Fretless Fingerboards: Wear and Tear

[MisterFingers]

Apologies if this has been covered many times in the past, or is in the wrong section...
I changed the strings on my fretless a few weeks ago from the factory set (Overwaters) to flatwounds and change for the better it is too. What I noticed though, was that the rosewood fingerboard is showing signs of wear because of the (presumably) halfrounds that the bass came with. Having done some googling, I'm noticing that there are a few handmade fretlesses about that are coming straight from the makers with nickel roundwounds on them, which are surely going to cause problems with the fingerboard - and they don't seem to be epoxy lacquered either. I don't get it, quite frankly.
Anyone any advice on this?
Should I rub some oil on my Fless' board to minimise any wear and tear, even from the flats?
Cheers.

[BigRedX]

It depends what you consider most important. Getting the sound you want or doing as much as possible to minimise potential wear to the fretboard.

IME unless the board is made of very soft rosewood or you are using a very aggressive sideways vibrato (rather than along the length of the string) wear to the fretboard caused by round wound strings is overstated.

I have an Overwater fretless bass that is almost 30 years old now and has spent most of its life strung with nickel round wound strings. There is some marking to the fretboard but still nothing that affects the playability. The other fretless I use a lot is strung with La Bella stainless steels. Currently there is no marking on the fingerboard worth noting. If at some point in the future fingerboard wear does become an issue I will simply get the fingerboards re-planned by a decent luthier. No different IMO to getting a refret.

Coating the fingerboard or using a less abrasive string will change the sound. Fine if that's what you are after, but don't compromise your tone simply because you are worried about wear to the bass.

[BassBus]

Really as BRX says. I hate rounds on fretless anyway but I did buy an ESP fretless recently strung with rounds. Had clearly been tried in a few hands, even though it's new, and the strings had marked the board. You can sand a board with the right radius sanding block if you want rounds. Anyway I like a darker tone so I use halfwounds (Status Hotwires). Less finger noise and much, much less damage to the board.

Sanding/planing the board will alter the action, as a refret probably would too. But if you are having your bass setup every so often these things can all be looked at at the same time. Don't think oil would protect the board much.

Really down to personal taste.

[Lfalex v1.1]

I had a fretless Ray5 with Rotosound Steel rounds on. The Pau Ferro fingerboard just shrugged them off. Very little wear.

The Macassar ebony board on my EUB seems even better.

I'd leave it alone and just monitor the board for wear and tear if you experiment with strings/as time passes.
Only rosewood or maple might need a coat of epoxy as they're not generally used for fretless instruments, except as a consequence of de-fretting.

[MisterFingers]

Thanks for the replies folks- the bass is one of the very few Tanglewater Aspiration Elite Fretlesses (bought from a fellow Bc'er) and I'm pretty sure the board is rosewood rather than ebony, which would explain the wear on a bass which hasn't actually been played much since it left the workshop. It's a lovely bass to play, but there has been a few niggling issues with it to be honest. I'll keep my eye on the situation.

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1376229013' post='2171019']
.......
or you are using a very aggressive sideways vibrato (rather than along the length of the string) wear to the fretboard caused by round wound strings is overstated.
.......
[/quote]

Yeah, I try to avoid any side to side vibrato on a fretless, just roll my finger instead.

Also check whether you're pressing the string into the board harder than you have to, you'll be surprised how lightly you can play and how much extra speed and stamina that'll give you.

[Maude]

I have an old Hohner Arbor Series P bass (read cheapy) with what looks like a rosewood board and has been strung with rounds for at least 10-15 years, has signs of wear but very minimal and doesn't affect the way it plays at all.

[MisterFingers]

I had violin lessons as a youngster, so no rock vibrato here... I shall develop a more restrained and cultured pressure on the 'board..
Gracias!

[bh2]

I have been using rounds on my fretless basses for years... rosewood boards... no probs.

[paul_5]

My board's Ebanol and I play with rounds - it does *not* look pretty.

sounds good though.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1376421873' post='2173812']
My board's Ebanol and I play with rounds - it does *not* look pretty.

sounds good though.
[/quote]

IME wear from roundwound strings on an ebanol board always looks worse than it actually is.

