Hi - I hope you all can offer some advice.
I have a mid-80's Fender Jazz Special fretless 4-string. It's a Precision body with a Jazz neck, maple neck with an unfinished rosewood fingerboard. It was my main bass for a long time. I use roundwounds on it, so the rosewood gets chewed up.
I've had the neck planed once already several years back, and it needs another planing - but I'm not sure there's really enough fingerboard to do it. Plus, it's expensive if you want it done right (in the $300 range).
So I'm not sure what to do.
I think my options are:
* buy a new fingerboard (perhaps ebony or a composite) and have someone replace the old one. I understand this is also fairly expensive. I'm not the world's most experienced woodworker, so I'm not sure about doing this work myself.
* buy a new neck (I eyed ones at Warmoth, wenge/ebony, I think) and have someone replace it. After reading in this forum all about the precision required to do it, and the need for a drill press, and how you shouldn't use wood screws but those other thingamajigs
- I figured I also should have someone do this too.
* buy a new bass and be done with it. I mean, I like the bass. I've played on some good records with it, I've done some memorable gigs with it; but it's also pretty beat up, and I don't think it's worth much particularly, and hey - I'm always up for a new bass.
I should add - no offense is intended regarding the cost of doing this work. I understand it's a craft, and if done right. repairs can last for a long, long time - my last planing, for example. I have nothing but respect for anyone that knows how to do this stuff, and I don't begrudge anybody a dime they earn doing it. That said - it's kind-of an opportunity cost question, really.
Are there other options that will fix the problem that I've overlooked? Or options that won't cost me $500?
Thanks for any thoughts.
