Compound radius? If only someone would invent a way where you could string the neck up to pitch and tension and then hold it there, destring it, and then shape the fret board! Alas, dreams are for bedtime! I'm convinced that the industry would immediately adopt such a manufacturing practice if only someone could do it! Oh, that's right! It's already been done! My Fly is 31 years old and it's never needed a truss rod adjustment, a fret job, intonation, action, nothing! Perfect every time! Thanks again for your genius Ken! The industry wasn't ready for someone light years ahead of their time!
Funny and heartwarming comment, thanks so much. I’ll be sure to die soon, so then folks will be able to see what I’ve accomplished. Hey, wait a minute, Not Too Soon, though! Glad your instrument is performing as it was designed to do, it’s making us both proud, eh? Looks easy when it’s all done.
Thank you for these two videos, and all of the others you've put on your channel. Hearing about how you dealt with all of the hurdles involved in the production of the Fly was the best part - especially things like the use of micro-spheres to maintain the right amount of adhesive under the frets. It was very creative to use something designed to be a thickening agent in that way.
Thanks, but the bead spacer trick is an industry standard. I wish builders would seek to learn about adhesives and other items commonly needed in our work instead of just flipping through the Stu Mac book, useful as it is.
Bondo? Burns installing frets?? Unlike the rest of Archtoppery, kids don't try this at home! Just when I think I couldn't love this channel any more, you give us these stories!
@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 No problem... I've been rockin' a Fly Deluxe since I bought it new in '94, fret only failed a cpl of years ago due to taking a good knock..We actually met briefly in Boston about 10 years ago...the Australian circus show dude... 🤘🤘🤘on! 🎪
Ive owned 8 (4 Flys, and 4 NiteFlys) that were all made in 2001 or earlier (all pre-refined), and not a single one has ever had a fret issue. I did have the nut come un-glued but thats typical for a 30 year old guitar at some point. Only issue i ever had was the Truss rod in 3 out of 4 NiteFlys, not correcting the relief. But i think it was due to someone making adjustments to it and not knowing what they were doing. My new (to me) 99' midifly is perfect! Thanks for sharing this info Ken!
I'm sorry and surprised that you've had problems with NiteFly rods. When having trouble like this, two things that may help include removing and lubricating the adjustment capstan, and then when assembled and strung up on a bench, using a neckblock or some kind of support under the middle of the neck and manually bending the neck backwards as you tighten the trussrod. As a mechanical person with years of repair experience it's still hard for me to understand the things some people have done to guitars to "see what happens", etc. You'd expect folks to seek assistance when out of their depth, but sadly, this is often not what happens.
what a nice fretboard, first glued frets i've ever seen. 20:44 candle adhesive (sticky wax) works for masking off surfaces against CA glue... so do crayola wax pencils that can be sharpened for more precision masking. simply 'color' whatever needs to repel CA or other glues. faster/easier to clean than the 'white staining' associated w/ CA glue vapes or whatever is responsible for the phenomena. (wax doesn't migrate contaminating clean ready-to-glue surfaces at room temperature compared to mold-release agents but will melt in case of substantial CA glue exothermic reactions such as on cotton, leather, fiberglass, carbon, etc.)
While CA glues are very useful for a great many things, they can be challenging to handle. Generally, I try to make a credible plan and then apply them precisely, and wipe off any excess immediately. Every once in a while I lose control of it and regret not having things masked somehow, or maybe just wished I wasn't so clumsy. I have tried using wax, and I'm not a big fan, it just seems like another potential problem and extra work. I like the illusion that it'll go perfectly and I wouldn't have needed any masking plan.
@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 i'm familiar w/ the named illusion, cozy feeling, proof of incurable optimism..? :) wishing you all the best mr Parker, started watching your channel a few days ago, fantastic content
Trying to use a regular fret bender to induce the tiny over-bend right in the middle that this fret needs would destroy your chances of success, I promise you. You could make a special tool for this process, but it would need to be two precisely curved surfaces that squeezed the fret to "smile" more, if you get me. Still, I think it would be a bad idea, since we need the original adhesive material stuck to the fret to stay right where it is for positioning, and the stress of the clamping force of the smiley tool might mess that up.
