Replacing fret board

[meyers]

So im getting a 1911 A3 and was wondering what people thought of replacing its frett board and fretts? Also how much would this cost normaly? thanks

[Big Joe]

Why would you want to replace the fretboard? It is not unusual to have to replace frets, but changing the whole board may not be needed. If it needs it, however, it is better to do it and have a functional instrument than just have a wallhanger.

[Darryl Wolfe]

This worse case scenario on a 1918 A involved removing the board, removing the frets...filling, leveling both sides, cleaning up the slots, refretting and re-installing. #The mandolin retains the original board and the board looks virually new. Additionally, the neck was leveled a bit and all recurve taken out of the neck while at rest. The action and playability is now near perfect.

[Frank Russell]

Brett - If I'm not mistaken, I've played the A you are getting many times, and been in jams and onstage with its player many, many times. I don't believe you'll have to do much in the way of repair or setup, as its owner is a pretty good builder and setup technician, and this one was his baby. It's got incredible tone and is super easy on the playability side. If I had some extra cash, or something to trade, it would be mine now. I'm not aware of any issues with frets or fretboard on it. Frank

[acousticphd]

This is a question that I am positive that many "everyman" vintage Gibson players wonder about. Those of you guys who have already sifted through and collected most of the perfect, need-no-mods vintage examples ought to go out once in awhile and look at what is on the store shelves that the rest of us have to consider.

The majority (I didn't say "ALL", I said the majority) - of teens-20s, truss-rodless Gibsons I have personally looked at and played had fingerboards with an excessive amount of curvature/relief after 90 years, making playing difficult. As the neck comes forward with age, there is usually a change in the plane of the fingerboard extension over the body - often the strings end up being closer to the upper fingerboard extension than in the middle of the fingerboard, causing buzzing and making action adjustment a real compromise. The only solution I have really seen discussed is either leveling the existing FB, or replacing it. I have two myself (1915 and 1916). One had the FB replaced ~20 years ago - it makes a great difference, and the playability is much better than the othe. I'd very much like to have the same operation performed on my second Gibson, too.

[acousticphd]

Additionally, the neck was leveled a bit and all recurve taken out of the neck while at rest. #

Darryl - so, I am curious as well about leveling the neck, something I have seen mentioned a few times. Wouldn't removing material to level the neck would decrease its stiffness, increasing its tendency to bend again after it was under tension? Thats why I have assumed that replacing the old FB with a new, thicker one, and planing it to the proper angle, would make the playing surface flat again but also stronger than it was originally.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Actually, I'm not talking about removing significant amounts of wood..just a light combination of getting the glueing surface nice, removing a bit of surface at the body and nut ends....pressure the neck back a bit to glue the fingerboard on. The properly reglued fingerboard will hold the neck in place nicely. More severe cases require heat to the neck

[sunburst]

There are several reasons to replace fingerboards.

1.broken or badly damaged fingerboard. Sometimes the board breaks right through a fret slot for one reason or another. Sometimes DIY repair people do BAD fret jobs and ruin the board. Sometimes the board is ruined in an attempt to remove it, etc..

2.badly inaccurate frets. Old Gibsons are infamous for fretting inaccuracies, but they are usually not bad enough to replace the board on an otherwise structurally sound instrument just to correct intonation. If the mandolin is taken apart for other reasons, and the frets are way off, might as well use a new one when it goes back together.

3.other reasons that I can't think of, or don't even know of.

If the board is good but the neck is badly bowed or twisted, either the old board or a new one can be installed after the neck is planed.

Normally, the wood removed from the neck to level it doesn't significantly weaken the neck, or cause it to loose stiffness because the neck will normally bow forward from string tension, and the wood will be removed from the areas at the ends of the neck shaft, not from the middle part. From an engineering standpoint, the middle of the shaft is where the most stiffness needs to be, and that doesn't change much when a forward bow is planed out.

And, back to the original question. I'd say only replace it if there's a darned good reason (like those I mentioned above), and expect to pay anywhere from $500 to over $1000 depending on what's involved and who does it.

Sorry for the redundant information. Darryl's post popped up while I was typing.

[Big Joe]

Yes, there are reasons to replace a fingerboard, I just hate to do so if it is not really needed. #Most fingerboards can be repaired, but not all. #Most of the old Gibson A's are pretty good and can be restored without losing the board. #That being said, there are times it must be done. #John is right on the money for a fingerboard replacement. #About 600-1000 depending upon what all has to be done to make it right.
#Please have someone who really knows what they are doing check it before you let anyone rip the board off. #We do replace boards quite often on mandolins, but only when necessary.

[Darryl Wolfe]

I think I'm losing track of going rates for repairs..or I need to get into the business a bit deeper. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[GTison]

that sounds like a higher price to me too. I'm having a refret and re-plane for about $ 300.

[sunburst]

$300 is pretty high for a fret job. (A complete fret job includes planing the board.)
Removing and replacing a fingerboard is quite a bit more work, involving more skills, like disassembly, regluing, fretting, finish touch up, and, ideally, making it look like none of that happened at all.

[GTison]

Complete refret for old A model, including planing board, Romoving the board to get to some other previous misrepaired mess, crack repair (cleated), new bridge and setup, new nut, total bill $400. More than above mentioned price. Just thought I'd let yall know how I've been scalded.

[Michael Lewis]

Bowfinger, that is a joke, right? For all that work I wouldn't be complaining. It sounds like you got a good deal.

[GTison]

Yes it sounds like a good price to me too. I couldn't see pouring any more into this old mandolin anyway.