Long time lurker, first time poster. I've had this fretless Warwick RockBass Streamer for about 4 months now with the stock roundwound 'Wick strings on it. Finally went to change the strings today. I'm a noobie. Is this too much wear on the fingerboard? Should I switch to flats?
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Fingerboard wear, like fret wear, is reality for all stringed instruments. Both can and are remedied when necessary during the life of the part. When the situation becomes critical the part can be replaced.
The question you should ask your self is "What is more important, preserving the condition of the instrument or tone?" Then make your choice.
My personal, unvarnished opinion is that musical instruments are for playing. The choices we make concerning the instruments are for tone.
If instrument preservation is the most important thing on someone's list they should become dealers, techs, or museum conservators rather than musicians.
Welcome to the forum.
Respectfully submitted.
The question you should ask your self is "What is more important, preserving the condition of the instrument or tone?" Then make your choice.
My personal, unvarnished opinion is that musical instruments are for playing. The choices we make concerning the instruments are for tone.
If instrument preservation is the most important thing on someone's list they should become dealers, techs, or museum conservators rather than musicians.
Welcome to the forum.
Respectfully submitted.
If it were mine, I'd switch to flats; NOT because of the condition of the fingerboard, but 'cause I'm a flats kinda guy. Don't worry about it until you are having a hard time getting the music you played, then either take it to your tech, or redress it yourself ('n then take to a tech to get it fixed.)
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Thanks folks. I love the roundwound sound, so I suppose I'll stay with that. What concerned me the most is that literally 4 months of play (albeit a lot) caused that much wear.
That is a technique problem. Two things to keep in mind. The wear is from moving the string from side to side, east and west. Guitar style vibrato. Learn to press down and hold. If vibrato is desired, it is generated by moving the finger parallel to the string, north and south. The string is being pressed to the fingerboard with a lot of strength. Learn to use a lighter touch.
All said, have a tech check out the nut. It may be that the slot depths need to be adjusted so the strings are easier to press down in the first three positions.
All said, have a tech check out the nut. It may be that the slot depths need to be adjusted so the strings are easier to press down in the first three positions.
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
That is a lot of wear in my books but the type of wood used makes a difference. I have a bass that is almost 20 years old that looks much better than that. I don't have much to add other than what's been said, good advice above, as I think it is likely due to too much pressure being applied on the neck.
You might be digging in too much. Turn up, lower action, play light, and you'll probably get less wear.
I rock rounds on my fretless w minimal wear. (Ebony FB however)
I rock rounds on my fretless w minimal wear. (Ebony FB however)
Yes, that looks very much like technique causing wear. It's from pushing the strings too hard into the fingerboard and moving them side to side, and probably by hitting them too hard with your plucking/picking hand. All that causes the string windings to dig into the wood too much. Only switch to flats if you want to sound like flats on a fretless.
Actively work on pressing the string just enough to get the sound, attack them just enough to get them to sound, and if you use vibrato go along the string length rather than bending them.
jte
Actively work on pressing the string just enough to get the sound, attack them just enough to get them to sound, and if you use vibrato go along the string length rather than bending them.
jte
My technique is always to dig in and move the strings around a lot so I do wear out my frets pretty quickly.
On my workhorse bass I removed the frets when they wore down and turned the bass into a fretless. After a few months with DR high beams (rounds) I had one seriously beat up fingerboard.
My solution was to go with the flat strings option rather than alter my technique or commit to refacing the board twice a year. But I like the sound of flats with a fretless - otherwise I would have stuck with the rounds.
As was said in several posts already - the right answer is to go with the sound you like first. Don't compromise your tone (or your style) for the sake of longer maintenance intervals.
On my workhorse bass I removed the frets when they wore down and turned the bass into a fretless. After a few months with DR high beams (rounds) I had one seriously beat up fingerboard.
My solution was to go with the flat strings option rather than alter my technique or commit to refacing the board twice a year. But I like the sound of flats with a fretless - otherwise I would have stuck with the rounds.
