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Ebonol Fingerboard Care..
- Thread starter johnnyneptune
- Start date
My problem is not with dullness. I'm ok with that. But some previous owner had put round wounds on this Ibanez GWB 35 fretless five project bass (Ebanol finger board). and removed the finger ramp, which was designed to facilitate a light touch. The result is light lateral striations or scars from the string windings on the board. Can't feel them but I'm hoping I can just polish these out before installing flat wound strings. Any reccomendations? jeweler rouge? auto body polishing compound? I want to be as non-aggressive as possible to avoid further damage.
I would leave it alone unless you are prepared to have the board leveled, because inconsistent polishing may result in an uneven fingerboard.
Yes, that's basically it. The scratches are small cuts down into the surface. If you try to just polish out the scratches you'll end up with shiny depressions....and an uneven buzzy fingerboard.
If you want it to be beautiful and shiny, like new, you have to go through the process of truing up the surface. This is covered in more detail on some other threads, but basically you carefully block sand the surface to make it geometrically true along the string paths. Then work up through finer grits of sandpaper and rubbing compound to bring it up to a high gloss.
Ebanol is a reinforced plastic resin, about like Plexiglas. With sanding and buffing it will polish up to a high gloss. But it's not some super-hard material. Rub steel on it and it will scratch.
Hello. Slightly Zombie thread. Seems like that is all I ever respond to. Sorry. Shoot me. I just bought an '09 Squier VM Fretless Jazz Bass. It had Rotosounds on it. Those should be outlawed...then only outlaws will use them. Those of you who think Ebanol is bullet proof are mistaken. Others have said the scratches are only cosmetic. This is not true either. I came here looking for advice on what to do. I just cleaned the DNA off of it with water. And then I cleaned the finger board with Naptha to see if that would make whatever part of the scratches ARE cosmetic go away. Nope. I will try some polish I have on it to see if that improves the gloss. After I've played it awhile I'll know if those gouges need to be dealt with. Thank you.
My post right above still holds. To get the surface up to a full beautiful shine, you have to sand out the scratches, then work up through fine sandpaper, rubbing compound and polishing compound. And if you have to sand the scratches out, then you have to go through the process of truing up the fingerboard surface along the string paths.
Right. I figured as much. For now I will see if it affects playability. I almost have setup finished.
Maybe this is an appropriate place for me to ask: what is the way to fill a small gouge in the ebanol? Bass in question is a Squier VM Fretless, and fortunately the gouge is not in the string path. But eventually it's going to bug me enough to want to fill it. I have a product called Plastex that is great at repairing broken plastic parts that is a powder and solvent; I wonder if that might be appropriate.
for a small spot a bit of CA glue can work fine, as long as you’re set up to plane and sand and polish it smooth and flush.
Ebanol is actually a brand name for black Micarta; an extremely non-conductive material made of many layers of paper (Paper Micarta) or linen (Linen Micarta) in a vary hard phenolic resin of whatever color you like (electrical stuff is usually green). It's very popular for use as an electrical insulator; pistol grips; knife handles; and bass/guitar fretboards. Both of my old aluminum-necked Kramers have Ebanol fretboards. These old fretboards are hard as a rock; I usually don't do much to them except wipe them off with a damp cloth occasionally. But, I have used Nu Finish car polish on them a couple of times. That shines them up pretty good. And, a dose of Brillianize (aircraft window cleaner/polish - Rickenbacker uses it, too) afterward makes them even shinier... I have to agree with Bruce, though; making a fretless Ebanol fingerboard shiny and new is a lot more involved than just shining up an old Kramer Lumie...
How did it go? Where you able to fix it?
I just got me a used Squire VM fretless and have the same issue, previous owner seems to have been using it with round wounds, it has marks under the 4th and 3rd strings...
i'd advise that you re-prioritize: your ax's playability is more important than the look of string marks on your ebonol board.
