thin epoxy coating on fretless ebony board - pros and cons ?

[Bergerac]

I have a fretless bass, and a friend and bass player is currently sanding down the fretboard and removing the notches caused by the round-wound strings. I would like to play with flat-wound strings in the future, but I'm not sure if I'll stick with them forever. (I've never had flats on this bass before, but have good experiences with them on an acoustic fretless fron Furch.)
In any case, my friend recommended to apply a thin layer of epoxy resin, because he did the same thing on his selfmade fretless basses (really good ones) and is very happy with the results. Is there any reason not to coat a bass with an ebony fretboard strung with flatwound strings with a very thin layer of epoxy? Or does it not matter?
What are your experiences with that?

 

[Makten]

It will wear slower but sound more clanky/rattly. With flats I wouldn't bother.

 

[jTrolt]

I have some personal case studies from my own stock of instruments I'll share, all 3 different neck materials:

1> I used polyurethane on a fretless neck decades ago, likely rosewood fingerboard (crappy $99 pawn purchase that I tore the frets off).
Nice glossy look. RW's and a few years later, it's got the marks, which stand out all the better thanks to that glossy surface....

2> NS WAV-5 EUB - FLAT wounds. Oh yeah, 4 years later, there's the marks, made all the more evident by the shiny black polished composite fretboard....

3> MTD KZX5 fretless. Ebony fingerboard. Round wounds. Yep, you guessed it - when I really want to ponder that surface, there's the marks.
I think I'll leave it alone and simply oil it, as recommended by the manufacturer.

Summary:
I don't care if you put a layer of baked on ceramic on that neck. You will see string marks sooner than later. You won't hear the indentations as you play. I think it comes down to aesthetics more than anything, and just realize, if you put on a super hard glossy surface, only to panic a few years later and want to redress once again, it's just all the more difficult to deal with, based on the new material you've placed into the equation that will be even more involved project to make right once again. Sand down, re-epoxy? Oh joy.

Only to watch those lines rear their ugly head, once again....

 

[ardgedee]

I wouldn't coat an ebony board. The wood is plenty hard.

Occasional dressing of the board is going to be necessary no matter what you do, so if you like the tone now don't mess with coatings.

 

[nonohmic]

Just sand it back then play it.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I have fretless basses with rosewood, ebony, maple and epoxy coated rosewood.
If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the ebony, (with the maple a close 2nd - something I couldn't have imagined even 6-7 years ago)
That said, I'm happy to play any one of them.

Personally, I wouldn't coat the ebony. (but if I did, I would have it done professionally)

 

[Geepers]

I’ve played my ebony fretless with flats almost daily for 12 years and still have no need to dress it as the marks are minor.

 

[tindrum]

Ebony is very, very hard and sounds absolutely incredible on a fretless. Don’t worry about string marks. They’ll be minimal and are easily removed. You’d have to play REALLY hard for decades for it to be an issue.

 

[Element Zero]

My Pedulla Pentabuzz had a coated ebony fingerboard. Rounds, flats… they both left marks. Don’t worry about the marks. Literally body will ever notice them weather visually or audibly.

What WILL happen over enough years/playtime is very slight grooves where the coating has been rubbed away and “may” affect intonation on notes… especially with round wounds. But we’re talkin years of playing. Like maybe a decade (or less) depending on how rough you are with your fretting hand.

By comparison, my Music Man fretless has a coated roasted maple board and I’ve been spending nearly all my time playing on it since last November. Hundreds of hours of playtime with rounds. Can BARELY see any marks.

 

[Ric Vice]

Since I Double Bass, coating an ebony fingerboard with clear epoxy makes the fingerboard so slick that I find it very difficult to play in tune. It’s to much of a good thing. I tried the Penta Buzz Bass and really didn’t enjoy how it player no did I enjoy the Fender (Jaco Pastorius} Custom Shop. I like the feel of an ebony or rosewood finger board au natural. Just my take however. Since I play Ernie Ball Slinky Cobalt Flat Wounds grooves really aren’t much bother.

 

[pbass888]

My main fretless is ebony and sounds the best (I also have rosewood with epoxy and maple).
After owning several with epoxy (including a HG Thor neck, a Pedula and a professionally coated Warmoth rosewood), I would say that Expoxy or CA glue may not improve the sound or be the feel that you are looking for. I play rounds every day and say once in 7-10 years have my fretboard planed. Coating will for sure change the sound.

 

[Low Main]

I use a low viscosity marine epoxy like MAS as a wipe on / wipe back finish on fretless rosewood boards.

I leave a small amount of the epoxy on the board instead of trying to wipe it all off and sand the cured epoxy level between each coat.

After three coats, the grain is filled, and the film build up is thin.

Then I level and rub out the final coat to a satin sheen as I would with a lacquer finish. Not interested in the high shine of thickly coated fingerboards.

I haven't needed to epoxy an ebony board at this point, but because the final film is so thin, I wouldn't be against trying it.

There are various grades of ebony, and lower cost basses likely don't have the same quality level of ebony as higher priced basses, so I'd be more inclined to coat the ebony board on a lower cost bass.

 

[bucephylus]

My first fretless was a 1975 Alembic Series I with ebony board, which had the frets removed ca. 1976; and I used D’Addario Half Rounds. The bass sounded ok; my intonation was challenged by the ergonomics. The board held up well with the half rounds. I later had the frets replaced, and eventually traded the bass, due to weight.

