Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Fretted Fretless
- Thread starter Scoops
- Start date
There are basses that are fretted most of the way and fretless the rest of the fingerboard. There are basses that are fretless for some strings and fretted for others. That's about it. Is that what you mean?
What exactly does that mean? Do you think your original and follow up questions are vague or precise?
Ibanez has this thing -
SRAS7 | SR | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
SRAS7 | SR | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
Back in the day there was a company that made a neck or maybe even whole basses where the fretboard was held on by magnets and you could switch between fretted and fretless boards. I've never seen one in person or a video of one, I only remember the ads in Guitar Player. This was before Bass Player and waaaaaay before YouTube.
There has also been at least one company that made a bass neck with frets the popped up and down by flipping a lever. I don't recall the name of the company but there's a better chance of finding a video of one of those.
There has also been at least one company that made a bass neck with frets the popped up and down by flipping a lever. I don't recall the name of the company but there's a better chance of finding a video of one of those.
Kinda.....
I was posing somewhat of a riddle
I'm thinkin something like this
I have this fretted neck, I dam it off pour in epoxy, once the epoxy dries shape the epoxy to be just above the top of the frets.
This is an experiment I've been wanting to do for a while so here goes
I was posing somewhat of a riddle
I'm thinkin something like this
I have this fretted neck, I dam it off pour in epoxy, once the epoxy dries shape the epoxy to be just above the top of the frets.
This is an experiment I've been wanting to do for a while so here goes
That kinda nullifies the lines or no lines argument.
I'm not entirely sure of the why but I'm interested to see what happens.
It's cleaner than ripping the frets out, especially on a maple board...
You want to take a fretted fingerboard and cover it with enough epoxy to cover the frets and solidify so the strings are in contact with just a flat layer of epoxy? Again, why? That's not fretted and fretless. That's a ruined fretted.Inquiring minds have a need to know.
I don't think you'd have to shim the neck, and I'd expect the bridge to have enough adjustment to handle it (just above fret height is where most action is, I don't think you'd have to raise it much). I do think the nut would possibly need to be raised a bit.
In reality, it's a cheap neck, and my mind wanders sometimes.
So then....
Why did Les Paul put a big plank of wood in a perfectly good guitar?
Why did Mr Tutmarc electrify a Bass
Why did Edison make the light bulb?
Why did man become a hunter?
So then....
Why did Les Paul put a big plank of wood in a perfectly good guitar?
Why did Mr Tutmarc electrify a Bass
Why did Edison make the light bulb?
Why did man become a hunter?
I'm with Gorn on this one.
Your bass, OP. You do you. But ask yourself this: why don't people do this more often?
Because, you know, people don't do this.
Your bass, OP. You do you. But ask yourself this: why don't people do this more often?
Because, you know, people don't do this.
Is this idea as innovative as a lightbulb or prehistoric hunting practices? Hell, go for it. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's the best way to turn a fretted into a fretless. What it's definitely not is simultaneously a fretted and a fretless.
In reality, it's a cheap neck, and my mind wanders sometimes.
So then....
Why did Les Paul put a big plank of wood in a perfectly good guitar?
Why did Mr Tutmarc electrify a Bass
Why did Edison make the light bulb?
Why did man become a hunter?
They had a problem to solve and theories backing them up. Do you have either?
Seems to me the only real downside will be the weight from all the extra epoxy. The neck might feel thicker too but some people prefer that anyway.
