The Electra Forums

Can you use a wound guitar string (.022) as a saw for the fret? Seems to me that might work and save you from buying a saw you'll probably never use again. What's a magic eraser???

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

hmmm. I'll take a look at the string... plus I need to re-look at my ignition file set....

the magic eraser (link in prev post) is wonderful. we use them for all sorts of stuff.

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

If you very slightly bevel the top of the slot it can help too.

This is what you need
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_su ... itter.html

_________________
SlmGuy

after doing a bunch of research on Mandolin frets, etc... I'm going to get some Jescar 43080 frets. it's the narrowest tang ones I could find, and are pretty ppular for Mandolins...

I really need to get some updates pics...

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

couple of successes here, but no postable pictures yet...

my plan to re-align the tuning peg holes to consistant spacing worked. got the new tuners to fit!

the bottom 2 sets of holes, I enlarged towards the upper holes, and the upper holes, I enlarged towards the bottom holes, with a circular file, until they were 3/8" the long ways, then I followed up with a 3/8 drill bit to finalize the hole.

then my 3/8" -> 1/4" adapter bushings fit right in, and the mandolin pegs went in. 1 was a tight fit, but the other 7 worked great...

I also did some tests with some saws to see if I could find a blade that would let me use my fretwire, which was already the narrowest I could find...
a hacksaw blade was just a tad too wide, but would probably work good for jumbo frets...

and I ended up having the perfect blade for the mandolin. I have a flexible flush cut-off saw, and on a test piece of wood, was a perfect fit for the fretwire. so I ran the saw through the "zero fret" slot first, and I was able to tap the fret into place! woohoo!
I was careful to keep the "this side up" side of the flush cut saw towards the headstock, so the cuts were consistent and should have preserved whatever intonation this thing had...

so now all slots are re-cut and I sanded the fretboard some more

next up is installing the remaining frets and getting some binding. then I need to takle the neck attachment. there was an angle dowel helping to hold them together previously, so I need to figure out how I can replicate the same thing...

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Sounds like good progress. Do you think that dowel in the neck was part of the original construction? It sort of looks like it might have been added during one of the renovation attempts. It doesn't look like there's any heel to speak of so not much option for anchoring to the body. Still, I wonder if a good glue/clamp down would do the job without the dowel. The fretboard is glued on the neck correct? If not, you could probably countersink some screws through the neck and get some kind of mechanical connection that way. The thing is, unless that dowel was going into a solid block in the body, I wonder how much structural integrity it actually provided. I'm thinking not much - but every little bit helps. Keep up the good work mcbrat.

hmmm. never thought it may have been added... I guess based on the other features of the attempted prior resurrection, it seemed "proper"

I think at least one anchor piece would be good, especially since it's going to be difficult to get a good wood on wood glue joint because of the pst attempts... but I may be able to shave it down a bit more with my wood chisel...

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

the dowel was part of the original construction. the neck was affixed to the body first, then the fretboard and support piece under where the fretboard continued into the body, were attached later...

since the dowel had busted off, I ended up shaving it off, and drilling 2 new holes for new dowells. now the neck and body are one again.

I've got some additional sanding/leveling to do of the fretboard yet before I start in on the frets...

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

Excellent - IIRC there was a single dowel originally? Are the dowels like a guide to keep the neck from moving or more structural?

I think it was slightly structural originally. the angle of the original dowel would have helped with strength.

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

pickguard or no?

looks like I'll need to make a custom one, and everything I see online is for a normal A style Mandolin, not a Japanese Electric Mandolin

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!

I don't think it needs a pickguard, but that's up to you man. I just looked at the original auction photos and dang that fretboard looked rough... did you end up planing it down?

Have you played a mandolin before? They're tuned like a violin in 5ths. A trick that I read somewhere is that guitar chords basically end up 'upside down' (because 4ths are the oposite of 5ths) on a mandolin. Or, you could string it like a Ukulele which is about the same scale length as a mando. Uke's are tuned G,C,E,A with the G string being a 5th higher than the C (fattest string). I just recently bought my first Uke, and they're pretty addictive. Can't wait to see it finished, got any progress photos? Cheers, Mike.

_________________
Electra Guitar Videos ===> http://www.youtube.com/user/mjm33mjm?feature=watch

I was able to remove the frets, and just sand it. I need to do a bit more sanding to get it level before the frets go in...

never touched a mandolin before. I do have some photos of a PCM Mandolin too! a few differences, but most likely made at the same factory. the pickguard is missing on it too...

_________________
My Electra Pages
I have too many projects!