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Leveling fretless fingerboard - self or pro?

darwin-bass

darwin-bass

Supporting Member
Mar 29, 2013
5,442
9,122
Salem OR
#1
I sportin' a new Warmoth fretless neck on my 32" scale P bass. Everything is great except the 1st fret Bb position on the A string will buzz and rattle more than the open A (duh) or the B, C, C#, etc. No issues with first position notes on the E, D or G string, only the A string. Even with the action noticeably higher on the A string the issue persists.

I believe the fingerboard is not totally level and saw some indication visually when I check out the neck before putting it into service. Should I spend $15 or $20 to ship it back to Warmoth for them to address it or spend the same $ on a radius sanding block from StewMac and level the fretboard myself?
 
#4
That’s pretty cheap to ship it back. Doing it yourself may void any warranty. Not sure what the warranty would give you anyway. Maybe they will give you a credit. Oh boy! $20 off a $400 body! Sucks that you have to pay shipping on their mistake.

OTOH you will need to resurface the board at some point. I did it quite easily with a car auto body sanding block which is about 2/3 tye neck length and flat. I was just careful to maintain the existing radius and sand along the string paths. I’d almost be more wary of a radius block being too short so that you don’t take off material evenly.
 
#6
HaMMerHeD said:
Have you ever leveled a fretless fingerboard before?
Click to expand...
Never. I have always used pre-made necks. Have build a couple of bodies from scratch and have assembled quite a few basses from parts.

Leveling a fingerboard sounds pretty simple but I will admit that shipping it to Warmoth seems to be the wiser approach.

First is I need to take the neck off, loosen the truss rod and check the neck with a straight edge to see what's up.
 
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#9
Resurfacing a fretless fingerboard yourself isn't really difficult to do, and doesn't require much for special tools. Like Craigie said, you should do it with fairly long (like 8"-12") narrow flat bottom sanding board. The auto-body type sanding boards work great, or you can use a long maple or aluminum bar. You really don't need a radius block. I recommend not using one for truing up a fingerboard.

It's not hard, but you need to understand the geometry of what you are doing. This thread from 7 years ago goes into the subject in mind-numbing detail. If you want to know why.

Even fretless fingerboard levelling tips

The simple explanation is that you use the straight flat block to make a series of narrow flat strips, called the string paths, directly under each string, following right where they go. Then you blend it all in between the string paths, into a smooth shape.

From your description, it sounds like it has a small lump around the 2nd fret under the A string. You can probably find that quickly with a straight edge, and trim it down with the flat block.
 
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#10
Bruce Johnson said:
Resurfacing a fretless fingerboard yourself isn't really difficult to do, and doesn't require much for special tools. Like Craigie said, you should do it with fairly long (like 8"-12") narrow flat bottom sanding board. The auto-body type sanding boards work great, or you can use a long maple or aluminum bar. You really don't need a radius block. I recommend not using one for truing up a fingerboard.

It's not hard, but you need to understand the geometry of what you are doing. This thread from 7 years ago goes into the subject in mind-numbing detail. If you want to know why.

Even fretless fingerboard levelling tips

The simple explanation is that you use the straight flat block to make a series of narrow flat strips, called the string paths, directly under each string, following right where they go. Then you blend it all in between the string paths, into a smooth shape.

From your description, it sounds like it has a small lump around the 2nd fret under the A string. You can probably find that quickly with a straight edge, and trim it down with the flat block.
Click to expand...

I wonder, would it show up in a photo with a straight edge? Probably not.

Ha! That is exactly what I did to make a compound curved DB fingerboard (as you know because you have very helpful advice). Cut 4 flat surfaces following the string paths with a table saw and then rounded out between them with the car sanding block. Worked great! The key is careful attention to detail and getting/following great advice from the builders here.

I’m curious though, what did warmoth offer you? I’ve had string manufacturers send me new sets when I got a bad string. Usually they bend over backwards to protect their reputation when you have a legitimate complaint and ask nicely with photo documentation. Bottom line: you shouldn’t be out for their error. Problem is this kind of detail is probably too fine to show up in a photo. If you have to pay to ship it back they should agree to refund you the shipping from your original order if they find it’s their fault (which sounds like that’s the case). They still made money.

It’s such a good news story of: “ordered a warmoth neck. Had a problem. Got it fixed quickly and easily and it didn’t cost me.”

Better than “they have a warranty but if there’s a problem you’re on the hook to ship it back, so better to buy locally if you can.”
 
