fretless neck

[zenfascist]

I'm planning on making a fretless a few months in the future. I'd appreciate some suggestions for a neck wood that has a good balance between a smooth, waxy feel and some degree of stability. Cosmetics are secondary, but I'd like it to look cool, too. It's going to be a J style neck to go on a J style body. Some suggestions for a hard, durable fingerboard wood that can be satin finished would be appreciated as well.

 

Thanks.

[bassman1956]

wenge

[illidian]

Aren't Rosewood/Ebony more of the standard for fretless?

 

Not sure if either can be satin finished, though (I've never looked into that sort of thing).

[zenfascist]

 

Originally posted by illidian Aren't Rosewood/Ebony more of the standard for fretless? Not sure if either can be satin finished, though (I've never looked into that sort of thing).

 

 

For fingerboards, yes, that's what I've seen for the most part. I'm planning on using rounds on it from time to time, so it has to be able to withstand their abuse. And when I say satin finish, I mean the raw wood kind of finish (as opposed to a glossy finish on a maple neck). I'm more interested in getting suggestions for the neck wood than the fingerboard wood.

[sunburstbasser]

Nothing wrong with maple if nothing else works!

 

A Moses graphite fretless would be more durable than damn near anything, and should take all kinds of abuse without a problem in regards to roundwounds.

[LanEvo]

Originally posted by bassman1956 wenge

+1million

 

You say, "good balance between a smooth, waxy feel and some degree of stability...I'd like it to look cool, too." That pretty much describes wenge to the letter. I have a 9-piece laminated wenge and purpleheart neck with solid wenge fingerboard on my custom 5er. I love the feel and sound.

 

Here's what I would go for:

 

 

There are a bunch of these solid wenge Jazz necks available thorugh the "Showcase" at Warmoth for around $300. I'm tempted to pick one up for my own project.

 

Emre

[John S. Shinal]

Ebony is kind of a standard due to its hardness, however I have a fretless J with a rosewood board that is very nice, and is not showing any early wear so far.

 

Pau Ferro is supposed to be good for fretless as well - it's a hard and good sounding wood, somewhere between rosewood and ebony in hardness and tone. I have it on a guitar and like it quite a bit.

[Thumper]

Ebony for durability.

 

Rosewood for tone.

 

Maple works nicely, too. I defretted a maple neck P back in the day and it sounded fine.

[hobobot009]

I'm looking for a fretless fingerboard that doesn't sound fretless.

[takeout]

Roundwounds are only a big issue if you use fretted vibrato technique on a fretless and don't keep your strings and fretboard clean.

[zenfascist]

Originally posted by LanEvo +1million You say, "good balance between a smooth, waxy feel and some degree of stability...I'd like it to look cool, too." That pretty much describes wenge to the letter. I have a 9-piece laminated wenge and purpleheart neck with solid wenge fingerboard on my custom 5er. I love the feel and sound. Here's what I would go for: There are a bunch of these solid wenge Jazz necks available thorugh the "Showcase" at Warmoth for around $300. I'm tempted to pick one up for my own project. Emre

 

I'd love to see some pics of that 9-piece neck. I was thinking wenge neck with purpleheart fretboard and maybe get some lines made out of different woods. That would look killer.

 

Thanks for all the posts, I'll probably get a wenge. Now to decide on body wood.....

[LanEvo]

 

Originally posted by zenfascist I'd love to see some pics of that 9-piece neck.

I would love to post up some pics. I'm VERY proud of this instrument, which has served as my main bass for the last 10 years or so. Unfortunately, I don't have a digital camera! I've tried taking pics with my cell phone, but they come out like crap.

 

 

Originally posted by zenfascist I was thinking wenge neck with purpleheart fretboard and maybe get some lines made out of different woods. That would look killer.

Wenge and purpleheart look beautiful together. One is a dark brown and the other is a pinkish brown. They really complement each other.

 

 

Originally posted by zenfascist Thanks for all the posts, I'll probably get a wenge. Now to decide on body wood.....

Whatever you get for the body, please consider a zebrawood top. Again, I've got one on that custom 5er. It's gorgeous and is an unbelievably good match to a wenge neck.

 

Wenge neck + zebrawood top + tung oil finish = showstopper.

