@modusoperandi303 I think I mentioned it in the video, but in case I didn't or you just missed it they're called flush ground end nips. You can purchase this type of item from many of the guitar supply businesses or you can just take a similarly sized set of nips and very carefully grind the bevel away (go slow and cool the pliers often to avoid compromising the temper of the steel).
@WiiGamerof1995 Send me a private message telling me the details of your bass (how many strings, bolt-on or neck thru, fingerboard binding?) and I'll reply with a quote.
I can see why you are running out of Video Time you Talk hold the Bass haft of the Video we don't like to see you doing that in the good old USA, Try Working and Talk at the same time I tell my men at work this all the time and I get more out of Day thank you
@MrStevenjackson11 The overwhelming majority of the comments speak favorably regarding the amount of detail. And in my experience, impatient folks rarely make good guitar repair techs. If you're not comfortable with the pace of these videos, that's a problem easily solved… don't watch.
@smbstressfest : I tried this without quite the attention to detail. Firstly, the maple veneer for frets with flush cut saw is excellent but I would not radius the veneer inserts, just flatten the slots. I did not believe Jaco when he said that Rotosound strings chew up the rosewood neck but they do so I am starting a regime of regular light wire wool treatment and Danish oil. My home made jazz bass is perfect and I am a useless craftsman so well done Jason. Thanks for this. ftlpope
@ftlpope How would you go about flattening the slot bottoms? The top of the fingerboard is radiused, it can be done but it's not easy. And regarding the steel wool, you're just erasing the superficial scratches. The wear is still happening and at some point in the future you'll need to true up the board to keep it playing well. And if your fingerboard is a true rosewood (a member of the dalbergia genus) regular "oiling" probably isn't necessary due to the inherent oily nature of the timber.
I've got a peavey millennium BXP 4 string. the nut is in a slot cut into to fretboard. I can send a pic if you need to visualize it. any idea of how to remove it?
@tehgaff08 Yeah that's just a standard "inlayed" fender style nut. Score the finish around the sides carefully with a sharp exacto blade to reduce the chances of a large chip of finish popping out. Gently tap it forwards and back with a block of wood and a hammer to loosen it, and then carefully try to work it out using end nipper style plyers. Be careful no to tap it too hard or the back end of the fingerboard might blow out. Take it to a professional if it makes you nervous, good luck.
Fantastic videos, thanks a lot. In order to keep the option of converting back to a fretted instrument later, what kind of glue would you use instead of the super glue?
@veganandgreen Nothing comes to mind, superglue is an ideal adhesive for this particular job. Don't convert a fretted bass to a fretless with the intention of changing it back at some point in the future. Think of a fretless conversion as a one way street. However if you MUST, I'd actually recommend re-sawing the fret slots instead of trying to break the glue bond and removing the veneer intact. There's so much glue surface area in relation to the size of the veneer, it would be very tough.
Hey brotha i live in Indianapolis. I would love to come up to your shop and get some estimates on my bass. Ive been wanting to make it a fretless for a while. If you would like to talk more on this privately you can hit me up on Facebook. It would be easier to find me under my bands name Whiskey Supercharger. my name is Joey by the way.
@CrimsonFlagg A lot of people do that, but I never have and don't recommend it. Inlaying the empty slots with the veneer and leveling the board is the professional standard for fretless conversions. But do whatever you deem appropriate.
@brandokilla1 There is quite a lot of this kind of work that can be accomplished with just simple tools. You see how it's done from watching at the videos, use your judgement as to what you ABSOLUTELY have to have, and you might be able to improvise on the rest.
Jason, I watched your videos on doing the fret job last year, job well done, and it taught me a ton. This is also something I am looking at doing, and thank you very much for helping us youtubers do things, or at least attempt to, that before youtube, was almost impossible!!!
Can this be converted back cause im gonna go pick up a 5 string and i have a 4 string but can i put the frets back in if i dont like it??? and how is i can
Is there a way to extend the life of my fingerboard if I plan to use rounded cover strings, which are usually pretty harmful for the sonokeling and for other soft wood. I heard that some guys put couple of layers of polyester lacquer. What would you suggest?
Sorry, if someone already asked this before. I have tried to find the answer in the comments, but I have not found.
