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Tapewounds squeaking/plastic on fretless

S

Sassafras

Guest
Jul 6, 2012
23
0
#1
Hi, so I recently got a set of LaBella tapewounds for my Godin acoustibass and for some reason when I play and slide even the slightest, an audible plastic-y hollow noise occurs. This happens especially on the high strings.

Before putting the strings on I did however use soap with a damp cloth to get the grunge off of my fretboard. Perhaps it is the squeakiness of it resulting from the soap, plus the nylon, which makes this noise?

Has anyone else had this happen, will it go away, and what should I try to make it go away? Thank you!
 
#3
I'd try a little lemon oil on the fingerboard first, since you just "washed" it. Did you check the neck relief before and after you put on the LaBellas? If they have less tension than the strings you took off, you may have some buzzing now, and that could exasperate the problem. IME LaBella tapes need a fair amount of neck relief.
 
#4
macmanlou said:
I'd try a little lemon oil on the fingerboard first, since you just "washed" it. Did you check the neck relief before and after you put on the LaBellas? If they have less tension than the strings you took off, you may have some buzzing now, and that could exasperate the problem. IME LaBella tapes need a fair amount of neck relief.
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I had flatwounds on it before so it was higher tension. When you say they need a fair amount of neck relief, do you mean that there should be more or less of a bend in the neck? I was under the impression that most fretless basses should have the truss rod adjusted so it is virtually flat.
 
#5
Sassafras said:
I had flatwounds on it before so it was higher tension. When you say they need a fair amount of neck relief, do you mean that there should be more or less of a bend in the neck? I was under the impression that most fretless basses should have the truss rod adjusted so it is virtually flat.
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You need at least some (up)bend, or relief, in the neck with the tapewounds (which don't like flat necks). I'd start with .005" and maybe increase to as much as .010" - .015". But condition that fingerboard first - part of the problem may be that it's "squeaky" clean.
 
#6
macmanlou said:
You need at least some (up)bend, or relief, in the neck with the tapewounds (which don't like flat necks). I'd start with .005" and maybe increase to as much as .010" - .015". But condition that fingerboard first - part of the problem may be that it's "squeaky" clean.
Click to expand...
It has quite the upbend on it now (I had accidentally over-adjusted my truss rod previously). So I will definitely try out the lemon oil first. Do I need to wipe off the lemon oil with a dry or wet cloth after conditioning it? Or just leave it after wiping it down with lemon oil? Thanks for your help, by the way!
 
#8
Sassafras said:
It has quite the upbend on it now (I had accidentally over-adjusted my truss rod previously). So I will definitely try out the lemon oil first. Do I need to wipe off the lemon oil with a dry or wet cloth after conditioning it? Or just leave it after wiping it down with lemon oil? Thanks for your help, by the way!
Click to expand...

Too much upbend is not good either. Have you measured the relief? Over .015" on your 34" scale neck is probably too much IMO.

Loosen the strings enough to allow you to pull them out of the nut and gently hold them off the fingerboard with a couple of plastic cable ties or twist ties behind the neck. Wipe the lemon oil in, sparingly, with a (previously) dry lint-free cloth until the wood looks and feels a little dampish. After 10-15 minutes it should feel drier to the touch. Then rub off the excess with another dry, lint-free cloth.

If you get the Dunlop 65 product at a guitar store, beware of the felt-tip applicator which tends to release much more oil than you want, or sometimes it even pops out and squirts oil all over the place. Put the oil on a cloth. Then put it on the fingerboard. A little goes a long way.

As a general rule, I try to keep water away from unfinished wood surfaces.
 
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