I just removed the frets from an Ibanez acoustic bass. The fret slots seem to be .025 inches wide. Where can I buy wood veneer this thin to replace the frets I removed.?
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Hobby shops or wood retailers will usually carry thin veneers. Most commercial veneer available to me here is around 0.5mm thick, which is roughly 0.019"
Thanks for this helpful information. It is much appreciated. When I've tried doing this before I noticed that after removing the frets that fingering notes at what had been the first fret was harder to depress. Any thoughts about why that might be? Perhaps one goofy fix would be to simply keep the first fret in the neck. Sort of like a zero fret on a gypsy style guitar.
You need to lower the strings in the nut once the frets are removed.
Thanks for the info about lowering the nut. The fingerboard of this bass has plastic binding on both sides. This seems like it will make it a bit harder to fit the veneer in the fret slots. Let me ask - is it possible to slice the binding so the player can easily see where the frets were? This would allow the veneer edge to be seen from the side. But I don't know if slicing this binding at each fret will ruin the binding or for that matter the easiest tool to use to cut it only .025 inches wide.
I received a new nut (3 actually, not sure of the results 
) two days ago and filed the bottom side first, then the string grooves slightly below the board level - this after having experimented with a temporary wooden nut. Strings anyway for some reason stay slightly over. Still playing with truss rod and saddles, but I am happy of the result.
Regarding veneer, I bought it on Amazon (quantity sufficient for a couple hundreds basses…).
) two days ago and filed the bottom side first, then the string grooves slightly below the board level - this after having experimented with a temporary wooden nut. Strings anyway for some reason stay slightly over. Still playing with truss rod and saddles, but I am happy of the result.Regarding veneer, I bought it on Amazon (quantity sufficient for a couple hundreds basses…).
I'm in the middle of converting my Ibanez acoustic 5 string bass. I am filling the fret voids with veneer as suggested. I'm waiting for the glue to dry right now. I ve seen videos where they suggest putting a line of super glue on the veneer fret lines. Can someone explain if this is a vital step. If so should I use just regular super glue? Will it sand down satisfactorily?
I did not (I did not see the same video ). Likely this will give more robustness to veneer, although I do not think is a vital step. Also, super glue (cyanoacrylate) is brittle when dry, so it might be easy to sand. Consider that fully covering the fretboard with superglue is one technique too...
). Likely this will give more robustness to veneer, although I do not think is a vital step. Also, super glue (cyanoacrylate) is brittle when dry, so it might be easy to sand. Consider that fully covering the fretboard with superglue is one technique too...
I’m not sure what differentiation you’re making between a line of super glue and regular super glue but for wood veneers I use Titebond and for styrene strips in the fret slots I use CA glue. If the fingerboard is staying bare then I just sand along the string paths to level things then blend those paths with the sanding beam. If I’m coating the board I use CA to coat the entire board. I suppose some thick CA glue could help fill in any gaps there may be around the veneer.
I would NOT choose CA for veneer fingerboard inlays.
Use good Ol' Titebond wood glue.
Also last time I needed veneer I went to Woodcraft, they had a good variety of species and sizes.
That's US only at this time, but your local quality lumber store should stock some too.
Use good Ol' Titebond wood glue.
Also last time I needed veneer I went to Woodcraft, they had a good variety of species and sizes.
That's US only at this time, but your local quality lumber store should stock some too.
So my defretted Ibanez acoustic bass is pretty good after defretting and sanding. But it has plastic binding on the sides of the neck which have the original fret marker dots. But of course those markers aren't helpful now that it has no frets. I've used a Sharpie to continue the fret veneers onto the binding but it gets rubbed off very quickly.
Any suggestions for this? Perhaps after marking them with the Sharpie I could put a small drop of super glue on each to keep them smudging into nothingness?
Any suggestions for this? Perhaps after marking them with the Sharpie I could put a small drop of super glue on each to keep them smudging into nothingness?
Honestly I do not have a problem with the dots being in conventional position. I'm used to them there.
Also for me is not a problem. I had to look to see where they are . However, not having binding, I see the frets end on the side. One suggestion I have found about this is to drill the markers and put a dowel of a similar wood. Then drill the new marker places and put some plastic.
. However, not having binding, I see the frets end on the side. One suggestion I have found about this is to drill the markers and put a dowel of a similar wood. Then drill the new marker places and put some plastic.
Do you know if you can drill through the plastic binding on the side of the neck without messing something up? I don't want the binding to fall off.
You could get some white binding that dissolves in acetone, dissolve some in acetone until you get a paste like consistency, drill the old dots out, fill the holes with the binding paste, drill and install new dots where you want them. If you’re careful filling the old holes you should only need minimal scraping and cleanup. Another option might be to saw into the binding where the fret lines are and glue in contrasting plastic. Granted that would have been easier before the fret slots were filled but is still doable with care. A razor saw should have about a 0.020” kerf and you can get 0.020” black styrene at Hobby Lobby or places like that.
