How about a metal fingerboard?

lemur821 · #1 06-24-2004, 05:37 PM

I defretted my bass some time ago, but I never filled in the slots. It seemed to play fine as it was. Well, now I'd like a smoother fingerboard, and I thought it might be neat to plop a metal surface on my current fingerboard. I'm thinking it would have a nice sharp slap tone. What do you guys think? Would it buzz too much?

Skips · #2 06-24-2004, 11:43 PM

There's a French company that does that.

Make sure you attach it well. I just made a fingerboard with paduak under a thin layer of galvanized steel, and used epoxy to attach it to the maple neck. A month later, it fell off!

Trevorus · #3 06-24-2004, 11:51 PM

You might just consider filling the slots, and then coating the fretboard with mylar. Works very well, as I have heard. And not very difficult to apply.

pilotjones · #4 06-25-2004, 07:18 AM

Definitely possible...

McHack · #5 06-25-2004, 07:39 AM

Some how, it just seems.... I dunno, unnatural comes to mind.

Mon Rominee · #6 06-25-2004, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McHack

Some how, it just seems.... I dunno, unnatural comes to mind.

As so many said about Steinbergers and graphite necks...

McHack · #7 06-25-2004, 07:57 AM

True, but I never found Steinbergers to be THAT odd... This just weirds me out... I can only imagine its GOTTA sound thin & tinny.

Mon Rominee · #8 06-25-2004, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McHack

tinny.

Now there's a pun.

Naw doood, it sounds METUL!

And people thought Kramer was daft in the 70's with the 300...

I could go either way with this issue. In order to get the metal board to work with the wood, you'd have to do something to prep the underside or any mating surface mind you, so that the adhesive could create a proper mechanical bond. Metal just isn't that porous in that the glue can adhere properly.

Couldn't even begin to tell ya how to prep it, but it would definitely be key.

Vaccaro uses a T-bar system with a back wood shell for the neck...look into how they do it.

McHack · #9 06-25-2004, 08:43 AM

LOL...

Adhesion is the other reason this weirds me out... for all the reasons you listed, Mon. I just KNOW in 6months, the FB would fall off.

Wait wait, it just occurred to me. This HAS to be how its done. The FB has to be a single forge slab of say, stainless steel, aluminum seems soft to me, but maybe that's why you'd use it. Anyway, whatever metal is being worked, they probably have threaded screw holes forged right to the underside of the FB.

Then, a series of small holes could be drilled into the actually neck, where it could be screwed on. Of course, you KNOW it would rattle, unless you put some cushioning material between the neck & the metal fb.

Mon Rominee · #10 06-25-2004, 08:46 AM

Or gallons of lock-tite. V:O)

Then you could BONDO the screwcaps.

Bass Kahuna · #11 06-25-2004, 10:27 AM

There is a company that sells granite fingeboards. I had the URL to their site, lemme see if I can find it (there was another thread here about them a while back, I'll see if I can find that, too..)

:^)~

Mon Rominee · #12 06-25-2004, 10:32 AM

is it http://www.nexus-guitars.com/models/...gergstone.html ???

Bass Kahuna · #13 06-25-2004, 10:34 AM

Ya beat me to it, but yeup, that's the one!

:^)~

Mon Rominee · #14 06-25-2004, 10:36 AM

I think that's a really neat idea.

For rock. Hardy har har.

**rickbass** · #15 06-25-2004, 10:41 AM

Andreas makes aluminum fretboards.

At one time, I took aluminum foil and put it on my Precis's fretboard for fun back in the 70. It was just too "metallic" with my roundwound, stainless steel strings.

But you never know till you try.

pilotjones · #16 06-25-2004, 10:42 AM

I think the fingerboard would have to be glued. Bolting wouldn't give sufficient contact for even tone across the surface.

A steel fingerboard thick enough to tap useful blind holes into would be too heavy.

Aluminum could not be used because of wear, possibly unless it was hardcoat anodized. Stainless steel is very good with wear though. As I imagine granite would be.

McHack · #17 06-25-2004, 11:44 AM

Yea, granite is REALLY interesting to me...

Mon Rominee · #18 06-25-2004, 12:49 PM

Not if yer gonna bang yer head against that too.

No granite for you!

elros · #19 06-25-2004, 02:35 PM

I knew I had seen this somewhere, and check it out:

I saw it in the '96-'97 buyers guide, it's called Born To Rock

but not only is the fretboard aluminum, but the rest also....
http://www.webcorp.com/btr/btr.htm

neptoon · #20 06-25-2004, 02:55 PM

one of the guys here, christoph h., has a lefay remington steele with the steel board and he had some sound clips posted...thin and tinny, it was NOT...it actually sounded really sweet...nice basses