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Hey, I have a martin dovetail kit that I am working on and I have a question about fitting the neck. It says in these vague instructions to route some of the channel on the soundboard to accept the truss rod. My question is how far should I route this passage? Thanks

Would,

Routing the top can wait until after the neck is fitted. Adjust the truss rod so that it's relaxed, with no drag on the adjuster. Then, lay the truss rod into the channel in the neck, with the nut end of the rod sitting just at the beginning of the radius at the nut end of the channel, and trace around the adjusting nut end of the rod onto the top. Be sure to leave some extra room in the cutout for backing out the adjuster nut.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Thanks, I have been working the neck hoping to get this dovetail right. Ill route that channel next.

When did you purchase your kit? It's my understanding that the kits used to have a truss rod that needed a channel cut on the top. And new kits have a double action rod that does not require routing a channel for it on the top.

I just built a 000 kit and didn't have to cut anything for my rod on the top. mine looked like this:

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"...you have to get over your strict adherence to your largely imagined notion of absolute perfection..."

Yeah, I am kind of embarrassed to say I have had this kit for probably 2 years. I quit messing with it when I realized the amount of tools I needed to do the job right. How do you guys get the chalk out of the joint when you are ready to glue it?

I have another question now I have a pre-slotted fret board that came with this kit but the frets are not cut all the way across the fretboard the slots end about 1/16" from the sides of the board. Do I need to get a fret saw and cut these to full length or do I hammer the frets on as it is?

Also, What finish would be good for a first timer? I was thinking about using the cleartone kit.

That is good, fret it as you would a bound fret board, the tang of the frets needs to be trimmed where the unslotted area is.

Do a google search for fretting a bound fretboard there is lots of info available.

Stew mac sells a cutter for trimming frets on bound boards, but a file will do the job, but will take a lot more time.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Thanks for the tip. I see that he sells a "Fret cutter" and a "fret tang nipper" the nipper seems a little steep on the price though. Could I get by with just the standard trimmer for cutting the tang off at the ends?

You can trim the tang with a file until it is level with the bottom of the fret. This also could probably done with a Dremel tool. I would prefer the tang nipper but it can be done by hand. A you stated you could also just recut the slot to the edge but the solid edges make a nicer look.

I cut the tangs short and fill the edges of the fret slots with epoxy and ebony dust to get the same look.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I would not recommend trying to extend the fret slots to the edges of the fingerboard. Seems like a good way to chip the edges.

George :-)

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George :-)

Well, I ended up just doing it by hand I am shaving the tang with a file it definitely takes a little bit. I have done ten frets in about 2 hours.. Next time I may try something different .. On a side note it seems like the fretboard is losing its flatness now and bowing a little in the middle.. Is this normal?

I just clamp the board to the bench with 1/16 or so under each end to cause a reverse bow, it will take a couple days like this to make to flatter. It will never be totally flat but when glued down will be ok, there will be a little down bowing in the 14 fret and higher area but this will flatten out when the neck is glued in place.

You will like the look with the fret ends not being exposed on the sides of the board.

I started to do the filing thing on the tangs and broke down and bought a nipper.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

The filing wasnt too bad for me I guess I clamped the cut frets to shave off the tangs which worked out pretty good I may end up getting a nipper in the future though. How did you go about shaving the frets smooth on the sides of the fretboard?

Stew Mac makes an angled file and holder called a fret beveling file.
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Shaping_and_crowning/Fret_Beveling_File.html

I made one out of a piece of hardwood and a file, I cut the angled slot with the table saw and hold the file in the slot with a couple screws.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

That is a great idea a lot of these things will make my next build much easier. I already filed off the ends with sandpaper on a sanding block its pretty uniform that fret beveling file would make it alot easier though. Can you give me any advice on finishing of the guitar? I was thinking about using the color tone kit. I have never finished wood before so I thought that would be a relatively simple place to start.. And what should I use to glue the pearl dots on the fret board?

If you have a Woodcraft store nearby you can get Behlen Instrument lacquer and other products there, or at Stew Mac. Search this forum for for finishing and grain filling, there are lots of posts on these things.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

It sounds like you are in need of a good book or manual or video...

Check out Bill Cory's Martin Guitar Kit building books -- he has a book detailing building Kit guitars and also another specifically detailing building Martin kits.

He also has a forum specifically for Kit guitar building...

John