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Its taken me 20 years but I have finally managed to wear out my first fingerboard. This is the neck of my Alhambra guitar which is electrified and is my main workhorse for outdoor gigs. 20 years of regular playing have finally worn out grooves into the ebony. It got so bad that it was starting to become difficult to stay in tune and if you added a cejilla to the 2cd fret it would need re tuning. Maybe Ricardo can do the maths on how many million notes need to be played before you need a fingerboard re fit. Its getting a fret job and repair this week!
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RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Are you gripping too hard with your fretting hand? honest question as I kind of get it in the electric realm due to bends and steel strings but not so much nylon where you dont need to gorillas grip a neck.
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to tri7/5)
quote:
Are you gripping too hard with your fretting hand?
No...that's just honest repetition over years. Actually, thinking about it I bought that guitar new in 1993 so its 22 years of wear. I spent my first years in Spain practicing at least 5 hours per day and then gigging for the last 10 years or so on it. Im quite pleased to have finally worn through one fingerboard
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Leñador)
quote:
Por feo maybe?
Plane & refret = guapo again, no?
My first guitar looks like that but I think it's made out of a dark rosewood although it doesn't look or feel "thirsty" and rough like many of the rosewood boards out there.
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Sr. Martins)
When doing a vibrato the grooves can feel disturbing and also cause "scalloped" feel which requires a lighter touch when playing . I had a guitar with such grooves, it really is best to change the fretboard at a pro instead of planing it, needs too much planing.
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to tele)
Ok, I see. I kinda like the scalloped feel and never let the strings touch the ebony when using a capo but I can understand how that changes the feel of things.
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Good work Mark,
I think fretboard wear is a nice thing to look at in some ways, a sign the instrument is doing it's job.
What size frets are you planning to go for for the refret?
*** The issue of grip is an interesting one, I've made an effort to play with a lighter touch for right and left hands, less for the interests of the guitar and more for the interests of the health of my hands.
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to tijeretamiel)
I got my guitar back this week. Its has had the fingerboard planed and new frets in place. Also the action has been altered so now it plays better than ever. Should last me another 20 years anyway. Best of all is I can use a cejilla again without the whole guitar going out of tune
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RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Actually this episode also introduced me to a new guitar maker. Since I moved to Marbella it has meant that to get any minor repairs done I had to either go to La Herradura or Granada or Algododales in the Cadiz province...a 90 minute journey in any direction. I was talking about this problem to a friend and they said " why not go and see Alberto down the road?" I had no idea there was a luthier near Marbella. As luck would have it the workshop is only 5 minutes down the road from where I live. I went to visit and was delighted to meet Alberto Martin, a very fine luthier working from a well equipped workshop in Las Chapas just outside Marbella. There are almost no Luthiers in the Malaga province so it was a real piece of luck to find someone on my doorstep. Here is Alberto in his workshop.
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RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Apart from doing an excellent repair job on my guitar he also is a maker of classical and flamenco instruments. Here is the front of a concert blanca and a finished negra.
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Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Cool, lucky you. Fate often works out that way. I actually got nervous when a luthier moved into my area....sure enough my main Conde cracked and needed repair weeks later.
Posts: 2879
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Interesting. I'm currently weighing up the option to replace the finger board on my guitar I built with Stephen hill. It's been moving quite a lot and causing the frets to be irregular heights. Causing unpleasant buzzes. I've leveled them twice now but think I'm just gonna go for it and replace the fret board. But I'm nervous. But seeing your nice new fret board has encouraged me!
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
I actually got nervous when a luthier moved into my area
How do you mean nervous? Did you think he might not know about Spanish guitars?
Stu..its the same fingerboard, just been planed and refretted. With regard to your fingerboard I would say don't forget you made that guitar during one of the hottest and driest Spanish summers in the last 100 years. The cold and humidity of London will certainly affect the ebony greatly. I would suggest you don't replace the fingerboard but remove the frets, re plane the original ebony and refret. I had problems with my first Conde in England for the same reason. It will edventually settle down once it has acclimatised.
Posts: 2879
Joined: Jan. 30 2007
From: London (the South of it), England
RE: My first worn out fingerboard (in reply to Pimientito)
Thanks Mark, yeah been considering doing that. But honestly I think that fret board is done. It's cupping after the twelfth fret and coming away from the neck and sound board. Re glued but it's still not right. Just noticed it's coming away from the neck at twelfth fret now too.:(
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