Fret Sprout on a Fretless?

[MVE]

Pianos really change timbre as well as tuning because the wool in the felts take up and give off water like the wood. I agree with you about a 5 degree swing either was is audible.

mugre

Pianos tuning changes because the wood soundboard, which is being held in a dome shape by the wood case, actually gets bigger when it absorbs moisture and pushes up harder on the bridge, making everything sharp.
When humidity goes down, the soundboard actually shrinks a little, dome goes down, bridge lowers, and strings go flat.

 

[Bill Whitehurst]

The title immediately reminded me of other self contradictory phrases;
military intellagence
happily married
and the ever popular
jumbo shrimp.

For now, sanding will help, but not be a long term fix.
Why?
The wood will take years to be as dried as it will get.
In the meantime it will have seasonal changes that should be less each year.

 

[N4860]

I had an issue with a couple of fret markers on an old MIM fretless jazz. They weren't an issue for the first 6 or 7 years I had it but eventually, I noticed a sort of buzz or deadening from these markers coming up. I believe I had just put a bit of glue under the fret from the side of the fretboard and then put a wood clamp over it to keep it down overnight. It worked for me but not sure if that would work for others.

 

[Passinwind]

After a week, it has settled somewhat and the action is not so high.

Wait, what? You bought a new bass and waited a week to post about it?

Did you take home the Geddy bass yet?

 

[Element Zero]

Happened to my Pentabuzz and my Fodera. I no longer own either of those.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Wait, what? You bought a new bass and waited a week to post about it? View attachment 3687494

Did you take home the Geddy bass yet?

I am not as crazy as I seem. One day I may explain why this bass ended up in my posession.

 

[Mugre]

Pianos tuning changes because the wood soundboard, which is being held in a dome shape by the wood case, actually gets bigger when it absorbs moisture and pushes up harder on the bridge, making everything sharp.
When humidity goes down, the soundboard actually shrinks a little, dome goes down, bridge lowers, and strings go flat.

Yeah I understand that. That's why I deliberately chose the word timbre and talked about the felts as an additional affect besides tuning.

regards,

Mugre

 

[Passinwind]

I am not as crazy as I seem. One day I may explain why this bass ended up in my possession.

All good. Not questioning getting the Squier (you know I greatly prefer fretless), just curious about the other one that you've been waiting on for so long. You must really love it to be willing to delay ownership all that time, no?

 

[Slidlow]

11 pounds? Wow, my neck through with ebony neck and padauk body doesn't weight that much?

 

[bassbrad]

My first fretless was a Pan Jazz bass copy that I filed down the frets on and that bass had serious fret sprout issues for many years. My current fretless is a Squier Modified Fretless Jazz that happens to have a flawless neck, second only to my long lost PentaBuzz.

 

[Jeff Scott]

...a skim just evens out the plane of the board, we're talking millimetres here.

That's a hell of a lot to take off!

 

[dkelley]

This thread's bass situation is one reason why I have come to avoid fretless basses with fret markers, unless I had it done professionally by someone I trust. I've seen this on fretless basses before.... but when I had shuriva woodcraft make my ibanez musician bass fretless with lines back around 1989 it was done flawlessly and they wore at the same rate as the ebony fingerboard, so it was ideal.

 

[nilorius]

Fretless fingerboard is kind of a unique thing. If you use roundwounds you will allways have some problems after around 3 years and have to take it to master, but i'm a bit disapointed that there were on a new bass allready. But it's fine it ended ok for you.

 

[Lagado]

That's a hell of a lot to take off!

Fractions of millimetres more like, it depends on what shape the board is in.

 

[Sixgunn]

Finally got the fretless Squier Classic Vibe Fretless. In short, the bass is craptastic. The tone is very good, but I am very disappointed that the position markers have sprouted like frets in a few positions. Looking at them, I don’t think they were ever glued in at all. I cannot lower the bridge very much or the notes choke out past the 15th fret. The lower fingerboard is a bit too high; my teacher suspects the bass was made from green wood.

After a week, it has settled somewhat and the action is not so high. I glued the loose fret spacers in myself and sanded down the glue with 220 grit sandpaper and the high G# on the E string plays much more cleanly now. At the end of the day, I think it is a great sounding bass, and is easy to play, especially considering the price.

My experience with this Fretless and a Sixties Classic Vibe Jazz I played that was about 11lbs. with fret issues is making me think that Squier is getting a bit too comfortable lately.

Two words: Un lined.

 

[chadds]

Isn’t this an imbalance of humidity issue? If so that’s the owner’s responsibility to maintain.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Isn’t this an imbalance of humidity issue? If so that’s the owner’s responsibility to maintain.

It came that way from the shop.

 

[farace]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but is Squier now making the VM Fretless with a wooden fingerboard and lines? I can't see how humidity affects the ebanol and plastic (though temperature might). If there was a changeover, I missed it.

As for lines v. no lines, I don't care, I just don't want the lines proud of the surface. I have a pretty motley selection of fretlesses (my Squier, '66 Ampeg AUB-1, '70s Ampeg Little Stud that the previous owner defretted, and a Guild Ashbory), some have lines some don't. I'm more concerned about the dots on the side.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but is Squier now making the VM Fretless with a wooden fingerboard and lines? I can't see how humidity affects the ebanol and plastic (though temperature might). If there was a changeover, I missed it.

As for lines v. no lines, I don't care, I just don't want the lines proud of the surface. I have a pretty motley selection of fretlesses (my Squier, '66 Ampeg AUB-1, '70s Ampeg Little Stud that the previous owner defretted, and a Guild Ashbory), some have lines some don't. I'm more concerned about the dots on the side.

This is the Classic Vibe Fretless. It has a wooden fingerboard. I do not think the old model is still around.

 

[GretschWretch]

These inserts are light wood, not plastic, and I do not think the loose ones were ever glued into the fingerboard. The high fingerboard is an indication that construction was lax on this bass even though it is very good looking.

I'm going to disagree regarding the high fingerboard. This sort of "flip" is to be expected on fretless basses; something to do with a reaction to the glue I have been told by repairmen. I have a fretless Gibson Ripper and a fretless Fender P that exhibit the same flaw of the fingerboard being high at the bridge end. You just have to plane down the end of the 'board. It is not a sign of shoddy workmanship.

I expect fretted basses have the same flaw, but the final fret dressing process nullifies the flip.