What's on your workbench right now?

[seenoevil II]

YMMV but for your first rodeo, I'd recommended an approach besides hammering. If you have a drill press, you can get a set of radius brass cauls for like $20.

I pooched my first attempt pretty badly between 1. Hammering and 2. Not cleaning the fret slots out enough. Eventually I leaned the only real way to ensure that is with a fret slot saw. You should be able to sight down the slot and see a prefect little trench.

Anyway, YMMV. You could have a totally different experience than me.

It's an exciting project though! I love those old high fliers.

[seenoevil II]

BTW. Goodwill guitar is done. It looks like a peanut. Kinda sounds like one too...

Anyway, installed a knockoff K&K mini that cost $7 off eBay. And it is....useless. Total microphonic mess. That said, this guitar is now a really sweet microphone...which is nice.

Guitar plays amazing. Man, did they know how to shape necks in the 1950s. Gonna keep bonding while the strings keep stretching. Hasn't exploded yet.

[mynameisjonas]

YMMV but for your first rodeo, I'd recommended an approach besides hammering. If you have a drill press, you can get a set of radius brass cauls for like $20.

I pooched my first attempt pretty badly between 1. Hammering and 2. Not cleaning the fret slots out enough. Eventually I leaned the only real way to ensure that is with a fret slot saw. You should be able to sight down the slot and see a prefect little trench.

Anyway, YMMV. You could have a totally different experience than me.

It's an exciting project though! I love those old high fliers.

Damn, I really should have read this before going ahead and hammering in the new frets, I had this very problem with two of the new frets. They just wouldn't seat properly, and I'm pretty sure it's because they're bottoming out. I think I have enough wire to redo them, I just hope I haven't completely mangled the slots. To be continued...

[svan]

BTW. Goodwill guitar is done. It looks like a peanut. Kinda sounds like one too...

Anyway, installed a knockoff K&K mini that cost $7 off eBay. And it is....useless. Total microphonic mess. That said, this guitar is now a really sweet microphone...which is nice.

Guitar plays amazing. Man, did they know how to shape necks in the 1950s. Gonna keep bonding while the strings keep stretching. Hasn't exploded yet.

By the headstock shape and painted binding I’m 99% sure that’s a United built guitar. They’re basically the company that Oscar Schmidt turned into (kinda sorta).

[mynameisjonas]

YMMV but for your first rodeo, I'd recommended an approach besides hammering. If you have a drill press, you can get a set of radius brass cauls for like $20.

I pooched my first attempt pretty badly between 1. Hammering and 2. Not cleaning the fret slots out enough. Eventually I leaned the only real way to ensure that is with a fret slot saw. You should be able to sight down the slot and see a prefect little trench.

Anyway, YMMV. You could have a totally different experience than me.

It's an exciting project though! I love those old high fliers.

Damn, I really should have read this before going ahead and hammering in the new frets, I had this very problem with two of the new frets. They just wouldn't seat properly, and I'm pretty sure it's because they're bottoming out. I think I have enough wire to redo them, I just hope I haven't completely mangled the slots. To be continued...

Well, turned out it wasn't that they were bottoming out, the slots were too wide. The old frets had wider tangs, and the offending slots had been a bit more chewed up than the others by the fret removal process. I managed to put some super glue and dust in there to fill in the slots a bit, and it seems to have worked (or course I forgot to take pics). But after having put everything back together I noticed the 17th fret had lifted on the bass side, so I might have to go back and fix that. But for now, the guitar plays really nice even without a proper setup, and no weird notes anywhere on the fretboard. I think this will turn out great.

[GilmourD]

YMMV but for your first rodeo, I'd recommended an approach besides hammering. If you have a drill press, you can get a set of radius brass cauls for like $20.

I pooched my first attempt pretty badly between 1. Hammering and 2. Not cleaning the fret slots out enough. Eventually I leaned the only real way to ensure that is with a fret slot saw. You should be able to sight down the slot and see a prefect little trench.

Anyway, YMMV. You could have a totally different experience than me.

It's an exciting project though! I love those old high fliers.

Damn, I really should have read this before going ahead and hammering in the new frets, I had this very problem with two of the new frets. They just wouldn't seat properly, and I'm pretty sure it's because they're bottoming out. I think I have enough wire to redo them, I just hope I haven't completely mangled the slots. To be continued...

Well, turned out it wasn't that they were bottoming out, the slots were too wide. The old frets had wider tangs, and the offending slots had been a bit more chewed up than the others by the fret removal process. I managed to put some super glue and dust in there to fill in the slots a bit, and it seems to have worked (or course I forgot to take pics). But after having put everything back together I noticed the 17th fret had lifted on the bass side, so I might have to go back and fix that. But for now, the guitar plays really nice even without a proper setup, and no weird notes anywhere on the fretboard. I think this will turn out great.

I'm sure there's an alternative somewhere out there at an affordable price but that's what this guy was created for.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... et-crimper

[seenoevil II]

BTW. Goodwill guitar is done. It looks like a peanut. Kinda sounds like one too...

