How should I fix this fingerboard???? Fender content

[quickfix]

That is just wrong in so many ways. First of all, the reason people bring me repairs is because they do not have the skill to do the job themselves. If someone brought that bass to me and insisted that I fix it in a substandard manner I would simply decline to do the job. I don't want my name attached to sub par work. I would explain that replacing the wood is a better repair, and most rational people would trust my judgment.

There's nothing wrong with what I said. Most economical and effective repair is always what's required. Look at that neck. It needs nothing fancy.
Maybe you can snow most of your customers. But you won't be able to snow the discerning ones.

 

[sissy kathy]

I don't want my bass looking like a POS, I'd get it done right, or leave it alone. By right, I mean a matching piece of wood, preferably fret to fret. Since I have maple finger boards, not dark wood, I'd even consider the full width of the finger board there.

 

[Hopkins]

There's nothing wrong with what I said. Most economical and effective repair is always what's required. Look at that neck. It needs nothing fancy.
Maybe you can snow most of your customers. But you won't be able to snow the discerning ones.

There is no snowing involved. It would take me much longer to color match some kind of filler material, wait for it to dry, sand it to the correct shape then, create a simulated grain, than it would to take a chisel, square off the break and fit a piece of rose wood. Besides I pride myself on an invisible repair, and aesthetics absolutely matter.

To properly fix that chip with a piece of rosewood, which just about every builder/repair guy will have laying around would take about 1 hour of total labor. That includes removing two frets, reinstalling them and dressing them.

 

[quickfix]

I don't want my bass looking like a POS, I'd get it done right, or leave it alone. By right, I mean a matching piece of wood, preferably fret to fret. Since I have maple finger boards, not dark wood, I'd even consider the full width of the finger board there.

Well it's nice that you feel that way, but not everyone can afford to be fleeced at every turn.

 

[Hopkins]

Well it's nice that you feel that way, but not everyone can afford to be fleeced at every turn.

Why do you think that every guitar repair man is out to "fleece" you? Do you get upset if a mechanic fixes your car correctly, even though you could get by with duct tape and bailing wire? At the most I would charge $100 to repair that chip.

 

[quickfix]

Not every one. Just the ones that demand they only do the work that rich folks can afford. There is always an economical repair that doesn't have to go beyond fluff and shiny ponies. You know darn well that a properly constituted and reinforced (carbon fibre) fill will not only look good, but also last the life of the instrument. And there's no waiting around for it to dry. There's too much other work to be done while it's drying. Sweep a floor, restring a customers instrument, prepare someone else's fret job.

If the neck in question were mine, I'd seriously consider leaving it with the booboo. If I found it to be too annoying I'd try my own remedies before submitting it to the local wrench bender.

I'd also pick and choose that wrench bender with due diligence. Some fancy themselves as above the mass of local musicians and therefore suffer from lack of work and a reduced larder. They charge too much and are unwilling to bend a little.
Others are able to give options and know what most local musicians can afford. Their work is impeccable and they wouldn't look askance at such a repair scheme. They get a lot of work. More than one man can handle, hence the employee or two.

 

[Hopkins]

You know darn well that a properly constituted and reinforced (carbon fibre) fill will not only look good, but also last the life of the instrument.

No, I don't know darn well, because I have no idea what material you are talking about. It may last the life of the instrument, but I seriously doubt it could look good. I don't understand your aversion to someone who takes enough pride in there work to do a proper repair.

 

[quickfix]

Why do you think that every guitar repair man is out to "fleece" you? Do you get upset if a mechanic fixes your car correctly, even though you could get by with duct tape and bailing wire? At the most I would charge $100 to repair that chip.

There's economy, and then there's false economy. Your automotive example is false economy. Those auto repairs are unsafe and won't last through a winter.
A hundred bucks is a lot of dough to some folks. They'd probably suck it up and live with the damaged neck, and call it a "feature". Won't have to look to find my way around the eighth fret.
$50 is more reasonable and likely to make even the poorest musician think twice before walking away. He'd also be happy with the end result.
I'm a poor musician. I know what I'd do.

 

[Hopkins]

There's economy, and then there's false economy. Your automotive example is false economy. Those auto repairs are unsafe and won't last through a winter.
A hundred bucks is a lot of dough to some folks. They'd probably suck it up and live with the damaged neck, and call it a "feature". Won't have to look to find my way around the eighth fret.

