Double Bass Fingerboard with minor flaw - need replacement?

[Michal Herman]

I bought old DB (about 80 years) which has minor flaw on fingerboard.
With high setup (G - 9mm, E - 12mm) there are no sound problems, but this setup is too high for me.
With lower setup (G - 6mm, E - 9mm) bass responds as follows:
- Playing arco - no problems
- Pizz on E, A, D strings - no problems
But there is problem on G string in positions between B and E. Beginning of fingerboard and thumb position are OK.
If I pluck string that it vibrates parallel to fingerboard it vibrates OK. But when I pluck more "into fingerboard" sound is very short (no sustain) and there is more buzz.
Now I just changed plucking technique for G string - I am moving right hand finger in direction "to D sting" more than "to fingerboard" to make string vibrate parallel to fingerboard.
Do you think this kind of flaw is acceptable, or need replacement of fingerboard? (which is rather costly operation) I don't think one can profile fingerboard, because it is already rather thin.
If this helps I can record some arco and plucking in this area of fingerboard.
What do you think in that matter?

 

[shwashwa]

a fingerboard dressing could possibly fix this, but if its already thin maybe a new fingerboard. I personally love thick fingerboards and have had fingerboards replaced just so i could get more thickness. each time its done great things for the sound of the bass over all, not just the benefits of a well dressed fingerboard

 

[KUNGfuSHERIFF]

The fingerboard needs more camber in that area.

Exactly how thin is "rather thin?" If you grab the board at the bridge end and try to make it wiggle like a diving board, how much does it move?

 

[Eric Hochberg]

One caveat, changing out your board may change the sound of your bass. My experience doing this on one bass only resulted in a brighter sound overall. The bass still sounded great, but I missed the darker character it had with the thin board.

 

[shwashwa]

One caveat, changing out your board may change the sound of your bass. My experience doing this on one bass only resulted in a brighter sound overall. The bass still sounded great, but I missed the darker character it had with the thin board.

i've had the opposite experience with 2 different basses. both got bigger and stronger sounding with more sustain... i did however need to change my strings to compensate for the new tone.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

i've had the opposite experience with 2 different basses. both got bigger and stronger sounding with more sustain... i did however need to change my strings to compensate for the new tone.

I'm not sure what you mean by "bigger and stronger" as it relates to tone.

 

[shwashwa]

I'm not sure what you mean by "bigger and stronger" as it relates to tone.

fuller, more lows and highs, more volume also.

 

[Eric Hochberg]

Well, you didn't really have the opposite experience compared to mine. You got increased volume across the board (lows and highs), and I got increased volume of the highs, predominantly.