Acoustic Guitar Construction

3 years ago a small Wisconsin music store had a basement full of scrap Martin parts. These Fret boards were in there but the slots were for smaller tangs & the photo shows it not completely cut to the end. (almost like bound Fret Board)
I thought I would post this, I have never seen anything cut like this before unless it was a bound Fret board.
Also, the thickness of the slot looks like it's for 18-20 thousandth Fret wire. I'm trying my first time to post a photo and re-size it.
What do you think...has anyone ever seen Fret boards like this?

(The first photo, the one on the left has a NORMAL Fret slot, next to it is slotted for smaller Fret tangs.) I've been sawing them to correct the width.

(The second photo shows them not fully cut to the end, like a bound Fret board.)

~LB

About three or so years ago Martin went from slot saws for cutting the fret channels to a routing system. The new system, as you mention, leaves a built in binding feature. The advantage is that as the board shrinks over time the fret ends "do not" become exposed with the possibility of a sharp corner.

Faux bound fretboards are popular amongst the CNC crowd.
The small slot could have simply been a mistake. Martin doesn't sell their first quality stuff so these were rejected because the slots were too narrow.

I love the slots cut like that.

Thanks guys, These slots that are narrow are not a mistake, the basement had hundreds of necks, bridges, and fretboards. You can see Martin marked were the cracks and worm holes were. The 1833 shop used to sell fret wire down to .018 , but stopped. THis is some of the werid things I had to go though that I didn't see on any forum. Just wait I have more.... LB.

Not a mistake you say? Well I'll be! That's the second time this century I have been wrong!!