@karayv I guess you could use some type of epoxy. There really isn't much out there, commercially available that will give you much protection AND is easy to apply.
For what it's worth, I play roundwounds on a raw wood fingerboard and don't really have any problems. Every couple years of regular use might require a leveling... much like if it were fretted you'd have to level and recrown though.
Im making a fretless guitar, but the necks im choosing from have slots, but i wanted a marker anyway. but im wandering if i can use mother of pearl in the slits? my dad works with precise sawing and whatnot
@notrealy180217 I don't recommend MOP for inlayed lines. Try it if you wish but you'll probably have to enlarge the slots for it to fit and the material will still be very brittle and hard to handle without breaking.
how exactly are u supposed to remove the frets? When i tried with the soldering iron it did noithing. did not budge an inch. I left it on the fret heated for at least 30 seconds and tried to pry it out. Nothing happened. So i decided i would slip a box cutting blade (only thin peice of metal i could find) ran it under the edge of the fret and then ripped it out with pliers, COMPLETELY scarring the rosewood. How are you supposed to remove the frets without damaging the fret board?
@nuckbucker I'd rather see it before I can say. What's the possibility of you posting a video showing the extent of the damage? Do that, and I'll check it out and let you know.
@123wooo456 A fretless conversion is a cost effective way to turn a seldom used bass (which many of us have lying around) into a completely new animal. I do quite a lot of these jobs so apparently many people seem to "get it".
@niverent depends on the bass,also the action might not be right check out the action you shold have on a fretless bass and adjust the truss rod orthe nut, what ever needs be
I know it doesn't bother you much and you won't change your style, but I'm still going to say it... According to me, nothing blah about this video, knowledge is power, thanks a lot for posting this video.
@J1ppi It's all completely arbitrary. Doesn't matter so much when there aren't frets present and string bending won't be an issue. I tend to like them relatively flat, some people don't.
WOAH!! the first video I click on (this one) when I search fretless bass has my bass in it. Same color and everything except mine isn't left handed. Weird
@Metalsutra If you make a habit of watching my videos, I'm afraid you're just going to have to deal with a lot of "blah". This series is intended to be didactic as well as entertaining, and I can't teach anything if I don't explain what's going on. If you'll be patient and bear with me through the "blah", it's just possible you might learn something.
@AudioMagnet No actually, everyone thinks that though. It's just a trans green StingRay 5 w/High C. The Dargies all had black pickguards and rosewood fingerboards if I'm not mistaken.
hello i rly liked your videos rly interesting, my secondary bass is a 5s. HARLEY BENTON HBB500TBK with badass bridge and it plays just fine, but i rly want to get a fretless bass, so what would you recommend me to try to sell it and get a real fretless or to convert it to one? it will be the same quality ? thank you!
@klickBG It's up to you of course, there's no absolute right or wrong answer. I will say that converting your current bass to a fretless will almost certainly be cheaper than buying a new fretless bass. And if the job is done properly, it's likely to play better than a factory fretless bass as well.
Wow, look at this everybody! It's a negative comment from someone in their early 20's with an account which currently has ZERO uploads and is a mere 5 months old... I am shocked.
I will most definitely consider incorporating significantly less "bla" into all my future videos. Thank you kind sir for your feedback and constructive criticism.
"I will most definitely consider incorporating significantly less "bla" into all my future videos. Thank you kind sir for your feedback and constructive criticism." - Hell, i love sarcasm :D! Of course you can learn a lot from your videos. I just watched the wrong video for my purpose and thats why i wanna call myself a fool right now for adding such a comment!
Question on Filler Versus Laminet, The Fret groves are not the full width of the finger board, leaving the 2 sides, I would expect these 2 sides to offer an amount of strength, so sawing away these sides to make the slots across the board then insert the Laminat seems to counter. for example, replacing the Fret with Filler, not adding any tension, versus cutting the groove to insert the Laminate to Add Tension, seems that cutting of the edges weakens the board more than the laminate strengthens
Sorry, I'm not sure what your question is. I think I understand where you're going, so I'll give some more info.
Fret slots always span the entire width of the fingerboard. This bass had filler stick to cover the ends, and that material is very weak and doesn't add significant strength to the neck. Some instruments have binding, but again it's thin and weak compared to the wood itself.
