Advice on Steel Guitar Fretboard Repair

[Lauren Beller]

Howdy

This is my first post after a lot of reading here the past few months, and I’m excited to be joining the community. Let me know if there is a better category for this post.

I am seeking advice from the community on repair hiccups I’m having. I bought this beautiful Rickenbacker 708 console at the start of January this year, and have been ready to get playing on it. Unfortunately, when it arrived in the mail from out of state, the bottom fretboard had become unglued in transit. (I had shipping insurance covering the full the price of the guitar, but UPS denied my first claim due to “proof of delivery” I’m in the process of disputing that with UPS through the professional packaging company that was used, so current repairs have been paid out-of-pocket in the meantime.)

I took it into the most longstanding (and reputable) guitar shop in my city in NC. The wait estimate extended for a few reasons, but communication was not great in the process, and I ended up getting it back with the fretboard repaired 2 months later. I also asked the shop to check out the electronics, as it seemed those should be cleaned up a bit. Once the cosmetic repair was done, they said in the process of checking the electronics, that the top pickup died and would need to be rewound. They suggested that this could have also been shipping related. The pickup is getting shipped off for a rewind, and it was estimated another month before that returns from shipping to be put back in on the top neck.

I got the guitar back in the meantime to play on the bottom neck, and then noticed that the bottom fretboard, which was re-glued, appears to be a few mm off from being in-line with the strings like the top neck is. This seems most noticeable higher on the fretboard. I’m a multi-instrumentalist and guitarist, but I’m not sure how this might affect intonation. This has been quite a saga, and I’m just itching to get going here.

So, I’d really appreciate any insight into if I should consider having this removed and re-attached (somewhere else), if it should be ok as-is, shipping dispute advice, or any other considerations.

Thanks!

Lauren

[Fred]

It might be annoying to look at, but shouldn't really affect intonation. Fret placement and compensation are important on a standard guitar, but on steel guitar intonation, will come from your ears. Even with a perfectly aligned "fretboard" you still have to listen and place your bar correctly. Your hand and bar are usually in the way of relying on using your eyes for intonation. Your eyes will get you in the ballpark, but your ears need to make it right.

[George Piburn]

Start by measuring to length from the edge of the nut to the top center of the teepee bridge.
It should be 22.5 "
Next Measure from the nut edge to fret 12 center , this should be 11.25 "
same from the top center of the teepee bridge to fret 12 should be 11.25"

Take some blue painters tape and mark where the 12 fret should be.
2 side tape is good, place the fretboard and tweek it around until the 12th fret is where it should be.

Temporarily blue tape the FB and play a few 12th fret and 24th fret chimes to make sure it all lines up.

Once you feel it plays in tune the peel the 2 side tape and Stick it down. Remove all of the temp blue tape and it should all be good to go.

[Lauren Beller]

Thanks for your advice and measurements in how to get it lined up cleanly. Because the neck was just re-glued pretty securely in this position though, I’m not confident to attempt removal of the fretboard myself. I believe, from looking at it and reading vintage promotional material, the neck is metal.

Curious to hear if removal of a glued metal fretboard would be a difficult or time consuming task if I take it in somewhere, or if that’s pretty straightforward.

This model is the 25” scale length, though I think I’ll try this tape measurement method to check how it is currently lined up. Thanks!

[Lauren Beller]

Thanks Fred for your input. I had heard that the fret lines are more of a reference point on the instrument and your ear does the rest. Though I’m not loving that point of reference being slanted while learning. This is good to hear though that I don’t have to worry too much about playing as it is until I can get it fixed somewhere.