defrettting my bass (pics inside)

[Hambone]

Originally posted by Todd Stanley
This seems to be a very popular way to de-fret a bass. I'm just wondering if I could just order a new fretless fretboard, pop my old one off and slap on the new one and be ready to go?

Sure you could do that:

• New fretboard - $35 minimum
• Hide Glue - $8 - $10
• Experience to use hide glue - several months.
• Clamps - a dozen or so at $5 to $8 each
• Router - $50 - $200
• Router bit - $25
• Nut - $5
• Neck refinish - $10 - $50 depending on choice
• Time involved - about 6-10 hours if nothing goes wrong.

Yep, I can see how putting a new fingerboard on a neck just to try a fretless would be a good choice!

 

[AraThorN]

Great thread. I live in India and when I was 15 I went out and bought the first crappy 4-string I saw (a real piece of ****, and as there are no decent guitar stores in Bangalore that don't charge 200%, I have to still drive 820kms to get my new basses repaired.) Anyway, I took my crappy bass and removed all the frets. It's a lot easier if you heat the sides of the fret and then ply it up using a flat screw driver. Now, at least my crappy bass (which actually has a four cm thick neck thats heavier than the body) is fretless.

 

[freshmeat1989]

sounds good. I cana't see the pictures though, it says:

Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the webmaster

 

[kirbywrx]

sounds good. I cana't see the pictures though, it says:

Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the webmaster

Ill try and post them again

 

[kirbywrx]

Next 2

 

[kirbywrx]

and the last one.

 

[Stanley Design]

I just bought an old bass for 45 bucks, so I'm going to defret it like this. Should be a great project. I'm going to paint it too. I'll turn it into the greatest bass ever.

 

[freshmeat1989]

Thanks Kirby

 

[freshmeat1989]

Can you leave the fret slots empty?

 

[kirbywrx]

I suppose you could, but if you had any splinters and didnt coat it in something, then within a week of playing your fret board would be non existant i reckon.

 

[Matt Till]

I still have my first bass, my Yamaha RBX260, I never play it... should I defret it? Watcha think?

 

[kirbywrx]

Yup. It costs very little, but it teaches you alot about you instrument. Very well worth it.

 

[LowEndLobster]

Sure you could do that:

• New fretboard - $35 minimum
• Hide Glue - $8 - $10
• Experience to use hide glue - several months.
• Clamps - a dozen or so at $5 to $8 each
• Router - $50 - $200
• Router bit - $25
• Nut - $5
• Neck refinish - $10 - $50 depending on choice
• Time involved - about 6-10 hours if nothing goes wrong.

You forgot..
"A smooth fretless neck - Priceless..
There are some things money can't buy.. For everything else there's ____ "

 

[Matt Till]

Yup. It costs very little, but it teaches you alot about you instrument. Very well worth it.

You just used standard sand paper? Nothing to assure a level sanding job? Is there anything specifically for a neck to assue a smooth level neck?

Also, the finishing process, what's the best finish for maximum Mwwwah?

 

[kirbywrx]

You just used standard sand paper? Nothing to assure a level sanding job? Is there anything specifically for a neck to assue a smooth level neck?

Also, the finishing process, what's the best finish for maximum Mwwwah?

Yep, normal sand paper. You could make a sanding block with a radius exactly the same as the fretboard, but theres so many calculations in that so it would be really easy to make inacurate. I found that all i had to do was keep a steady hand and make sure that i sanded every inch of the fretboard evenly. If you dont push hard and use a fine grit sand paper, its easier than it seems.

Finishing process hey. After sanding back the putty, i made sure the fretboard was really clean, and then put a coat of polyeurathane on it. I suppose you could get some at the local hardware shop. Theres nothing special about this polyeurathane, so any sort will do i suppose. Aparently Jaco did exactly the same process. Anyway you cant put just one coat on, you have to put 5 or 6 coats on so that the finish can soat right into the finger board. I put one coat on and left it for 24 hours, then went back and gave it a light sand (to get all the little bubbles and such out) then put another coat on, and did this process 4 or so times. Ive got 5 layers of polyeurathane on mine.

 

[Matt Till]

I've sanded down the neck, but I can still feel fret bumps in some places. It's ever so slight, but I can definatly feel bumps. I've never played a fretless that was made fretless, so would polyeurathane take care of this? I've been sanding for quite some time now. I played around with it unfinished and it sounds great, fairly mwahhy. It's a 200 dollar bass, so I'm not expecting genius.

But I went a bit crazy when I was frustrated over the bumps and I sanded too hard/fast and hit the nut and snapped it. How much do one of these cost and how easy are they to replace?

 

[kirbywrx]

It shouldnt be too much, $5 at the most but im not too sure how you can get the rest of the nut outta there.

Just try and give the neck a rough shape, or if the lumps arent too big, just start putting the finish on it.

 

[kirbywrx]

ok, I've defreted my bass and its perfect except...

from the 17th fret downwards the notes dont sound....i thought the fret board wasnt level so i sanded it and the fret board is 100% level but the notes still dont sound?

why?

What do you mean 'dont sound'? What sound do you get? How high are the pickups? Mabye the strings are hitting on the edge of the pickup.

 

[lemur821]

Does "down" mean higher fret numbers? If so, your action is too low.

 

[lemur821]

Yes your action is too low. The saddles are for fixing action, but you can't get that right without setting the truss rod properly first.