Loose Fingerboard
Watch out for a cracked neck or a Loose Fingerboard
As I'm tapping in my new frets, the last thing I want to hear is that nasty little "hollow" sound that comes from a loose fingerboard. Sometimes, on very old instruments, the act of tapping frets actually breaks an old weak glue joint. More often, though, I hear that noise because I hadn't noticed a crack under the nut, or a loose glue joint.
Nothing to do but to fix the crack:
Here's one refret operation that can't be done "on the spot" every time. The rest of the job may just have to wait until tomorrow.
Here's the classic look of a loose fingerboard, with the shredded finish at the glue line:
Occasionally, the crack is not visible until I whack the first fret or two! Now, I have some regluing, and some finish touchup to do!