On Mon, Apr 28, 2008, [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: > Hello Lutenists, > I need some help. Not with the fret knot itself or the like, but please bear > with me: > I did not bevel or fillet the edges of the fingerboard
This is discused in lindbergs book on historical lute construction, the fingerboard is flat on early lutes - an extension of the top; some post renaissance are slightly arched in section. It helps the frets to lie flat to the full width of the fretboard if the outer edge is eased slightly; if this edge is angular the fret will kink, perhaps enough to break before its time. > if you lay a straight edge on your fingerboard, is it straight or > crowned? ah, there are two directions of interest here ... along the length axis of the neck one has to consider the forces acting to raise the neck at the nut, in time they can bring a getle curve into the neck along its length, raising the action and making the instrument more difficult to play - a very slight downward curve can be planed into the neck to compensate for that, assuming the neck material proves to need that. > Another related question I have is, nylon or gut for frets? Fret guts are slightly more expensive, many will mix, some like to use the same material as the strings. Gut frets fray in use, nylon is slippery and harder to tie knots in. -- Dana Emery To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
