Fretless setup

[mentalextra]

What should the neck relief be on my Fender jazz fretless. My usual 'go to' for setup advice, DavesWorldoffunstuff, doesn't appear to have a video of a fretless setup, or maybe I've just not been looking hard enough?

[Grangur]

On a fretless the set up is similar to the fretted, but you measure from the fingerboard to the string.

This video is useful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mLp8TI0tu8

[HowieBass]

A fair few fretless players go for a virtually flat board but I've got about the same degree of relief around the 8th 'fret' position as with my fretted basses, 0.012" and that suits my playing style and gives me a sound I like.

[ambient]

Have a look on Gary Willis's website, he offers lots of advice on fretless bass set-up.

Personally I have my action very low, and the fretboard almost flat with very little relief.

[mentalextra]

Yes, my action is very low too. I've not checked my neck relief for a while and it appears to be just a hair, but after hearing everyone's comments I think I'll leave it alone.

[ambient]

[url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html"]http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/setupmanual.html[/url]

[url="http://garywillis.com/tag/setup/"]http://garywillis.com/tag/setup/[/url]

[paul_5]

My fretless neck is flat, next to no relief, and very low action.

In fact, I think I even shimmed the neck.

[gary mac]

I like my fretless with virtually no relief, at what would be the eighth fret position, when holding the string down at the end of fret board and first fret.

[steve-bbb]

i have my fretless relief about the same as my fretted - both J's

just recently adjusted the intonation on the fretless too - was quite a way out and hadnt realised but wondered why my fingering always sounded rubbish even though i knew i was in the correct position - adjusting intonation corrrectly has made a huge difference to overall accuracy and ease of playing - doesnt feel like im fighting with it any longer to stay in tune

[blisters on my fingers]

I've an old Tokai jazz bass that was (sort of) defretted by a friend many years ago. The frets were ground down, leaving the tangs in situ, so they remained on the fretboard as fret markers. All good at the time and he did a great job, but now 30 plus years later the fretboard itself has shrunk a little bit, some the tangs are now a teeny bit proud of the others etc.
I never did get into playing fretless but would love to attempt it again, using this lovely old bass.
I'm OK with truss rod,intonation and bridge adjustments.
I'm thinking of getting a radius block and carefully removing the excess from the high tangs, and then coating the neck with some kind of epoxy resin or varnish.
Does this sound like a good idea ??

[HowieBass]

@blisters - I think a better idea would be remove what's left of the frets if at all possible and put wood veneer strips in the slots but I realise there might not be enough metal available to get a good purchase on with pliers.

[MoonBassAlpha]

@blisters ,sounds like a plan, I'd give it a go. Shiny fret markers are pretty cool. It's nothing that can't be undone if you don't like it.

[blisters on my fingers]

Thanks Howie and Moonbass

The wood veneer would be a great solution but I think removing the tangs would be well beyond my limited skills, lifting them up from the sides of the fretboard is going to be difficult and I suspect they might well break leaving bits in the middle,and I'll end up wrecking a nice old neck. It's rosewood and the shiny tangs do look rather cool !

If I buy the correct block and carefully got back to a decent surface, I'd like to protect it with some kind of finish.

Anybody have any ideas of a good product available here in the UK ?

[alyctes]

Would you not have trouble sanding it? I could be completely wrong, but I'd be worried that the wood will sand much faster than the metal and you'll wind up with dips in the board.

[Andyjr1515]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1472337577' post='3120495']
Would you not have trouble sanding it? I could be completely wrong, but I'd be worried that the wood will sand much faster than the metal and you'll wind up with dips in the board.
[/quote]
I don't think that would be an issue with a decent length radius block. The block will then sand at the rate the metal sands and the wood just goes along for the ride....

[alyctes]

[quote name='Andyjr1515' timestamp='1472365605' post='3120538']
I don't think that would be an issue with a decent length radius block. The block will then sand at the rate the metal sands and the wood just goes along for the ride....
[/quote]

I stand corrected. Thank you

[blisters on my fingers]

Thanks for the replies anybody used a finish on a fretless rosewood fingerboard ?

[ambient]

[quote name='blisters on my fingers' timestamp='1472505183' post='3121713']
Thanks for the replies anybody used a finish on a fretless rosewood fingerboard ?
[/quote]

Jaco .

[HowieBass]

@blisters - I use raw linseed oil on my rosewood board. After a few applications it fills pores and tends to harden so it seasons and protects - I use flatwounds so they don't mark the board much anyway. You're leaving the remains of the frets in there so when you stop the strings they'll be making contact with metal rather than wood unless you like to slide around a lot - I honestly don't know if there'll be much difference in tone depending on where a string is stopped regarding contact with metal vs wood. For sure some type of hard epoxy coating would be the way to go to give the board a consistent surface.

[Grangur]

Another one here for using Linseed oil.

[Twincam]

[quote name='HowieBass' timestamp='1472509676' post='3121761']
@blisters - I use raw linseed oil on my rosewood board. After a few applications it fills pores and tends to harden so it seasons and protects - I use flatwounds so they don't mark the board much anyway. You're leaving the remains of the frets in there so when you stop the strings they'll be making contact with metal rather than wood unless you like to slide around a lot - I honestly don't know if there'll be much difference in tone depending on where a string is stopped regarding contact with metal vs wood. For sure some type of hard epoxy coating would be the way to go to give the board a consistent surface.
[/quote]

Yes too linseed oil but its best to use the boiled varity. Just because of drying times. Raw oil can take a few days to dry, depending on how thick the application, which should be minimal, but on occasion some boards do need that bit more, it can get on fingers then strings etc if played before really drying.

[HowieBass]

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1472774237' post='3124238']
Yes too linseed oil but its best to use the boiled varity. Just because of drying times. Raw oil can take a few days to dry, depending on how thick the application, which should be minimal, but on occasion some boards do need that bit more, it can get on fingers then strings etc if played before really drying.
[/quote]

Never had a problem with stickiness but there again I use very little, applied and polished off using paper kitchen towel.