Ariana AF-15 Folk Guitar - Part 5

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

The Home Stretch

Today is January 28, 2026, and I've just finished setting up this Ariana AF-15 Folk Guitar with D'Addario EZ890 strings. Not much needed to be done to get to this stage. There was bridge and fretboard conditioning, a few rounds of body polishing, and setup. Speaking of setup, I did have to tighten the truss rod a tad and also lower the saddle slightly. Now, you know I could not resist taking a few pics for posterity, so here they are. There's also a Soundcloud file you can listen to.  

Conditioning the Bridge With Lemon Oil

Conditioning the Fretboard With Lemon Oil

Polishing the Body

D'Addario EZ890 Strings

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 1

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 2

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 3

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 4

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 5

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 6

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 7

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 8

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 9

Ariana AF-15 Photo Shoot - Image 10

  

Ariana AF-15 Folk Guitar - Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Cleaning the Fretboard and Frets

It's December 16, 2025, and we've just begun to whip this Ariana AF-15 Folk Guitar back into shape. We'll start with the frets, then. After repeated scrubbing with 0000 steel wool and lots of elbow grease, most of the crud has been removed. This allows us to move on to the grimy fretboard. No pussyfooting here, folks. The grime is so deeply ingrained that only a blade will be of any use. And so a scraping do we go, followed by more scrubbing with 3M Scotch-Brite Pads and cleanup with naphtha.

Fretboard and Frets Before Cleaning

Scrubbing the Frets

Scraping the Fretboard

Maroon 3M Scotch-Brite Pad in Use

Cleanup With Naphtha

Here's the Result

Replacing the Tuners

The stock "trapezoid" tuners need to be replaced, and I've found a decent set of Chinese sealed tuners (Longteam GM-01).There's no information about gear ratio and such, but they feel solid and turn smoothly enough. The new tuners, however, will not fit into the existing holes as they're 10 mm in diameter, while the holes are 6 mm. So, out comes my trusty reamer, and now everything fits nicely. I also have to plug the existing screw holes, drill new ones, and install the new tuners. 

Stock Tuners Disassembled

Replacement Tuners

New Tuner Does Not Fit

Reaming a Tuner Hole

The Tuner Now Fits Nicely

Reaming Completed

Existing Screw Holes Plugged

New Tuners Installed - Image 1

New Tuners Installed - Image 2

Adonis Acoustic Overhaul - Part 5

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Folks, you might recall (Part 4) that the bridge on this Adonis Acoustic was reglued to the top on December 26, 2025. Well, the clamps have been removed, and we're into the home stretch. You know, I've never really done anything to the frets or fretboard thus far, so let's start with that. The frets, though badly tarnished, are in fairly good shape. All they need is a good clean and polish. The grimy fretboard, meanwhile, is crying out for a good scraping and conditioning. That being said, let's give it a go.

Cleaning the Frets

Scraping the Fretboard

Here's the Result

Deep Cleaning the Fretboard With Naphtha

We also need to install new tuners. There's no need to enlarge the holes, as they're already 10 mm in diameter. However, the troublesome low and high E tuner screws need to be pried free beforehand, the resulting cavities plugged, and new screw holes drilled.

Low E Tuner Screw Extracted

High E Tuner Screw Extracted

Resulting Cavities Plugged

New Tuners Installed - Image 1

New Tuners Installed - Image 2

With the tuner issue addressed, let's move back to the fretboard. As it's been scraped and cleaned with naphtha, all that's left is to condition it with some lemon oil. And, as the bridge is even drier than the fretboard, I've also treated it to a generous dose of that wonderful elixir.

Fretboard Conditioned With Lemon Oil

Bridge Gets the Same Treatment

Now, as this guitar has just undergone a bridge reglue, we'll not stress it with regular gauge strings. Instead, it's been set up with D'Addario EZ890s (9 - 45), a tip I learned from local session ace Aduka Sariat. Muchas gracias, Aduka. Well then, our Adonis is now ready for a photo shoot. It isn't all that pretty, no doubt, but it sounds alright to these ears. Go ahead, then. Click the link and listen to this Adonis on Soundcloud.

D'Addario EZ890 Strings

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 1

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 2

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 3

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 4

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 5

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 6

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 7

Adonis Photo Shoot - Image 8

Yamaha Pacifica PAC612VIIFMX - Part 7

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8

Fret Dressing

As can be clearly seen in Part 5, this Yamaha Pacifica PAC612VI needs fret work, specifically fret dressing. As regular readers of this blog would by now be familiar with this process, I shall not bore anyone with a blow-by-blow account of proceedings. 'Nuff said, then. Let's look at some pictures.

Fret Tops Marked With Permanent Marker

Initial Leveling With a Sanding Beam

Low Spots in Black

Initial Leveling Completed

Final Leveling With Sharpening Stones

Checking With a Fret Rocker

Recrowning the Frets

Rounding Off Tops of Frets

Abrading the Frets

Fret Dressing Completed

Cleaning the Fretboard