front inlay question... HELP

[soontobedead]

hey, folks! so, i was REALLY into the idea of defretting my 6-string and fill the slots w/ dark filler (rosewood fingerboard), so i was waiting till next week to send to the local luthier to do it. As usual, i was checking around the boards and saw a post by philbiker claiming that defretting a FB with inlays in the front instead of the side (like fretless basses have) is a no-no because they are not properly aligned with the notes, thus rendering the bass harmful to my technique and aesthetically unpleasant. I really can't afford another neck (plus, getting a 6-string one here in my country is like finding a needle in a haystack and getting a Warmoth is out of the question), so i wondered if the there is something i can do with it. PLEASE, help ... my heart sinks every time i check those inlays

[soontobedead]

no one?

[BurningSkies]

If you use contrasting color material to fill the fret slots you should be OK. Then you can visually reference the fret slots as opposed to the side or front dots.

[ehque]

+1 to that. your bass wont look much like a fretless, but it'll be a fretless nontheless. there really isnt any other way.

[Hambone]

Originally Posted by soontobedead

hey, folks! so, i was REALLY into the idea of defretting my 6-string and fill the slots w/ dark filler (rosewood fingerboard), so i was waiting till next week to send to the local luthier to do it. As usual, i was checking around the boards and saw a post by philbiker claiming that defretting a FB with inlays in the front instead of the side (like fretless basses have) is a no-no because they are not properly aligned with the notes, thus rendering the bass harmful to my technique and aesthetically unpleasant. I really can't afford another neck (plus, getting a 6-string one here in my country is like finding a needle in a haystack and getting a Warmoth is out of the question), so i wondered if the there is something i can do with it. PLEASE, help ... my heart sinks every time i check those inlays

Philbiker has always held this position. He believes that an unpleasant "look" negates the value of this modification.

You can pop out the dots if you want - just drill them out with a small diameter bit and then stick something in the hole and pry to the side. The dot should come out easily. If you have a dark fretboard, you can just fill the dot with Superglue and sand smooth. It will look dark just as if it had been filled with matching filler. If your fretboard is light, make some matching wood plugs for the filler and glue them in. These will be a little more visible than the black version but from your viewing angle, they won't interfere with your playing.