The "edges" (actually shellac stick) are so weak you can usually "cut" (crush) them with your thumbnail.
When you take the neck off the body (in the fretless bass conversion), do you ease the tension of the soul first or you just don't touch it until you screw it on again to the body and then calibrate the bass guitar?
When I say "ease tension of the soul", I mean to say "turn the alem key counterclockwise when looking at the neck from the top".
I adjusted the truss rod to get the neck as straight as I could before I leveled the fingerboard. This bass had a sort of weak neck and required a lot of truss rod tension even with frets to maintain a straight neck so I had to take that into consideration when converting it to fretless since we lost some strength when the frets came out.
one question....how is it so easy to remove your frets? mine wont come out. The frets are now like triangles because my pliers just take chunks out of the frets instead of removing them :/
Are you using a soldering iron to heat the frets first before attempting to remove them? Also, are your end nippers flush ground to a knife edge... if not for either of these, it makes all the difference.
yea i got them all out (after about 2 hours lol)...was using a soldering iron but i think the main problem was that the end nippers wernt flat enough. Now to find a saw to recut the frets :p
If you fill the slots and level the board as shown in the videos, you HAVE a fretless bass. The tone will be identical to a factory fretless. And depending on the accuracy of your work and your setup, it could easily play better than a factory instrument.
This guy is simply amazing. He knows these machines and his craft like no other and does awesome vids as well as post very informative replys that are great to read.
I have owned my fretless for about a year now, cause that's when i converted it. I have a problem with the action using the original bridge. Do converted fretlesses usually have this problem?
About 1 in every 4 I do requires shimming or something else to get a good action. I even had to rout to recess the bridge on a neck thru Ibanez a few years back. If you do decide to shim, I strongly recommend take the time to make a tapered shim that fills up the entire neck pocket. This way you eliminate the possibility of creating a rise in the tongue.
OK where the smack did you get the veneer...idk if its easy to come by where your at, but in San Diego it doesn't exist...i have to order it from across country
I buy mine from a local woodcraft store. I looked on a map and the closest one to you in in Stanton, CA. You can always order it from them or anybody else online though.
So im going to be doing this same job on one of my basses, which is basically the same model, (probably the same neck dimensions), so ill have some question through out this video series...
Question #1: do you suggest using super glue over wood glue or wood filler to hold the vainer veneer
Question #2: how did you groove out your soldering iron head, do you suggest that method, and does it really help with fretboard chipping. Are their other methods???
I strongly suggest superglue. It's the right adhesive for this particular job, perfectly suited for flowing into tight gaps.
I used a small file to groove the tip of the soldering iron. It does an excellent job of controlling chipout and will break the bond of any glue present. I've heard of other people applying heat to the frets with a rubberized heating pad, but that can't put the heat exactly where you need it like the soldering iron can.
the other day i just got my dad's pincers and ripped the fuckers out. sanded it with sandpaper and stuck me strings back on. i realise to get better results i should put more effort into to it but, eh. works for me.
i know loads of people who have converted a freted to fretless and it works after a while the they got loads of flat notes pluss the fret bord should be very smooth so basicly it wont sound as good as a proper fretless.if u test the sound against fretless u have converted and a rickenbacker fretless theres a lot of differnt.
A converted fretless bass functions exactly the same as one that was originally built as a fretless when the the fret slots are filled with an appropriate material and leveled off smooth. You are correct that as a fingerboard wears you will get lots of dull or dead notes. That is caused by the string riding in a groove and being additionally mutedfrom the sides rather than only the bottom as it should be on a perfectly flat fingerboard. When this happens you simply level the fingerboard.
On even the thinnest fingerboards you should be able to get at least 4 levelings before the board is too thin and would need replacing (as long as you don't wait to long in between).
Also, every Rick fretless bass I've seen has a thick polyester finish from the factory, so you're comparing apples to oranges.
Finished fingerboards will always sound different than raw wood. Players often comment that the finished board has more "zing" or "snap" and sustain is usually better up the neck.
when you are heating the frets to pull them out, are you using just needle nose plyers and pinching the frets? or are you actually pulling on them, and if so, what kind of force is necessary
The truss rod? Yeah, if something goes wrong they can usually be repaired or replaced. Sometimes it's not cost effective to do it though depending on the instrument and what exactly needs to be done. This kind of work gets expensive real quick...
nice vid plan on doing this conversion to my five string later on. Hope I don't screw it up. Thanks so much for posting and having to put up with jerks.
