The order of things ...

[CNCWorksNZ]

I've always wondered why Luthiers don't put the Fret Wire in and Trim/File the Fret Ends before gluing the FretBoard to the Neck?
Serious Question as that's the way I do my Ukuleles. I Build & Finish the Body, Carve the Neck, Fret the FretBoard & join to the Neck, Fettle as required then Finish. I then attach the completed Neck/FretBoard to the Body, then flatten the Frets if required.

I am interested in 'why' Luthiers do things in a certain order ... especially when it come to the apparently self created issue of 'hammering in Frets and needing to protect the Top from cracking' ... or am I missing something?

[RodC]

One of the reasons we (Brisbane Guitar Making School) put the frets in after is that we drill a 1 mm hole through the fret board in 2 places (in the 1st and 12th fret slots, or there about) and use small locator pins to accurately position the fret board during glue up.
The holes are small enough that they are completely covered with the fret wire once that is put int.

There are probably other ways to accurately position the board without needing the locator pins.
But I have seen it done with all the frets in place, except the 2 where the pins are.

Disclaimer - I am not posting on behalf of the BGMS - I'm one of their students.

[Crafty Fox]

I fret the 'board prior to gluing to the neck, except for 2 frets left out to accommodate locating pins.

[Allen]

I fret the entire board prior to gluing it to the neck an can't come up with any reason why you wouldn't in the initial build.

I locate the board with a dummy nut to space it from the peg head, and use the Carbon Fibre truss rod as a locating key. The bottom of the fret board is has a 4mm x 2mm deep trench milled into it that keys to the rest of the Carbon Fibre rod that is imbeded in the neck. Once clamped up I pull the dummy nut and clean out any glue that may have squeezed out during the clamping process.

[ozziebluesman]

I have always installed frets before gluing the fingerboard to the neck.
Cheers
Al

[CNCWorksNZ]

Thanks Guys, it gives me some insight as to how people approach things ...

[rocket]

i don't

[kiwigeo]

I fret up the fretboard and I press in my frets. I leave out 2nd and 12th frets as there are holes drilled in same that register with pins on the neck. I haven't thought too hard on this one but fretting up with the fretboard off the instrument is definitely a lot easier than doing it with the fretboard glued on.

[jeffhigh]

I drill the locating holes through the board into the neck then use plastic rod as pins only projecting 3mm from the face of the neck.
Then I can fret the whole board and just leave the pins in place.
Or I fret after gluing the board on, depends.

[peter.coombe]

I have always fretted the board before gluing it to the neck.

[simonm]

I wonder is it a steel string vs classical guitar thing? I no no-one who frets before gluing the fretboard? I wonder what the factories doing classicals do. Hmm ...

[Dave M]

I use a bolt on neck joint and glue the fretboard to the neck, then put the frets in. ie before attaching to the box and before finishing.

This avoids damage to the finish and the top but as ever with guitar building there are compromises. It means that you can't finalise the fretboard surface to get the action spot on. I have ended up with some very small frets above the twelfth to get rid of the rise of the fretboard over the body.

As above I don't think there is one answer to this. We all end up with our own compromise solution.

Cheers Dave M

[Trevor Gore]

I wonder is it a steel string vs classical guitar thing? I know no-one who frets before gluing the fretboard?

Yes, you do!

One of the reasons for going to the BOBO neck joint (steel and classical) was so that I could fret the board fully before gluing it on. It is much easier to keep everything flat that way and so avoid having to level and re-crown frets. It means the neck plane, the underside of the fret board and the fret plane need to be very accurately made (which is easy and doesn't take much extra time) and then the frets pressed in evenly. I can't remember the last time I had to dress frets. However, the technique is difficult to pull off if you don't have a fully bolt-on neck method of building.

[simonm]

...

Yes, you do!
...

OK ... I'll have to admit that.

[lamanoditrento]

I've tried a couple of ways, pined and then fretted, fretted except 2, fret first and then glue. Actually one of the ways I tried I liked the most was to glue the fretboard down, re-level the fretboard and then epoxy and clamp in debarbed frets. No hammering or pressing just pushied in