# Fretboard change cost?



## Scarve (Aug 22, 2007)

Yeah so.. my topics name are always pretty clear, heh?

Anyone to comment that?

I may buy a HRG7, but want an ebony fretboard instead of the rosewood one.


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## djpharoah (Aug 22, 2007)

Is that one of those Ikebe guitars?? dude - dont get one of those amazing guitars and thenrip of the fretboard.


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## Scarve (Aug 22, 2007)

Well it would be even more amazing with an ebony fretboard IMO, both Look and Tonewise...


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## xwmucradiox (Aug 22, 2007)

I coulodn't even find someone on the web to do it but Im guessing its a $500 job with the refret and fingerboard replacement.


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## Drew (Aug 22, 2007)

$500 might be a little high, but you're probably talking several hundred - you're talking not only the labor to make and replace a fretboard, but also any inlay work and a full refret. It isn't cheap, but if that's what you need to do for a perfect guitar, then if it's worth it to you it's worth it.


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## xwmucradiox (Aug 22, 2007)

Im thinking that there will be about $20 shipping both ways depending on how far it has to go. Then the old fretboard has to come off which is about 2 hours of solid attentive work at steaming the clue (about $60 an hour for lots of dudes). Then you have to buy a new ebony fretboard which depends on the quality but a stew mac one is $25. Fret wire and inlay materials are cheap - about $15 for everything but a fret/inlay job can be a good 2 hours in addition to slotting and prepping the fingerboard. Id give the whole new fretboard job about 4 hours at that same $60 an hour. That all comes to a little over $400. Id like to have a maple fretboard put on an RG neck and someone had one put on recently but there were no details about who did it. We gotta find that guy.


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## El Caco (Aug 22, 2007)

Some noob questions?

Wouldn't most custom shops be able to do this?

What's the deal with Ed Roman? His site seems to cover most of these custom questions that come up but everything I read either fails to mention him or speaks poorly of him without explaining why?


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## technomancer (Aug 22, 2007)

Firedragon said:


> Some noob questions?
> 
> Wouldn't most custom shops be able to do this?
> 
> What's the deal with Ed Roman? His site seems to cover most of these custom questions that come up but everything I read either fails to mention him or speaks poorly of him without explaining why?



Because he has a long standing and well deserved reputation for 

1) being an asshole
2) consistently fucking over his customers

Friends don't let friends deal with Ed Roman


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## Eric (Aug 22, 2007)

I just replaced a rosewood fretboard with an ebony one for about $350 USD. including shipping.


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## El Caco (Aug 22, 2007)

technomancer said:


> Because he has a long standing and well deserved reputation for
> 
> 1) being an asshole
> 2) consistently fucking over his customers
> ...



Fair enough.


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## soldierkahn (Aug 22, 2007)

7Strings said:


> I just replaced a rosewood fretboard with an ebony one for about $350 USD. including shipping.




whod you use for that? i want to get a 7620 so bad, but i hate the dots. so id want to replace it with an Ebony board with no inlays....


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## FoxZero (Aug 23, 2007)

I've found a place near me that does this type of stuff, but from what I've research on fretboard replacements you're looking between 350-400 USD, but I believe you'd be most likely be getting it handmade so you'd be able to choose you're radius, I'm I wrong?

Also on the off-topic of Ed Roman after reading his rant sections I agree that he is an asshole and I called just a few weeks ago and they said that the custom shop was closed and I couldn't even order parts or kits. Maybe people are getting to know Roman better.


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## xwmucradiox (Aug 23, 2007)

7Strings said:


> I just replaced a rosewood fretboard with an ebony one for about $350 USD. including shipping.



Who did it?


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## ledzep4eva (Aug 23, 2007)

The guy who had his 7620 redone in DY with a maple fretboard had his replaced for $80 total. However, this was in the Philippines (sp?)...

We need to get someone to make a run over there in a boat with 100 guitars or so 

However, I doubt they'd ever come back...


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## Naren (Aug 23, 2007)

I would love to have an ebony fretboard, but the insane cost of changing a fretboard doesn't seem worth it to me. If I was that set on an ebony fretboard, I'd either buy a guitar that already has one or have a custom shop make me a guitar from scratch.



technomancer said:


> Because he has a long standing and well deserved reputation for
> 
> 1) being an asshole
> 2) consistently fucking over his customers
> ...


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## El Caco (Aug 23, 2007)

Out of curiosity what would be the rough price of having a custom neck made?


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## simsklok (Aug 23, 2007)

i was thinking about just having the inlays on my RG7321 taken out, any suggestions?


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## ledzep4eva (Aug 23, 2007)

simsklok said:


> i was thinking about just having the inlays on my RG7321 taken out, any suggestions?



If you're going to have it done by someone, don't bother. It's not like they'll go "ah, give us a tenner for it". They'll charge you more than the guitar's worth.


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## Mvotre (Aug 23, 2007)

when i scaloped the fretboard of my 7321 i asked the guy to remove the dots.. cost me something like 10 dollars.. it isnt 100% invisible, but im one who hate dots on the fretboard, and it looks a lot better. maybe i can dig a photo later


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## djpharoah (Aug 23, 2007)

Eric (7Strings) had ET Guitars do his fretboard replacement if I recall. I personally would love my RG7621 with an ebony board and white pyramids. Maybe in the future and maybe when someone closer can do it.

Freaking EKG is so close to me but dude has never responded to me.


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## xwmucradiox (Aug 23, 2007)

Isn't ET in australia?


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## ShawnFjellstad (Aug 23, 2007)

why don't you just have a custom neck made to look exactly like the j custom neck?

from the prices i'm hearing to change the fretboard, it might be cheaper.

and then you can sell the j custom neck for $$$.


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## Eric (Aug 23, 2007)

Yes ET Guitars is in Australia.

Shawn... a fretboard replacement costs about 300 USD give or take depending on who you use and has a relatively short turnaround time. A custom neck would cost three times that amount and take the better part of a year to be completed - Unless of course you go with Chris Woods which, in that case, you'd be looking at next century.


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## ShawnFjellstad (Aug 23, 2007)

7Strings said:


> Yes ET Guitars is in Australia.
> 
> Shawn... a fretboard replacement costs about 300 USD give or take depending on who you use and has a relatively short turnaround time. A custom neck would cost three times that amount and take the better part of a year to be completed - Unless of course you go with Chris Woods which, in that case, you'd be looking at next century.



it would really take that long and be that much?
 guess i need to look at more custom shop sites then...


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## Eric (Aug 23, 2007)

It takes Chris Woods a year to turn just a body around and his bodies are cut by CNC machines. A neck is far more intricate and would take even longer.


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