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Double Bass Ebony Fingerboard

G

gerry grable

Nov 9, 2010
1,295
465
#1
I have an ebony fingerboard (from what I call my barn (read basket-case) bass that I've been thinking of using on my "playing bass." Reason? Both have the what-cha-ma-call-it bevels and I'd like to join the 21st century and try a curved fingerboard. The board is heavy and thick and has (I believe?) a sufficient amount wood at the "peak" of the bevel to allow me to plane it down to a curve. One problem is that it is short--32 3/8 inches. I never noticed during the decades I played it since, quite frankly, I never had a reason to play up dere in the stratosphere.

Questions:
1) Why so short? Is it common?
2) Does my "plan" have merit?

Thanks,
Gerry
 
#3
You might regret that short fingerboard. Even if you don't mind it no one will want to buy the bass when you want to sell it.

Unbeveled boards don't play much different. If I had one on a bass that I was happy with (and I have) I wouldn't touch it. I think the reason you see unbeveled boards the last few decades is that people figured out there just isn't any advantage to a bevel rather than there being any real disadvantage.
 
#5
You might have to remove more wood than you think to create a radius. Try making a template of the radius you want and place it on the end of the fingerboard to see how much wood you need to plane. I think I would keep the bevel and thicker FB IMHO
 
#10
gerry grable said:
Thanks everyone. I'm going to take your sage advice and not fix what ain't broken.
I still wonder why the one board is short, 32 3/8 inches.
Click to expand...

Check and see if its wide enough at the nut end before you get carried away...

You can add length if you want to, though its not exactly basic woodworking! ;)
 
#12
Jake deVilliers said:
Check and see if its wide enough at the nut end before you get carried away...

You can add length if you want to, though its not exactly basic woodworking! ;)
Click to expand...


Jake,
The nut is wide enough. It actually would have to be narrowed a mite to fit. But I have decided not to try the experiment. It was a dumb idea, and I can imagine everyone on TB nodding their heads vigorously :o

And powerhouse,
I wasn't planning to do the work by myself :)
 

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