I've played all sorts of basses over the past few years, once even an eight-string, but one thing I've always wanted to do was get a fretless. Now even though I'm good, I don't think I'm good enough to go w/o markers. Is there a specific term I should use the next time I'm at my local music dealership other than, "fretless bass with markers"?
yep, its possible, but it must be done by a professional, because its a very precise job, not only the sloting part but the insertion of frets too.... i wont doit any way, i love fretless tone :D:D:D
Im just wondering. what tool do you use to take out the frets. i have found my frets are a bugger to get out and im incredibly worried about chipping the fret board
I use flush ground end nippers. You can purchase them from a guitar tool specialty place like LMII or StewMac or you can make your own. You'd want to grind them slow and take care not to overheat the nippers and compromise the temper of the steel. Also, chipout is rarely a problem if you heat the frets with a soldering iron the way that is shown in the video. Check my strat refret video series for more info on fret removal too.
I did it this mornign got all the frets out but i didn't put wood in the gaps i filled it with filler. I actually think it's alot easier than using wood strips. But seriously i thank you so much for the tutorials great help.
Btw do you do electric guitar wiring im thinking of putting some new pickups on my bass and feel im going to ruin it if i try without anything to help me along :P
Interesting, I just read an article stating that the chemicals necessary to form cyanoacrylate polymer include ethyl cyanoacetate. Also stated is that a component of the ethyl cyanoacetate was indeed "cyanide".
So if that information is incorrect, then it appears as though I'm not the only one who has made the error.
It's easy to come on here and sharp shoot every little thing a person says, right? If you have additional relevant information about the chemistry of instant adhesives that you'd be willing to share, I'm game. I always enjoy learning new things. But I'm not sure that's what you had in mind with your comment. You wouldn't have come across like such a jerk if you'd taken the time to qualify "it has nothing to do with hydrogen cyanide". You're right though, I'm no biochemist... I fix guitars
Absolutely, although you'll have to be a little more careful when trimming and filing the fret markers flush with the side of the neck. And watch out that your superglue doesn't drip on to the top of the instrument as you glue down your fret markers. Other than that it's really the same job.
I'm not sure how I would approach this as I've never done a fretless conversion on a composite neck with a composite fingerboard. I would venture to say that you probably wouldn't need to level the fingerboard on one of these necks. And I'm not sure that I'd glue something far less durable (maple veneer) into fret slots cut into a carbon/graphite fingerboard. If a very thin sheet of white carbon graphite material could be sourced that would be my first choice for the fret markers.
so, if there's no glue, is the heat mainly for the wood and not the metal? because I was thinking, wouldn't the heat make the metal expand, therefore making it wider? I guess what I'm asking is, does heat make the wood more forgiving?
Yeah, that's correct. And certainly, the heat would expand the metal fret a small amount. They way I understand it (I asked someone this question once too) is that there's a certain amount of moisture in the fingerboard. Using the heat will tend to make a very small amount of steam from this moisture content thus softening the wood and reducing the risk of chip out (if a board looks dry, wipe with a damp cloth first). Acoustic guitar builders use this to their advantage when bending sides.
Great video series. I used them as a guide to convert one of my bass guitars and went off without a problem. thanks for the knowledge
puntmefar 3 weeks ago
ibanez g10 :D
dustinnator1 2 months ago
Nice video, what type of pliers are you using?
modusoperandi303 3 months ago
@modusoperandi303 I think I mentioned it in the video, but in case I didn't or you just missed it they're called flush ground end nips. You can purchase this type of item from many of the guitar supply businesses or you can just take a similarly sized set of nips and very carefully grind the bevel away (go slow and cool the pliers often to avoid compromising the temper of the steel).
smbstressfest 3 months ago
This man needs a goddamn tv show
AustinxRodriguez 4 months ago 8
Can you convert a 5 string bass to a fretless bass? Because I am having trouble finding a 5 string fretless bass that I like.
megapretzel 4 months ago
@megapretzel Definitely, the job isn't much different no matter how many strings your bass does or does not have.
smbstressfest 4 months ago
how much would the cost?
