modulus owners.. where to go for re-dressing..

diechris · #1 10-30-2006, 02:21 AM

this one is for all you modulus owners.. in the next year or so i want to get new frets for my modulus flea bass.. where do you guys take your modulus to get the new frets? i dont want to take it to any old shop... it doesnt seem like a normal fretting job.. as the neck would need to be refinished also.. i talked to a guy here.. and he never did graphite necks... and recommended me buying a replacment fender neck instead.... pretty lame.. so im definately not taking it to him... location isnt really a problem.. i'd mail my bass out if i had to.. i'd preffer it to be in the las vegas area if possible..

202dy · #2 10-30-2006, 05:28 AM

Frets are frets. With a few exceptions they are made of nickel-silver in a tee cross section with various barb widths, heights, and widths. There are several different ways to install them. But they're still just frets.

Fingerboards are fingerboards be they rosewood, maple, ebony, pau ferro, phenolic or some other exotica. They have small kerfs, usually referred to as "fret slots", sawed in them at various points at various widths and depths.

All the work to be performed on any of the above utilizes the same basic techniques. If your guy doesn't know that he shouldn't be your guy. You've already determined that by his ridiculous response to your questions.

Refinishing a neck is usually pretty straight forward. Again, it comes down to materials and methods. Unless there are chunks missing it is just shoot, level, and buff. BTW, why do you want to have the neck refinished?

diechris · #3 10-30-2006, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 202dy

Frets are frets. With a few exceptions they are made of nickel-silver in a tee cross section with various barb widths, heights, and widths. There are several different ways to install them. But they're still just frets.

Fingerboards are fingerboards be they rosewood, maple, ebony, pau ferro, phenolic or some other exotica. They have small kerfs, usually referred to as "fret slots", sawed in them at various points at various widths and depths.

All the work to be performed on any of the above utilizes the same basic techniques. If your guy doesn't know that he shouldn't be your guy. You've already determined that by his ridiculous response to your questions.

Refinishing a neck is usually pretty straight forward. Again, it comes down to materials and methods. Unless there are chunks missing it is just shoot, level, and buff. BTW, why do you want to have the neck refinished?

well there's a clear gloss that covers the entire neck right up to the corner of the fretboard... so if the frets were taken out.. there would be chips where all the frets were...

im not sure if im explaining that good... if you look on the side of the fretboard.. you can see frets sitting in the slots.. and theres a gloss over those.
so if they were taken out.. im guessing id be good to have the neck re-done..

i was just making sure that i didnt need to find a specific shop that could work with a graphite neck. i'll look up whos the best in las vegas when i get there.

diechris · #4 10-30-2006, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joshua

Were it me, I'd drop an email to Modulus for their feedback. When I needed my fretless Zon board touched up due to a little wear, I didn't mess around. Straight back to Joe it went, and he did a wonderful job.

that was my first thought... although last time i tried to contact them about something they didnt answer phone calls or emails..

im waiting on a response from them now.

EDIT* maybe i should consider a Zon for my next bass..

202dy · #5 10-30-2006, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by diechris

well there's a clear gloss that covers the entire neck right up to the corner of the fretboard... so if the frets were taken out.. there would be chips where all the frets were...

im not sure if im explaining that good... if you look on the side of the fretboard.. you can see frets sitting in the slots.. and theres a gloss over those.
so if they were taken out.. im guessing id be good to have the neck re-done..

The fret ends can be seen on all unbound basses and guitars. The frets are removed by working a tool under the edges of the fret crown and "walking" the fret out of the kerf. In other words, the fret is being "pulled" straight up out of the board. Rarely is the lacquer on the playing surface damaged, with the exception of older Fender maple boards that were fretted first then lacquered. And even on those boards there are ways to prevent that from happening. Sometimes when the frets are removed the lacquer on the side of the fingerboard is disturbed. When that occurs the repairman does a drop fill. A good repair tech will choose the drop fill material according to the finish on the instrument. In the case of the Modulus neck, and anything else that is finish with a high tech material, it is typical to use super glue. Medium viscosity super glue is dabbed onto the edge of the fingerboard and is "accelerated" with a spritz of a quick drying hardener. The resulting lump of glue is then leveled, sanded, and buffed. When done by a competent tech you will never know that the original lacquer was chipped. Refinishing the entire neck is unnecessary.

HTH

diechris · #6 10-30-2006, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 202dy

The fret ends can be seen on all unbound basses and guitars. The frets are removed by working a tool under the edges of the fret crown and "walking" the fret out of the kerf. In other words, the fret is being "pulled" straight up out of the board. Rarely is the lacquer on the playing surface damaged, with the exception of older Fender maple boards that were fretted first then lacquered. And even on those boards there are ways to prevent that from happening. Sometimes when the frets are removed the lacquer on the side of the fingerboard is disturbed. When that occurs the repairman does a drop fill. A good repair tech will choose the drop fill material according to the finish on the instrument. In the case of the Modulus neck, and anything else that is finish with a high tech material, it is typical to use super glue. Medium viscosity super glue is dabbed onto the edge of the fingerboard and is "accelerated" with a spritz of a quick drying hardener. The resulting lump of glue is then leveled, sanded, and buffed. When done by a competent tech you will never know that the original lacquer was chipped. Refinishing the entire neck is unnecessary.

HTH

awesome!!! thanks for the info there

pickles · #7 11-01-2006, 07:38 AM

If the bass has a trussrod, then you might be able to find a "normal" tech to do the work. If it doesn't then the fret leveling takes special skills and I wouldn't trust just anyone.

Send it to Jerry Dorsch (search this forum for his contact info).

You'll be lucky to ever hear back from Modulus.