Dean Edge unlined fretless

[Rayman]

So the herd continues to grow…..

 

I picked this up for peanuts, honestly expecting it to be majorly goosed, but it really isn’t at all. Nice clean bass, needs fretboard conditioning and straightening, and probably flats or even tapes. The previous owner dug into it pretty hard, but I’m going to give it a much more gentle future, and maybe fit a ramp. Made in Korea at the Un Sung factory, Grover tuners…. decent little bass, never had a Dean before.

 

Anyway, best start working on my intonation eh?

 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Rayman

[ead]

Nice.  Looking forward to hearing how it urns out.

[2pods]

very similar to the shape of a Aria SB900

[Rayman]

26 minutes ago, 2pods said:

very similar to the shape of a Aria SB900

But nowhere near as good 😆

 

I do love me an Aria.

[Rayman]

First job….. Monty’s Fretboard Conditioner….. leave it overnight 

 

 

[Baloney Balderdash]

That looks beautiful! 

 

What is the fretboard wood, interesting, and actually in my opinion great looking, figuring/grain?

 

I trust you know what you are doing and I am not familiar with Monty's Fretboard Conditioner, but just in case you don't, you do realize regular mineral oil based fretboard conditioner (often sold as lemon oil, which it is not (and shouldn't be either as that will go rancid)) can make the wood soft if you apply too much and/or too often, which you definitely wouldn't want, especially not on a fretless bass, right?

 

Regular mineral oil based fretboard conditioner should be applied very sparingly, something like just a couple of a drops, literally, for the entire fretboard, distributed and rubbed in and then excess immediately after wiped away, and you should never let it soak, as otherwise it potentially can make above happen.

 

It makes it look pretty, and nothing else, you wouldn't want moist wood, there's a reason that you dry wood for a long time before you use it for a guitar build, and that roasted Maple is more stable than regular untreated Maple.

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Rayman]

Cheers for that, yep, I know all about wood treatments, I’ve been in the industrial timber coatings industry for 30 years. Yep, you can over do it, but used within the guidelines specified you’re usually ok.

 

 I believe the fingerboard is Pau Ferro but I can’t be certain. This is an older Korean model, so finding the specs is a bit tricky.

[Rayman]

Edited August 11, 2023 by Rayman

[Rayman]

Come up very nice 

[Rayman]

Absolutely marvellous thing this…. It’s turned out beautifully, plays and sounds absolutely lovely, despite the ageing Rotosound Monel flats I had knocking around (I hate coloured silks). 
 

Anyway, fabulous bass, very happy with it.

 

 

[TheGreek]

By treating the fretboard did you lose the patternation ?

It looks very close to black - are you sure it isn't Ebony?

[Soledad]

Had almost exact same bass a few years ago - started me on my current fretless journey. My expectations were modest too, but it surprised. Nicely made, excellent neck, p\ups seemed OK. I can't remember if it was passive or active, passive I think. Sold it on for what it cost anyway (around 100 IIRC).

Currently running a Sandberg TT4 - which is actually better😂 at a modest 10x ++ the price.

I may have a spare set of La Bella nylon flats (so tapes I suppose) in a drawer, cut 2 + 2 so would fit. PM if useful and I'll go hunt.

If you can justify the cost I'd say get some D'addario chrome 45-100 flats, or EB Cobalt flats (45-105 I think they come). Some flats users say they are too bright but the new top mellows away quite quickly and it's the mids you want on a fretless - they both excel in the mids whilst keeping the lower end nice and tight.

[Rayman]

22 hours ago, TheGreek said:

By treating the fretboard did you lose the patternation ?

It looks very close to black - are you sure it isn't Ebony?

No mate, it’s gone a lot darker with the wax, which is what I was hoping for, but you can still see the shape of the grain and the variations in the tones close up. 
 

Pretty sure these MIK ones were Mahogany/Maple bodies with a 5pce maple/rosewood neck and Pau Ferro fingerboard, with the info I’ve found.

 

Happy to be corrected though 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Rayman

[Baloney Balderdash]

40 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

By treating the fretboard did you lose the patternation ?

It looks very close to black - are you sure it isn't Ebony?

It does look like the figures in the wood are gone, which I otherwise thought looked very unique and beautiful.

 

Also, judging from the 2 pictures OP originally posted, it definitely looked a lot more like figured Ebony than Pau Ferro, as otherwise suggested by OP, but honestly I don't think it really looked like neither. 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Rayman]

21 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Had almost exact same bass a few years ago - started me on my current fretless journey. My expectations were modest too, but it surprised. Nicely made, excellent neck, p\ups seemed OK. I can't remember if it was passive or active, passive I think. Sold it on for what it cost anyway (around 100 IIRC).

Currently running a Sandberg TT4 - which is actually better😂 at a modest 10x ++ the price.

I may have a spare set of La Bella nylon flats (so tapes I suppose) in a drawer, cut 2 + 2 so would fit. PM if useful and I'll go hunt.

If you can justify the cost I'd say get some D'addario chrome 45-100 flats, or EB Cobalt flats (45-105 I think they come). Some flats users say they are too bright but the new top mellows away quite quickly and it's the mids you want on a fretless - they both excel in the mids whilst keeping the lower end nice and tight.