Second fretless was a Warmoth parts build with an ebony board / BEM neck; ca. 1988. I was determined NOT to be Jaco, and played that bass with round wounds on the bare unlined Ebony board for 2 1/2 years as house bass player at a Blues open mic night every Wednesday. Toward the end of that run the fingerboard was badly rutted at the guitar chord positions - G, A, D etc. I filled the ruts with Super Glue and coated the board with Minwax floor grade polyurethane. Don’t let people fool you that ebony stands up to round wounds. It doesn’t. I moved on from that neck due to no fret lines and the rigidity due to Warmoth’s steel beams.

Had a Pedulla Thunder Buzz made to my specs. Mike used a polyester coating, which was somewhat brittle and required nickel round wounds. Great bass. I put it on consignment, went back to take it off consignment; but, it was gone. A TB’er had acquired it. I asked the person to check with me if they ever sold it; but, they ignored me. It’s been resold a few times; just never when I was in purchase mode.

Next two necks were a Fernandez 5 string with ebony board and an MIM Fender Jazz 2001. Both nice necks; and I coated both with the Minwax Polyurethane. That coating wears extremely well, and has a warmer sound than epoxy. My preferred coating on a wood board for round wounds. If you use an 0 grade of steel wool on the finish, the surface looks like bare wood.

My last and current fretless is a Zon Sonus Special 5. Fantastic bass. The phenolic board is perfect for round wound bass strings. Shows some surface scratches, but no ruts. Sounds amazing. Last fretless I will ever own.

 

[Gino t]

Somewhat depends on the ebony, but i also vote for play bare ebony til it shows wear then worry about it, which is probably going to be, I dunno, 2027. Also if you're going to hit it with synth steel wool/sanding block, don't inhale the dust. Techs say don't inhale rosewood, bone or ebony dust, but maple dust seems to. be innocuous.

I think some techniques cause wear, obviously vertical bends and to some extent slap/pops but also if you dig in hard picking close to the neck, you can see string movement under fretting finger, whereas if you're planting your picking hand on. a J's bridge pickup, you won't see much.

 

[logdrum]

I have my converted Kramer - ebony board put on top after defret of a maple board since 1987, The luthier put on boat epoxy. No work done and this was a workhorse bass specially in the early 90's in NYC - dance band duties 6 or more a week.. There are marks but they have not gone deeper.

I also got a Pedulla Buzz in 1990 but I believe this is an 88. Granted I sold it to a buddy in 1993 and he sold it back to me 211 years later in 2014 and he did use it for a few years but mostly closeted. Mike Pedulla said to only worry if we touch the lines. My daughter now plays it. I think the initial marks have not gone deeper. Just marks.

I also have a plain ebony board 5 string, I bought it here has been in service since 2013. It needed a re-dye.. Was just slightly sanded to correct flatness. mostly on the G side. Black dye hid the marks Marks are going to come back pretty soon.

My current 4 string is an AllParts Japan neck - also plain dyed ebony. There are marks in less than 6 months but has not worsened 3 years later. I play it with this originals band and other projects

The point is. They will have marks. Oh I also have a Squire VM with the ebonol board. That seems like a tougher r material even though it is made of paper and resin

 

[zombywoof5050]

..Don’t let people fool you that ebony stands up to round wounds. It doesn’t..

I totally agree.
It only took me about 8 years of heavy playing to wear the ebony board on my fretless Wal, to the point I was getting unavoidable buzzing at the wear spots (granted I was using Rotosound RS66 strings). I had the board leveled and said ‘no more rounds’, so I then started using flats. But I was never really satisfied with the flats (all I ever tried were TI’s and then Labella 760FL’s which are my favorites on my P-Bass). But then I decided to try some Nylon Tapes, and I thought those worked very well, so that’s what I use on it now.

So, to the OP, you might try some tapewounds. The only ones I’ve ever tried were the Labella Black Nylon 750N and liked them so I didn't feel the need to try any others.

Good luck to you.

 

[Stewie]

I have a 50 year old rosewood fretless board that needed to be dressed after40 years, mostly because I used Roto 66s for years, try the flats, don’t bend notes and that ebony board will likely outlast you

 

[Leisure Weaver]

I defretted a bass and epoxied the board thinking that would be the be-all-end-all. Didn’t care for it. Took it to a luthier and had him sand it down and make it properly nice again. It made the bass sound much warmer and fuller and just felt better to my hands. YMMV.

 

[Ric Vice]

I started playing Double Bass in 7th grade it’s my primary instrument. I had tried for years to play an unlined 4 string G&L 1000 EB with little success.
In 2021 I got my hands on a Lakland 55-94 lined fretless. I can easily switch between my DB and the Lakland so it’s a win win scenario. Lakland necks and fingerboards are among the finest quality, so I’m convinced that a wider fingerboard, with a more curved radius along with a flatter neck profile with lines works for my hands shape and finger length. Just my take I rarely look at the finger lines now.

 

[Bergerac]

I use a low viscosity marine epoxy like MAS as a wipe on / wipe back finish on fretless rosewood boards.

I leave a small amount of the epoxy on the board instead of trying to wipe it all off and sand the cured epoxy level between each coat.

After three coats, the grain is filled, and the film build up is thin.

Then I level and rub out the final coat to a satin sheen as I would with a lacquer finish. Not interested in the high shine of thickly coated fingerboards.

I haven't needed to epoxy an ebony board at this point, but because the final film is so thin, I wouldn't be against trying it.

There are various grades of ebony, and lower cost basses likely don't have the same quality level of ebony as higher priced basses, so I'd be more inclined to coat the ebony board on a lower cost bass.

I have the same feeling, ebony is not ebony. And my first fretless was a fender P with a rosewood board (late 70'ies) which I did not like too much. Now I have three fretless with ebony and they differ fingerboard-wise.