fretboard takes a dive at 10th fret

[Ron Daves]

Looks like I made a mistake when I attached the neck to the body of this hybrid (classical body, narrower neck). The frets are nice and flat from 1st-to-10th frets when I use a slotted straightedge, but the fretboard then dives down and ends up about 2/32nds lower at 18th fret than at 10th. I read somewhere that a dive like I have explained isn't a bad thing...or is it? How much trouble am I in? What do I have to do?

[Ron Daves]

Right now, it looks like I may have to remove the fretboard and reset the neck. This is a spanish foot, so if I want to remove the neck, I'll have to saw it off. I'm considering converting the neck to a bolt-on. I'm thinking that once I saw the neck off and clean and square everything, the neck is going to nee to have to be shimmed on the nd to make up for the lost material. Input, please.

[Michael Lewis]

Before you do anything drastic check some measurements: fret plane projected to bridge (how much clearance between straight edge and bridge?), got relief in the neck?

There is usually some "fall off" of the fingerboard over the body, as the neck connects to the body at about 2 degrees and the fingerboard is bent down to glue to the top. If this is not the case for your guitar we need to discuss just what IS going on.

One remedy is to pull the frets, plane (block sand) the fingerboard so it's level from nut to body, and reinstall frets.

Measure twice, cut once.

[Ron Daves]

Fret to bottom of rule = 1.31 mm

Neck problem.JPG (19.4 KiB) Viewed 4960 times

Hello, Michael and thanks for weighing in.
The frerboard is pretty flat from frets 1-10. When I put a fret rocker on the frets, there are minor variances because i can hear the clicking when I rock this tool, but I can't see daylight between rocker and frets with bare eyes, I can only hear the tiniest click. Fret # 10 is definitely high. If I use the rocker tool from 1-9, everything is okay. Then #10 is high. Next if I check only 11-18, they are all pretty flat. It's when I put a slotted straightedge on the fretboard, FB is level from 1-10, but I can see about a 1.31 mm space between FB (right at soundhole and adjacent to fret #19) and bottom of straightedge.

[Michael Lewis]

That sounds OK. The fingerboard is supposed to 'fall off' from the neck joint to the sound hole. Did you level the frets? There should be no frets that allow a click with the fret rocker, as all that should be dressed out in the leveling process. I have been using a carpenter's level about 24" long with a trued surface and self adhesive abrasive paper on it to level the frets. This spans all the frets and takes off the high spots.

You need something for leveling the frets that will span at least 14", and preferably longer. When sanding the frets you need to put LESS pressure on the nut end of the fingerboard, maybe even none, and more pressure over the neck joint because the closer the frets are together the more there is to sand in that area.

Trust the fret rocker to show high frets.

[Ron Daves]

That sounds OK. The fingerboard is supposed to 'fall off' from the neck joint to the sound hole. Did you level the frets? There should be no frets that allow a click with the fret rocker, as all that should be dressed out in the leveling process. I have been using a carpenter's level about 24" long with a trued surface and self adhesive abrasive paper on it to level the frets. This spans all the frets and takes off the high spots.

You need something for leveling the frets that will span at least 14", and preferably longer. When sanding the frets you need to put LESS pressure on the nut end of the fingerboard, maybe even none, and more pressure over the neck joint because the closer the frets are together the more there is to sand in that area.

Trust the fret rocker to show high frets.

Ok, sounds like I need to take another run at leveling the frets. I purchased a machined fret leveling tool and used double baccked tape to affix the sandpaper. The idea of more pressure over the neck joint is worth a try. Thanks for the input.