It’s worth a few minutes of your life just watching the video on that page, I had no idea it was such a manual process or that there were so many stages.

Interesting point, honestly hadn’t considered that! @Tej I must watch more videos than you do, it’s a pretty common opinion. I’ve actually never heard a professional luthier say the glue was needed to hold the fret in (though there may…   Read more»

@rocknroller912 the glue in the fret slots isn’t to hold the fret in (or at least it shouldn’t be), it’s to solidify and stiffen the fretboard.

@mattbeelsProbably the best explanation of various truss rod types I’ve come across, from a friend of the channel.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayaimTC1emI&t=2051s

@mattbeels with the price of quality forstner bits I’m not sure that’s a saving.I’m thinking of trying one of these for bulk removal.https://routercutter.co.uk/up-cut-3-flute-roughing-spirals-metric-eu

@booIt’s a boo guitar, I think you need to sneak a little shimmer in there!

Hmmm, now there’s a thought.. some metal flake in the bottom of the hole, then gluboost tinted yellow.Bit expensive for a one off though.

@boo aren’t they a bit subtle for you? they don’t glitter!

@booMaybe the gentleman at Small Wonder Music that Mark talks about in the video could supply some in Honey Jasper? That looks pretty yellow on the website.
 

This stuff is also interesting, though they don’t post prices.They produce fake rosewood etc by compressing other woods (such as maple). It seems they compress a sollid piece, so the original grain is preserved (but denser I assume).https://www.swisswoodsolutions.ch/en/sonowoodI found out…   Read more»

@russ I don’t know about Ebano, but I have a Rocklite Sundari (fake rosewood) blank here and it has grain.If I didn’t know it was engineered I’d assume it was real wood, maybe not rosewood (I don’t have a piece…   Read more»

@tej sounds to me like you let the metal get too hot.Unless you’re grinding HSS tools you need to make sure things don’t get hot, if it changes colour then you’ve compromised the hardening.
 

There’s also a calculator on the stewmac site.Fanned frets are where things get fun, and rather harder to build a jig for. GMC have a number of fixed ones (basically a bent over sheet of metal with the slots cut…   Read more»

Then when routing, you have to work away quite a bit more material, so I take my time and use several passes before my routerbitss’ bearing touches the template. Only then I go a few mm deeper and repeat the…   Read more»

Most of my tools are from Crimson, and they all seem excellent. Some they buy in (like the hosco nut files) others they make themselves.The company is owned by a total tool-nut (his other business is a vintage tool shop),…   Read more»

@tv101, if you have a CNC machine, then fair enough.Crimson use theirs for their production line models, it’s the one offs and student builds that use the angle grinder method. They’re not unique in doing that though, there’s a reason…   Read more»

@boo You can get ones with holes in them which when they spin makes the disk almost transparent so you can see what you’re doing.I haven’t tried them myself yet, but I met a guy who’d used them on a…   Read more»

If you’re using those dowel cutters, why not do the wider hole first? The “brad point” will leave an indentation at the bottom of the hole in the centre, is that not enough to centre the narrower cutter?

@tej That’s very tidy. What was your methodology for placing the holes so evenly? I’m also looking at a Tele style build, and unfortunately top loading tele bridges are relatively rare (I haven’t found one that also has individual saddles)…   Read more»

take no notice of @Boo, it doesn’t have to be a solid finish in pink flake, other colours are available

@tv101Absolutely! There’s red flake and blue flake and purple flake, all sorts of choices!