Fret Slotting Miter Box

This is a relatively expensive, but astonishingly well-made and useful piece of kit for any guitar-maker. Keeps the saw square, upright and true, gives consistent depths across all the frets and most importantly, makes it impossible to cut a slot out of position. Simple to use, I slotted a perfect fretboard first time. You could waste a great deal of ebony and rosewood without one of these.

Does exactly what stew mac says it does.

I bought this a couple of years ago and I've used it for many fingerboards since.It has always produced very accurate fretboards in conjunction with the fret scale. (and fretting saw)It's very sturdy construction and I've screwed it to a large plank so that it can be solidly clamped to my workbench.In order to make sure the frets are at right angles to the axis of the FB I have placed tape at either end of the fret scale and marked out the centreline so that I can line up the fingerboard blank accurately.

I also practice on getting the correct depth for the fret slot on the first cut which defines the fingerboard length. To help with this I've drawn horizontal lines across the brass adjusters so I can tell easily if both are set to make a horizontal/vertical cut. Also I use a blank that is thicker than the finished board as I found that it is remarkably easy to break the fingerboard when unsticking it from the fret scale if you are using a FB you have already cut to thickness.

Over the years I've made fifty guitars, banjos and ukuleles, measuring and doing the frets by hand. Had I but known, I would have purchased this miter box and templates years ago! They're terrific, well worth the money!

I've just entered early retirement & intend that my next vocation is that of a dedicated luthier. I don't care how good your eye-sight is, when you need to make fretboard cuts that are asked to be accurate to 1/128", its virtually impossible do it by hand. This mitre box (with scale templates) has taken all guess work out of the accuracy issue, & quickened my fret slotting process twice over. Well done on this one.

Hi,
I'm building my 2nd guitar, I've purchased this miter box because fret slotting on my 1st guitar was not a success.
I wish I had ordered this tool before, it is really handy and precise!

I have been building guitars,for about 4 years now.I have been using a different method of cutting fret boards,and decided to purchase the fret miter box and SM fret saw. It is the best purchase I made. It is both, accurate and efficient.