As was said in several posts already - the right answer is to go with the sound you like first. Don't compromise your tone (or your style) for the sake of longer maintenance intervals.
I use rounds on a fretless bass you may want to consider getting that guy polyurethaned it will bring out the mwah more and protect the board a little better. Practice your technique and get it replaned after a number of year to where the tracks are like tracks in the mud. Yours are not too bad actually.
Pressure wounds might be a compromise, you lose a little high end "zing", but they seem a little gentler on the FB. Nickel rounds will be a little less abrasive than stainless if thats what you are using. The polyester coatings on Pedulla Buzz and similar basses is the only finish I've seen that will hold up to stainless rounds.
Thanks for all the replies. I'm sticking with rounds just because I like that nasty tone. I'm gonna work on my technique though. Maybe I'll cut down on bloody fingertips and hand cramps! It's pretty amazing that someone diagnosed a technique problem just from that picture.
sorry about being late to the party: my point of view is coming from this: fretless player (i have 5, rotate 4, play out with three). one has an ebony board, one has ebonol, two have rosewood, one has epoxy and is under construction. i play all fretless styles and can be gentle at times and aggressive at others. all of my boards have some sign of use/wear from roundwounds (roto 66's). all of them continue to be playable, and reliable. the ebony board is the oldest (20+ years) and shows moderate wear. the ebonol board shows more 'marks', but less actual wear. the rosewood boards are newer (1 & 2 years) and show less wear and less string 'marks', but they are no longer 'pristine'. they all look like they have been played, some more than others. i practice and gig regularly and frequently. while it's possible that i would need a 'sanding' on any one of them before i leave the building (i'm 66), it's not a certainty. and the sanding is easy, quick and effective (with proper tools and methods). you can do it yourself. learn to set up your fretless instrument(s) to get the best playing for yourself.
but my point: play with the strings you like, with the method you like: those two items are likely to change over time, anyway, as you 'mature' on the instrument and learn to compensate, yada yada: but do not ever look at your fretless board and surmise that because you see signs of wear = you are doing something wrong: if you change your technique to keep your board from wearing, you will soon not be playing the bass --- it will be playing you! adjusting your playing (technique) in a way to merely save the fingerboard is wrong. (adjusting technique to save your fingers/hands, or your body parts, however, makes sense.) the best technique(s) will wear out your boards! it's a fact!
i think these are correct:
your picture = board + rounds + fun! play, play, play: if and when something goes wrong: fix it and keep on playing!
A bass is a tool to be used...maint from some wear is part of it.
Do people try to keep the tires on their car or truck new, or just use them and replace when worn?
Then there's the issue of how they are driven or played...they can last a long while or get used up quickly.
Do people try to keep the tires on their car or truck new, or just use them and replace when worn?
Then there's the issue of how they are driven or played...they can last a long while or get used up quickly.
That is an interesting analogy and it reminds me of the modded 80 Mustang I had when I was younger. It was my daily driver but I also liked to play the street racing games at every opportunity. I kept expensive racing tires on the car and it meant that not only did they make it dangerous to drive in the rain, but I had to replace them about every 8,000 miles because they wore out so quickly.
At the time, I considered this just the cost of performance, but after buying a third set of 4 tires in less than a year and numerous close calls with accidents in the rain, I decided I was really being dumb.
Of course, refretting a bass isn't all that expensive and your round wound strings aren't going to kill you.
Yeah, I had sports cars when younger and a new set of radials were doing good to last 6000 mi driving hard and SCCA racing some weekends.
Rear bike tires only lasted 3-4.5k and front tires (even hard racing compound) about 10k, some far less.
But it was the cost of 'sport' and didn't fret it.
My basses are to play- I use them but do not abuse them. Repairs as req'd.
Rear bike tires only lasted 3-4.5k and front tires (even hard racing compound) about 10k, some far less.
But it was the cost of 'sport' and didn't fret it.
My basses are to play- I use them but do not abuse them. Repairs as req'd.
