Dot removal

[squire5]

OK I've done a search on defretting but I cant find a specific answer on this.I'm in the process of defretting an old Legend Jazz bass.Getting on OK so far,but I want the neck to be devoid of dots when I'm finished.How do I remove the fingerboard dots?The side dots can be drilled out and filler applied,I know that.But I'd want the fingerboard to be relatively blemish free.I guess the dots can be 'prised' out with a sharp instrument,but I'm not sure.
What's the best way to go about this.Someone once said to leave them in and using a permanent marker of the appropriate colour,colour them in to match the finish.I'd like that.I'm quite good at colouring in.

[LukeFRC]

if you take them out you will be left with wee holes. I can't for the life of me work out why in defretting that neck you would want to.

[Stacker]

You can scrape 'em out with a craft knife/scalpel but I'm with Luke on wondering why you wanna do this?

[squire5]

Pure aesthetics.Nothing else.I think that a fretless neck with dots looks crass.Apart from the fact that they don't serve any purpose and are a bit misleading.I just don't like them.

[Stacker]

...but if you're going ahead with it, what are you gonna fill the holes with? Make sure you use something like Timbermate in rosewood, which is a decent wood putty.

Addition: scrape off the putty with a Stanley blade and let it harden. You will then need to seal it.

Edited June 30, 2012 by Stacker

[apa]

Making a defretted and dedotted fingerboard blemish free is some task! What ever your filling the fret cuts with you can use on the side dots surely?

A

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='LukeFRC' timestamp='1341065280' post='1713400']
if you take them out you will be left with wee holes. I can't for the life of me work out why in defretting that neck you would want to.
[/quote]
They'd not be in the right places. They'd be between the (ex) frets. That looks fine on a lined board, but is misleading on an unlined one.
As for achieving the un blemished look, the best way is a new ' board.

[squire5]

I take your point guys,but lets not forget.This is a Legend bass.I got it for £50 of the Bay.I aint gonna spend big bucks.I've done an Encore P-bass in the past,and the dot markers were confusing as I didn't leave fret lines,so this time I'm going to get rid of the f/board dots as best I can.Then I can re-place the side dots in their proper positions.As Lfalex says,dots are OK on a lined neck,but not on an unlined.Onwards and upwards.Thanx for the input.

[Ou7shined]

If that's what your intention was from the start, it would have been a lot less hassle just removing the whole fingerboard and fitting a fresh new one... might still be a good idea if your defret is just "ok so far".

[MoonBassAlpha]

If the dot holes are shallow you could just plane or sand the whole board down. Would be a benefit it the neck is on the chunky side already.

[KingBollock]

I'd just prise them out and refill the holes with some Rosewood veneer. Or you could drill them out and refill using Rosewood dowel (I'm assuming the board is Rosewood) and cut and sand it smooth. If I did that I'd probably shape the end of each dowel piece to a point to better fit the hole left by the drill bit, unless I used a Forstner bit.
I liked the suggestion of sanding the whole board, that's probably going to be the cheapest way to make the dots completely disappear. Or, if you fill the dots with wood and they still show, you could try dying the whole board a slightly darker shade.