First defret job.

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by JLS

Is this a real post? It's not a joke?

Here's a close up of Bill Wyman's fretless bass - looks like the OP is not too far off.

[tabdog]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

So - yes, it's a total hack job. It looks quite bad. But it may function.

I advise against using putty or anything compressible to fill the lines, as it may eventually allow the neck to bow forward. But using it would be of quality equal to the rest of the work. Veneer or solid plastic is a much preferable filler.

Before taking on such a project, it's very easy to search threads here and find good advice on how to do it on the web. The result of failing to do this is a neck with no value and bad appearance.

He ain't even finished and you are calling it a hack job.
Of course it looks bad. It ain't finished.

I figured it out myself. I did my first one around 1972.
There was no internet and I couldn't afford to have
someone else do it. I've used lots of stuff as filler and
never had a problem with neck bowing forward. Never
had any good advice and my necks have value and a
nice appearance.

I've heard people say that it will weaken the neck. I've
never seen any proof of that. There's always lots of nay
sayers about folks doing their own defretting.

If you want to do it, do it. If you are a cluts, you may
screw up. Otherwise, it is an easy and economical
way to get into fretless.

I would take these nay sayers with a grain of salt.

Tabdog

[Scott in Dallas]

Funny how one of the most famous fretless basses in history was a hackjob, if legend can be believed.

5StringThunder, that neck looked pretty torn up before you started. A little bit of sanding should clean it up pretty nicely. Good luck.

[Jo6Pak]

at least the OP is giving it a shot and i'll give him credit for that. perhaps it will all work out in the end. even if it doesn't, he will have learned what NOT to do the next time...

[FunkMetalBass]

If he sands it down a little more (maybe 1/32 - 1/16 off the top), it will probably end up looking pretty clean.

[Scott in Dallas]

Sometimes having the courage to start is the most important step.

[5StringThunder]

Sanded down nice and smooth.

[5StringThunder]

Stained.

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Looks better than most of us expected. But more importantly, How does it play??

[CauliColin]

That's a shiny neck.
Good job on the defret, it looks wonderful!

[5StringThunder]

The pic is from right after I put the stain on, it's a nice deep rosewood color. I need to do a little work to it to set it up the way I like, but it plays great already and sounds killer!

[omnimutant]

What size radius Block did you use? I'm currently doing similar work on my old SR800.

[5StringThunder]

16". I think the neck was originally a 14", by I prefer it a little flatter.

[BassLife77]

don't forget to lower the nut. sand the bottom across a block, you don't have to touch the slots. this is VERY important to prevent buzzing at the first fretline

[5StringThunder]

I did. I need to a little but more though.

[5StringThunder]

I'm getting Buzz the higher up the neck I go. The neck appears to be perfectly straight. Any ideas?

[JLS]

This is the wrong way to do this; each slot needs to be dealt with, individually.

I'm getting Buzz the higher up the neck I go. The neck appears to be perfectly straight. Any ideas?

Defretting ?

[2meterbassman]

Hi there,

30 years ago, I defretted the neck of my Ibanez Jazz Bass copy.
It had a maple neck, maple fretboard.
I took the frets out with regular pincers.
I filled the slots with wood putty.
I sanded it, at last with 00000.
Lacquered with special boat paint, clear, 3 times with a brush, sanding it between each step, finishing with 00000 steel wool.
I lowered the nut.

Result: perfect.

[BassLife77]

Originally Posted by 5StringThunder

I'm getting Buzz the higher up the neck I go. The neck appears to be perfectly straight. Any ideas?

you might have to lower it more. I did my own fretless job and have zero buzz. before I lowered the nut it was buzz city at the first fretline on all the strings

[Lowactnsatsfctn]

Originally Posted by 5StringThunder

I'm getting Buzz the higher up the neck I go. The neck appears to be perfectly straight. Any ideas?

Check the finger board with a straight edge while the strings are in tension.