Ok, for a better analogy. You get a big dent in your fender, so you take it to a body shop, would you be happy if they just filled the dent with body filler and painted over it with whatever color they had laying around to where you can easily see the repair? You could just as easily drive around with a dent in your fender with no safety concern, the repair would be purely aesthetic. Its the same thing in the case of this chip. The repair is purely aesthetic, and doesn't really need to be done. But if a customer is concerned enough about it to have it repaired, the repair should be done correctly. If the repair is blatantly obvious, there was no point in doing it in the first place.

 

[jp8848]

I've got a long piece of Indian Rosewood here in my desk. It has not been sanded or anything, but pm me your address and I'll send it to ya! Its just laying here collecting space and dust and I have no use for it!

 

[MVE]

I don't want to derail this thread, but I can't help but to point out the hilarity of how much we judge each other simply by our avatars...
Reading through the entire page, in my head, I have been watching Jack Nicholson having a heated debate with a dog. LMAO.

 

[quickfix]

Oh stop. You're just getting yourself overheated.
Your analogies are over the top, and thus have no merit.

 

[quickfix]

I don't want to derail this thread, but I can't help but to point out the hilarity of how much we judge each other simply by our avatars...
Reading through the entire page, in my head, I have been watching Jack Nicholson having a heated debate with a dog. LMAO.

A smiling, slightly deranged looking Jack Nicholson at that. "Je ne pas give a fxxx" factor. Retirement will do that for ya.
My appearance and new outlook on life most days. An outlook obviously not shared by some.

 

[Rôckhewer]

Ok..... Wait... What?...snowing customers?
What the f***?
I just read the rest of "quickfix"'s diatribe...
And this....
Quote:
There's nothing wrong with what I said. Most economical and effective repair is always what's required. Look at that neck. It needs nothing fancy.
Maybe you can snow most of your customers. But you won't be able to snow the discerning ones.

That statement in this context not only makes absolutely no sense.... But it actually contradicts itself.

I know for a fact that I can... And have...fixed voids just like that , with wood.
And can, and have done so, MUCH quicker ...(which makes it more economical).
.. Than doing it ( so that it would actually last) with ANY type of filler/putty/resin .... carbon fiber?...really?
So to make a blanket statement that claims that using a wood patch would be some kind of elitist snowjob performed with the intent of fleecing the customer ... Is not only out of line and presumptuous... It's basically just , well... ignorant.

And Hopkins is right about the reputation factor too.
...customer brings repair and demands bondo.... Repairer complies...
Customer shows friend bondo repair job...
Friend asks, who did that? (because it looks like poo)
Customer tells friend...
Friend tells two friends...
They tell two friends....
And so on...and so on...
Repairer's name and reputation are sullied!

 

[Robert Canfield]

Dirty, The bottom line is this: If you want a "quick fix", listen to quickfix. If you want the fix to be wood, listen to Hopkins. Both will play fine. One will look better than the other. You get what you pay for. If you don't care what it looks like, then this whole discussion/argument has been a waste of 1's and 0's. IMO

 

[quickfix]

Dirty, The bottom line is this: If you want a "quick fix", listen to quickfix. If you want the fix to be wood, listen to Hopkins. Both will play fine. One will look better than the other. You get what you pay for.

That is absolutely correct. And depending on your "wherewithall", you'll be happy with either.

 

[quickfix]

Ok..... Wait... What?...snowing customers?
What the f***?

Maybe I was a tad vitriolic...but it's too late now to take it back. So I can't.

 

[jeffbassguy]

this is a mexican fender we are talking about here right? Thought for a second someone was trying to luthier a fodera from the banter in this thread. A piece of rosewood or filler will do the job depending on your comfort level..there is probably a wood working store somewhere in a driveable radius you could bring bass to and say "hey I'm looking to repair this myself, can you steer me in the right direction on what I would need and steps to fix"? These places love giving free advice and they are normally old guys with tribal knowledge that know what they are talking about.

 

[scottyd]

I'd get a nice Indian rosewood fingerboard, some good maple... build a new neck and burn that one with fire.. strickly off the basis of the tension it has created in this thread.

 

[Rôckhewer]

I'd get a nice Indian rosewood fingerboard, some good maple... build a new neck and burn that one with fire.. strickly off the basis of the tension it has created in this thread.

Here here!!