There are a lot of terms that have meanings specific to industry. Compound radius at least makes sense. A compound radius stands in contrast to a single radius neck that has one radius over the entire length. Why not "multi-radius?" That, to me, implies a discrete number of radii. Almost as if it was stair-stepped. Compound implies smooth transition from one radius to another. Compound radius has a mathematical comparison. That being the compound curve, which is a curve with a changing radius. Extrapolate it into a three dimensional guitar context and the term absolutely makes sense. Compare it to a compound curve extrapolated into a three dimensional guitar context, which is a asymmetrical neck carve. 😆
UA-cam's new AI summary has described this as a video showing a "guitar technician" fixing a loose fret. How dare youtube refer to Ken as a "technician"! Only "master builder", "genius", "pioneer", "visionary", "craftsman", "artist" or "wizard" are appropriate! 😝😝
Bondo? Burns installing frets?? Unlike the rest of Archtoppery, kids don't try this at home! Just when I think I couldn't love this channel any more, you give us these stories!
Compound radius? If only someone would invent a way where you could string the neck up to pitch and tension and then hold it there, destring it, and then shape the fret board!
Alas, dreams are for bedtime! I'm convinced that the industry would immediately adopt such a manufacturing practice if only someone could do it!
Oh, that's right! It's already been done! My Fly is 31 years old and it's never needed a truss rod adjustment, a fret job, intonation, action, nothing! Perfect every time!
Thanks again for your genius Ken! The industry wasn't ready for someone light years ahead of their time!
Funny and heartwarming comment, thanks so much.
I’ll be sure to die soon, so then folks will be able to see what I’ve accomplished. Hey, wait a minute, Not Too Soon, though!
Glad your instrument is performing as it was designed to do, it’s making us both proud, eh?
Looks easy when it’s all done.
Thank you for these two videos, and all of the others you've put on your channel. Hearing about how you dealt with all of the hurdles involved in the production of the Fly was the best part - especially things like the use of micro-spheres to maintain the right amount of adhesive under the frets. It was very creative to use something designed to be a thickening agent in that way.
Thanks, but the bead spacer trick is an industry standard. I wish builders would seek to learn about adhesives and other items commonly needed in our work instead of just flipping through the Stu Mac book, useful as it is.
So grateful for your instruction and attention to the nuances that are ignored or glossed over by other luthiers.
It's all in the little details, isn't it?
So thankful that this is being recorded for future generations to look after our instruments. Thank you Ken (and Larry).
Right , don't forget Larry! FishPark rules!
Bondo? Burns installing frets?? Unlike the rest of Archtoppery, kids don't try this at home! Just when I think I couldn't love this channel any more, you give us these stories!
Stumbling, wounded, we still need to get to the summit, no?
That is a beautiful guitar... deserved to have the Master's touch.
Many Thanks, and also from my happy friend/owner!
Absolutely magic, masterful work.
Bless you, thanks.
Thanks Ken, this is SO needed !!!
My Pleasure.
Man, coulda used all this info about a year and half ago! Anyway, great vid, thnx Ken!
You're welcome, and sorry I didn't do this a couple years ago.
@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 No problem... I've been rockin' a Fly Deluxe since I bought it new in '94, fret only failed a cpl of years ago due to taking a good knock..We actually met briefly in Boston about 10 years ago...the Australian circus show dude... 🤘🤘🤘on! 🎪
Ive owned 8 (4 Flys, and 4 NiteFlys) that were all made in 2001 or earlier (all pre-refined), and not a single one has ever had a fret issue. I did have the nut come un-glued but thats typical for a 30 year old guitar at some point. Only issue i ever had was the Truss rod in 3 out of 4 NiteFlys, not correcting the relief. But i think it was due to someone making adjustments to it and not knowing what they were doing. My new (to me) 99' midifly is perfect!
