Help! My beautiful bass is getting ravaged by Roundwounds!

Shane LePage · #1 08-05-2011, 10:15 AM

So I will give a quick rundown of my situation. I bought myself a Warwick 5-string fretless corvette standard bass (Absolutely the best $550 I ever spent) but I noticed that the roundwounds I'm using are tearing away slowly at the fretboard. I play Metal/Grunge/Punk stuff and I play with my fingers mostly, I also do a lot of slap. I also use that Heavy Metal fingering style where I bounce the string off the fretboard. Basically (no pun intended) my style is aggressive and not very forgiving on my fretboard, but I love the tone that my technique and set up give me, at the same time its not worth damaging my bass.

I've thought about 2 solutions:
1)Switch to flatwounds which would be less damaging.
2)Cover the fretboard in epoxy like Jaco to protect it.

My concerns are how will this affect my tone? Which would be better suited for my desired tone and the style in which I play?

I have trouble coming out in the mix as it is and I don't want to lose my awesome level of Mwah and Growl I got going now.

Please Help me! I need some awesome advice!!!

Handyman · #2 08-05-2011, 10:19 AM

I'd try flats first, since that's going to be much easier to do, and is 100% reversible. If that doesn't do it for you, you can explore more permanent options.

burgerdj · #3 08-05-2011, 11:22 AM

I had a very similar situation with a similar bass (a '95 Corvette) and found that flatwounds completely changed the tone and feel. If you want to retain the mwah and growl of the fretless, you'll have to use roundwounds or perhaps ground/halfwounds. I found that Elixer strings were much easier on the fingerboard as were DR sunbeams and highbeams (both have round cores). Good luck!

95svtcobra · #4 08-05-2011, 11:26 AM

I had a 4 string Corvette fretless that I did the epoxy / coating thing to.

I LOVED the results. The fretboard looked awesome and it survived some very aggressive string work.

I would recommend finding someone VERY familiar with the procedure and if possible see some of his/her results first.

I think it cost me $200-300...can't remember if that included strings and a setup when I paid.....it was about 5 years ago too.

Hope this helps

Jeff

chuck norriss · #5 08-05-2011, 11:32 AM

There are some good flatwound comparisons on tb, even with sound clips. Hopefully you can find one to your liking--one most like the rounds you're using now. With the right set of flats & some proper equalization you should be able to carry on without losing your legs. Of course it isn't going to sound exactly like the rounds.

**TheEmptyCell** · #6 08-05-2011, 12:29 PM

It will take years of aggressive playing before your fingerboard will need to be resurfaced. With a hard board like wenge you should be able to play rounds on it for a while. That said, polyurethane or epoxy is your best choice, just get it done by a pro.

**crustychef** · #7 08-05-2011, 12:57 PM

I use DR Sunbeams on my fretless Streamer. Plenty of mwah and easier on the fretboard. I have also used Black Beauties with great results as well. I play very aggressively with as well.

SLaPiNFuNK · #8 08-05-2011, 01:12 PM

Explore pressure wounds or half rounds...

Jay2U · #9 08-05-2011, 06:45 PM

It is clear to me that you like the sound produced by your playing technique and round wound strings. A professionally applied coating, being notably more durable than the original fretboard, may cost as much as replacing the fretboard, or maybe the entire neck. Replacing the strings by flats would really change the sound. I'd just play on and enjoy the sound. It's just like with so many things we use, they wear.

TrevorOfDoom · #10 08-05-2011, 06:51 PM

when i played a fretless i had a similar problem. the solution was not so simple: if you like the tone, it may be worth it to simply replane or replace the fingerboard occasionally. i've heard that applying epoxy will change the tone a bit, and i didn't want to chance it.
could be wrong, though.

mikezimmerman · #11 08-05-2011, 06:54 PM

Flats will completely change your sound, in a way that I don't think you'd like (judging from your description of what you like). Epoxying the board will also change your sound, but only to emphasize more of what you like. I'd go with the epoxy in a heartbeat...

