Bevel Fret Tang
© Frank Ford, 3/3/00; Photos by FF
It's relatively easy to drive a fret into almost any slot, if the neck or fingerboard are sufficiently rigid and supported. A cantilevered fingerboard, especially one like this, where there's no way to get decen support underneath, can be a bit of a challenge:
I find that if I bevel the leading edge of the bottom of the fret tang, it really improves the ease with which I can tap in the frets:
I'm using a little file, drawing it sideways at an angle to produce the little bevel.
This pointy fret tang will go in super easily:
Any time I'm really having trouble getting the fret to tap in, I'll sharpen the tang in this manner. It usually works!
Usually, I'll bevel both sides to help the fret go in straight.
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