I have a 74 fretless that the head side of the finger board has popped. probably from the last owner messing with the truss rods with out a clamp on the nut. They made an attempt to repair with glue but I noticed that the repair was not done properly. Is there a proper way to remove and reglue the entire fretboard?

Help please

Post this in the Rick Restoration forum and Dale (dale_fortune) and/or Paul (jingle_jangle) might respond with helpful suggestions. Both are master luthiers. Either could fix the problem for you also, if needed.

It might be best to seek out a competent repair shop to assist you with this.

i would agree w/ others who suggest you bring this in to a good shop. i have done this several times but suffice it say i didn't start w/ a '74 ric.

if you are hell bent on doing it yourself, here are some decent guides:

http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/removal.htm
http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/attach.htm

i don't do it quite the way this guy outlines it but everyone has their own techniques and posting these links is a lot easier than typing out a novel.

remember to protect any/all inlays in the fretboard from your heat source. popsicle sticks do the trick for me. i also use popsicle sticks to position the heat source over the fretboard.

good luck. consider a practice run on a beater guitar if you're gonna do this yourself.

Howdy,

I totally agree here!! I noticed that you are in NJ. You may want to contact www.pickofthericks.com. Chris may be able to help you as well.

Steve

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Hey, thanks for the links, I will try that out and let you know how I make out. I have an awesome set of tools.

Just an update. I tried the method suggested and it worked. it came out pretty good, the only thing is the bass is painted white and you can kind of see seam in the paint. Guess I will try to match the color and fill and level it out CAREFULLY!!

Any suggestions on what kind of paint to use. Also know that the white has turned that cream color, for anyone with suggestions.

Thanks guys.

Glad it worked for you. As for touching up the finish, you need jingle_jangle to chime in here and give you a few pointers. That way, you can get the best results.

nice! you've got stones for being willing to try that procedure for the first time on a ric. although if the board was loose already that makes it easier. still, well done.

fraid i can't help with the finishing issue other than to suggest that the seam being visible isnt much to worry about. as long as the axe plays well.

i suck at finishes and have found finish work is better left to someone with a nice spay booth (not me).