Protecting my Ebony fretboard

[Kaleb Smith]

I would like to ask the community here on Talk Bass about protecting my Ebony fretboard. I have a GWB model fretless (the black, budget one). I want to protect the fretboard from roundwound strings.

If anyone has any viable solutions I'll gladly hear them. Thanks for your time!

 

[lz4005]

Protect it by using good technique. No sideways vibrato (always up and down the street, not across the road) and don't slap.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Protect it by using good technique. No sideways vibrato (always up and down the street, not across the road) and don't slap.

Might as well just lock it in the case and stuff it in a closet...

I'm of the opinion that musical instruments are made to be played. So play the living crap out of it via whatever techniques allow you to get the sound in your head out into the ether...and then if it turns out that your ebony fingerboard has gotten a few dings or scratches as a result, well, consider it an "expendable" just like strings or batteries: You replace (or repair) it and then get back to playing the living crap out of it.

 

[FunkHead]

Flats?

 

[Epitaph04]

There’s no real way to prevent it. A lighter touch will help for sure but strings mark up wooden fingerboards no matter what. I’ve seen flats do it too. Just use your favorite strings for it and keep in mind that down the line (i’m talking years down the line) you may have to use some sandpaper on it.

 

[lz4005]

Flats?

The choice of cowards. If they prefer the sound of rounds, I mean, and are only doing it because they're scared of having to do some sanding every few thousand hours of play.

 

[mikeswals]

Flats will never sound like rounds. So much lost there.

 

[Keith Guitars]

So, to echo the above comments - a certain amount of wear is inevitable.
How much you will see depends on your technique and choice of strings.
Some strings are more abrasive than others...I've found D'Addarios to be fairly kind to fretless boa (rds,
whereas some other brands have been much more aggressive (Rotosounds, for example).

But, as someone who makes a living building and maintaining basses - don't let it bother you too much.
Aside from being a fact of life - for most players with reasonable technique, you won't have to worry about it for a good long while.
Avoid slapping if possible, which should be easy on a fretless, and practice using light to moderate left-hand pressure when playing -
this will also help you get more of the "growl" that most people seek out with fretless instruments.

Cheers,
Martin

 

[Paulabass]

Every thirty years or so give the board a light sanding.

 

[nostatic]

If anyone has any viable solutions I'll gladly hear them. Thanks for your time!

play more, worry less

You'll see wear long before it has any impact on playability. As in years. Just play it and be happy. Worst case if you play the snot out of it you take it to a good luthier every 5-10 years and have the fingerboard planed.

 

[bassmeknik]

I have owned and played fretless basses with rounds since 1975. I have had to refinish my lacquered maple fretboard once in 44 years and it would have been twice if I hadn't started using the 5er as my primary bass. The problem you are worried about is YEARS off. Play your bass. Don't worry about it. If you played like Jaco and did it for years you won't wear out a fingerboard in your lifetime. When it gets scarred up get a radius sanding block and smooth it out. It's not rocket science.

 

[roller]

I'm absolutely loving the La Bella flats I recently threw on... faaaaaarrrr and away better tone and feel than the GHS Pressurewounds I had on before. YMMV.

I recommend that you roundwound snobs open up your heads every once in a while.

The truth is out there.

Flats will never sound like rounds. So much lost there.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

You could coat it with epoxy or Poly. Or do like Paulabass suggested and just sand it when the time comes.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

I would like to ask the community here on Talk Bass about protecting my Ebony fretboard. I have a GWB model fretless (the black, budget one). I want to protect the fretboard from roundwound strings.

If anyone has any viable solutions I'll gladly hear them. Thanks for your time!

I've had my GWB 1 (the original) for over 15 years. Played it a lot, and haven't had to do anything to the fingerboard yet. I've always used Elixir coated strings, they are a little more gentle on the fingerboard, IMO. I thought the budget models had ebonol fingerboards?

 

[UNICORN BASS]

Tung oil isn't a bad option either.

 

[BooDoggie]

I recently bought a fretless from a pawn shop that had very serious wear on the fretboard from roundwounds. I ordered a sanding block with the proper radius for that board, and spent about an hour total to sand it back into shape. I just popped the nut off, sanded until smooth, sanded a little off of the bottom of the nut, popped it back on and tuned it up with the flats that were on it when I got it.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

Tung oil isn't a bad option either.

Probably not useful. The strings will quickly wear through it.

 

[nilorius]

Sooner or later you will see some scratches if you use rotosounds and that is quite normal. You will be able to fix it later. I have GWB1005 also with ebony fretboard and years past i saw some small scratches but it doesn't infect the sound.

 

[Ric5]

don't think of it as damage to the fretboard … think of it as added character

 

[Swampish]

Definitely wouldn't put a finish on it, that will change the dynamic of what makes ebony such a cool substrate. Something you can consider would be to use something like Deftoil. It's very similar to tung oil, BUT it contains polymers that get into the surface and strengthen it. So you have the texture and surface aspect of natural ebony, but with the additional protection of the polymers. Would certainly test first, but could prolong between treatments.