Official Luthiers Forum!

If you could only have 1 which would you get, Jaws, Jaws 2 or Jaws 3?

I'm leaning more towards Jaws 2 or Jaws 3, but don't want to rule out the handheld "Jaws".

Jaws 2 looks to be nice and sturdy and easy to press the frets in, and Jaws 3 can do it all, but looks like you have to use thumb screws to press the frets in so I'm not sure how easy that would be if you had to do a whole fingerboard.

If you use one or all of the above, please let me know your thoughts on them.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Oops. Sorry, I made a mistake in what I originally posted. Let me Edit....

When listing Jaws 2, I thought I was referring to the Arbor Fret press system.

So I'm leaning towards the Arbor Fret press system and Jaws 3, but dont' want to rule Jaws or Jaws 2 out.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Photos?

I thought you were watching old movies.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Ha ha. Sorry about the confusion...

here's some links

Jaws

Jaws 2

Jaws 3

Fret Press System

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

The shark looked fake in all of them.

You can get the brass cauls for $4.50 each from Stewmac. I made my own little very makeshift version of the Jaws 2. It was basically just a little mahogany block with an 1/8" channel routed out to hold the brass caul, then I put a cheap bar clamp on it. It worked, but I had to monkey around getting it in place since it's not all attached. It was a quick and cheap solution, though, and I was glad that I had tagged on the $4.50 caul to other stuff I was ordering.

Here's a pic, I had hammered in some frets but didn't over-bend them enough, and some ends popped up so I clamped them in place and glued them.

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Great idea Joe.

That looks simple enough to make.

Even at $4.50 you could glue each size caul (if you have more than one fingerboard radius) into seperate mahogany blocks and just heat and pull them out if you ever need them out of there.

Terry, I would be interested to hear a review of the Jaws 3 if anyone is using it also.

Hesh, that Jaws IV really looks like it's tough to man handle. They sure beefed it up from the previous versions though.

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Behave yourself Hesh!!
You be a nice boy now!
walter
We're not talking about that kind od Jaws!!

I went with the fret press system, only I didnt get the arbor press. You can generally buy those arbor presses cheap at flea markets.

I've got to admit that I used to beat the frets into submission...erm... I tapped them in gently with a hammer. After breaking loose a transverse brace and ruining a top, I decided to try pressing them in. I wish I had bought the press about 10 guitars ago!  It is sooooo easy to press them in and it gives precise and secure results every time. MUCH easier than tapping them into place too!

My only concern with the vise grip method is what it might do to the back of the neck. The neck is usally tapered too, so you would constantly have to re-adjust the vise grips in order to get a good fit.

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Reguards,

Ken H

I have jaws and jaws 2 and like them both. If I was to buy just one it would be jaws 2 because it does the lot with the board on the guitar as well. Jaws 3 is just a variation   on jaws 2 anyway.

I use an arbor press and wood cauls with the Stew Mac inserts, I can get all of the board on the neck this way if I use an extension block for a couple over the heel. I fret with the neck off the guitar but with the fingerboard on the neck, my neck extension lets me do this. I like the arbor as it is solid and has no give in it. This one I bought at a local tool shop in the UK for less than half of the price of the Stew Mac one, though if you look you'll see that it is identical.



With care and checking as I go, no fret levelling is needed. At least for the last three guitars.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Drill presses aren't the ideal tool to use as a press, they're built to drill through things, not to apply large amounts of downward force. You can run the risk of bending your table supports or other things and throwing it out of true. I don't have any personal experience with that, but I've read about it on internet forums, so that's how I know it's true. :)   (It does make sense to me, though)

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

I have all three. In fact I have two of Jaws I. So I guess that answers which one I like best. Actually they are all good in different situations. For most freting I use a hammer, but when the frets don't want to seat the way I want ( and yes I radius the wire first), then I go to Jaws I. Jaws 2 is nice for some guitars over the extension, but for my design doesn't work well (I use a Fleishman type end block) Jaws 3 solves that problem but I find that the thumbscrew doesn't have enough torque at times ( I wind up widening the fret slot and using medium CA to keep the frets down) especially over the extension. I also use the old bodyshop dolly at times and Frank Fords dolly other times. I have an old taylor fret buck but am too lazy to pull the heavy thing off the self to use it. I have a fret arbor and never use it as it is under one of the benches... way in the back somewhere ( all though the pics above remind me of how much fun it was to use...maybe I'll go dust it off). They are all good and some better than others at certain times.

To answer your question...I would buy (and I did) two (2) of Jaws 1. This way you can use one radius to plant the ends and another to seat the rest( or vice versa, sometimes the ends just don't want to stay down the way I like) while the CA dries ( I always wick in the super lite ca).

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

[quote]this grease did not want to come off either[/quote]

   Ammonia, my Brother! It's gone!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Thanks for the review David (especially the Jaws 3 review that we've all been waiting for).

For those of you using the Fret press arbor, it looks like the Stew Mac version of the Arbor has a set screw or something to hold the caul in while the other arbors, you have to using a wooden block or come up with some other modification to use? Is that correct?

I would have to agree with Todd about the drill press. I would think if the frets can be put in with the Jaws 3 using thumb screws, then that wouldn't be enough force to mess up a drill press if using it to press frets in. I'm not speaking from experience, but that is my 1 and 1/2 cents worth...

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

Most other arbors come with no holes so in order to use the Stew Mac caul, you have to drill a 3/8" vertical hole for the caul and then a small threaded, horizontal hole for a set screw. This is not too difficult as the steel in these import arbors is usually pretty soft.

Thanks Hesh!

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

I just cut a slot in a piece of cherry and put the Stew Mac Insert into it, so not even any cost for the insert holder. It also allows me to easily turn it 90deg for some of the end frets.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin:

Could you elaborate, please, on how you get those frets over the heel. I have exactly what you have regarding an arbor, but I still had to tap those and ended up getting rather frustrated.

Thanks in advance for your valuable time. Pics are always greatly appreciated.


Bill

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.