glue type

[billcreller]

  I have the fret board off of a bass guitar, and wondering what type of glue I should use to glue it back on.  I removed the fret board to work on the truss rod, which was rusted right into the wood neck, and the adjusting nut hex cavity was stripped.   I did get the rod out, and tig-welded a new adjusting end for it from a socket head cap screw and cleaned the slot for the rod etc. I'm about to glue it back together and wondered about the glue.

[G._Hoffman]

 I have the fret board off of a bass guitar, and wondering what type of glue I should use to glue it back on.  I removed the fret board to work on the truss rod, which was rusted right into the wood neck, and the adjusting nut hex cavity was stripped.   I did get the rod out, and tig-welded a new adjusting end for it from a socket head cap screw and cleaned the slot for the rod etc. I'm about to glue it back together and wondered about the glue.

Tightbond.  Nothing else, unless you want to try hot hide glue (which you don't).  Please note, I did NOT say Tightbond II, Tightbond III, and I'm not talking about the hide glue that comes in bottles, but the stuff that comes in granular form.  Hide glue is marginally better, but trust me, you don't want to use it.  Really, I mean it.  Its not that hard, once you get used to it, but it takes a long time to really get used to it.  Use Tightbond.

(All that being said, any basic wood glue would be fine, but Tightbond is the most readily available, and because it tends to sell well, the bottles tend to be fresh, which is really important.  Don't use it if it is past it's expiration date.)

Whatever you do, don't even think about using any form of epoxy.  Just don't.  You deserve what you get if you use epoxy.  

Epoxy has absolutely NO place in guitar repair,
and almost no place in guitar building.  

It is the root of all evil in guitars, and if you even think about using it I will curse you to hell forever!  Don't mess with me on this one.

And the only reason I'm joking about the hell thing is because, as an atheist, I don't actually have the ability to do so.  If I could, I would.


Gabriel

[billcreller]

Thanks Gabriel.  I wasn't thinking too clear or I would have emailed you first.  Oh yeah, hell doesn't bother me either!! I'm not a believer.   Epoxy works great......for boats !!
  The Tite bond I assume is a readily available glue?  I'll look around for some, but I may have some here also.

   BILL

[G._Hoffman]

Thanks Gabriel.  I wasn't thinking too clear or I would have emailed you first.  Oh yeah, hell doesn't bother me either!! I'm not a believer.   Epoxy works great......for boats !!
  The Tite bond I assume is a readily available glue?  I'll look around for some, but I may have some here also.

   BILL

Tightbond is the most common wood glue on the market.  Just make sure of the expiration date.  They usually have it home depot, if you really need, but any good woodworking store should have plenty of it on hand.  If not, any good yellow or white wood glue, just don't buy any of the more "modern" versions - if it says water resistant or anything like that, don't use it. 

And I'd rather answer questions on the board.  Then, if anyone else asks, they can use the search key.  Plus, I seldom check my PM's and such.


Gabriel

[billcreller]

  OK, I find that I do (did) have some of that glue, and it was old/dried up.  I'll get more.

  BILL

[billcreller]

Last week I finally finished the bass for my nephew.  The glue worked great for putting the fret board back on.  The truss rod worked OK to
 adjust the neck just slightly.  I kept it straight with a straight edge while the glue dried. The nephew is happy