stripping and defretting a bass neck

[fil.bass]

Hi there, I'm new to TB so sorry if this is covered elsewhere (point me in the right direction pls!!!). I have built a few instruments in the past (violins and guitars) but one thing I haven't done is defret a bass. I am in the middle of stripping all the lacquer off my Vox standard- the body has not been a problem but when it comes to the neck though I am a bit stuck though. Do I take the frets out before stripping the neck or defret then strip???? In the end I would like a frettless natural (oiled- tung or gun) fingerboard. Read a lot of good advice on this forum and glad to be part of it!!!

 

[Beej]

I'd probably strip first and defret afterwards, just because the finish will protect the wood underneath in case of slip ups while defretting. On the other hand, defretting first would also work, as you'll have to remove/sand the finish afterward anyway to get a smooth board.

For directions, search or check the stickies at the top of this forum - defretting is a very common mod and has been covered extensively in this forum.

Good luck, eh?

 

[Ruckus_Instrmts]

Do I take the frets out before stripping the neck or defret then strip????

I'd probably strip first and defret afterwards, just because the finish will protect the wood underneath in case of slip ups while defretting.

Huh? :confused

 

[Beej]

^^ Oops, good eye Mr. Ruckus, I posted it back-asswards...

 

[fil.bass]

me to! (confused and backwards) Just to be clear- defret or strip first? thanks for the replies

 

[SirMatthews]

Defretted my Ibanez Soundgear and it was a miracle that I left the finish on the thing during....

 

[mikeyswood]

How does that help this topic?

 

[Musiclogic]

You want to remove the frets first, as this will allow you to correct any damage and do fill work during the stripping stage to prepare before beginning the sand and finish stage.