Hide Lines on Fretless Bass

[ProdigalBassman]

Hoping someone can help me out with this...

I have a Schecter stiletto studio fretless 4 string and LOVE IT! But it would look so much better if I could cover the fingerboard lines. If I need to look when hitting a particular rift, I'm looking at the neck edge not the face of the fingerboard.

I tried a black Sharpie to cover the lines and it looked great. But it wears off fast.

Has anyone successfully hidden fingerboard lines on a fretless? How?

Thanks in advance !!

 

[Rocky McDougall]

cover the entire fretboard with black epoxy.

 

[lz4005]

Close your eyes. You won't see the lines at all.

 

[ProdigalBassman]

Close your eyes. You won't see the lines at all.

Love your sense of humor

I know, it's just vanity on my part. I just want my bass to look its best to the audience.

 

[wild4oldcars]

Home depot sells touch up markers for hardwood floors and things like that. If you could match a marker to your fretboard wood, that may yield good results

 

[wigworld]

I know, it's just vanity on my part. I just want my bass to look its best to the audience.

Why do you think the audience even cares?

 

[Webtroll]

Sharpie oughta do it. It won't fool a close inspection but should be fine for playing live.

 

[lz4005]

Audiences don't care. I mean, make your stuff look however makes you happy, but they don't care.

True story: I was playing a gig once on fretless and at the end of the last song a woman in the audience yells up to me "Is that a fretless bass?". After I said yes she yelled back "Good god why?"

Turns out she meant to say "isn't that much more difficult for no good reason", but still, she's my favorite heckler of all time. Plus she bought me a drink after.

 

[Marko 1]

I’d like to eliminate the dots on all my bass fingerboards; I just don’t like the looks of them, whether I see them while playing or not.

I also just look at the edge dots— but with my belly all I can see, haha.

 

[shwabilly]

I love talkbass. A guy asks a simple question, and half the replies he gets are ripping him for wanting to hide the fret lines, instead of giving constructive advice. Who cares why he wants to do it? Most of us have modded an instrument at some time "for looks" that the audience won't care about.

 

[Spent]

I love talkbass. A guy asks a simple question, and half the replies he gets are ripping him for wanting to hide the fret lines, instead of giving constructive advice. Who cares why he wants to do it? Most of us have modded an instrument at some time "for looks" that the audience won't care about.

Couldn't agree more. How much of the cost of a bass is in the finish? They'd probably be half as much if they were sold unfinished. And what's up with colored strings? Designer straps? Silver, gold, black hardware? It's all bling. I have a Fender fretless jazz deluxe with fret lines and I hate the look. It's a beautiful fretboard marred, IMHO, by lines that serve no purpose. "Why do you want to..." is not a helpful as you think it is. End of rant.

 

[BenWhoPlaysBass]

I agree with the black epoxy suggestion. That'd cover the lines and make the board more durable (Though it'd probably cover up most of the wood grain on the board).

 

[TolerancEJ]

Another suggestion... Order a replacement unlined fretless neck (i.e. Warmoth, etc.) That way, when you get around to selling your existing Schecter, you can return the original neck (unaltered) and/or include a bonus neck (for a small markup.)

 

[ROOTSnFIFTHS]

Hoping someone can help me out with this...

I have a Schecter stiletto studio fretless 4 string and LOVE IT! But it would look so much better if I could cover the fingerboard lines. If I need to look when hitting a particular rift, I'm looking at the neck edge not the face of the fingerboard.

I tried a black Sharpie to cover the lines and it looked great. But it wears off fast.

Has anyone successfully hidden fingerboard lines on a fretless? How?

Thanks in advance !!

I've done it.
On my Fender Jaco signature fretless Jazz.
Why? I did not like the color of the wood of the board (Pau ferro wood) AND lines mess me up quite honestly.

I used Fiebing's Leather dye. I used dark brown but it also comes in black. It worked great too. Let it dry for a day or two. I play the heck out of that bass (with roundwounds)and it has stayed on pretty well.

I believe I bought it at Stewmac.com.

 

[Gaolee]

I can say from experience that when I play the fretless 'Bird, there's always a few people who stare at it. I would like to figure out how to get rid of the fret markers on it, since it started life as a standard issue fretted bass.

I don't particularly want to epoxy the fretboard. If that's really the solution, then it's just not that important to cover the dots.

 

[mr.black]

Fiebings makes a stain sold thru stewmac.com and other places that will "ebonize" your fretboard, others have used minwax ebony stain etc... Problem MAY arise if the dots or lines in your case, are plastic and not some sort of wood. the stain may not take to it as well but should still stain it.

 

[lz4005]

In all seriousness, for dots and/or lines cut them out and fill the holes with thin pieces of matching wood.

 

[MD]

If you have the budget, put a new FB on the bass.

I can't recall the thread, but someone painted their FB with gloss black paint and then put a clear coat of something on it. Probably similar to the black epoxy.

 

[Turkeypills]

Home depot sells touch up markers for hardwood floors and things like that. If you could match a marker to your fretboard wood, that may yield good results

+1 I used to install, sand and refin hardwood floors and this stuff is used all the time to conceal slight imperfections. If you can find a color that matches the board this may be the cheapest/easiest option.

 

[ProdigalBassman]

Another suggestion... Order a replacement unlined fretless neck (i.e. Warmoth, etc.) That way, when you get around to selling your existing Schecter, you can return the original neck (unaltered) and/or include a bonus neck (for a small markup.)

Good suggestion, but it won't work on this bass: neck through body construction, which I prefer for sustain.

But thanks anyway!