Fretless Bass Dead Notes???

[slapfunk987]

Recently bought a used Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Bass from Guitar Center. Took it home and began playing in the upper register. Around the 16-17th fret on D-string I was getting dead note and this is with "store-high string action."

So i set it up to my preferred string height by adjusting saddles and straightening truss rod. Its now 1.5mm at the 12th fret across all the strings and now on A-string and D-string, all the notes between 16-18th fret are dead on both strings.
I mean absolutely dead. No notes come out.

These basses have ebonol boards and there is some string wear on the board but I dont think it would be enough to cause this.

My question to everyone is...

Whats the issue with this bass??
And what and how much would the repair be???

 

[Bruce Johnson]

Recently bought a used Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Bass from Guitar Center. Took it home and began playing in the upper register. Around the 16-17th fret on D-string I was getting dead note and this is with "store-high string action."

So i set it up to my preferred string height by adjusting saddles and straightening truss rod. Its now 1.5mm across all the strings and now on A-string and D-string, all the notes between 16-18th fret are dead on both strings.
I mean absolutely dead. No notes come out.

These basses have ebonol boards and there is some string wear on the board but I dont think it would be enough to cause this.

My question to everyone is...

Whats the issue with this bass??
And what and how much would the repair be???

You have a lumpy fingerboard. There's a high spot down around the 18th fret, wherever the sound comes back on. Being down near the end like that, the neck may have the beginnings of a "ski jump" or 12th fret kink.

The fingerboard needs to be resurfaced. Your usual Guitar Center Techs won't do that. You need to send the neck to a Luthier who does fretless fingerboard resurfacing. And they also need to be willing to do an Ebanol fingerboard, some won't.

It's not a real difficult or expensive job. Here in my shop, I'd charge about $75 + return shipping, just for reference. I've done a few hundred. I'm retired from doing repair jobs like this now, but I can refer you to someone if you can't find a Luthier in your city.