Florida Fret Removal

[Mustardman]

Anyone had their Florida fixed? I just had a luthier work on my mando, and he did a terrific job. Vastly improves playability!

[Mustardman]

Here are the images... He used rosewood shavings to fill the fret holes...

[MikeEdgerton]

Over the years lots of folks. I did my own many years ago. If I was doing mine again I might have been tempted to inlay faux frets just because. I went forth with the courage of the ignorant following Frank Ford's instructions. It is a little intimidating to take a router to the end of your fretboard. If I ever do another I'll just use chisels and files and sandpaper.

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luth...roptongue.html

[Mustardman]

Nice. Yeah, my friend used a router too and was a bit apprehensive at first. But he worked carefully and ultimately did a great job. The fretboard filler from a block of rosewood was a nice touch...

[sunburst]

...

[Mustardman]

Ouch! Amputation!!

[rcc56]

If you don't feel the need to reduce the extension height much, you can get a more traditional look by filling the fret slots with maple purfling strips. This is actually reversible if you don't take much height off the extension.

Some of the modern open-back banjo makers who scoop the end of their fingerboards are inlaying an ornament into the scoop. I don't know whether or not that would look good on an F-5, though.

I've been known to pull only the 23rd and sometimes the 21st frets, Apollon style, in case a player wants an occasional high D or E. Yes, some folks do play up there from time to time.

Or, you can do the Hamlett amputation and put a nice L-5 point on the end of the fingerboard. That costs extra, though.

But the amputation sans point and re-bind is cheap and quick. But don't try it at home, boys and girls, unless you have some sheet metal or plastic to protect the mandolin top . . .

[sunburst]

...

[Mustardman]

Nice! Looks great!

[rcc56]

I like it. Kind of Cole's Eclipse meets A-3 squiggle . . .

Now that I think about it, the Cole shooting star would look good also.

[darylcrisp]

I removed the last 4 frets and scooped the area on my Collings MT. Planning to inlay an emerald and brass diamond pattern when I find the right pieces.

[sunburst]

I can't take credit for the inlay design, just the work done. The customer supplied the design when he requested the scoop and inlay.

(BTW, it looked a little better after cleaning up and blacking the engraving and stringing it up.)

[DavidKOS]

...

I sure wish I could take all those frets you guys remove and add it to my mandolins that do NOT have that extended upper range.