Floppy thumbboard

FredH · #1 09-15-2005, 02:38 PM

I asked this question in a earlier current thread "Is my fingerboard too soft or should I squeeze more?" but since it might not bee seen I thought to post it here. Please excuse my verbosity...

My FB is on the thinner side and when I play in thumb position it flexs like a tiny black diving board.

Other than having a new FB installed are there any remidies such as a brace or something of that sort?

olivier · #2 09-16-2005, 01:38 AM

How about heavy starch ?

KSB - Ken Smith · #3 09-16-2005, 04:33 AM

Putting anything under the board might damage the Top. How thick/thin are the edges of this Board above the neck?

My Gilkes has a thin board. It was shimmed to angle it higher at the Bridge but at the Nut and off the Neck it's only about 1/4" at the edge. It will be getting a new Board (Shim stays) asap. Heres a pic; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...esBass/147.jpg
All angles; http://www.kensmithbasses.com/Double...GilkesBass.htm
When the Board gets this, it MUST be replaced. The tone of the Bass will be smoother and deeper as well as play easier.

FredH · #4 09-16-2005, 02:19 PM

I'm not sure the exact thickness but I'd guess that it's 1/4 or less. The luthier who dressed the FB last said that he couldn’t take it down anymore and next time I'll have to replace it.
Although the price is somewhat of a concern the worst part is the time away.
As a temp measure I was thinking that I could attach a graphite bar under the overhanging FB to give it more rigidity.

shwashwa · #5 09-17-2005, 06:47 AM

that wont really help since the point it's bending at is where it actually leaves the neck... so you'd have to somehow extend the graphite bar under the fingerboard back into the neck somehow in order to stop that. just get a new board and ask the luthier if he has a bass you can borrow in the meantime.... alot of guy will do that for you....

Mike Crumpton · #6 09-17-2005, 05:35 PM

Sympathies - I had a bass with a stained beech fingerboard - well someone told me it was beech, but whatever it was it flexed like a fishing rod in thumb position. A real pain. Nothing can be done but throw money at it as far as the advice I got. In fact, my luthier sugested I just lived with it - so I did, and since the bass got nicked this was wise advice.

shwashwa · #7 09-17-2005, 05:45 PM

that said, i had a kind of crappy student bass with a really crappy fingerboard on it. i had david gage put a nice thick fingerboard on it, and new bridge. now it's my main gigging bass. awesome playability, and the new board really opened up the tone.. night and day. my kolstien is still my #1 over all, but for 90% of my gigs i take the other bass, and people compliment my tone all the time.