fretless conversion - matching wood

[ardgedee]

I've never heard of veneering the fretboard surface. Only using veneer in the slots.

For whatever it's worth, I've never considered moving the dots on my T-45. It's obvious that the lines mark the intervals and the dots mark the gaps between the intervals, just like on any fretted instrument.

 

[Inara]

Jatoba is a nice, hard material, and I like it for fretless fingerboards. As @TrustRod said, it's a common flooring material usually called Brazilian Cherry. Also, exposure to sunlight/uv causes it to darken and become, imo, much more attractive. Here's an example photo showing part of the floor that was covered versus the part that was exposed.

 

[swarfrat]

The Ibanez GSR105 looks like the best platform out there funny enough. Humbucker, passive, single pickup.

I'd pick up a loaded body and throw a Warmoth neck except for the pickup/neck pocket severely restricts my choices. Was really trying to do this for a couple hundred.

 

[ardgedee]

You don't have to pay Warmoth prices for a new neck if you don't want to. Check Allparts and Mighty Mite.

 

[swarfrat]

Mighty Mite doesn't sell anything 5-string at all. All parts doesn't have a fretless five neck. There don't even appear to be many options for buying a body that will fit an aftermarket neck.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

You don't have to pay Warmoth prices for a new neck if you don't want to. Check Allparts and Mighty Mite.

Mighty Mite doesn't sell anything 5-string at all. All parts doesn't have a fretless five neck. There don't even appear to be many options for buying a body that will fit an aftermarket neck.

I’m afraid that for 5’s Warmoth is the only place to go. And that’s probably most likely due to the fact that Fender never made a Fretless 5…P or J, or anything in between.

I went to Warmoth for my Fretless J5…
The J5 standard neck fits your basic Jazz 5 (Squier, MIM, and some MIA’s) with 20 frets. They might even fit the TMB105 body; just have to make a few measurements.
You can probably get one with a blank headstock to cut your own shape out if the F shape would bug you mounted on a TMB.

I got mine in 2018, cost me about $300 shipped if I remember correctly. Unfinished Roasted maple with unlined ebony board. A Pao Ferro board would be about $40 less than ebony.

I like the neck so much I got a fretted one for its twin…

 

[swarfrat]

Yeah, it has occurred to me that, ignoring markers, any unlined board that "fits" can work even if the heel to bridge distance is "wrong", but I might end up with a 33" scale or something.

I'm about sick of DIY finish. But buying a finished body puts it up around the $1k for everything.

 

[Mickey666]

You can usually find a couple of 5 string fretless necks from China on fleebay for fairly cheap.
mostly paddle head but if it's just about price...