WiiGamerof1995 4 months ago
@WiiGamerof1995 Send me a private message telling me the details of your bass (how many strings, bolt-on or neck thru, fingerboard binding?) and I'll reply with a quote.
smbstressfest 4 months ago
can you do mine? how much do you charge?
thatfatkid100 5 months ago
@thatfatkid100 I've replied to you in a private message.
smbstressfest 5 months ago
I can see why you are running out of Video Time you Talk hold the Bass haft of the Video we don't like to see you doing that in the good old USA, Try Working and Talk at the same time I tell my men at work this all the time and I get more out of Day thank you
MrStevenjackson11 5 months ago
@MrStevenjackson11 The overwhelming majority of the comments speak favorably regarding the amount of detail. And in my experience, impatient folks rarely make good guitar repair techs. If you're not comfortable with the pace of these videos, that's a problem easily solved… don't watch.
smbstressfest 5 months ago
@smbstressfest : I tried this without quite the attention to detail. Firstly, the maple veneer for frets with flush cut saw is excellent but I would not radius the veneer inserts, just flatten the slots. I did not believe Jaco when he said that Rotosound strings chew up the rosewood neck but they do so I am starting a regime of regular light wire wool treatment and Danish oil. My home made jazz bass is perfect and I am a useless craftsman so well done Jason. Thanks for this. ftlpope
ftlpope 5 months ago
@ftlpope How would you go about flattening the slot bottoms? The top of the fingerboard is radiused, it can be done but it's not easy. And regarding the steel wool, you're just erasing the superficial scratches. The wear is still happening and at some point in the future you'll need to true up the board to keep it playing well. And if your fingerboard is a true rosewood (a member of the dalbergia genus) regular "oiling" probably isn't necessary due to the inherent oily nature of the timber.
smbstressfest 5 months ago
More work and less talking this is not Rocked Science !
MrStevenjackson11 5 months ago
@MrStevenjackson11 I'm sorry, would you like a refund or something?
smbstressfest 5 months ago
Any fume is potentially dangerous in concentration. Even pure oxygen will kill you. (Cyanide is also used in cigarettes, just a little fun fact)
T3hbassmasta 6 months ago
I have a cheap rogue, looking to make it fretless. Give me an idea of what it would cost. 24 frets.
froggie2676 6 months ago
@froggie2676 I have replied to you in a PM.
smbstressfest 6 months ago
I've got a peavey millennium BXP 4 string. the nut is in a slot cut into to fretboard. I can send a pic if you need to visualize it. any idea of how to remove it?
tehgaff08 6 months ago
@tehgaff08 Yeah that's just a standard "inlayed" fender style nut. Score the finish around the sides carefully with a sharp exacto blade to reduce the chances of a large chip of finish popping out. Gently tap it forwards and back with a block of wood and a hammer to loosen it, and then carefully try to work it out using end nipper style plyers. Be careful no to tap it too hard or the back end of the fingerboard might blow out. Take it to a professional if it makes you nervous, good luck.
smbstressfest 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
How much do you charge for defretting?
weakattheknees91 7 months ago
Fantastic videos, thanks a lot. In order to keep the option of converting back to a fretted instrument later, what kind of glue would you use instead of the super glue?
veganandgreen 8 months ago
@veganandgreen Nothing comes to mind, superglue is an ideal adhesive for this particular job. Don't convert a fretted bass to a fretless with the intention of changing it back at some point in the future. Think of a fretless conversion as a one way street. However if you MUST, I'd actually recommend re-sawing the fret slots instead of trying to break the glue bond and removing the veneer intact. There's so much glue surface area in relation to the size of the veneer, it would be very tough.
smbstressfest 8 months ago
Hey brotha i live in Indianapolis. I would love to come up to your shop and get some estimates on my bass. Ive been wanting to make it a fretless for a while. If you would like to talk more on this privately you can hit me up on Facebook. It would be easier to find me under my bands name Whiskey Supercharger. my name is Joey by the way.
mrfunkybassplayer 8 months ago
I have a 1986 Ibanez destroyer bass that I want to make fretless. I wanted to know if you could use wood putty instead of a veneer.