 

Emre

[zenfascist]

Originally posted by LanEvo Whatever you get for the body, please consider a zebrawood top. Again, I've got one on that custom 5er. It's gorgeous and is an unbelievably good match to a wenge neck. Wenge neck + zebrawood top + tung oil finish = showstopper. Emre

 

That would be {censored}ing AWESOME! Thanks for the suggestion, I never would have thought of that!

 

Does anyone know if it would be possible to get "cheater lines" on a fretless made out of little strips of wood, kind of like on the CT Rainbow Bass? Or someone that would do that sort of thing as a custom job?

[sunburstbasser]

You mean a lined fretless?

 

I think nearly everyone does that.

[LanEvo]

Originally posted by zenfascist That would be {censored}ing AWESOME! Thanks for the suggestion, I never would have thought of that!

It's a classic combination. Mine has a walnut body, but you could use just about any wood you prefer for the body. Mahogany is nice for a mellow tone. Koa is similar but quite a bit lighter. Swamp ash is another great choice.

 

If you use a light-colored body wood (like ash, alder, or maple) consider adding a very thin veneer of a dark wood between the body and zebrawood top. It will show off the top a little more. If you use a dark body wood (like koa, walnut, or mahogany), then there will already be a huge contrast between that and the predominantly cream-colored zebrawood.

 

Originally posted by zenfascist Does anyone know if it would be possible to get "cheater lines" on a fretless made out of little strips of wood?

That's easy enough. There are lots of lined fretless basses out there. You just cut the fret slots as you normally would, then inlay some thin wood veneer (or plastic binding) into the slots. Easy for any luthier.

 

Emre

[zenfascist]

 

Originally posted by LanEvo That's easy enough. There are lots of lined fretless basses out there. You just cut the fret slots as you normally would, then inlay some thin wood veneer (or plastic binding) into the slots. Easy for any luthier.

 

 

I'm talking about putting little strips of exotic woods in the slots where frets would be, like padouk, cocobolo, etc. Would Warmoth do something like that if the price was right?

[sunburstbasser]

 

Originally posted by zenfascist I'm talking about putting little strips of exotic woods in the slots where frets would be, like padouk, cocobolo, etc. Would Warmoth do something like that if the price was right?

 

 

Maybe. I believe many of the boutique luthiers will do this for the right price.

[LanEvo]

 

Originally posted by zenfascist I'm talking about putting little strips of exotic woods in the slots where frets would be, like padouk, cocobolo, etc.

Sure. You can use any wood veneer you'd like.

 

 

Originally posted by zenfascist Would Warmoth do something like that if the price was right?

I'm sure they would. When you buy a neck you get a choice of various fretted and fretless options. I'm sure it would cost a bit, however.

 

Emre

[guitaristbum]

...........

[LanEvo]

BTW, getting back to the zebrawood top and wenge neck idea. This is what I was considering for my own custom project:

 

 

It's a book-matched zebrawood top on a black korina body. Cost is $270, which I find quite reasonable. I would want it routed for a single MM humbucker and a string-through-body bridge (there's no extra charge for pickup routing or bridge drilling).

 

Then one of those gorgeous solid wenge necks for $310:

 

 

Yummy! Total cost for the parts would run around $1000 and Warmoth will drill and fit the neck to the body if you buy both from them at the same time.

 

I just don't have the budget right now as I'm saving up for a Pedulla Pentabuzz

 

Emre

[zenfascist]

LanEvo, thanks for all the time and help. I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do know, and I'll have plenty of time to make my final desicions as I save some cash . This is going to be one sex-looking bass.

[bassman1956]

Originally posted by zenfascist I'm talking about putting little strips of exotic woods in the slots where frets would be, like padouk, cocobolo, etc. Would Warmoth do something like that if the price was right?

 

On my neck with a pau ferro board, they used ebony because I spec'd it. Their site says maple or ebony, but this may be negotiable.

 

 

 

[LanEvo]

 

Originally posted by zenfascist LanEvo, thanks for all the time and help.

No problem. I've been through this once before when I had my 5er made 10 years ago. And I've been daydreaming about the Warmoth fretless project for a while now. It sounds like you have a similar idea. I'm glad to help.

 

 

Originally posted by zenfascist This is going to be one sex-looking bass.

No doubt! Keep us posted.

 

Emre

[zenfascist]

 

Originally posted by bassman1956 On my neck with a pau ferro board, they used ebony because I spec'd it. Their site says maple or ebony, but this may be negotiable.

 

 

That looks great! Hell, if they can put geckos in necks, I'm sure I'll be able to work something out.