Lined Fretless w/ marker inlays

[ProbablyTooLoud]

My question is... given the shape of the guitar neck, how did you make the lines parallel?

Do what now?
I'm not talking about drawing on the board, I'm talking about lines on binding as fret position markers.
Sorry for the confusion.
But if that's what you meant too, my take is/was its just a marker, so I never even thought about keeping them perfectly parallel, I just drew them.

 

[MochaFiend]

Do what now?
I'm not talking about drawing on the board, I'm talking about lines on binding as fret position markers.
Sorry for the confusion.
But if that's what you meant too, my take is/was its just a marker, so I never even thought about keeping them perfectly parallel, I just drew them.

Haha! No, I was legitimately asking, in case I end up with something that doesn't have lines. I would like to add them, with some kind of marking device, but realized that adding them would be a little tricky. I mean, I can't just slap a square on it and zip a line across the fingerboard. I understand that that wasn't your goal.

 

[dabbler]

How long would the stickers last under the string friction?

Everything depends, although the person who answered this ahead of me has a good suggestion, on how you play. I do have stickers on one of my basses, but I don't bend strings when I play and honestly, I expect mine to last forever.

 

[Wavy]

Interesting. Was he able to fix the neck first? One of the things about converting is you need a good, flat board to begin with, then it's up to the luthier to do a proper job leveling the fret lines and making sure the board is true, before finishing the surface.

Maybe he did. He suggested making it fretless because he didn't think the twist was fixable to his standards.

As I typed above, I haven't noticed the twist. Only a perfectionist like him -- and possibly you -- would notice.

It's a Cort Space B, imitation Steinberger, with Steinberger hardware, like the one in this TB thread.

If he left the twist in the neck I cannot see how that would play properly as fretless, though perhaps anything is possible?

It's a fretless. Who cares? Slide a little up or down to be in tune. I don't play fretless enough to worry.

Because there are no double ball end nylon strings, he found a headpiece from Headless USA so I can use nylon tapewounds, in hope of getting it to sound more like an upright. I happy with it.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Maybe he did. He suggested making it fretless because he didn't think the twist was fixable to his standards.

As I typed above, I haven't noticed the twist. Only a perfectionist like him -- and possibly you -- would notice.

It's a Cort Space B, imitation Steinberger, with Steinberger hardware, like the one in this TB thread.



It's a fretless. Who cares? Slide a little up or down to be in tune. I don't play fretless enough to worry.

Because there are no double ball end nylon strings, he found a headpiece from Headless USA so I can use nylon tapewounds, in hope of getting it to sound more like an upright. I happy with it.

Interesting bass. It has so little "body" to it, perhaps a slight twist might be imperceptible and have no effect on playability? The bass can move a little to correct position as your hand slides down the neck.

 

[Wavy]

Interesting bass.

Thanx. It was only $200 used about 30 years ago. Of course after the DiMarzios, cubic zirconia fret markers, later the fretless transition, and even later the headpiece, I've got more into it. When the original soft case wore out, I got it a $50 plastic rifle case from Bass Pro.

It's fun to play, especially now with the nylons on it.

It has so little "body" to it, perhaps a slight twist might be imperceptible and have no effect on playability? The bass can move a little to correct position as your hand slides down the neck.

You're probably correct.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Thanx. It was only $200 used about 30 years ago. Of course after the DiMarzios, cubic zirconia fret markers, later the fretless transition, and even later the headpiece, I've got more into it. When the original soft case wore out, I got it a $50 plastic rifle case from Bass Pro.

It's fun to play, especially now with the nylons on it.



You're probably correct.

Wow, when you show up at a gig with that case, and start to open it, do people scatter and run for cover?

 

[Wavy]

Wow, when you show up at a gig with that case, and start to open it, do people scatter and run for cover?

It's a rectangle, so no. At last not yet.
A violin case might raise a different reaction.