Ebonol Fingerboard Care..

[DJ Bebop]

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.

That's why you get a fret job or fret replacement on an instrument. Because you've worn the frets down. Or re plane a fretboard on an upright bass that uses flat wound strings btw because of the strings waring down the board.

Case in point, Dave Osborne was looking here to see if anyone knew what frets were used on vintage Fender jazz basses because, his dad Joe Osborne wore them down. Nobody ever accused him of not treating his tools with care or that he didn't know what he was doin'

That's just the cost of doin' business, like buying strings or picks or a half a dozen amps to find your sound

BTW, I also have a Squier VM fretless, yeah it shows marks. No biggie

 

[farace]

Seems to me that the time to worry is not when the string marks show, but when they dig ruts deep enough to affect playability. If it's worn enough so that you can't get a clean note with playable action, then it needs to be addressed.

 

[DJ Bebop]

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...

Yep, it can and does happen. Depending on the board makeup. Wood, it can be re planed. Ebonal, I don't know what the process is but there is something that can be done I hope as I have one and in time I'll need something done.

 

[JRA]

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...

string marks don't affect anything except 'looks', but actual "grooves" can interfere with string 'travel'/behavior if they're too deep. i play fretless axes so i'm pretty conscious of these issues: even slight 'grooving' is not usually an issue, until it is, of course. then the board needs attention. OTOH: some cats play a board until it's near-death from deep grooves and they don't complain until the strings 'don't act right' consistently. so it's obviously an issue that's at the discretion of the player.

if you've ever seen the fingerboard of a well-played DB = lots of marks and grooves. as i stated, though: it isn't a problem until it interferes with playing...and that, fortunately, takes years and years of playing. bottom line: there's no way to get around string marks if you play regularly. if you have actual grooves = it may or may not need attention right now, but it will eventually. just like frets need dressed, crowned, refretted, yada yada when they get worn.

That's why you get a fret job or fret replacement on an instrument. Because you've worn the frets down. Or re plane a fretboard on an upright bass that uses flat wound strings btw because of the strings waring down the board. Case in point, Dave Osborne was looking here to see if anyone knew what frets were used on vintage Fender jazz basses because, his dad Joe Osborne wore them down. Nobody ever accused him of not treating his tools with care or that he didn't know what he was doin' That's just the cost of doin' business, like buying strings or picks or a half a dozen amps to find your sound BTW, I also have a Squier VM fretless, yeah it shows marks. No biggie

 

[RandyC]

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.

In my initial post I stated that it seems like all I ever do is respond to old threads. It seems if I start a new thread some snit has a hissy fit because "I SHOULD HAVE POSTED IN XYZ. How self-centered you are thinking you have the authority to start a new thread." I give up. I guess I spend more time playing or working on guitars than I do learning geek skilz.

As a case in point: I have no fricking idea what LC and PsOV mean. Bye. (that means later, maybe).

 

[JRA]

In my initial post I stated that it seems like all I ever do is respond to old threads. It seems if I start a new thread some snit has a hissy fit because "I SHOULD HAVE POSTED IN XYZ. How self-centered you are thinking you have the authority to start a new thread." I give up. I guess I spend more time playing or working on guitars than I do learning geek skilz. As a case in point: I have no fricking idea what LC and PsOV mean. Bye. (that means later, maybe).

RandyC , wow! sorry to have 'fueled you up' on this thread! FWIW: i defend all the members who are asking questions (old questions, new questions, doesn't matter!) and i am not in the group of TBers who say "look it up" or "do a search." i've never, ever posted that...in any thread! ever! you have me mixed up with someone else!

i recognize/observe that any member might have a question that deserves a response and that even 'old questions' need to be updated, regularly, for the common wisdom (and current best-practices) to develop. your issues are as important to me (and others) as anyone else's!

on TB, LC is generally understood to be "Luthiers Corner" as a shorthand...or at least i've seen it used that way by others and so i was merely copying the shorthand. i think POV is common for 'point-of-view' and i sometimes use PsOV to mean "points-of-view" when there is more than one POV. most folks seem to get it but i was just riffing on the keyboard in response to the issues here and so i used it in a hurry. sorry about that!

my comments about the string markings come from years of playing fretless axes only --- it just happens to be a 'thing' for me. but i'm not a luthier, like bruce and others. those cats in luthier's corner could be of great help to you and would give updated guidance and support if you started a thread there and just asked for help.

sorry about the mix-up in our communication! that you took offense is perfectly ok, but not to straighten it out would leave me perplexed! best of luck to you on your projects and your instruments!

 

[RandyC]

Luthier's Corner. I like that and I will absolutely visit it. I am not a qualified or trained Luthier but I do consider myself an amateur and I do a lot of work. The part that no one here understood, mostly because I didn't state it, is I buy a ton of equipment always expecting it will be resold unless I happen to REALLY like it. So the marred up fingerboard does affect marketability. Sorry but its true. We are shallow in our vanity. But I started playing Upright Bass in 4th grade. I'm 59 now. I've seen a fingerboard or two. Ebanol is a new challenge on my stage. But I will take my silly queries elsewhere. thanks for the tip.

 

[walterw]

In my initial post I stated that it seems like all I ever do is respond to old threads. It seems if I start a new thread some snit has a hissy fit because "I SHOULD HAVE POSTED IN XYZ. How self-centered you are thinking you have the authority to start a new thread." I give up.

i'm in the camp of bumping an old thread being better than starting a new one on the Same Damn Topic, as long as we're aware that we're doing so.

sometimes people will "answer" a question that was asked like ten years earlier without realizing it, so the person with the question has probably already quit playing music entirely, sold all their basses and gotten a real job

 

[Rik Hernandez]

Not sure how this zombie thread was brought back to life, but for me it worked perfectly, I just got my first fretless yesterday so I had a lot of questions now answered here

 

[RandyC]

The Zombie thread got brought back to life because it contains information that has not died.

 

[walterw]

Not sure how this zombie thread was brought back to life, but for me it worked perfectly, I just got my first fretless yesterday so I had a lot of questions now answered here

There see?

zombie threads can be a good thing

 

[Bruce Johnson]

TalkBass is a library, full of information for everyone's use. Most of it is still valid and useful, years later. Even the snide comments can still be funny.

Remember, when you write something here on Talkbass, it goes into the historical record. Don't be stupid.

 

[Zoot H Rollo]

2018 Squier Vintage Modified Fretless neck

Gotoh GB640LN tuners

Thinline mahogany Jazz body

Lindy Fralin Split/Hum Cancelling pickups

Hipshot A bridge

Low action with 45-65-80-100 nickel rounds

Sometimes Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats for recording

7 pounds

Better mwah than stock

 

[Turnaround]

Ebonol is a phenolic resin, and according to one manufacturer "Never use wax or a polish containing wax on phenolic resin surfaces". They don't say why not, but I suggest you don't.

 

[Turnaround]

Remember, when you write something here on Talkbass, it goes into the historical record. Don't be stupid.

Too late. Though it's a habit I'm trying to break.