[EMG456]

[quote name='MisterFingers' timestamp='1376228132' post='2171010']
Apologies if this has been covered many times in the past, or is in the wrong section...
[/quote]

This does come up regularly and I must admit that I don't understand what the issue is.

If you like the sound of flatwound or tapewound strings on your fretless, use them. I personally don't and my fretless basses have never been strung with flatwounds. This causes wear on the fingerboard, just like it does on frets. After a while, if there are softer spots on the board, it may need dressing. If you play a LOT on that one bass, the fingerboard may eventually have to be replaced - a decent luthier can do that easily.

I just kind of view a fretless fingerboard as a consumable which can be fixed or replaced if it wears out. My bass is for making noises with and the fretless noises I like to make are made with roundwound strings.

Just my 2p

Ed

[MisterFingers]

[quote name='EMG456' timestamp='1376428276' post='2173970']
This does come up regularly and I must admit that I don't understand what the issue is.

If you like the sound of flatwound or tapewound strings on your fretless, use them. I personally don't and my fretless basses have never been strung with flatwounds. This causes wear on the fingerboard, just like it does on frets. After a while, if there are softer spots on the board, it may need dressing. If you play a LOT on that one bass, the fingerboard may eventually have to be replaced - a decent luthier can do that easily.

I just kind of view a fretless fingerboard as a consumable which can be fixed or replaced if it wears out. My bass is for making noises with and the fretless noises I like to make are made with roundwound strings.

Just my 2p

Ed
[/quote]

It's going to cost a lot more to get a new finger board than get a re-fret - and metal wears a lot slower than wood, but I get ya.

[Dingus]

This problen of wear from roundwound strings takes me right back to the 1980's when fretless basses with roundwound strings were all the rage . You used to get notes on the fingerboard ( usually the most commonly played ones like E at the seventh fret on the A string ) where the strings had cut a groove into the fingerboard and the note would buzz . When it gets too annoying , you can get a luthier who knows what he is doing ( Chris May at Overwater certainly does know what he is doing ) to re - true the fingerboard and you can get back to wearing it down again . Eventually you will need to get the fingerboard replaced but it is usually not a big deal , providing you use someone good ( like Chris May ) . I know that Pino Palladino is on the fourth or fifth board at least on his famous fretless Stingray . Some companies use an epoxy coating on the board to retard the wear from roundwounds , but even that will wear through eventually and need replacing . Epoxy also changes the sound of the bass , which you may or may not like . Just like Ed , I personally don't care for the sound of flats on a fretless - the abscence of frets makes the sound muted enough to begin with without adding to that by using flats - and always use rounds , regardless of wear on the board . Nickel roundwounds are thought to wear the board a little less quickly than stainless steel , and probably have a better tone for fretless playing too , on the whole .

Edited August 13, 2013 by Dingus

[White Cloud]

Don't assume that Rosewood is in any way a soft wood....it is generally very, very hard (much harder than Maple for example) and wear resistant. It is a great choice for fretless fingerboards.

[thisnameistaken]

All my fretlesses have had unfinished rosewood boards and I've always strung them with roto RS66 rounds. They have all been marked by the strings to some extent but it's never become a problem.

Oh except the Godin Acoustibass I had. That had an ebony board. I still used RS66 on it but that board barely seemed to get marked despite loads of gigging. Maybe I just couldn't see the marks because it was so black. I loved that bass.

[EMG456]

[quote name='MisterFingers' timestamp='1376429164' post='2173983']
It's going to cost a lot more to get a new finger board than get a re-fret - and metal wears a lot slower than wood, but I get ya.
[/quote]

You're right there but it shouldn't be prohibitively expensive and it does take an awful lot of playing before a new board becomes necessary.

I have been playing fretless since 1978 but usually only for 2 or three songs each gig and there were long periods in the '80s and '90s when it was unusual for me to take a fretless along. I have owned four fretless basses during that time but only 2 for more than three or four years. None of them have had to have the board replaced yet and I'm thinking they'll probably see me out!

That said, the Antoria fretless P that I bought in '78 has a lacquered maple board and the lacquer finally wore through to the wood 5 or 6 years ago. A swift visit to local luthier Jimmy Moon and hey presto, it's gleaming again ready for the next 30 years!

Put whatever strings you like on it and as they say around here, "Gie it laldy!" i.e. give it a damned good thrashing.

Ed