Quote:
Originally Posted by Todd Yates
Compression fretting may be used in conjunction with planing, assuming planing is appropriate for the situation.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redir
I'm a bit confused here because the first thing he does is level the fretboard and then does the compression fretting. So it's still leveling the fretboard which would be removing fretboard material and essentially thinning the neck.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tico
I don't think this compression fretting process is 'authentic'.
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After watching the video posted by Murmac, I'm convinced that compression fretting
is authentic. I think at the Martin factory, they planed the fingerboards dead flat and relied on fret compression to induce the necessary amount of back bow so that it has the right amount of relief under string tension. That said, some of the worst factory fret jobs I've ever seen were on vintage Martins. I'm assuming the version of compression fretting demonstrated in the Blues Creek video is pretty close to the way it was done back in the day, but I'm sure John at Blues Creek puts more time and care into the job than was afforded to a Martin factory worker.
Because I have no background or training in compression fretting, and because of my perception of vintage purists being so opposed to fingerboard planing, I assumed that the "correct" method of compression fretting was to pull the frets and replace them without any leveling (which of course would be stupid), relying solely on fret compression to correct any warpage or fingerboard irregularities. I'm glad to learn that this is not the case, and that fingerboard leveling is the norm in the compression fretting process, and the frets merely force the neck into a slight back bow.
Therefore, I take back what I said - well at least part of it. I said compression fretting is crude and imprecise. I withdraw "crude" from that statement. In the Blues Creek video, John said that sometimes he has to pull frets and do it over again if it doesn't come out right, and for that reason, he charges more for compression jobs. So I will maintain that it is indeed somewhat imprecise, but not crude.