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Fretless fretboard question
- Thread starter BokiGroove
- Start date
Yes but it will take quite a bit of time. My current fretless is a rosewood board and I play whatever the hell I want on it. No significant wear yet. I don't anticipate any for years to come either.
Don't you mean "don't fret about it"?
+1
I keep telling my musician friends I never fret while playing the bass.
A plain wood board will abrade with round wound strings. The wear is especially apparent right at the key witness points. So, the result is a loss in intonation where you really need it.
I wore down an ebony board on a Warmouth neck in about 14 months of playing to the point that I needed to level it.
If you prefer the sound of roundwounds on bare wood, you will have to do leveling maintenance depending on your playing time, and will have to eventually replace the board or neck. Flatwounds will have a significantly longer time between service.
The various polymer coatings greatly increase the abrasion resistance, but significantly affect the sound; could be +/- depending on your tonal goals.
I wore down an ebony board on a Warmouth neck in about 14 months of playing to the point that I needed to level it.
If you prefer the sound of roundwounds on bare wood, you will have to do leveling maintenance depending on your playing time, and will have to eventually replace the board or neck. Flatwounds will have a significantly longer time between service.
The various polymer coatings greatly increase the abrasion resistance, but significantly affect the sound; could be +/- depending on your tonal goals.
i'm asking about it,because i want to buy my very first fretless bass( some cheap Vintage Icon fretless), and if i cannot do the slap on it i dont need it...thank you guys for opinions and help 
i'm asking about it,because i want to buy my very first fretless bass( some cheap Vintage Icon fretless), and if i cannot do the slap on it i dont need it...thank you guys for opinions and help
You should be more concerned about the tone than the fretboard. If you like the Icon slap tone then go for it.
i dont care especially for the tone,there's MarkBass to fix it
Don't do that to yourself, dude. Yes, a good amp can make a bass really shine but don't get a piece of coal with the intention of turning it into a diamond... especially if you don't like that particular piece of coal to begin with. If you don't like the Icon's slap tone, a Markbass amp won't do much to change that (and I do love Markbass amps).
Just wait a while and I'm sure a bass that you actually like will float along. That's how I've gotten basically all my gear, by waiting patiently. And I haven't regret a single dime that I've spent even if I did end up selling most of it
Don't do that to yourself, dude. Yes, a good amp can make a bass really shine but don't get a piece of coal with the intention of turning it into a diamond... especially if you don't like that particular piece of coal to begin with. If you don't like the Icon's slap tone, a Markbass amp won't do much to change that (and I do love Markbass amps).
Just wait a while and I'm sure a bass that you actually like will float along. That's how I've gotten basically all my gear, by waiting patiently. And I haven't regret a single dime that I've spent even if I did end up selling most of it
+1
ok,but it costs me about 150 eur, and i know that i can't expect great tone,i was just curious about fretboard..Icon would be my second bass guitar just for home practising, or small gigs.
I have a stainless "slap plate" on my fretless. Makes the sound more like a fretted when slapping and means that it will take even longer for the fingerboard to be damaged from slapping.
It looks rough (especially the finish) but there are great design ideas here.
Rosewood will tear on a fretless with time regardless of the strings and techniques you use. It doesn't matter a bit. Have it planned every few years and that's it.
Rosewood will tear on a fretless with time regardless of the strings and techniques you use. It doesn't matter a bit. Have it planned every few years and that's it.
