Ralf1e

This. Saying the timber makes no difference is like saying the ADSR on a synth makes no difference. Pluck two basses the same and one will die a death in seconds while the other piece of timber will ring out and sustain for ages. Get yer eyes on YouTube and view how Lee Sklar selected the timber for the most recorded bass on the world. It was the most resonant.

Reflected light in the same photo is white as expected the chips are timber coloured as they would be. The left hand top corner has lost it's point as it would do. It appears to be photoed at a gig. Maybe it's a customers photoes used by permission. Who knows. It doesn't look like reflected light.

A multitude of fret board timbers fitted to a multitude of neck timbers all fitted to bodies made of different timbers. When they tell you your parts are made if this or that they dont tell you what part of the tree it comes from. Heart wood is darker in colour, more dense and harder than sap wood it will give you a different sound but what you get in your guitar is a lottery unless it is built by a prestigious and honest builder who knows his business. Hence why no two guitars sound exactly the same. It's why you play 10 in a shop and find one of them that is a must have.

I love the Gordon Smith Graduate double cutaway stye which is what this really is. The 32" scale is a question mark for me as is the use of a chipped headstock in the photos. Mr Gordon and Mr Smith made their reputation on selling the only guitars at that time that came into the music shops with a perfect set up out of the box. They were also popular with session musicians. When I gave one to my older brother after I hurt my hand. One of his band said "right that's it you don't need to bring a load of your other guitars to gigs anymore. That thing can sound like anything" Coil tapped hot wound humbuckers. Made in house in those days. I guess the new owners are not quite there anymore. Close but not quite. I would have to sell or swap something to own one of them now? I am also close but not quite there 🤔

Yes then some of us road wear the paint

Looks photoshopped

Bruce's bit is at the bottom of page 2 He and Musiclogic have to wade through a lot of interruptions to get the point across. Powerful stuff though. Opened my eyes.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/even-fretless-fingerboard-levelling-tips.905673/

I will try not quite sure how to do that. I expect just copy the browser and past here. Found it. Done👍

Progress Report The neck is defretted and slots filled with plasticard as recommended by Manson guitars in another thread. I found the top 3 inches of the neck was falling away on the E string side making a level neck for fretless impossible. So much for me thinking it was a nice neck just shows how wrong you can be. (Wipes egg off face and moves on) From a Google search I found a thread on Talkbass about neck levelling which included input from Bruce Johnson amongst others explaining the need and processes for conical levelling and hour glass levelling. Enter the need for a levelling beam. Ebay alloy rectangular tube 20mm x 50mm by 50cm long collected in person for less than £10 from a supplier about 19 miles from me. Wicks on the way home. Oakley Superflex cloth backed sandpaper Fine 120 grit. Shockingly more than the alloy tube but necessary. Cut the tape to fit the tube one length for 20mm one for 50mm. Upholstery spray contact adhesive and carefully apply the tape to the beam job done. Follow the methods and advice from Bruce Johnson. Neck is now sorted and very accurate.. Smoothed off with 240 sanding followed by 2000, 2500, 5000, wet and dry the last 3 with finishing oil applied a few drops at a time with an industrial syringe. Neck is now nice and smooth and shiny.

So glad you are finding love for it with just some minor tweak. Long term relationships are stronger when they develop slowly. I know I love mine and it also turns heads and gets compliments on it's looks and sound although mine has factory fitted Barts. 🤗

They are Chinee. They come from whan king

It's quite likely you will find when you take it apart there is already a factory fitted black stick on shim in the neck pocket Check the new neck is straight first in case the truss needs a tweak. When you try your new neck on dry fit it i.e. (no packing or shims) if its a snug fit and lay a straight edge along the neck from the nut slots to the bridge saddles. This will give you an idea of the way the strings will lay and the angles involved. It will also show you if your bridge and or it's saddles are already too high or low etc. If there is an ever increasing big gap along the neck from the nut to the bridge saddles lower the saddles. It the gap is still too big then you need a shim in the heel of the neck to tilt the neck back a bit. A thin shim can make quite a difference so go easy and add a little bit at time. Brass shims are available from Amazon or Ebay in mixed sized packs Stew mac suppy wooden wedges at pre set angles but if you only need a little shim that can be overkill and a bit of plastic card does the job as mentioned above Have fun with it and take your time. It will help teach you how a guitar works and why it sometimes doesn't 😀

That is lovely. I wished I'd seen that earlier. I've just done mine board with plasticard in the last 24 hrs I take it that is laminated pick guard or similar ? Also a fabulous way to recycle damaged p guards.

Thank you so much for this. I to am in the process of de-freting in my Bitza project and followed your advice as regards the plasticard. Not yet finished but I am pleased with what I see so far Used .5mm plasticard as the previous fret tangs were about that.

At home I use one of three things An Eden Metromix EM275 It has 2 inputs plus 2 aux imputs plus 3 outputs for phones 2x10 speakers with twin cones and can be stereo with pan available Or an Ashdown Electric blue 180 great tone machine and extra speaker output Or A HB Mighty-15TH Tube Head Selectable to 7 or 15 watts put through a cab. I also use this di'd to FOH for Church gigs and it sounds very warm and good

Lovely looking bass. 24 dot marker fretless. Maybe a bit ambitious 🤣

Showed my wife this yesterday as she's never heard it

Just bought Bead string set from Sifi Great communications, packaging and deal Thankyou so much.

I honestly believe you will always see the difference in the grain which will be across the neck instead of down it. Only other way I can think of is to powder timber the same matched colour and make a glue or resin mix up of it.

Oh yes! They are brass and set back into the neck Absolute class.

I think you are right. Musicians are creative, artistic, sensitive people as are mathematicians, politicians etc. Lol They constantly need reassurance that they are better and more valuable than they are or they loose confidence and run away to hide or become instant megalomaniacs. Someone said the other day "throw a stick and you hit a guitarist they are everywhere and everyone wants to be one but you will hardly ever hit a bass player" He had a point.

Thank you for that, very helpful. The white cases are in a bit of a state with a sort of flakey skin and are all glued together from underneath inside. Have to write mojo on them or something with a sharpie. Couldnt bear to try to replace the casings and f**k up the pickups especially as I was given the bass for free.

Lovely looking bass. I love the way the string clamps are staggered along with the angled headstock to blend in with the multiscale design. Are they individual clamps or part of the head end? Any chance of a close up photo of them.