Defretting an acoustic bass?

  • Thread starter Thread starter EddieRay
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EddieRay

EddieRay

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I want a fretless 4-string acoustic bass. I would really like to play one before buying it - I don't wanna do it mail-order. But I never see them in the local music stores. I may have to buy one fretted and defret it myself.

I've done this with a cheap solid-body 4-string. It sounds good but looks crappy. Do ya think it's wise to do the same with an acoustic?
 
Don't know about what it'll sound like, but you could inlay either wood, pearl or whatever back into the fret slots to clean the looks back up some...

--
Rob
 
Yeah, I'd sure like to buy one that I've had a chance to play and hear first. But I don't think I can get there from here otherwise.

A local luthier suggested I fill the gaps with strips of plastic (like you'd use for a report cover) and superglue them into the empty slots. It worked like a charm for my electric. Some of the finish I used on the maple neck dripped under the neck. I tweaked the neck rod and string height to get a nice blossoming "mwahhh" sound but, like I said, it looks sloppy.

I think I'd be willing to take a chance on doing the same with an acoustic 4-string, but I won't really know if it sounds good until I'm done. I need to get moving on it soon - I want to have something ready by Father's Day for an non-electric outdoor festival.

I guess I could flip a coin. :D
 
The best option is to have it done by a good repair shop. It should cost about 2/3 of what a refret would cost, but you want it done right because having a perfect fingerboard is VERY important on a fretless instrument.

Also, make sure the instrument has either a rosewood or ebony fingerboard.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Also, make sure the instrument has either a rosewood or ebony fingerboard.
Click to expand...

That's what I heard too, only AFTER I already defretted a maple neck. It still sounds good, but what exactly is the problem with a fretless maple neck?
 
The biggest problem is the strings wearing through the finish on a maple board, which allows finger oils, sweat and grime into the wood making for an ugly fretboard. The finish also affects the tone because it acts as a thin plastic barrier between the string and the wood. Ebony is usually the best choice because of it's color and hardness. Don't attempt this job yourself if you don't know how to do it. The fret slots must be filled with wood because the neck is weakened substantially by the removal of the frets. The thickness of the strips is crucial in that they will add backbow to the neck if too thick, or allow too much relief if too thin. A good luthier will use this to their advantage to get the neck where they want it. The same pricipal is used when fretting. By using a wider or narrower tang in certain areas, you can control relief, especially on a guitar with a "spongy" neck or a guitar with no truss rod adjustment.
 
If y gonna get creative and do the deed yourself, ya could save a few bucks and build your own washtub or gutbucket bass... Go on and Google "Washtub Bass" you know ya wanna....
 
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