Thanks for sharing this info Ken!
I'm sorry and surprised that you've had problems with NiteFly rods. When having trouble like this, two things that may help include removing and lubricating the adjustment capstan, and then when assembled and strung up on a bench, using a neckblock or some kind of support under the middle of the neck and manually bending the neck backwards as you tighten the trussrod. As a mechanical person with years of repair experience it's still hard for me to understand the things some people have done to guitars to "see what happens", etc. You'd expect folks to seek assistance when out of their depth, but sadly, this is often not what happens.
what a nice fretboard, first glued frets i've ever seen.
20:44 candle adhesive (sticky wax) works for masking off surfaces against CA glue... so do crayola wax pencils that can be sharpened for more precision masking. simply 'color' whatever needs to repel CA or other glues. faster/easier to clean than the 'white staining' associated w/ CA glue vapes or whatever is responsible for the phenomena.
(wax doesn't migrate contaminating clean ready-to-glue surfaces at room temperature compared to mold-release agents but will melt in case of substantial CA glue exothermic reactions such as on cotton, leather, fiberglass, carbon, etc.)
While CA glues are very useful for a great many things, they can be challenging to handle. Generally, I try to make a credible plan and then apply them precisely, and wipe off any excess immediately. Every once in a while I lose control of it and regret not having things masked somehow, or maybe just wished I wasn't so clumsy.
I have tried using wax, and I'm not a big fan, it just seems like another potential problem and extra work. I like the illusion that it'll go perfectly and I wouldn't have needed any masking plan.
@@kenparkerarchtoppery9440 i'm familiar w/ the named illusion, cozy feeling, proof of incurable optimism..? :)
wishing you all the best mr Parker, started watching your channel a few days ago, fantastic content
Thanks! Glad you're enjoying the Archtoppery series. All the Best to you, too.
No fret bender in your shop, Ken? Good job with the CA glue.
I imagine using a fret bender would wear the existing adhesive off the fret, which is not what we want for this operation.
Ken has a fret bender ( he made… )
I’ve seen him hand-bend a fret to the exact tolerances by eye, I think he may have done a few…. 😊
Trying to use a regular fret bender to induce the tiny over-bend right in the middle that this fret needs would destroy your chances of success, I promise you. You could make a special tool for this process, but it would need to be two precisely curved surfaces that squeezed the fret to "smile" more, if you get me. Still, I think it would be a bad idea, since we need the original adhesive material stuck to the fret to stay right where it is for positioning, and the stress of the clamping force of the smiley tool might mess that up.
You, sir, are on the team.
There are a lot of terms that have meanings specific to industry. Compound radius at least makes sense. A compound radius stands in contrast to a single radius neck that has one radius over the entire length. Why not "multi-radius?" That, to me, implies a discrete number of radii. Almost as if it was stair-stepped. Compound implies smooth transition from one radius to another.
Compound radius has a mathematical comparison. That being the compound curve, which is a curve with a changing radius. Extrapolate it into a three dimensional guitar context and the term absolutely makes sense.
Compare it to a compound curve extrapolated into a three dimensional guitar context, which is a asymmetrical neck carve. 😆
UA-cam's new AI summary has described this as a video showing a "guitar technician" fixing a loose fret. How dare youtube refer to Ken as a "technician"! Only "master builder", "genius", "pioneer", "visionary", "craftsman", "artist" or "wizard" are appropriate! 😝😝
Ha! Thanks, but most of what I've done can be attributed to a rich mix of obsession and stubbornness.
Guitar technician, guilty as charged.
Bondo? Burns installing frets?? Unlike the rest of Archtoppery, kids don't try this at home! Just when I think I couldn't love this channel any more, you give us these stories!
Slinging snot has its slippery slopes! ouch, Ouch.