. If you do do a heavy roundover then there might be a somewhat 'scalloped' apprearence but IMO that would be a more realistic look. I don't believe you would get the same wear right at the fret that you would in the middle of the fret. Does anyone have any good photos of the sides of the neck on an old guitar?

 

[Gold Tone]

So, that begs the other question I came across here at the LPF. Were the boards of the 50's and 6-0's factory rolled or was it wear over time....or both?. If both, how much of each? I mean, was most of it factory or most of it wear?

Hmmmmm.

 

[Hamish5178]

What? I'm sure it was all wear. I really doubt they would do that in the factory.

 

[tooold]

Hard as it may be to believe, artificially aging things (apart from forged antiques) is a recent development...

 

[Gold Tone]

I'm not sure that rolled binding is "artificial aging". It's done by other guitar manufacturers as standard process, but you pay more for those guitars. Though a well used guitar would have a rolled binding it is also a part of production in some shops and has been (from what I understand here at the LPF) part of standard production at Gibson up until the mid 60's or so.

It was said here at the LPF that it is no longer done to save time and cost. This is of course VERY likely since we see every day most manufactured goods have lost steps in their production process to increase profit or reduce loss.

It seems that it was done (or was it :hmm). But how much, how often, and how much of the rolled fretboard edge on a vintage guitar today is the result of the factory roll vs a good amount of wear?

How's THIS for derailing a thread!!!! :wow :rofl

 

[MIKE20]

...

It seems that it was done (or was it :hmm). But how much, how often, and how much of the rolled fretboard edge on a vintage guitar today is the result of the factory roll vs a good amount of wear?

my'69 Custom has a rolled edge and since it is under the lacquer,it's factory..

 

[MIKE20]

here's my '08 R9 that I've been doing and is almost done...I've also scraped the edges with a razor blade lightly...

 

[Shakeyjake]

I done my 2001 R6 Gold Top today.. Feels soooo much better.
Good as my Neil Young Murphy..

Remember..Go easy, you can always take more off!

 

[Black58]

here's my '08 R9 that I've been doing and is almost done...I've also scraped the edges with a razor blade lightly...

A 'bucker adjusted serious P90-style! :wow How does that sound? :hmm

 

[MRTONEMAN]

Here is a safer/easier way to do this. It only take a few minutes and is less extreme.
It still removes that sharp edge feeling off the binding, that some guitars have.
It is basically a one step process, that is foolproof. Just make a few passes.

Make sure the rubber sanding block (using 600grit) is at the correct angle,and there is no chance of paint damage.


No tape is needed other than to maybe cover the body, by the last few frets.

 

[BobV]

Real wear would not affect the fretboard extension over the body. They do roll the necks at the factory by hand. Once the fingerboard is glued on, but before the neck goes onto the guitar, they have a large edge-belt sander that's just long enough for the neck and the binding and neck edge are sanded smooth so the curve continues where the mahogany meets the binding. Whether the curve continues to roll off the edge of the nibs and the top edge of the binding is really a matter of the individual results from hand work. The finish won't go on until after the neck is glued in, so you won't see the white reveal marks but there is some rolling going on at the factory.

 

[unsleeper]

Hmmm .... would this technique help with the problem I'm having with the high e string catching in the little gap between fret and binding?