Yep, this one is active, nicely shielded cavity, neat and tidy electronics, sounds absolutely fab.

 

Very very impressive, for a apparently modest instrument, that also cost me a ton. It’s a hundred quid well spent, and who knows where it’ll lead me. Possibly a fretless journey like you maybe….

Edited August 11, 2023 by Rayman

[Rayman]

Ooh….. if you have a set of tapes…. I’d be very interested. I can’t afford another new set…..

[ead]

Looks great now.  Not like the Pau Ferro on my basses tbh.  I think ebony?

 

On the string theme, I have some lightly used TI flats cut for 2 over 2 that are languishing in my drawer.  They do have red silks though.

[Rayman]

9 minutes ago, ead said:

Looks great now.  Not like the Pau Ferro on my basses tbh.  I think ebony?

 

On the string theme, I have some lightly used TI flats cut for 2 over 2 that are languishing in my drawer.  They do have red silks though.

Cheers mate. Yeah, it was lighter and browner before the wax..... but I like dark fingerboards, ideally ebony, but if not as dark as possible. I'm not keen on the Indian Laural board on my Epiphone Newport.... but I can live with it. 

 

Mate, if you have some TIs, I'll take those, they're my favourite. TI flats or D'Addario Tapes are my choice at the moment. I can live with the coloured silks.

[Baloney Balderdash]

10 minutes ago, Rayman said:

Cheers mate. Yeah, it was lighter and browner before the wax..... but I like dark fingerboards, ideally ebony, but if not as dark as possible. I'm not keen on the Indian Laural board on my Epiphone Newport.... but I can live with it. 

 

Mate, if you have some TIs, I'll take those, they're my favourite. TI flats or D'Addario Tapes are my choice at the moment. I can live with the coloured silks.

 

Ebony can be brown with white/grey figures, Macassar Ebony often is, just like it, at least looks like, on the pictures you posted of your bass before you treated the fretboard.

 

I don't think it is Ebony though, but it looks even less like Pau Ferro, in fact nothing like Pau Ferro, at least not on those pictures (I realize though that it might have looked differently in person than on the photos).

 

I personally think it looked very unique and beautiful (again at least on the pictures), but hey, it's your bass.

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Soledad]

1 hour ago, ead said:

Looks great now.  Not like the Pau Ferro on my basses tbh.  I think ebony?

 

On the string theme, I have some lightly used TI flats cut for 2 over 2 that are languishing in my drawer.  They do have red silks though.

Be smart - go for the TIs !!😂
I'll check the LaBellas are where I left em and let you know but I think those TIs would tick the boxes. I did find the LBs a bit low tension tbh.

What a fine gang you come across on BC eh?

[Rayman]

6 minutes ago, Soledad said:

Be smart - go for the TIs !!😂
I'll check the LaBellas are where I left em and let you know but I think those TIs would tick the boxes. I did find the LBs a bit low tension tbh.

What a fine gang you come across on BC eh?

It never fails to amaze me…. After 20yrs on here… fabulous bunch 

 

Awesome thank you 

[Soledad]

and a quick thing about oiling fingerboards. I personally think the thing about lemon oil ('and only, ever') is 'rather overdone'.
I spend a lot of time making furniture and have to mess with many finishes. I've been known to use oils and blends of many and various - I won't name some but I once used Tru-Oil on a fingerboard (of an Appachian dulcimer actually) which is probably illegal.

Thing is not all oils are the same. Tru-Oil is an extreme example but is a polymerised blend and goes off rock hard, just cut it right back with 0000 steel wool. Even boiled linseed goes off hard, most oils do. So this softening thing... not my experience. And lemon oil has better uses like delicate skin (IMveryHO).

[Rayman]

I think the comment about applying a lot of conditioner earlier is probably as a result of the picture I posted after I’d applied it. With this particular conditioner the idea is to put it on heavily, then buff it all off some hours later. I love the appearance, nice and dark.

 

You’re right about Lemon Oil, it’s overhyped, if you over apply it, it sinks in, then sweats back out again if the wood is saturated …. and, Linseed oil, if it’s over applied can (will) go hard and leave an unpleasant film. Normally, less is more, but in the case of the Monty’s wax, more seems to be more.

 

Wood eh?

[ead]

I feel I need to try this Monty's Wax.  I've an 80s MIJ P/J fretless that I feel would benefit from this treatment.  Is it readily available?

[Soledad]

31 minutes ago, ead said:

I feel I need to try this Monty's Wax.  I've an 80s MIJ P/J fretless that I feel would benefit from this treatment.  Is it readily available?

Me too. Never heard of it til now. Just ordered some. They do 2 types, Montypresso and instrument food. Think I'm up for trying the Montypresso on my '98 P. I'll test on some bits of dark hardwoods first (have some rosewood knocking about). He does p'ups too - the artist list is quite an impressive list. Sounds like a pretty cool place - coffee features quite a bit 👍

 

https://www.montysguitars.com/collections/department-of-component

Edited August 11, 2023 by Soledad
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