Anyway, installed a knockoff K&K mini that cost $7 off eBay. And it is....useless. Total microphonic mess. That said, this guitar is now a really sweet microphone...which is nice.

Guitar plays amazing. Man, did they know how to shape necks in the 1950s. Gonna keep bonding while the strings keep stretching. Hasn't exploded yet.

By the headstock shape and painted binding I’m 99% sure that’s a United built guitar. They’re basically the company that Oscar Schmidt turned into (kinda sorta).

Wow, thanks for the info! Looks like you're correct. Of course this means that this is a picture of TWO jersey boys.

I'm doing a bunch of reading and research trying to more closely date the instrument. It's a fascinating story and I'm kinda chuffed to have a rarer piece than your standard Chicago built guitar.

It's a strange mix of hyper cheap and bizarrely nice. Brazillian rosewood through saddle bridge... with painted binding... but the sweetest neck profile I've ever played.

I must admit. This whole process is me making amends. When I was about 20, I bought an earlier model with a trapeze and floating bridge. In a fit of youthful rage I destroyed it. It's fitting karma to see that they're worth a couple hundred in today's market.

I'm throwing together a little video repair log of the whole process of anyone is interested. It's gonna come in at 40ish minutes. It's mostly me talking. Not riveting stuff. Perhaps good to fall asleep to.

[seenoevil II]

YMMV but for your first rodeo, I'd recommended an approach besides hammering. If you have a drill press, you can get a set of radius brass cauls for like $20.

I pooched my first attempt pretty badly between 1. Hammering and 2. Not cleaning the fret slots out enough. Eventually I leaned the only real way to ensure that is with a fret slot saw. You should be able to sight down the slot and see a prefect little trench.

Anyway, YMMV. You could have a totally different experience than me.

It's an exciting project though! I love those old high fliers.

Damn, I really should have read this before going ahead and hammering in the new frets, I had this very problem with two of the new frets. They just wouldn't seat properly, and I'm pretty sure it's because they're bottoming out. I think I have enough wire to redo them, I just hope I haven't completely mangled the slots. To be continued...

Well, turned out it wasn't that they were bottoming out, the slots were too wide. The old frets had wider tangs, and the offending slots had been a bit more chewed up than the others by the fret removal process. I managed to put some super glue and dust in there to fill in the slots a bit, and it seems to have worked (or course I forgot to take pics). But after having put everything back together I noticed the 17th fret had lifted on the bass side, so I might have to go back and fix that. But for now, the guitar plays really nice even without a proper setup, and no weird notes anywhere on the fretboard. I think this will turn out great.

Looks great! Yeah, 20th century Asian manufacturing is rarely compatible with the currect selection of aftermarket parts.

I'm glad it worked out though! And thanks for reminding me that I need to reseat a fret on the Gretsch refret I did last year. There's always one (or three).

[mynameisjonas]

I'm sure there's an alternative somewhere out there at an affordable price but that's what this guy was created for.

https://www.stewmac.com/luthier-tools-a ... et-crimper

Yeah I was aware of that type of tool, I was just anxious to get this done. I've seen people using fret cutters to crimp the tangs, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, since had just about enough wire for a couple of frets.
I'll definitely invest in some more tools before attempting this again, but it was a good learning experience. And I'm thrilled at how much better the guitar plays now. I still need to level the frets and give it a proper setup, but it already feels like an entirely new guitar (in a good way).

[MattK]

Leave it like that. Looks really cool

I wish I had, when I got the overpainting off I discovered that the edges were sanded over, and that they had sanded away the slight "hook" on the horns which makes the Ibanez shape unique. I will need to repaint it because it looks like crap - but first I need to find a way to restore the shape, which will be a challenge. Idiot that I am.
You'll be interested to know that I have the carcass of a SA-50 being delivered today, lots of stuff to install there ...

[MattK]

viz

[eternal learner]

Argh, fret slots too wide for the fret tangs, brings back memories of the long struggle I had to make an Epi Casino playable a few years ago. Played lousy when I bought it, did a level and crown, a few days later frets not level, removed the frets, gently cleaned the slots and fitted new frets, levelled and crowned, a day later frets uneven, removed again , measured the fret slots in comparison to another Epi, they were cut too wide, bit the bullet and ordered one of the fret tang widening tools from Stewmac as in the pics earlier, took my time and did the whole job again and this time successful. An aside to this is that Stewmac sent me a second fret widening tool by mistake, did a credit deal with them, if anyone here in Sydney Australia wants to buy a new tool still in the box PM me, it was only from reading the earlier drama I remembered I still had the spare new tang widener.

[thephza]

Okay, it's done! The Nashville tuning and the blender knob are *Chef's Kiss!*.

[windmill]

That is a cool looking guitar.

Hope you enjoy it.

[antisymmetric]

That is a cool looking guitar.

Hope you enjoy it.

Exactly this.