Glueing fretboard to neck - what glue?

[amptech]

Ok, got a project now that is somewhat beyond my skills, but fun nevertheless!

WARNING: a lot of text, sorry.. I got carried away

A while back (years?) I requested some info on the EB6 (sg shape), because I was buying an EB0 I´d convert to six strings. It´s a looooong story, but I am now in the luthier´s landscape - a dangerous place. Woodworking, glueing...
all done without my beloved soldering iron!

First, I jumped onto a bargain ebay EB0 - my first shortscale gibson. However, it turned out to be a ´63 fuzztone.
The seller, a Denmark street vintage shop(!) claimed that the unoriginal pickguard was there to hide other unoriginal mods/routings. Needless to say, I didn´t have the heart to chop it up, so I put it together as close to original as possible.

Second, I bought another 60´s EB0, this time a body husk only. When it arrived, I noticed the skinny (1967) neck.
No way to put six strings onto that nut! So it became the fretless LoZ project (which I have posted here).

Then finally I bought a beat up (but complete) 1965 EB0, wide neck and ready to go!

My dream project: EB6 in polaris white with gold hardware; ultralite tuners, schaller roller and a bigsby!
This might not sound like a lot of work, but I met some dilemmas. For starters, I decided to complete it structurally
before finishing it, to make sure I was comfy with the layout. Well, I fitted (modded) a 70´s gibson/bigsby vibrato,
bought a set of (expensive) hipshots (wrong size-1/2") and wound a couple of tall bobbin humbuckers.
The problem is, in the end it played so well and sounded so good it ended up being my main axe.
And the worn cherry finish looks so good, except it does not match the gold hardware at all!

So when I saw this really hacked up 65 EB0 on a recent auction, I got it - and yeah, HACKED up!
Finally something bad enough to refin. This will be the white EB6 with gold HW, the red one I have already collected nickel hardware for (including 3/8" ultralites with small clovers)
Actually, the ´usual neck repair´as the seller called it, was a medium scale 3 piece maple neck cut down (truss rod sticking out) , bolted on, and with the original fretboard AND MOP decals/serial glued onto it. Headstock shaped with
plastic metal and painted black. Never seen ANYTHING worse. I´m just glad he didn´t glue the neck on.

Ok, it´s a long shot - but I hope to make it play. Got a luthier to carve a maho shortscale neck, and I have now prepped everything to bare wood. I´ll post pictures when I get things more together, BUT:

TO THE POINT:
Glue seems to be up for discussion. (like oil and sparkplugs at mc foras) Got a bottle of (dare I say it) liquid hide glue, but apparently many luthiers hate this. I glued the trussrod filler strip with this, seems to be ok, but should I not use it for glueing the fingerboard to the neck?
My ´guitar repair book´recommends fresh hide glue (never used it) or regular titebond (not available nearby)
What do you guys think?   

[Rob]

DON'T use the liquid on the fretboard.
It's the same stuff they used to use in school called muselage here.
If you can't find hot hide glue in a small quantity you can use unflavored gelatin.

Hide glue isn't hard to use you just have to be set up to work quickly.  Wrap the neck in a tube of aluminium foil and blow a hairdryer into it for a bit as that will extend the set time.

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/TipsTricks/KitchenGlue/kitchenglue.html

Rob Francis

[amptech]

Thanks for the link, good reading. I´ll take some time and experiment with hide glue, then.

[Dave W]

I would never use liquid hide glue for this application. It has its uses but there have been too many reported failures in applications like this.

OTOH I wouldn't use hot hide glue for this either. It won't creep, which is great for some things. But if the item moves or flexes -- which a wooden bass neck will do -- there's a much greater chance of cracking. To my knowledge, no major manufacturer uses hide glue on necks.

(Pardon the pun) I'd stick with an aliphatic resin glue, like Titebond Original or a local equivalent. FYI, Gibson uses Titebond 50, an industrial version of original Titebond.

[amptech]

Hmm.. I´ll check if my supplier can get that titebond original. If they stock other titebond glues, there is no reason they shouldn´t. So I guess hide glue calls for some degree of skill/experience...

I hoped maybe some of the pro builders here (carlo, dr.bassman) might chime in - I´ve seen a few set necks in previous posts

[Rob]

I would never use liquid hide glue for this application. It has its uses but there have been too many reported failures in applications like this.

OTOH I wouldn't use hot hide glue for this either. It won't creep, which is great for some things. But if the item moves or flexes -- which a wooden bass neck will do -- there's a much greater chance of cracking. To my knowledge, no major manufacturer uses hide glue on necks.

(Pardon the pun) I'd stick with an aliphatic resin glue, like Titebond Original or a local equivalent. FYI, Gibson uses Titebond 50, an industrial version of original Titebond.

I don't disagree with Dave.
I tried to find out what Fender and Gibson used to use in the 60's and was told "white Glue" . . .go figure.
Hot hide can shear under stress but the more important aspect is heat.  If left in a car the hide glue fares better than most alpha;s.

[dadagoboi]

Elmer's carpenter's glue is an excellent substitute for original titebond, it's what I have been using since I started building basses including the one set neck I've built.  Zero failures.

You can buy Elmer's in the USA in small quantities which makes sure it says fresh (when I had my furniture biz I bought original Titebond in gallons).

As Dave said, aliphatic resin is what you want.  I'm sure it's available somewhere close to you.

[Lightyear]

Yep, basic yellow wood glue - the fresher the better.  I've used Titebond and Elmer's both with great success.

[amptech]

Thanks, guys!

off to work, then..

[drbassman]

I only use original Titbond for fretboards.  Works great.  Hide us better for neck joints IMHO.

[godofthunder]

 Yep Franklin's Tite Bond.

[hollowbody]

Another vote for Original Titebond.  The only thing I'd even consider using liquid hid glue for is gluing the nut in place.

[Highlander]

No hide-in-place (aka the shed) but a bottle of regular Titebond is in pride of place on the shelf...