Epoxy

[elementeighty]

*This is not me, it's my friend*

Hi there,
I'm about to order a fretless bass and I have a question about the fingerboard and it's connection to epoxy.
The neck will be consisted of Maple, then a Wenge layer and then a Spalted Maple fingerboard.
Do I have to put epoxy on it? what will happen if I'll not put?
Can't I just put a regular finish on it? [some gloss or something]

Thanks!

 

[SDB Guitars]

If you are going to use spalted mnaple for a fretboard, I would order an acrylized spalted board from Larry at Gallery Hardwoods... it requires no additional finish.

A spalted board is basically partially rotten or "punky", and filled with fungus... not only can working it be pretty difficult if you have no experience with it (I have had spalted pieces nearly fall completely apart from the rot while working them), but the sanding dust could be *very* harmful to you. Wear a respirator when working with it, and wash your hands before touching your face.

As for the epoxy, you would hav eto mix it *very* thin and apply several coats... There are threads on the board here about using epoxy on a fingerboard, and this is no different.

If you don't harden the wood with something like epoxy, it will remain very soft under most finishes, and you probably don't want something that soft for a fingerboard.

Best suggestion is the acrylized board... next best is thinned epoxy. You can also use thin CA glue (Hot Stuff, Superglue, etc.) but be aware that it will soak up a LOT of it.

 

[elementeighty]

I'm not the one who builds this bass...I wish I knew how to build basses LOL

I have a bass with a maple fingerboard [fretted jazz bass] and it only finished with gloss.
And it seems fine to me, isn't it?

 

[DanielM]

I'm sure it is, but a spalted board is much much softer than regular Maple boards would be.

 

[elementeighty]

Can't find any acrylized spalted board...
How much does it cost [more or less than Spalted Maple?]? How does it look like?

 

[Musiclogic]

e-mail Larry at Gallery Hardwoods......he is a TB Member, he will get back to you.

Acrylized Spalted Maple will look just like the plain spalted Maple, but will be impregnated with acrylic monomer to harden and maintain it's integrity.

Spalt is Wood rot.....it is not a stable maple like on your other bass, it is maple that has begun to rot, and become soft and unstable. This is why it isn't used for fretboards. It can come apart in pieces very easilly