fretless conversion - matching wood

[swarfrat]

I'm digging the fretless, and missing my five. There aren't a lot of fretless fives out there which aren't some kind of a J neck pickup. Especially if you prefer unlined. No arguments, it's my preference. (Start your own thread or pick any of the recent ones.)

I've got a TMB105, and wondering: I've not seen but one or two pics where the slots were filled with a non-contrasting wood. Search has become useless if you're not looking for a link on Amazon lately.

Curious 1) if you have a conversion with matching lines, please throw up pics. 2) I think the TMB105 is Jatoba. Which I've never seen or heard aside from Ibanez. (And an episode of Thomas the Tank engine where they called it Jobi wood. Thank God that phase of childhood didn't last long). It's sort of a dark rosewood look. Not sure if I can match that. Where to get veneer strips of Jatoba?

3) I'd you've any experience with such a conversion, please share.

 

[claudel]

I have one in process. No pix yet...

Skilled luthier should be able to color match the filler strips to the existing board.

Sanding the existing fingerboard might provide enough fill dust to match

I'm good with unlined, but for grins I'm getting contrasting filler @ positions 3, 5, 7, 9, 12...

If I was made of money I'd replace the entire fingerboard with unlined ebony.

 

[mikeswals]

Where are you located? I still have a G&L L1505 unlined 5 string I'd be willing to sell.

 

[swarfrat]

I'm in central NC. I'd probably have to sell some stuff to cough up for a G&L though.

 

[swarfrat]

Just looked it up on reverb. Yeah, budget doesn't even begin to reach used G&L.

 

[mikeswals]

Can't seem to pm you.
1100 shipped if you want to think about it

 

[Phlipper]

When I was going to defret my 5er I found thin jatoba veneer to use in the slots. I'll see if I can find the link.

 

[swarfrat]

I did find Jatoba veneer but most of it much lighter than my fingerboard.

 

[J Wilson]

And don't give up and put plastic in for the fret lines: If and when the fingerboard shrinks with seasonal or humidity swings, you'll get fret sprout just as surely as if the slots still had Dunlop fret wire in them. You've got the right idea using the same (or a wood that's similar in properties).

 

[Matt Liebenau]

You can use a matching wood veneer for the fret slots but the lines will still show. They’ll be less obvious with a good match but still there. I have a Squire Jazz 5 neck with the phenolic board and I used black styrene strips to fill the slots. They show still. I’m not saying that’s good or bad, just letting you know.

 

[swarfrat]

The idea of barely visible lines is not unappealing, even though my ideal preference is totally unlined. I'm wondering about grain direction though and if that matters. Will veneer fill the slot or will require additional sawdust filler?

 

[ardgedee]

My T-45 had been defretted by a previous owner, the board had immense grooves gouged in it because previous owner played rounds with a gorilla grip. The empty fret slots had been filled with wood putty. As poorly as the thing had been treated, the fret slots were surprisingly clean, almost no splinters.

I had Elderly Instruments smooth down the board and the slots were cleaned and refilled with epoxy and sawdust. The lines look more consistent in person than in this photo -- although not by much -- and I like the result inasmuch as the lines are just visible enough for me to notice while I play, not enough to be distracted by. It's on a stand in my office and when I turn to look at it I can barely tell there are lines. There's very little rosewood left, maybe 1 mm before the side markers show through, because of how deep the grooves were. If the board needs another refinishing I'll probably just get the whole fingerboard replaced instead.

 

[swarfrat]

Every time I hear of replacing a fingerboard people shudder like the Albino in The Princess Bride, and it actually seems like it might be a better way for similar amount of work. Especially if the fingerboard is removed by routing it off.

 

[ardgedee]

Every time I hear of replacing a fingerboard people shudder like the Albino in The Princess Bride, and it actually seems like it might be a better way for similar amount of work. Especially if the fingerboard is removed by routing it off.

I doubt it's difficult for an experienced luthier. I wouldn't do it myself, I don't have the tools, knowledge and experience for it. And if I wouldn't do it myself, I wouldn't pay somebody else to learn as they go either.

 

[scuzzy]

I used maple veneer strips on this de -fret. The veneer on the top side of the board is darker dyed maple, the rest of the slot was filled with plain maple. A darker wood with matching veneer would be less visible, I believe.

 

[TrustRod]

You can veneer a fretboard with any wood you want. A bonus is you get to keep your side dots and lines on the edge of the fretboard. I've done it with cauls and clamps but if I did another today I'd use it as an excuse to buy a vacuum bag.

 

[TrustRod]

And Jatoba is a common wood for decks and flooring sometimes called Brazilian Cherry. It's a nice wood.

 

[Stewie]

If filling in the fret slots doesn’t scare you, neither will this mod. Carefully drill out the side dots and fill them with matching colored wood(I actually used birch toothpicks). Drill holes at the #3,5,7… and glue in black rod. Stew Mac sells it(a friend with a 3D printer made mine) The dots will help for the first note.

 

[Stewie]

If you’re not in a hurry, PM me and I’ll ask him to make some for you. I like black but he has blue, red and a couple other colors

 

[swarfrat]

No 3D printer required, just use 1.75mm side dots.
Veneer is available in 1/40" which works out to 0.025" which seems a perfect match for fret slots. Dust can fill the side dots they're not under pressure. I hadn't considered veneering the fingerboard itself - that scares me but I'll have to consider if my fear is unfounded.

I might try to mark the "fret" ends though.