Fingerboard

GutzBass · #1 02-05-2013, 12:00 PM

Hi everyone, I recently bought an upright but the fingerboard is kind of narrow,very short and does not get any wider as it goes closer to the bridge. So, I can't adjust the angle on the bridge,since the curve of the fingerboard is also very small. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with changing of the fingerboard,or any idea how much would it cost? Thanks in advance,and thanks to all the wise replies!

DoubleMIDI · #2 02-05-2013, 12:44 PM

A picture would help.

GutzBass · #3 02-05-2013, 03:37 PM

Here,on the second one i tried to capture the ratio but cant find the right angle...

Jake deVilliers · #4 02-05-2013, 05:40 PM

You haven't said what the problem is. The bridge is grossly overweight and will be sucking the tone right out of that bass, but what's the issue with the fingerboard, please?

robobass · #5 02-06-2013, 02:39 AM

It looks like your action is very low at the end of the board. What do you mean by flat? Are you talking about along the length? The radius looks in order, but I suspect that there is way too much relief (I just don't like the word camber). The board also seems very short. You definitely need bridge work. With a new bridge you could have the strings spaced closer together, but if your relief is way off then you might not be able to get your action right without replacing the board. Lay a long straight edge between the A and D strings and tell us how much light you see in the middle. Maybe also post a few sideview pics. Prices of new boards varies, but I'd start with >$1k as a benchmark.

GutzBass · #6 02-06-2013, 05:16 AM

Could you tell me what is relief or camber? Also,i didnt catch that light stuff with A and E. The action on the end of fingerboard is actually to high,I cant even press the string without pain in my whole arm... The bridge i did it myself since the luthier rejected the bass cause its too big..it should be narrower on top right? There is also a buzz on the g string around d to e,but i think its due to height of the nut

Eric Hochberg · #7 02-06-2013, 07:16 AM

From the side shot, it looks like there is very little neck angle so the FB it's almost flat against the top? If this is so, that's a major problem that needs to be corrected. If you mean the luthier rejected installing the bridge because it is the wrong size, you probably should have taken his advice and gotten the correct size bridge for the bass.

Camber or relief refers to the amount of dip, warp or bend in the fingerboard as you look from the side.

Straight = l compared to relief = (

Less camber makes the bass easier to play as there is less distance between the string and board.

It sounds like you are new to all of this, and that you really jumped into a big ole can of worms with this bass. May I suggest you read the newbie links on buying a bass.

This should also be moved to "setup and repair".

Greg Clinkingbeard · #8 02-06-2013, 08:04 AM

First things first. It looks to me like there is a problem at the neck joint. Is the neck loose? If so, getting that fixed will change everything so that needs to be addressed before proceeding.

robobass · #9 02-06-2013, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

From the side shot, it looks like there is very little neck angle so the FB it's almost flat against the top? If this is so, that's a major problem that needs to be corrected. If you mean the luthier rejected installing the bridge because it is the wrong size, you probably should have taken his advice and gotten the correct size bridge for the bass.

Camber or relief refers to the amount of dip, warp or bend in the fingerboard as you look from the side.

Straight = l compared to relief = (

Less camber makes the bass easier to play as there is less distance between the string and board.

It sounds like you are new to all of this, and that you really jumped into a big ole can of worms with this bass. May I suggest you read the newbie links on buying a bass.

This should also be moved to "setup and repair".

+1 to all of the above, excepting one thing. A very low cambered board tends to make the bass easier to play in the lower positions, but at the expense of thumb position string height. From the photo, it looks like the strings are low if anything at the end of the board.

Yes, it looks like the neck angle is way off. The camber doesn't look like a big problem, although one cannot make a precise prognosis from a photo. You really need to get this thing to a proper bass specialist. Where do you live? We can make recommendations!

Note on "camber": Most luthiers apply the term to the slight concavity in a fingerboard along its length, and "radius" as the curvature across its width. I always thought of "camber" as applying to a cross radius, like on a road surface, but a bit of Wikipedia shows that the term is applied in different ways depending on context. So, CAMBER it is!

GutzBass · #10 02-06-2013, 09:06 AM

He rejected it beacuse his workshop is to small,he didnt have space for the bass :/
Should I just order a neck with fingerboard and have it set up by a pro? I read the newbie threads but after I purchased it...

GutzBass · #11 02-06-2013, 09:10 AM

I live in Croatia,doubt you heard of it,across the Italy...if you know a luthier somewhere in austria or some nearby country that would be a miracle!

Eric Hochberg · #12 02-06-2013, 09:39 AM

Mikman on this forum might have some info for you on bass shops. Contact him as he is very helpful. I don't think I would get in any deeper with this bass, sell it and get one that is ready to play.

GutzBass · #13 02-06-2013, 12:49 PM

Thanks to all replies folks,you are very helpful!