SLaPiNFuNK · #12 08-05-2011, 07:04 PM

you are going to get really close to rounds using Pressure Wounds (aka Compressors)...

darkstorm · #13 08-06-2011, 09:47 PM

Use less course strings. If your useing and like Rotosound swing 66 try DR neons or sunbeams. Sunbeams are closer to rotosounds for tonal balance and neons are little bit brighter. Neons are coated strings so they will give less wear to fretbaord. Sunbeams are a good deal smoother then rotosounds so would also produce less wear. Best course of action besides less abrassive roundwounds, is also learn to be less forcefull with your playing technique, you dont sound better that way actually and its a lot harder to do various nuances for expressiveness to imo. Flats are not the answer, only roundwounds regular or coated will give you roundwound tone.

fretlessguy · #14 08-06-2011, 11:38 PM

After seeing your situation, and thinking about how similar mine was, I thought about your options and have a few to add.
They are:
1.Go Flatwound. Reading about your style and aggressive playing, flats would be good. I'd recommend DAddario Chromes since they are a little brighter, and a tighter tension. Fender Flats are similar(and cheaper). I'm not so sure they'd fit your style in the long run.
Groundwound and halfrounds are similar, but started life as rounds and were ground down to a flat string, thus having features soundwise of both. They can be tension heavy, even in the lighter gauges. D'Addario Halfrounds, GHS Brite flats.

2. Go rounds. Sure, why use a string type that is already playing havoc with your board? You can buy rounds that are smoother such as:
a. DR Sunbeams.
b. Fender 7150 pure nickel strings.
Both these are really smooth and will be less wear on the board. You will still need to do some maintinance, or maybe even fretboard replacement, but it will be later than sooner. Tapewounds are another possibility, but i do not know if they would fit your sound. They are quite fun to play, however.

3. Pressurewound (compressed) strings:
These strings are rounds as well, but they have been literally squashed with rollers to give them a very smooth surface. GHS Pressurewounds are my favorite in this category.
Like halfround/ground wound strings, they have the lower sound of a flat but the singing "mwah' of a roundwound.

4. Coating the board: Good idea if you intend on sticking with rounds. Can be expensive. It can evevtually wear off, making it necessary to strip off remainder and redo again. Will give the bass a brighter sound and less woody (which may or may not be to your liking).

So, those are your options. The choice is yours, and best of luck with whatever you decide to do. As for me, I put flats or pressurewounds on rosewood necks since the wood is softer, and nickel plated smooth rounds on ebony since it is harder and less likely to wear down.

spiltcoil · #15 08-07-2011, 11:20 PM

Try sunbeams.

JTE · #16 08-08-2011, 08:22 AM

So you use an aggressive physical approach that's hard on the fingerboard (paraphrasing the first post), and you don't like what it's doing to the fingerboard. So YOU gotta decide- is the sound you want or the way you want to play more important than your $550 bass?

For ME the ultimate criteria is the sound. I use rounds on fretless ebony boards and the wear is part of the cost of doing business.

John

baileyboy · #17 08-08-2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shane LePage

So I will give a quick rundown of my situation. I bought myself a Warwick 5-string fretless corvette standard bass (Absolutely the best $550 I ever spent) but I noticed that the roundwounds I'm using are tearing away slowly at the fretboard. I play Metal/Grunge/Punk stuff and I play with my fingers mostly, I also do a lot of slap. I also use that Heavy Metal fingering style where I bounce the string off the fretboard. Basically (no pun intended) my style is aggressive and not very forgiving on my fretboard, but I love the tone that my technique and set up give me, at the same time its not worth damaging my bass.

I've thought about 2 solutions:
1)Switch to flatwounds which would be less damaging.
2)Cover the fretboard in epoxy like Jaco to protect it.

My concerns are how will this affect my tone? Which would be better suited for my desired tone and the style in which I play?

I have trouble coming out in the mix as it is and I don't want to lose my awesome level of Mwah and Growl I got going now.

Please Help me! I need some awesome advice!!!

Half rounds are a good compromise between flats and rounds.