DIY Edge Rolling

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  • ZoolooterZoolooter Frets: 886
    thegummy said:
    Zoolooter said:
    Just done a bit of edge rolling with a Stanley blade. So far, its working pretty well.
    Is the fretboard maple or rosewood?
    Rosewood
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  • rossirossi Frets: 1699
    I did it to my MIM Fender replacement rosewood tele neck .I gave it a fret job and an edge roll and some of the poly came off the rosewood board side It didnt bother me as I play it ,not worship it .
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Thanks for all the answers guys. Really appreciate how helpful this forum is when I have questions.

    In the shop I was heavily leaning towards the Player but that was because I was sure I remembered reading quite a few examples of the fretboard being easily rounded DIY style. Turns out that's not really the case, especially with maple fretboards.

    Will need to think more now; wish I was back in the shop comparing them with this knowledge.

    I don't know if it's just that I'm used to a rolled edge that it felt unusual and maybe the edges won't really bother me. My P bass isn't rolled and it feels fine and I tried the Player version of that today and it totally felt fine. But I do play them differently to guitars of course.

    I suppose I could get the Player then, if it bothered me, get a Pro neck to put on it. The necks don't seem to have much availability at all though, I seem to remember a few years ago it was easy to find Fender necks to buy online.
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  • HenrytwangHenrytwang Frets: 470
    Years ago I did try rolling the edge or a maple fingerboard and the finish cracked and looked awful afterwards. I ended up replacing the neck with an Allparts one which I rolled before applying the finish.
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  • DefaultMDefaultM Frets: 7271
    Done an ebony warmoth one today. Didn't realise that the satin nitro was sprayed over the fretboard edges too, so it's flaked off a bit. Why don't they mask it off? 
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    DefaultM said:
    Done an ebony warmoth one today. Didn't realise that the satin nitro was sprayed over the fretboard edges too, so it's flaked off a bit. Why don't they mask it off? 
    That's what Fender do, the finish covers the sides of the fretboard.  It's only the face of the board which is unfinished - unless it's maple of course.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    Coming back to this:

    So I've already got a replacement American neck to put on my new guitar since learning that I wouldn't be able to cleanly roll the edges of the Mexican one it comes with.

    But now I'm thinking, instead of selling the Mexican neck for a hundred or whatever, maybe I could attempt the roll job on it and attach it to a cheap Squier body or something to have as a "once in a while" mess around with guitar.

    What kind of damage are we talking for taking a blade or sander to the corners of a finished maple fretboard? Just look in pretty bad condition or actually have problems that will cause the neck to warp or something?
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    Unless you are spectacularly inept with either method, it will be purely cosmetic. But i would recommend sanding rather than blade, unless you are comfortable scraping wood. You will get a smoother result with sandpaper, and much reduce the chance of chipping the edge.

    Adam
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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    I think you are over thinking it, rolling the edges is only to speed up the worn in feel from years of playing, it is not needed in areas that see very little playwear, stick some masking tape on top and bottom edges of your fretboard and mark with a pencil the areas you actually play in. Imagine playing the guitar 24 hours a day for a few years, and the areas your hand is in would wear away the finish in those areas only. It drove me mad when I saw a video showing Gibson custom shop offering new 'Improved' edge rolled binding, starting at 21st fret Bass side of the fretboard--looks completely unnatural, and doesnt do ANYTHING except make the binding look odd.
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    thegummy said:
    What kind of damage are we talking for taking a blade or sander to the corners of a finished maple fretboard? Just look in pretty bad condition or actually have problems that will cause the neck to warp or something?
    It's just going to get dirty and possibly - in the longer term - peel a bit around the edges where you've removed finish.  No danger of the neck warping unless you're the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

    You can always seal the newly-exposed wood with some Tru-Oil or something, which someone suggested earlier. It won't last forever but it'll protect it a bit.
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    andy_k said:
    I think you are over thinking it, rolling the edges is only to speed up the worn in feel from years of playing, it is not needed in areas that see very little playwear, stick some masking tape on top and bottom edges of your fretboard and mark with a pencil the areas you actually play in. Imagine playing the guitar 24 hours a day for a few years, and the areas your hand is in would wear away the finish in those areas only. It drove me mad when I saw a video showing Gibson custom shop offering new 'Improved' edge rolled binding, starting at 21st fret Bass side of the fretboard--looks completely unnatural, and doesnt do ANYTHING except make the binding look odd.
    It's nothing to do with reliccing or looking aged or anything, it's purely that the sharp edges on the Mexican neck feels really bad to me so it would definitely be the whole length of the fretboard I'd be doing.

    Philly_Q said:
    thegummy said:
    What kind of damage are we talking for taking a blade or sander to the corners of a finished maple fretboard? Just look in pretty bad condition or actually have problems that will cause the neck to warp or something?
    It's just going to get dirty and possibly - in the longer term - peel a bit around the edges where you've removed finish.  No danger of the neck warping unless you're the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

    You can always seal the newly-exposed wood with some Tru-Oil or something, which someone suggested earlier. It won't last forever but it'll protect it a bit.
    Nice one, think I might go ahead with that in the future.

    In a weird way, if it turns out really well I might be gutted that I spent so much on the American neck lol
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  • stickyfiddlestickyfiddle Frets: 26754
    I’ve done it a few times. I use a razor blade to scrape then micro mesh or sandpaper to smooth it. Generally do a little bit right the way up the fretboard but much heavier at the lower frets 

    Always on rosewood type boards or plastic binding though, never maple. I’ve actually declined to even plug in some guitars in shops when they have an in-rolled maple board. Just horrible. 
    The Assumptions - UAE party band for all your rock & soul desires
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  • thegummythegummy Frets: 4389
    I’ve done it a few times. I use a razor blade to scrape then micro mesh or sandpaper to smooth it. Generally do a little bit right the way up the fretboard but much heavier at the lower frets 

    Always on rosewood type boards or plastic binding though, never maple. I’ve actually declined to even plug in some guitars in shops when they have an in-rolled maple board. Just horrible. 
    Not sure I know what you mean - are you saying you don't like the rolled edges on a maple fretboard even when it's been done by the manufacturer?

    Quite a few people advise against doing the DIY post-finish method to a maple fretboard but I'm fairly sure that's because it will damage the finish, not because the rolled edges are less of a benefit when the fretboard is maple.

    Or do you mean if it's a second hand guitar and you can tell that the previous owner has scraped the edges post-finish?
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    I think he meant “un-rolled”  ;)
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