CrimsonFlagg 10 months ago
@CrimsonFlagg A lot of people do that, but I never have and don't recommend it. Inlaying the empty slots with the veneer and leveling the board is the professional standard for fretless conversions. But do whatever you deem appropriate.
smbstressfest 10 months ago
wow dude so you really need pro tools to do this kind of job i really want to defrett my bass dude
brandokilla1 1 year ago
@brandokilla1 There is quite a lot of this kind of work that can be accomplished with just simple tools. You see how it's done from watching at the videos, use your judgement as to what you ABSOLUTELY have to have, and you might be able to improvise on the rest.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest hey i have a washburn taurus bass and i wanted fretless is possible and it would sound different right?
182chaves182 10 months ago
Jason, I watched your videos on doing the fret job last year, job well done, and it taught me a ton. This is also something I am looking at doing, and thank you very much for helping us youtubers do things, or at least attempt to, that before youtube, was almost impossible!!!
hogwild6161 1 year ago
Can this be converted back cause im gonna go pick up a 5 string and i have a 4 string but can i put the frets back in if i dont like it??? and how is i can
IrishGrenade9 1 year ago
HI Jason!
Is there a way to extend the life of my fingerboard if I plan to use rounded cover strings, which are usually pretty harmful for the sonokeling and for other soft wood. I heard that some guys put couple of layers of polyester lacquer. What would you suggest?
Sorry, if someone already asked this before. I have tried to find the answer in the comments, but I have not found.
karayv 1 year ago
@karayv I guess you could use some type of epoxy. There really isn't much out there, commercially available that will give you much protection AND is easy to apply.
For what it's worth, I play roundwounds on a raw wood fingerboard and don't really have any problems. Every couple years of regular use might require a leveling... much like if it were fretted you'd have to level and recrown though.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Im making a fretless guitar, but the necks im choosing from have slots, but i wanted a marker anyway. but im wandering if i can use mother of pearl in the slits? my dad works with precise sawing and whatnot
notrealy180217 1 year ago
@notrealy180217 I don't recommend MOP for inlayed lines. Try it if you wish but you'll probably have to enlarge the slots for it to fit and the material will still be very brittle and hard to handle without breaking.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
Hey is it possible to convert from fretless to fretted?
EWILL1501 1 year ago
@EWILL1501 I don't see why not. You'd just have to accurately saw fret slots (very tricky on fingerboard already glued to a neck) and then fret it.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest
what if my bass had frets, and now has fret markers instead... can i re-fret it?
hentajus 1 year ago
@hentajus yes, its just a lot harder to re fret than to de fret
LightbreadLoftin 1 year ago
Hey is it possible to convert from fretless to fretted?
EWILL1501 1 year ago
BRAVISSIMO! Professionalissimo e Competente!!
OrchestraGemelli 1 year ago
whats the difference?
XoXoBlackCrowXoXo 1 year ago
how exactly are u supposed to remove the frets? When i tried with the soldering iron it did noithing. did not budge an inch. I left it on the fret heated for at least 30 seconds and tried to pry it out. Nothing happened. So i decided i would slip a box cutting blade (only thin peice of metal i could find) ran it under the edge of the fret and then ripped it out with pliers, COMPLETELY scarring the rosewood. How are you supposed to remove the frets without damaging the fret board?
nuckbucker 1 year ago
@nuckbucker You'll need to use flush ground end nippers to get under the fret from the end and gently "walk it out".
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest Thanks. Also, how do you recommend I go about fixing the scars... well gaint chips really where the frets once were?
nuckbucker 1 year ago
@nuckbucker I'd rather see it before I can say. What's the possibility of you posting a video showing the extent of the damage? Do that, and I'll check it out and let you know.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest i think i posted it as a response on this video... i think. i hope you got it, if not ill try it again
nuckbucker 1 year ago
what the words "fretless guitar" makes you think ?