'string marks' are not your enemy --- unless you think they are. almost any fingerboard (woods, composites, plastics) will show string marks sooner (right away) or later (in any event). they mean nothing except = this ax has been played!
i'd suggest that you and others get over the look of string marks and get on with your playing...in order to make more string marks!
good luck with your worries and even better luck with your playing! 
Yeah it seemed to come back to "normal" using some naphtha.
Thanks for your concern about my playing ability...do you actually care? I doubt it. But round wound marks on a fretless fingerboard just shows lack of care. That's all. Its not a mistake I would make on my own. So I got it cleaned up...and sold.
i'd suggest that you and others get over the look of string marks and get on with your playing...in order to make more string marks!
Thanks for your concern about my playing ability...do you actually care? I doubt it. But round wound marks on a fretless fingerboard just shows lack of care. That's all. Its not a mistake I would make on my own. So I got it cleaned up...and sold.
I did. I cleaned it 2 or three times with naphtha and at least the powdered part of the damage was cleared out. Perhaps flatwounds over time will smooth out the grooves.
I have another fretless Ebonol board that I bought with a broken truss rod. I replaced the truss rod which works like it should now. But I can look down the fingerboard and see a rolling plain and the board thickness is thinner over the 3rd to 5th position than at both ends which makes it buzz at the heel. I think that there was some sanding done on it by some previous owner to perhaps address the truss rod issue? I don't know - that seems backwards so maybe not. Why else?? But what is the right way to even it (flatten it) back out to a uniform thickness? I have a short sanding bar. Maybe I need a long one? What grit would you start with? What would you work up to? I assume I would want to adjust the truss rod so that the maple part of the board is perfectly straight and then sand the high ends back down? Do I need a huge sheet of sand paper stuck on my bench maybe to get it flat again? Thank you for all feedback and tips. (If all you have to tell me is that I am an idiot or that I should just go practice more instead, then save your typing and go kick your dog or something else that gives you pleasure; your input is not required.)
yes, i actually do care about your playing abilities...more than the 'look' of your axes!
not at all. as i indicated before = string marks are an indication that the ax has been played. if you look closely on any fretted or fretless: the more an ax has been played = the more evidence of string markings (and worn fingerboards/frets). that's just the way it is. my point was: it's not a big deal --- unless you make it a big deal.but hey --- you sold the instrument (congrats!
) so the issue is moot for you!
RandyC , why don't you take this up with Bruce Johnson who was kind enough to drop into this thread in the first place and give some expert advice! he knows his stuff and he could help/advise you.
also: starting a thread in LC could get you a number of different PsOV regarding your questions/issues...as opposed to just posting in an old thread and hoping that someone with real expertise will randomly notice it.
good luck to you and your work on your bass instruments!
also: starting a thread in LC could get you a number of different PsOV regarding your questions/issues...as opposed to just posting in an old thread and hoping that someone with real expertise will randomly notice it.
good luck to you and your work on your bass instruments!
The only basses I have that don't show fretboard ware, are the ones I don't play very muchyes, i actually do care about your playing abilities...more than the 'look' of your axes!
but hey --- you sold the instrument (congrats!
The only basses I have that don't show fretboard ware, are the ones I don't play very much
thanks for chiming in, DJ Bebop ! i've stated this idea again and again in the various threads, but so many members seem to be averse (incredulous?) to the idea that it's a 'normal' result of playing.
Other that the cosmetic issue (which doesn’t worry me) don’t the grooves affect que vibration of the string (hence the sound) I can actually feel it by touching the fretboard...i'd advise that you re-prioritize: your ax's playability is more important than the look of string marks on your ebonol board.
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'string marks' are not your enemy --- unless you think they are. almost any fingerboard (woods, composites, plastics) will show string marks sooner (right away) or later (in any event). they mean nothing except = this ax has been played!
i'd suggest that you and others get over the look of string marks and get on with your playing...in order to make more string marks!