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#11
craigie said:
OTOH you will need to resurface the board at some point.
Click to expand...

While I've often opined that fingerboards on fretless instruments should be considered "consumables" just like strings or 9v batteries -- i.e., they wear out and require replacement due to normal use, and that should be an expected part of instrument use & upkeep -- I've also always contended that the half-life of a fretless fingerboard can probably be measured in decades.

So yeah, someone may need to resurface the board at some point, but given the way most folks seem to flip instruments, I'm not sure that someone will be the original owner! :)


(P.S. I agree with the "send it back to Warmoth" camp.)
 
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#13
darwin-bass said:
I sportin' a new Warmoth fretless neck on my 32" scale P bass. Everything is great except the 1st fret Bb position on the A string will buzz and rattle more than the open A (duh) or the B, C, C#, etc. No issues with first position notes on the E, D or G string, only the A string. Even with the action noticeably higher on the A string the issue persists.

I believe the fingerboard is not totally level and saw some indication visually when I check out the neck before putting it into service. Should I spend $15 or $20 to ship it back to Warmoth for them to address it or spend the same $ on a radius sanding block from StewMac and level the fretboard myself?
Click to expand...

Have you checked the nut slot depth for the problem string? I have an easier time believing the slot may have been filed down over time versus the whole board needing work.
 
#14
I had some grooves in the fingerboard of my 1982 Pedulla Buzz back in the early 90’s. I am so glad that I paid a professional to do a proper job on it. Mark Erlwine here in Austin took his time and did a fantastic job. Today, the rest of that bass is battle scarred, but that fingerboard is still incredible!
 
#15
onamission said:
That may be a nut problem, not a fretboard problem......
Click to expand...

No, that would have different symptoms. If the nut slot is too high, it's too hard to push down at the 1st. If the nut slot is too low, it buzzes when played open, but doesn't buzz at the 1st or on up. In this case, the buzz is happening at the 1st, and not at the 2nd. That indicates a high spot around the 2nd. It happens. Wood can grow lumps after it's machined. On a fretless fingerboard, the lump only needs to be maybe 0.004" high to interfere and cause a weird buzz.
 
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#16
Bruce Johnson said:
No, that would have different symptoms. If the nut slot is too high, it's too hard to push down at the 1st. If the nut slot is too low, it buzzes when played open, but doesn't buzz at the 1st or on up. In this case, the buzz is happening at the 1st, and not at the 2nd. That indicates a high spot around the 2nd. It happens. Wood can grow lumps after it's machined. On a fretless fingerboard, the lump only needs to be maybe 0.004" high to interfere and cause a weird buzz.
Click to expand...

Or it could suggest a low spot at the first. I would check that if you don't return to Warmoth. If the "low" area is minimal, I would build up gradually with super-glue and then dress the filled area to spec with the remainder of the board. Why mess with the entire fingerboard for just a couple of inches?
 
#17
InhumanResource said:
Have you checked the nut slot depth for the problem string? I have an easier time believing the slot may have been filed down over time versus the whole board needing work.
Click to expand...
Actually the nut is a bit too thick (strings too high above the fingerboard). Once I get the issue sorted out I plan to file them a smidge deeper.
 
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#18
onamission said:
That may be a nut problem, not a fretboard problem......
Click to expand...
This is what I’m feeling. So get a new nut, a bottle of tung oil, a sanding block, a straight edge and get to work.

The last thing I boxed up and sent away for a commercial shop to fix was a cluster for a Volvo. Planing and oiling a fingerboard and cutting a nut is quite a bit less technical.
 
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#19
Follow-up. I've done some "stuff" and wanted to post it here for history sake.

I took the neck off, loosened the truss rod and checked the neck for flatness. Neck has a very slight front bow on the bass side and is flat on the treble side. I looked carefully for a high spot at the 2nd fret position but didn't find one.

I filed the nut just a bit deeper while I had it apart and reassembled.

A-string still rattles at the Bb position. I changed strings to flats (perhaps it is a string issue) and still have the string rattle issue so it isn't the strings.

I redid the setup. Loosened the truss rod a bit to put a bit more forward bow in the neck and raised the action a bit. That shifted the rattle zone closer to the nut. I lowered the action and stopped when the rattle was about 1/4 fret flat of the Bb position. Final action on all strings was about 1.75 mm.

tl;dr:
  • Changed setup to give more neck bow. I think this was the key!
  • Adjusted action until Bb buzz shifted toward the nut (out of the way)
  • Final action is about 1.75mm buzz free.
 

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