Been planning this for a while - so nice see it to come to fruition ! I had the fingerboard made a little thicker - 8.5mm compared to 5mm on my fretted 55-01. Nice and chunky ! Bill
Whoa! That looks incredible! I love unlined fretless fretboards, especially maple. Did you have the guys at the Lakland factory make that for you, or was that an aftermarket custom job? Either way, how much did it cost you? (if you don't mind me asking) What kind of finish did you put on the fingerboard? What's it strung with? Soundclips?
No - I didn't get the guys in Chicago to make it. It started life as a lined fretless 55-02 with a rosewood board. I got Martin at the Bass Gallery in London to replace the rosewood board with an unlined fretless board. The finish consists of several coats of polyurethane and has been buffed to make the fingerboard feel none too different from the back of a Skyline. I have old Lakland strings on at present but will replace them very soon - I must admit to not being a big Lakland string fan. Some Elites or Status strings perhaps......... I would imagine a good luthier over the pond would charge around $300 or so - knowing the way the pound verses the dollar thing works - you know - same price in dollars as pounds - so frustrating for Brits ! Martin makes Sei basses, so folks over here know how good he is at his craft..... Soundclips - once I master Logic Express and get new strings I'll post something for you all to hear ! Bill
I love the look. The first time I have seen that look was on one of James Hart's basses.......Benavente. I've loved the look ever since.
Very cool! Curious how it sounds with some wound strings. Over here fretboard replacement is usually in the $450-700 range, as far as I've encountered anyway.
i saw your bass with no fingerboard! well actually it was just the neck, Alex told me that the owner didnt want a rosewood board on it and wanted Martin to put a maple board on, i was a little like "why the hell didnt he just buy a maple board in the first place", now it al makes sense i couldnt believe how they had done it either, all with a hammer and chisel, must of taken them ages, and it was really cleanly done as well enjoy it Dave
Yeah, Martin did a great job - the board itself is laquered with polyurethane and is very tough but smooth. It is semi-matt - much like the feel you get on a Skyline with a maple fingerboard. Just waiting for some new strings to arrive - Status round core roundwounds - before I start getting serious on this bass.......
well it looks dam nice now, shame i didnt go in a day or so later so i could see it with that beautiful board on it. enjoy Dave
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