Fretless Mod Radius Question

rabidgoodra27

rabidgoodra27

Jan 26, 2021
9
5
1,551
#1
(I will preface this by saying I've never converted a fretted to fretless before)
So, recently someone gave me an old Ibanez GSR200 that they were getting rid of. Needed some TLC, so I straightened out the truss rod, tightened up the knobs, fixed a connection in the cavity, replaced the battery, etc. Plays and sounds surprisingly well. Or maybe it's been too long since I've played on new ish roundwounds. Who knows?
Anyways, I've been wanting to pick up an old trash bass that I can convert to a fretless, so this was a godsend. Prepping to remove the frets and fill with wood filler and coat with epoxy.
I had a discussion last night with a friend about sanding the fretboard. I don't own a radiused block for this kind of thing, and I didn't want to get one just for this. I just supposed I wouldn't bother with the radius, as I would only be sanding down the wood filler, etc. He said I should pay attention to that as it will affect the playability. This made me realize that I don't really understand how the radius plays into the mechanics of the bass. What would I be messing up/messing out on if I didn't mind the radius?
 
#2
rabidgoodra27 said:
(I will preface this by saying I've never converted a fretted to fretless before)
So, recently someone gave me an old Ibanez GSR200 that they were getting rid of. Needed some TLC, so I straightened out the truss rod, tightened up the knobs, fixed a connection in the cavity, replaced the battery, etc. Plays and sounds surprisingly well. Or maybe it's been too long since I've played on new ish roundwounds. Who knows?
Anyways, I've been wanting to pick up an old trash bass that I can convert to a fretless, so this was a godsend. Prepping to remove the frets and fill with wood filler and coat with epoxy.
I had a discussion last night with a friend about sanding the fretboard. I don't own a radiused block for this kind of thing, and I didn't want to get one just for this. I just supposed I wouldn't bother with the radius, as I would only be sanding down the wood filler, etc. He said I should pay attention to that as it will affect the playability. This made me realize that I don't really understand how the radius plays into the mechanics of the bass. What would I be messing up/messing out on if I didn't mind the radius?
Click to expand...

Try this thread for some helpful info, including why to not use wood filler...

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/defretting.71144/
 
#5
A quick summary of the two threads that the other guys linked to:
  • Don't fill the slots with wood putty or woodworking glue. Glue in wood veneer strips or plastic strips, or fill the slots with a marine epoxy.
  • Don't true up the surface of a fretless fingerboard with a radius block. Use a straight narrow flat block, following the string paths.
  • The radius of the fingerboard is mostly for comfort. Making the radius to a precision number and shape isn't important. What's critical is the string path: the straight strip of wood directly under each string. That needs to be straight and true with no lumps or dips. The wood between the string paths is just there for decoration.
 
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#6
Bruce Johnson said:
What's critical is the string path: the straight strip of wood directly under each string. That needs to be straight and true with no lumps or dips. The wood between the string paths is just there for decoration.
Click to expand...
Aww jeez... thanks Bruce. :facepalm:
This little lump of wisdom is so true for fretless...
...it's inspiring. :smug:
Now I really wanna create a faceted & polished fretless board
How sick would this look!:cool:
Screenshot_20231130_093122_Sketchbook.jpg
 
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#7
Rôckhewer said:
Aww jeez... thanks Bruce. :facepalm:
This little lump of wisdom is so true for fretless...
...it's inspiring. :smug:
Now I really wanna create a faceted & polished fretless board
How sick would this look!:cool:
View attachment 5267770
Click to expand...

Sure, a faceted fretless fingerboard would work just fine, and probably look very cool! On another thread, we even talked about routing slots between the strings, leaving just the strips of the string paths sticking up. I'm not sure if there would be any advantage, other than lighter weight. And looking cool.
 
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