Fretless Advice

[Mud Flaps]

I need some advice on what to do with my Carvin LB75f I just got off the bay. It has an ebony fingerboard.

I would like to string it with roundwounds, so I guess I need to apply some marine-grade epoxy, right?

If the answer to the above question is yes, how do I do it? How many layers do I need to apply?

Just out of curiosity, how long would the bass last without any epoxy strung with roundwounds?

 

[spc]

Lots of info on this over at the Luthier's section...

 

[travatron4000]

ebony's very dense you shouldn't need to epoxy it, it will also change the sound

 

[Mud Flaps]

ebony's very dense you shouldn't need to epoxy it, it will also change the sound

Even if I used roundwounds?

 

[PilbaraBass]

Even if I used roundwounds?

You can use roundwounds on an ebony fretless...just expect a little wear...if you use nickel and not chrome or stainless, you'll get a little less wear. Technique is also a big factor in wear on a fingerboard.

Yes, the harder epoxy will definitely sound different than ebony. Not better or worse...different.

I personally love the sound of nylon tape wounds on a fretless. I'm not much into that Jaco farty thing.

My fretless fingerboard is untreated purpleheart. I love the feel of the raw wood.

Marine epoxy isn't the only thing you can use to coat a fingerboard, by the way... like spc said, check out the luthier's section.

 

[Hambone]

I need some advice on what to do with my Carvin LB75f I just got off the bay. It has an ebony fingerboard.

I would like to string it with roundwounds, so I guess I need to apply some marine-grade epoxy, right?

If the answer to the above question is yes, how do I do it? How many layers do I need to apply?

Just out of curiosity, how long would the bass last without any epoxy strung with roundwounds?

Or string it with halfrounds - they've got the flexibility of the roundwounds so you get that characteristic tone but the surface isn't as rough as the full rounds.