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INSTALLING THE FRETS
Once you have sanded the neck to your satisfaction you can begin to install the frets. Place the
NECK on a good fi rm surface for this operation. A fl imsy table top will not do. Better to work
on a concrete fl oor or a cement block. Otherwise, your wood will just bounce around as you
try to pound the frets into place.
Find the short piece of THICK FRETWIRE and tap
it into the fi rst narrow slot near the end where the
geared tuners will be installed. This thicker fret will
hold the strings at the right height on this end of the
neck. (fi g. 3)
FIG. 3
thick fret
Then you can install the rest of the frets using the
long length of MEDIUM FRETWIRE. Hold the end of
wire over the next slot in the NECK, so the end hangs
over the edge of the wood just 1/16” or so. Position the
FRETWIRE so that the ‘tang” will be driven down in
the fret slots (fi g. 4).
Use a hammer to lightly tap the FRETWIRE into the
slot, until the crown of the fret contacts the wood sur-
face. Yes, the FRETWIRE is slightly curved, but it will
straighten as you tap it in.
Tap one end of the wire in fi rst, then the other end, and fi nally the middle. DO NOT
OVERWORK THE WIRE! You should be able to install each fret with four or fi ve taps,
total. If you have diffi culty with a fret, you can use a chisel to pry it back out of the wood,
straighten the wire with plyers, and install it again.
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When the FRETWIRE is securely held by the wood,
use a wire cutter to clip off the excess, as close to the
wood as possible. (fi g. 5)
Proceed to the next fret slot in the same way, and so
on until all frets are installed.
After the frets are all installed, look them over carefully to make sure each one fits all the
way down against the wood. If one fret stands higher than another, it may cause buzzing
problems later when you try playing Strumbly. Now is the time to take care of the prob-
lem. A few good taps from the hammer are usually sufficient to seat any frets that are too
high. But make sure you are working on a very firm surface. A bouncy table will only
make this job impossible.
FIG. 4
FIG. 5
