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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | So, new project. Pretty sound, no cracks through the top (plymeister). All the braces are sound. The action is a bit high, but can be adjusted, easily-enough. Tuners are dirty, but very functional. Bridge is solid. Needs a new rosette.
Now, the issue is the "Cowboy Chord Zone". As predictable, the frets are pretty worn, and will need replacement, soon enough. However, this area, and a few others, really, have some serious troughs in the fretboard. I don't really intend to replace the fretboard, so any suggestions on somehow filling them with something? I guess some 2-part epoxy would work, but I'd want it pretty hard & durable, don'cha-think?
The alternative could be pulling ALL the fretwires, & releveling the fretboard, itself. Lotta work, but may be the best scenario, in the long run.
Anyrate, here's some photos. I am open to any conjecture, at this point:
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Joined:
June 2012
Posts: 2316
Location: Pueblo West, CO | Is the fret board wood or plastic? | |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Hi, Dan!
Oh, it's the real thing- rosewood. This is an OLD Matrix- #109624, on the tag. That might be an issue, too. Rosewood tends to be pretty oily, so the filler might not want to stick to it real well.
Thanks for the inquiry! | |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Two options, sand or fill.
If it were me, I'd sand it and refret with EVO gold wire. EVO is really nice to work with. Sanding the fretboard is no big deal, just some elbow grease. If you don't want to take off quite that much wood, you can mix some of the rosewood sawdust with CA glue to fill in the divot. Or you could sand down most of the way but still leave a little bit of divot. Freshly sanded rosewood fretboards look so nice, too.
The other option is to fill the divots. I believe it is StewMac with a video of an interesting technique. Using a sharp blade, score deep parallel cuts into the divots along the length of the grain. Then use thin CA glue (I'm pretty sure it is CA but check to be sure) to fill in the cuts. The wood grains soak up some glue and it raises up some. He may mix some sawdust into the CA before filling the cuts. | |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 13987
Location: Upper Left USA | Nice! | |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | "The wood grains soak up some glue and it raises up some."
Hmmm.....interesting notion. I wonder.......if I was to steam the divots.......maybe not.......that material is gone, not compressed. I think I like the partial sanding idea. That way, I have the existing fret slots, & just have to deepen them, for new wires. Thanks for the tip on the EVO gold wire. I will look into that option. Pounding in new frets is an interesting adventure; you gotta thump 'em, just right. Haven't tried it on a foam neck, yet. I will make myself a long-ish caul, to back up the neck, so's I don't leave any dents, in the wrong places.
Keep you posted. I have to decide what I'm going to do about a rosette, also. I'd like to make another one, out of the 1/16th-inch-square sticks, like usual, but it is SO tedious. I really oughta play with some abalone, pearl, or coral, this time. Also, since the top is still real sound, & the bridge is tight, but has lots of finish cracks, I'm considering filling everything, as much as possible, and then tinting the finishing coats. Might be my 1st sunburst attempt. Any ideas on how to deftly remove the binding? I mean, in one piece? It really is pretty pristine, after all these years, & use.
I'm going to percolate on this fiasco a bit, & am open to input, to be sure. | |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 698
Location: Cork, Ireland | Great to see people doing work on the cinderella brands (Applause, Matix etc.) Must get my AA31 out and play a few tunes. Let me know if you ever plan to travel about 6000 miles east and you can give it a Bowl Bend for me
Edited by sycamore 2015-02-24 8:53 AM
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | See my thread on working with EVO gold fretwire http://www.ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40... . The other thread on fretting in general might also be helpful if you've never refretted. http://www.ovationfanclub.com/megabbs/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40...
EVO hammers in really easily, without the problem of bending if you hit too hard. But you have to radius it properly first. Don't over-radius it like you would do with nickel-silver fret wire. Leveling and crowning EVO gold is a joy compared to nickel-silver. | |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | OK, Fly. So, do you know any clever tricks for keeping smooth, repetitive curves, of the proper radius, without one of those fancy, & expensive fret-bending gizmos? I really doubt there is much radius in the Matrix neck, anyway, right? That 4-string "litter-critter" I constructed had a dead-flat fretboard, so it was kind of a no-brainer. | |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Well, I patched this critter, to my current satisfaction. The divot replacement went well. The fret replacement, without a hitch. I'd say, about a "medium" action. Big voice on this thing. I would guess, with all the wear on the fretboard, this guitar was played a great deal & the top has opened up real well. Put a set of .012-to-.054 phosphor-bronze strings on it. Let them settle in a bit, and see how it all "congeals". Another challenge, and low-budget, like usual!
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October 2012
Posts: 1034
Location: Yokohama, Japan | Exceptional seesquare! Thanks for sharing. Inspiring! | |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4044
Location: Utah | Looks great! Sorry I didn't see your previous question about bending frets. The standard cheap method is to just use hand tools. For regular nickel-silver I think one could learn to make reasonably good curves without much trouble. The fret wire bends to the shape of the fretboard as it is hammered in, as long as the fret is over-curved to begin with. EVO gold though might be a different story. I think the radius bend would have to be very precise because the wire doesn't deform when hammered in. | |
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Joined:
April 2010
Posts: 823
Location: sitting at my computer | Lookin' good!  So, what'd ya decide to use on the divots? | |
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Joined:
November 2002
Posts: 3611
Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Searched the internet tutorials, and used the Xacto knife & Superglue method. Removed the fretwires, then cut into the divots troughs, shredded the fibers, produced some rosewood dust from a scrap piece of fretboard from the Litter Critter project, packed the dust into the shredded fiber beds, then let the cyanoacrylate wick itself into the whole mess. Sanded the patches, replaced the fretwires, then leveled everything out again. Took about 3 days, altogether, for drying time, sanding & fretting. Pleased with the outcome. So, guess I will start scoping out the next project!
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Another Matrix Rehab- Replace Your Divots, please!
