RESTORINGANORIGINAL
1921 Martin 0-18, Pt. 7
Over the last few months, we’ve taken an
enjoyable and in-depth look at the process
of restoring a 1921 Martin 0-18. Last month,
I began installing bar fretwire using a variety
of must-have tools to help this procedure go
as smoothly as possible. Tools like Stewart-McDonald’s Relief Gauge – with a cool
indicator dial to measure neck compression
– and Jaws 1, 2 and 3 – which eased the
process of refretting – definitely help provide
a comfortable, low-stress work area. There
was a time when I thought just a hammer
and chisel would do, but today I have come
to the conclusion that using the best tools
available will help me do the most perfect
job possible. I still believe that an individual’s
skill and talent will come into play, no matter which hand tool he or she decides to
use – even if you’re lucky enough to have a
CNC machine, you still need to have magic
in your fingertips to produce a perfect guitar. Nevertheless, a good tool can make the
toughest jobs easier.
Sizing Bar Fretwire
I chose to use .050 and .051 bar fretwire
from Martin for the refretting process (check
out the past two “Restoring an Original” columns for more on this). There were a couple
of techniques used to manipulate the wire
that I’d like to elaborate on. Mashing the
fret on a slab of hardox tool steel with an 8-
ounce hammer aided in thinning out the fret
for the more narrow fingerboard slots.
Some of the fingerboard fret slots were
wider than .051, making for a sloppy fit;
for these frets, I created a simple jig, using
a couple of 1/8” tall Corian strips double
stuck to my slab of hardox steel to hold and
support the fret in place. I then used a 1/4”
point cold chisel with a hammer to etch the
underside of the fret, pushing metal mass
out of the side and thus widening the lower
outer walls. The 1/4” point cold chisel leaves
the exact same prints as found on the original frets – a perfect match.
Jaws 2
I’d like to share a little more about the usage
of Jaws 2. This tool was used to gently press
in the frets along the fingerboard tongue,
which is usually over an unsupported acoustic
guitar top. With Jaws 2’s special soundhole
cauls and a self-leveling upper caul, it takes
the stress off the guitar top so you can safely
press the frets into place. This tool has gotten a lot of usage in our shop whenever an
acoustic needs refretting.
Securing and Leveling
Once the frets were seated, I did a final
secure by using Stew-Mac’s thin viscosity
Super Glue in the seam of the fret slot. The
drop-fill toothpicks (#3110) work very well
for applying glue. Remember, a little goes a
long way.
Once the fret ends were cut and glued, I
used our fret beveling files (#3775 and 3760)
to finish off the fret ends. Then we clamped
the guitar in my string tension simulator for
a full fret dress, leveling out the frets, going
between the 8” and 16” length fret/finger-board leveler (#4577 and 4578). I used my
neck relief gauge (#2004) to monitor the
relief as I moved forward. I was looking for
.010” or slightly less for the perfect neck
relief. After the frets were leveled, I checked
the neck relief by stringing up the instrument
one last time before crowning, sanding and
buffing out the frets.
Once all the fretwork was complete, it was
time for the final mojo (upon customer
request): a new set of Waverly guitar tuners.
These are available from Stew-Mac and feature a wide range of knobs to choose from. It
was like topping off a well-made sundae with
a cherry.
It has been my pleasure to share my restoration of this 1921 Martin 0-18 with you over
the last few months. If anyone has any unan-swered questions about the restoration of
this vintage instrument, please don’t hesitate
to email me. I hope you’re looking forward
to seeing what’s on the bench for next
month’s “Restoring an Original.” Thanks for
your support and appreciation.
- John
John Brown
John Brown, of Brown's Guitar Factory, is the inventor
of the Fretted/Less bass. He owns and operates a full
guitar manufacturing and repair/restoration facility, which
is staffed by a team of talented luthiers. He is also the
designer of guitar making/repair tools and accessories
that are used today by instrument builders throughout
the world.
brownsguitarfactory.com
info@brownsguitarfactory.com
