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Fretless P-bass nut and neck questions


anzoid
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Just bought a 1999 MIM Fender fretless P-bass. For its age it's in great condition and, anyway, the price was IMO very good.
Got it home and moved the parts from my project Westfield "mucking around" bass to the Fender - Gotoh bridge, SD Quarter Punder, KiOgon loom, white scratchplate, etc. and everything is good. The action was a mile high when I got it but with the Gotoh and a bit of tweaking it's now very playable. Just got two issues - one functional, the other cosmetic.

The nut seems to be a bit of a mess. It had very thick flatwounds on it (I prefer roundwounds, despite fingerboard stuff...) and putting my normal 45-100s on it... well, the A string in particular kinda rattles on open notes. The nut also appears to be not original anyway and is flat-bottomed (there are noticeable gaps at the end of the nut) rather than curved, which is I believe the standard on Fenders? So, planning on replacing it with a Graphtech PT-1204-00. Would this be the one? I'm guessing that I might have to file the slots slightly as it's a fretless so - what are the recommendations for cheap files (I'm not going to be doing this at all often!) Is something like this- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mr-Power-Music-Sander-Files-For-Guitar-Bass-Nut-And-Bridge-/122307258170- worth it, or is there something I can get at Homebase/B&Q?

(As an aside - anyone know what colour nut the original would have had? The bass is black with rosewood board)

Final question, the cosmetic one..., the neck has quite a few dents in it, making it a bit rough, but by no means intolerable. I've read (and/or heard) that you can steam dents out of the wood. Is that something you can do on a neck? The neck is gloss rather than satin if that makes a difference... Any hints on where to find a good tutorial/explanation of the process?

OK, lots of questions in the end. Any advice would be appreciated and most welcome.

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Congrats on the new bass. It sounds like it's going to be some fun fixing it up.

I like this ebay thread better than yours: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tip-Cleaner-Needle-file-set-Jet-cleaner-Nozzle-Cleaner-/151705426365?hash=item23525919bd:g:kt0AAOSw4GVYH5aN

Those files are all a bit thin, but if you're patient and take your time you can get the result you're looking for using those. I've done it a few times.

By the sounds of it, going for a new nut might not be a bad move. If you can get one for a few pounds it has to be a good move. You'd have to measure the neck t get the right size, but you can get one on EvilBay for under £5.

In respect to the dings in the neck. I take it these are probably on the back?
The trouble with sweating dings out of Fender necks is they lacquer them. It's not easy to sweat those. What I find works well, if it's only slight ones, is to sand down the back and lacquer it, sand and lacquer... this fills the dings and gets it smooth. It might not get perfect, but it's a good start....

.. until we see the pictures. As you know. If there's no pictures; it ain't real. :D

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Thanks Grangur - really helpful!

Do you think there's any advantage in getting a genuine Graphtech[sup]®[/sup] nut over a £5 one off the bay?

I think I might leave the neck dings until I feel more confident with the idea of using lacquer... i.e. never :D

And a couple of photos... this one does exist :)

[attachment=236800:20170128-IMG_8909.jpg] [attachment=236802:20170128-IMG_8910.jpg] [attachment=236803:20170128-IMG_8914.jpg]

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I've never bought a [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]Graphtech[/font][/color][sup]® one. Opps... look what happened there![/sup]
I have bought a Warwick Brass Just-a-nut. They do make a difference, but you it's all down to personal budget, whether you play open strings much, and what the bass is worth. If the bass is a keeper, then go for it. After all, you have a nice bridge, so why not go for a nice nut?

As for the lacquer, here's one I've used. Take the neck off, sand it with fine glasspaper, lay it on some old cardboard or news paper and go for it. You'll be fine

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400ml-AEROSOL-NITROCELLULOSE-CLEAR-LACQUER-SATIN-FINISH-CELLULOSE-FAN-SPRAY-/332029159877?hash=item4d4e7ae9c5:g:vGIAAOSwFqJWsv9u

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Sorry, was being a smart-arse with the ® :)

Found out a very local music shop had the Graphtech nuts for £9 so raided the piggy bank and went and bought one after lunch. I think he was a little surprised when I asked whether he was happy with cash and then proceeded to count it all out in loose change :D

Thanks for the link to the lacquer - will have a think about doing that, and see if my Father-in-law would let me use his garage for spraying the stuff...

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OK, last dumb question of the day... I fitted the new Graphtech nut - it dropped straight in but was pretty tight (i.e. getting it out could be a struggle...). Re-strung and the nut is definetly too high - can barely get the string to touch the fingerboard at the first fretline :D SO, do I need to remove the nut to file it down (files ordered as per the link above :)) or can I do the job with the nut "in situ"?

I'm lovin' this bass cause I feel like I'm really making it mine!

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Modelling & hobby shops should also stock fine files. Chose a small, fine file, and take your time - filing a small amount each time, then re-checking, to make sure you're not going too far...

Not tried a Graphtech nut myself (unless a bass has one in already) - but I would go for the best one you can find for the money. One from ebay might look like a bargain - indeed, it might even be a bargain, but you aren't going to know how good it is till it has arrived. Years ago, I tried to fit a bone nut, and I didn't have the right tools - and it snapped! So take care with the material of your chosen nut

Most of all - great news on the bass. If you paid a good price for it, then it will have been worth setting up and modding to your own spec. As you've said - it must feel a bit more like it's "your own" :)

Re fretless bass and flats / v rounds - I'm not a huge fan of flats (despite also playing flats on a DB!) My fretless is fitted with Thomastik Infeld (TI) Flats, and I really like them. They're very low tension, for flats. Some flats players don't like them, as I think some find them a little too low tension. However, I and many others get on with them - if you haven't tried them, see if a friendly local BC'er will let you try theirs, or look out for a bass bash near you (The T.I.s are rather expensive new)

Cheers, and let us know how you got on with the nut

Edited by Marc S
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I thought a short update might be in order after all the help I received (for which I am very grateful!)

The new Tusq nut (in white, which matches what I could find photo wise of an "original") is now in place. Spent an hour or two slowly whittling it down last night. The strings are about 1mm off the board at the nut and I could probably take it lower still, but the rattle has gone! Trimming it down was a combination of sandpaper and using a Stanley knife to scrape plastic off (very carefully...). No slot filing required.

Took the bass out this morning to put it through its paces - a real beauty! Fitted it with a clean set of medium-light Fender roundwounds and it sounded awesome with the SD Quater Pounder installed with a KiOgon loom and Gotoh bridge - couldn't be happier. The bass is quite light and sits just right. Now just need to find a brushed/anodised gold (or maybe silver) scratchplate to get it looking exactly how I want :D

So, thanks for the help!!

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