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Maple Fretless Tone ??

Lorenzop

Lorenzop

Oct 23, 2012
258
5
Berlin
#1
Considering defretting a maple neck and protecting it with epoxy. What tone might one expect from that? I love maple one piece necks on my Ps and Js but will it work on a fretless "mwaaah" as well, or will the softness of the wood absorb too much energy?
Roundwounds are my strings. I love maple-ebony fretless tone, so I expect just maple might be closer to that than to a maple-rosewood (classic) combination?

Does anybody have any sound clips perhaps? Hard to find on the nettttt!

thanks
 
#4
Maple is not the wood of choice for fretless fingerboards for most bass builders. Ebony is probably the most common but rosewood, bubinga and other woods are used. That said if you epoxy any wood it will work. So don't let me put you off.

I had a maple fretless Precision from 1979. I never liked the Precision fretless arrangement. The neck didn't feel particularly good to me. So maple wouldn't be my choice.

Davo
 
#5
I've had rosewood and ebony. Of the two, ebony sounded more fretted to me. It was lacking the mwaaah we all seek. One was a Warmoth neck with a maple body J thing, the other was a Carvin LB20. Same lack of mwaaah from both.

Then I got a cheap MIM Jazz. It had mwaaah. Yea, the strings chew up the board but it sounds better while it lasts.

I'd think Maple would be closer to the Ebony sound, but I AM curious so ...


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#10
Davo-London said:
Maple is not the wood of choice for fretless fingerboards for most bass builders. Ebony is probably the most common but rosewood, bubinga and other woods are used. That said if you epoxy any wood it will work. So don't let me put you off.

I had a maple fretless Precision from 1979. I never liked the Precision fretless arrangement. The neck didn't feel particularly good to me. So maple wouldn't be my choice.

Davo
Click to expand...

I have the same bass and really like it. I had EMGs (added a J pickup) in it and got what I consider a classic fretless EMG tone with the J on, plenty of mwah. These days I'm going for a different sound, so Nordstrands are going in, not quite as we speak, but it's waiting patiently in line at the shop.

Of course your fingers and the strings will make a big difference. I use Thomastik Jazz Flats. I prefer a more "singing" tone that can turn into a moan when it's just the P pickup.
 
#11
My fretless has a maple board and I really like it. For what it's worth, I get complimented on how it sounds quite often... And I can assure you it has nothing to do with my playing ;)
 

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#12
I have a '78 P Bass with fretless maple. Original finish is still on the neck surface. It has a wonderful mwaah. I've tried flats, tapewounds, and half rounds, but I always come back to rounds (Rotosound '66 Swingbass).
Before I bought the bass (1980) I tried a couple rosewood fretless P basses, but they didn't have as much sustain, and my fingers wouldn't move as easily on the neck. Just my experience though.
 
#13
3234718 said:
I was sitting in my office in the dark. Bad habit. The strings looked black to me. That's an awesome bass though.
Click to expand...

Ya man, that's a great bass.

I do think you HAVE to epoxy the fingerboard if you're going for a maple fretless. I'm guessing it wouldn't sound like a conventional fretless otherwise. Don't get me wrong, it wouldn't sound bad, but I don't think you could get that smooth sexy 80's tone that guys like Pino, Mark Egan got.
 

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