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Fretless Fingerboard Choice (Other Than Ebony)

R

Racsen

Dec 6, 2003
159
0
41
Turkey
www.myspace.com
#1
I couldnt bought Ebony fingerboard for my fretless bass so here I'm looking something like ebony. It doesnt have to be same but as close as possible :)

I dont like rosewood fingerboard on fretless I want a clear sound. Rosewood has a round tone.

Actually I dont have much choice in here. I have access to maple, cocobolo, purpleheart and rosewood. I have to choose between these.

The bass will have a body with flame maple center block, alder wings ( hollowed), 5 piece neck ( Ash mostly) and Delano Quad Coil at bridge with Sonar 3ms preamp.
 
#7
I would agree...the closer to ebony, the better. I have a fretless acoustic/electric with a rosewood board, and a fretless electric with an ebony board. I've found that the rosewood is not as durable, and requires flatwound or tapewound (my preference) strings to prevent marking. I use nickel roundwounds on the ebony board with no worries whatsoever. It's extremely durable. Good luck.
 
#9
acrylized woods are my fingerboard material of choice, as they open the door to an entire new range of usable species that would otherwise be unsuitable for a fingerboard

here's a very nice spalted Birdseye Maple board (thanks Larry!!) on a Mahogany neck shaft

RM09409F-FreshlyFinishedNeck-Front.jpg


this will be mated with a curly Koa topped Mahogany body. definitely not a combination that would be available if the fingerboard had not been acrylized specifically for a fretless fingerboard


here's a close-up of a spalted quilt Western Maple fingerboard I used on a 6-string fretless I prototyped back in 2007

RS07601FN_8_CloseupOfPolishedFinger.jpg



I have also used Purpleheart on a fretless 5, and it's still holding its own against regular roundwound string usage almost 10 years after it was finished. if you don't have access to an acrylized fingerboard blank Purpleheart would be my next wood of choice (so long as you have the tools and patience to work it)

all the best,

R
 
#11
Rodent said:
acrylized woods are my fingerboard material of choice, as they open the door to an entire new range of usable species that would otherwise be unsuitable for a fingerboard

here's a very nice spalted Birdseye Maple board (thanks Larry!!) on a Mahogany neck shaft

RM09409F-FreshlyFinishedNeck-Front.jpg


this will be mated with a curly Koa topped Mahogany body. definitely not a combination that would be available if the fingerboard had not been acrylized specifically for a fretless fingerboard


here's a close-up of a spalted quilt Western Maple fingerboard I used on a 6-string fretless I prototyped back in 2007

RS07601FN_8_CloseupOfPolishedFinger.jpg



I have also used Purpleheart on a fretless 5, and it's still holding its own against regular roundwound string usage almost 10 years after it was finished. if you don't have access to an acrylized fingerboard blank Purpleheart would be my next wood of choice (so long as you have the tools and patience to work it)

all the best,

R
Click to expand...

You have very good luck with Larry some others don't.....t
 
#14
That spalted quilt western maple FB looks absolutely amazing!!! I'm not familiar with acrylized woods, though. How do they sound and feel under the fingers compared to more traditional FB woods?

Also, have any of you used a synthetic like ebonol for your boards? If so, what do you think of it? Any special considerations that need be made?
 
#16
That spalted quilt western maple FB looks absolutely amazing!!! I'm not familiar with acrylized woods, though. How do they sound and feel under the fingers compared to more traditional FB woods?
Click to expand...

if you think that's amazing, wait until you see the Amboyna burl fretboard that will be gracing an M-Series fretless somtime next year

the guys playing these basses all commented that the boards felt like a high quality Ebony board, and sound like wood.

another great feature of the acrylized boards I've used is that they glue-up like regular wood ... a little yellow glue works just fine with the fingerboard mating surface sanded to 200 grit. I haven't attempted to use any of the multi-part glues to attach a fingerboard (to eliminate adding water from the glue to the neck shaft), so I can't speak about how they work with an acrylized board

Also, have any of you used a synthetic like ebonol for your boards? If so, what do you think of it? Any special considerations that need be made?
Click to expand...

Ebanol boards sound dead to my ears, but some people comment favorably about them. it's not a product I plan to use on my builds

Where can I get these acrylized woods?
Click to expand...

I've purchased all of mine from Gallery Hardwoods. I have not looked for other sources, and am unable to speak about any other sources for this kind of wood product

all the best,

R
 
#19
I have used System3 Mirror Coat (a 2-part epoxy) on Maple fretless fingerboards with great and lasting success. it has held-up well under regular playing with various brands of roundwounds. the key to success is thuroughly preparing the fingerboard (leveling, cleaning, etc ...), applying the product in several applications, and then having the patience to let it fully cure for at least a full week prior to leveling (this time just the epoxy coating is leveled) and polishing to a high gloss finish

here's an example of a 5-string B&B neck I defretted, lined, and epoxied for a client. it's been his main studio fretless for the past couple of years

MMiller_LinedFretlessConversion_4.jpg


MMiller_LinedFretlessConversion_2b.jpg



I cannot speak from playing/building experience about using a poly finish

all the best,

R
 

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