MoonBassAlpha

Aren't there a couple of BFM Omnis for sale on here somewhere? That would fit the bill, I'm sure.

Yeah, who else spotted Bill Wyman playing a Travis Bean for about a nanosecond. I got so excited I got the Mrs. to rewind and freeze frame while I pointed it out to her! She even pretended to be interested for me. She's a keeper, that one! As you were....

I'd try ScotchBrite, the plastic scouring stuff. Works surprisingly well on metal, and won't get stuck (magnetically) to the pickups. You may also want to mask the plastic body as it is pretty abrasive stuff. You could make a mask with a bit of cornflake packet and judicious use of a hole punch...

As a Compact (and compact!) owner, I'd like to try this too, Didcot, Oxford. Cheers Jules

yeah, fret it at the first fret and see what the gap is above the 2nd fret. You won't go far wrong making it about the same from the nut to the first fret.

use a capo

If you were to lose the plunger pin that clamps against the string when changing strings and polishing the fretboard, a 3mm Allen key chopped down to 15/16" is just the right diameter to replace it and should be hardened enough. Cheers Jules

that may be a flippant comment, but if it MAKES you rest the thumb ever so slightly nearer the bridge, then the sound will be different, regardless of what the pickup itself is doing.

pat Metheny plays fretless guitar on some albums. I always assumed it was some synrh treatment until I read the album sleeve more carefully. It's a nice sound for solos. I wouldn't like to try playing full chords though, I have enough trouble intonating one note on the bass....

Just got the Spector 5er off John (probably OldSlapper's!). Seems a straight-up guy, we had a pleasant natter in the burning sun! Deal with confidence! Cheers Jules

I play in a three-piece where the guitarist/writer demos his tunes with him playing the bass. he is just about ok on bass but often his lines are really predictable or ordinary. The trouble is, if I deviate from what he has recorded, it throws him out completely! Even playing the same thing an octave higher will earn me a nervous sideways glance. There are some songs where I get a bit more of a free rein, but mostly it is quite stultifying. I'm really only doing it to keep my hand in, as my other band doesn't play that often, and almost never rehearses.

I'd give it a go. I did a maple neck Vox standard and it came out fine, and rounds DIDNT chew it up in a hurry either. I just used Plastic Wood for the fret slots - worked fine. With rosewood- you WILL get some splinters as the frets come out - superglue them back down straight away as the fret comes out so you don't lose them. This will save time and extra filling later. Good luck, it's not that hard, just takes a bit of time, and DEFFO worth practicing on a cheap bass first.

A tiny amount of very short reverb mixed 50-50ish helps get the resonance too!

In my experience it takes quite a while for the wear to be anything more than cosmetic. I've a defretted bass, always played with rounds, rose board. No problems in 4 years. That was a Hohner Jack bass. I've got another Jack, defretted which I've finished the board in Tru-Oil which has come up really smooth and satin-y. I'm guessing this will help the board last even longer.