Replacing a Fretboard

[Halowords]

Two reasons:

 

First, there's a guitar on eBay (the Heritage H-127) that has no fretboard or, well, much of anything to be frank. Just curious how hard it would be to correctly put another fretboard on there. It looks kind of cool, and on some level I'd love to resurrect it, but I'm not sure how much time, money, or aggravation (i.e. is it a fun project or a tedious nightmare of a chore) one should factor into something like that.

 

Second, if I ever found a great guitar but hated the inlays a/o fretboard, wondering how hard it would be to swap a different one there and how much the binding (if there was any) would effect the removal and fitting of a new one and all that jazz.

[big bob]

It's real hard to remove a fretboard w/o screwing up the neck. I've been watching the 127 on the bay and even made the guy an e-mail offer. I would assume the guitar will need a new neck and reset. with refinish.

[Halowords]

It's real hard to remove a fretboard w/o screwing up the neck. I've been watching the 127 on the bay and even made the guy an e-mail offer. I would assume the guitar will need a new neck and reset. with refinish.

 

Yeah, I was wondering when it would drop down to a level that would make it actually worth it. But a new neck & reset w/ a refinish sounds like too much of a headache. It's probably too much to hope that somebody did a proper job and didn't screw something up.

 

I do wonder, what in the heck had to happen for it to end up like that. If you or somebody else ends up with it, I'd love to see the after pictures once it was restored.

[peteraltongreen]

Hi Halowords.

I've had a couple of fretboards replaced over the years.A good Luthier can do it,but get a quote first,as it's one of the more expensive guitar jobs.My '73 Jazz bass had a neck with a warp in it. I sent it to my local Luthier,who not only took out the twist,fitted a new rosewood fretboard,but changed the inlays too.A '73 Jazz bass has block inlays I didn't like,so I had pearl dots fitted.This was about 1979.It's held good ever since,and plays like a dream.It was so well done,no one ever suspects a repair.As you can see,that neck is currently on a solid Mahogany Jazz body,but will soon be re-united with it's original body as my playing career draws to a close,and I return everything back as near to stock as I can.

Peter Alton Green

[peteraltongreen]

Just remembered Doug Proper at www.guitarspecialist.com in New York state.Look at his web site,it's great & informative.Give him a call and ask if he could do it.If he can, U.P.S. it A.S.A.P.

Peter Alton Green.

[DetroitBlues]

It would be an awesome thread for someone on here to rescue that guitar and get it fixed up. I bet the folks at Heritage might have an idea or two. I was actually thinking of taking a H-140 and having the dots removed and rosewood dots inserted or having the fretboard routed out to fit trap inlays. The debate I had today about it was how that would be accomplished. Would I have to remove the fretboard, or can it be done as is? Would it be cheaper to remove and replace the dots? A HOC member I know has a custom order H-157 with an Ebony fretboard and no inlays. I really like the look of that fretboard.