Hi , I have an odd question . I have an aluminum guitar neck that has been cut for frets and they cut the slots in the wrong place . The slots are quite shallow . The neck was later cut properly and has been fretted . I want to fill the empty slots . Does anyone have any tips as to how this could be repaired ? Thanks for your time ! Tim
Bondo
Will this be for classical or some other type of music?
If for classical, only use Bondo Classic
If for R&R, only use Bondo Rock Hard
Gunner, who doesnt have a clue but is having fun with it.
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
========== Most likely you can't make these disappear, but possibly you can make them a decorative element by filling with a colored epoxy. A possible material is the epoxy paste used for golf club inserts or front sight inserts. click on
Unka' George [George McDuffee]
------------------------------------------- He that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for Time is the greatest innovator: and if Time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?
Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman. Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).
If the slots are rectangular, you could have a machinist measure the slots and make bars that would press into them. They're probably all similar enough that he could make bar stock to cut up and press in, perhaps secured with Loctite. Some careful work with file and abrasives would then make them nearly disappear.
If you like how the instrument sounds as is, I wouldn't touch it nor allow anyone else to.
wrote: (clip) Does anyone
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Look at the possibility of pressing in filler bars which contrast with the aluminum in such a way that they become an attractive design. Does the neck have those round marker disks at certain intervals? Maybe you could match them. Or use wood that matches the guitar body. Or an ebony colored material. Or a combination. Sit down with a sketch pad and see what you come up with.
If they are centered between the correct frets I would look into having some inserts made to fill the slots. Maybe some anodized aluminum in the same alloy as the neck (to minimize any temperature differential). If they are offset, How about having them cut another set offset the opposite way and then filling both sets. You could use colored epoxy to fill them and then cover the whole neck with a clear coat. Maybe mother of pearl or something like that?
I hope we don't have to take credit for it.
-- "Additionally as a security officer, I carry a gun to protect government officials but my life isn't worth protecting at home in their eyes." Dick Anthony Heller
An aluminium guitar neck - what an abomination! - must be playing "doof doof" or rap music on it. If the fret slots are in the wrong place......chuck it, start again. Buy a wooden one for preference. Nothing you do will fix it, there will be discontinuities between the fill material and the rest of the neck......might be able to rework it as a door stop, or a prop for the tailgate on a small truck.....
(Bloody hell - aluminium necks for guitars.......what has the world come to......must be an American idea...)
Andrew VK3BFA.
Well, actually it's got some interesting aspects. Many guitars have a steel truss rod in the neck anyway to stabilise it against string tension. A totally metal neck could be even more stable. If you engineered the coefficient of expansions right, you could have an instrument that stayed in tune through the entire gig, that would be something.
Beyond aluminium.... titanium?
well, yes, its an interesting idea - steel string guitars have aways had truss rods, but their still wood - the fretboard is usually something nice your fingers like gliding over...but thats me, still stuck in 1972...(and I still have my steel string Maton, neck hasn't warped even after 20+ years...) - it doesn't go out of tune if you pre- tension the strings, besides, the modern electronic guitar tuner is a WONDERFUL invention - so fast and easy to use, and accurate - for the first time in history, a rock band could (and sometimes did) play in tune.....
As for metalwork - Leo Fender was, I think, the person who introduced modern precision machining methods to making guitars, specifically setting up fret positions - no loony out of it luthiers making silly mistakes - but he used WOOD for his necks. There was a fibreglass/ plastic(?) body guitar (Ovation?) - never got a chance to play on tho, no idea what it sounded like.
Andrew VK3BFA.
On Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:06:15 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, Gunner Asch quickly quoth:
I disagree. That's way too pink for aloonimum.
I think he should solder it. It wouldn't stick, but it would be fun to watch someone try.
OK, enough fun. Tim, I don't think there's a chance in hell that you can repair it so it's not noticeable now that the fretwires are in, especially if the slots are really close to them. TIGging them closed would undoubtedly warp the neck 3 ways from Sunday, and even if it didn't, you'd still have to sand it to match the finish on the rest of the neck.
Epoxy with aluminum filler might be your closest match, but it won't be purty and might not last.
One last gasp: mill out the space between the frets and inlay that area with rosewood. Glue and screw it down.
P.S: How did you get the fretwire to stay in the aluminum? Cut dovetails and peen into place?
-- Books are the compasses and telescopes and sextants and charts which other men have prepared to help us navigate the dangerous seas of human life. --Jesse Lee Bennett
A guy I worked with, JJ White (sounds like a music guy;) ), had a fiberglass Ovation, it even make my playing sound decent.
Wes
Somebody, Goldtone?, makes carbon fiber banjo necks. I would think that an aluminum neck would make some funny sounds if you tried slides or hammer-ons. There was also a steel body guitar but I think it had a wood neck.
Bruce-in-Bangkok (correct email address for reply)
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 --Jesse Lee Bennett- Hide quoted text -
Thanks everyone for the suggestions !!! I really appreciate this ! The guitar is a Veleno . They were oddball guitars that were made in the 70's . Here is a link to his site :
My two banjos are Takamine and Gibson (RD250)
Saw a guitar the other day, guy cut up a 5 gallon steel jeep can, put a hubcap in a trap door in the back for a resonator.
Sounded interesting. Pretty sharp kid for 17 yrs old.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
Just thinking..Cerocast.
Dam off the ends of the slots and fill em with Cerocast.
Would be an intersesting effect if one was playing hot under lights and the stuff started melting out of the slots.
Though to be serious..Cerocast might work.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner
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