Interchangeable fingerboards

[maxito]

I have a memory from the 70s or 80s of a set of interchangeable fingerboards. I think they were called "Flashboards". Once the system was installed, the bassist could swap between fretted, fretless, or even a metal fretless fingerboard.

I have tried to find articles about them, or any information, but can't come up with any leads. Anybody else remember these?

 

[FretNoMore]

Kramer did this I believe, Google Kramer interchangeable fretboard

 

[awilkie84]

I think it was called the "Pioneer", if memory serves...

 

[Gorn]

I wonder why they're not around. I'd buy a bass with one.

 

[rtav]

I think I recall Roy Vogt having one of these and showing it to me way back when, but then as the clock ticks the fuzz on my memories grows exponentially.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Exactly what we need to answer the age-old "rosewood versus maple" question!




kidding, of course

 

[lowfreq33]

Tony Levin has a Stingray that has two different fingerboards, one fretted and one fretless, but it was a one-off.

 

[48thStreetCustom]

I remember the ads for those. I think they were called Novatone switchboards.

 

[Means2nEnd]

Atomic Music in Maryland in the old location around 2002 there was a 4 stringed musicman natural ash body and two fingerboards. They were magnetic and had lost much of their grab by then and would slide off easily but there was a fretted and fretless fingerboard that cam with the bass and a beat up case. It was $1,200 and said it had belonged to someone famous who knew? Anyway by the time I checked it out it was a POS and I laughed at it.....Maybe I should have nabbed it but it was a right handed instrument and till this day I still don't know why they make right handed basses...

 

[maxito]

Novatone Switchboards! Yessir, that's what it was! Thanks. A quick search suggests that poor reliability and/or less than honorable business ethics killed the product. Still, the concept intrigues me.

 

[mmbongo]

.Maybe I should have nabbed it but it was a right handed instrument and till this day I still don't know why they make right handed basses...

It's purely a business decision. Instrument makers are truly passionate about selling left handed instruments, but there is just not enough market for them alone. So, they suffer through building and selling thousands of right handed instruments so they can live the dream and sell those 3 left handed instruments.

 

[BassikLee]

When I was in school the first time, I studied with Jorge Casas, right about the time he joined Miami Sound Machine. Anyway, he had a pre CBS P bass neck with those fretboards on it. For the life of me, I could not understand why someone would do that to THAT neck. Cool idea, but use a Warmoth neck. Why ruin a vintage neck.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

So do they actually work long-term? Does it affect the play-ability at all?

 

[Abner]

My understanding of this system was that a fair bit of wood had to be removed from the neck as well as the original fretboard. As a result, the necks became a little flimsy, and even stories of the truss rod breaking through.

I remember seeing an Ibanez Musician on ebay a couple of years ago with this system installed. Was not a hot item.

-Alex

 

[Sean R]

I have a Fender Jazz with a Novatone neck. Plays well, sounds great. I have 4 finderboards for it - blank, lined, stainless, and fretted. Can post some pics if anyone interested in seeing it. I bought it from my bass teacher in high school, was used back then, probably 1989 or so.

 

[JACink]

Please post pics, I am curious!

 

[Dave W]

Me too!

 

[Sean R]

Here you go. Sorry the audio isn't all that great, this was just a quick couple takes on my webcam. Hope you at least get the gist of it. Here is the link:
Let me know what you think.

 

[SteveC]

Sounds fine to me. I'd really love a fretted/fretless option like that.

 

[Sean R]

For what it is, it is very cool. This bass is anything but stock. Was my teenage hotrod with the Novatone neck, Schaller bridge, EMG active pickups, etc. Guess at this point it is just for fun as I don't play it that much. Ever since buying a Music Man 5 in 1992, hard to go back to the 4.