Someone’s selling a Spector Performer 5 that was converted to fretless. I’ve always wanted one of these basses and they are willing to let it go for 250. Just trying to feel out how difficult it would be for me to get the fretboard looking proper again. I hate that they didn’t stain the wood filler to match. How much of an effect would this have on the bass as far as playability? I don’t mind keeping it fretless if it plays nice and plan on trying it, but would a simple touch up pen from Home Depot be enough to stain this back to normal? How extensive of a repair would it be to make this fretted again? Any advice is appreciated. Is it worth the $250 in components alone?
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Spector performer fretboard repair
- Thread starter mikeylikesit89
- Start date
That looks like a brutal hack job.
Maybe it plays great (I doubt it)
Short of a new fingerboard I don’t know how you would fix the cosmetics.
Maybe it plays great (I doubt it)
Short of a new fingerboard I don’t know how you would fix the cosmetics.
The fingerboard on a fretless has to have a perfect surface. That is... not.
It's possible this can be fixed by having the fingerboard thoroughly re-surfaced, but an honest shop might refuse to do the job if it requires taking off too much of the wood to get an even surface. The other option is to remove the board completely and install a new one, which isn't necessarily difficult for somebody who has experience and equipment to do it but there aren't a lot of those around. Either way you might be looking at a repair bill of a few hundred dollars.
Honestly I would walk away and wait for something in better condition to come along.
It's possible this can be fixed by having the fingerboard thoroughly re-surfaced, but an honest shop might refuse to do the job if it requires taking off too much of the wood to get an even surface. The other option is to remove the board completely and install a new one, which isn't necessarily difficult for somebody who has experience and equipment to do it but there aren't a lot of those around. Either way you might be looking at a repair bill of a few hundred dollars.
Honestly I would walk away and wait for something in better condition to come along.
Walk away. Wood filler?!? It's a hack-job on an entry-level import. Why make work ($$) for yourself? Add a few bucks and buy a decent, intact fretless platform.
Riis
Riis
That’s the worst fretless conversion I’ve seen.
You’re probably better off looking for another one.
You’re probably better off looking for another one.
That is a mess. I just looked on Reverb. there a bunch of nice looking ones around $500
Leave that thing alone. Looks like someone pulled the frets with a screwdriver and then used spackle to fix the damage. Guitar Center has one for sale for $350, it's easily worth the $100 more to not deal with whatever they did to this bass.
Im with the crowd here, not worth it. To really fix it, the fretboard should be routed off and replaced. For the cost of that added to the $250, you could get another used but not abused example.
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I wouldn't take that bass if it was for free!... I wouldn't do it if I were you!!
I'm not sure I'd wanna mess with that even if it was free.
- Aug 21, 2003
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First yes that putty job is instrument abuse.
You have 2 choices, sand or rout the fingerboard down to solid wood again.
Or perhaps the best solution is to remove the fingerboard. It's actually not that hard to do
with an old clothing iron and some good putty knives and other prying devices.
You heat and work your way slowly as you melt the glue and pry up the fingerboard.
You have 2 choices, sand or rout the fingerboard down to solid wood again.
Or perhaps the best solution is to remove the fingerboard. It's actually not that hard to do
with an old clothing iron and some good putty knives and other prying devices.
You heat and work your way slowly as you melt the glue and pry up the fingerboard.
