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De-lining a Fretless?

S

Skabasskid

Mar 6, 2011
179
6
#1
Is there any relatively simple way that I can take the lines off of the board of my fretless bass?

I'm playing on a schecter stiletto studio-5FL and I love it, but I hate the lines on the fingerboard! anybody know how i could get rid of those pesky lines?

Thanks so much!
 
#4
Big B. said:
Thats actually not a bad idea. I was gonna say either replace the board or sand it flat and glue a new half thickness board on top of it but the black epoxy sounds like a winner.
Click to expand...

And it sounds cheap!! :hyper::hyper::hyper::hyper:

I'm thinking a very thin layer of black epoxy, then sand it down and maybe coat it?

But what should I coat it with? :confused:
 
#7
I've got the same bass, and while I love the bass, except for a bit of neck dive, the lines are tacky. If you get rid of the lines on the face, you might want to make sure you keep the markers on the side of the neck. Would you have to sand the neck first to get the epoxy to stick well? I'm sure there are plenty of epoxy tutorials on the boards or youtubes, but I'm curious what the consensus is.
 
#8
Is the fingerboard wood, or is it composite?

If it's unfinished wood, just wipe it clean with some naphtha or mineral spirits, let it dry, then mask off the edge (to keep your side dots and not damage the neck finish). :D

Mix your epoxy according to the instructions, add black dye if necessary, then brush it on in long strokes. If there are bubbles, you may have to use a hair dryer to warm the still-wet epoxy, allowing the bubbles to rise to the surface. Apply a fee coats this way, then wet-sand to whatever gloss level you prefer. I've used System 3 epoxy, but I hear that West System works just as well.
 
#10
What are the lines? Plastic? Wood? A surface application? What is the fingerboard material?

I would think those answers would be important to what you decide to do. black leather dye is probably the most simple way to hide the lines but it depends on the materials.
 
#11
FBB Custom said:
What are the lines? Plastic? Wood? A surface application? What is the fingerboard material?

I would think those answers would be important to what you decide to do. black leather dye is probably the most simple way to hide the lines but it depends on the materials.
Click to expand...

To the best of my knowledge, it is a wood fingerboard with epoxy inserts for the lines.
 
#14
If you like the idea of epoxy then you can do that on top of any wood. Sand back the surface so there is no oil left on the board if it has been oiled (it probably has). Epoxy is going to be the treatment that requires more patience to do a good job.

The alternative is dying the board. This will retain the feel of it. It's important to know what the lines are made from so you will know what happens if you use a dye. Plastic will probably not take dye well, if at all. I have seen people stain a rosewood board to make the lines less prominent while retaining the grain of the rosewood. Your other option would be to use the black leather dye that Stew Mac sells and make it look like ebony. My experience with that dye is that it works on a variety of materials and is extremely black. Your board will look like ebony and if the line material accepts the dye they will be pretty invisible.
 
#15
Most of these ideas are plausable, and if you are looking for a cheap fix, plenty to choose from. If done properly, you will use a razor saw or slotting saw to remove the lines and fill with a similar colored wood then radius block sand the board and oil or finish, but that is to what level you want the job completed.
 

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