ZehEduardo 1 year ago
i would love to learn how to this.
leifericson923 1 year ago
I know nothing about bass but for some reason I couldn't turn this off. Really interesting.
ninjabearsinc2 1 year ago
Traduzcanlo a Español !
cualmetro 1 year ago
shit if i had found this before i would asked you to make the conversion. i used to live in plymouth indiana
lucadepu 1 year ago
maybe not the most fun video's to watch but the guy definetly knows his stuff. thanks for posting :)
cameronj279 1 year ago
why do that to a perfectly good bass
123wooo456 1 year ago
@123wooo456 A fretless conversion is a cost effective way to turn a seldom used bass (which many of us have lying around) into a completely new animal. I do quite a lot of these jobs so apparently many people seem to "get it".
smbstressfest 1 year ago
My fretless doesn't have a good mwaah sound...any ideas why that is?
niverent 1 year ago
@niverent There are a lot of things that contribute to that issue. I really can't speculate very far without evaluating the instrument though.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@niverent depends on the bass,also the action might not be right check out the action you shold have on a fretless bass and adjust the truss rod orthe nut, what ever needs be
fiddled with
molesticles 1 year ago
crazy lefties
tempermentel 1 year ago
I know it doesn't bother you much and you won't change your style, but I'm still going to say it... According to me, nothing blah about this video, knowledge is power, thanks a lot for posting this video.
298744 1 year ago
"They're still pretty hot when you pull them out. I don't recommend touching them"
hahaha
ArgentinianTraceur 1 year ago
what kind of pliers are you using to pull out those frets?
tehgaff08 1 year ago
Could you explain why has the radius of a fretless to be quite flat. I don't see any reason it shouldn't be rounder than 14".
J1ppi 1 year ago
@J1ppi It's all completely arbitrary. Doesn't matter so much when there aren't frets present and string bending won't be an issue. I tend to like them relatively flat, some people don't.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
it's always awesome to see an expert at work
MrAwesomatic 1 year ago
very informative and i like the blah blah blah !
telestratman65 1 year ago
WOAH!! the first video I click on (this one) when I search fretless bass has my bass in it. Same color and everything except mine isn't left handed. Weird
omartheomar 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Just do it...A lot blah blah blah
Metalsutra 1 year ago
@Metalsutra If you make a habit of watching my videos, I'm afraid you're just going to have to deal with a lot of "blah". This series is intended to be didactic as well as entertaining, and I can't teach anything if I don't explain what's going on. If you'll be patient and bear with me through the "blah", it's just possible you might learn something.
smbstressfest 1 year ago 2
you had destroied a bass
barbyman2010 1 year ago
@barbyman2010 ???
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest xD "destroied a bass" xD
NYHCFroschi 1 year ago
@barbyman2010 ???
eyeball226 1 year ago
@barbyman2010 should he have gone to the local fretless bass supermarket instead?
mattbastardsen 1 year ago
why do americans always say "soddering iron"? ITS SOLDERING!
sluterry 1 year ago 2
@sluterry Perhaps for the same reason we say "Aluminum" and not "Alumininium"... I'm not really certain.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
@smbstressfest
Aluminium
:-)
1234whatever 1 year ago
@sluterry I find it a bit disconcerting too.
eyeball226 1 year ago
is that a dargie delight stingray in the background?
AudioMagnet 1 year ago
@AudioMagnet No actually, everyone thinks that though. It's just a trans green StingRay 5 w/High C. The Dargies all had black pickguards and rosewood fingerboards if I'm not mistaken.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
If I were to send my bass to you would you do this? and how much would it cost?
bombadybom 1 year ago
@bombadybom I have replied to you in a PM.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
how much does this operation cost?
gurusage142 1 year ago
@gurusage142 I have replied to you in a private message.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
hello i rly liked your videos rly interesting, my secondary bass is a 5s. HARLEY BENTON HBB500TBK with badass bridge and it plays just fine, but i rly want to get a fretless bass, so what would you recommend me to try to sell it and get a real fretless or to convert it to one? it will be the same quality ? thank you!
klickBG 1 year ago
@klickBG It's up to you of course, there's no absolute right or wrong answer. I will say that converting your current bass to a fretless will almost certainly be cheaper than buying a new fretless bass. And if the job is done properly, it's likely to play better than a factory fretless bass as well.
smbstressfest 1 year ago
codenashor you idiot <.<
uploads87 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
bla bla bla :S waaaaay too much bla!
CodeNashor 1 year ago
Wow, look at this everybody! It's a negative comment from someone in their early 20's with an account which currently has ZERO uploads and is a mere 5 months old... I am shocked.
I will most definitely consider incorporating significantly less "bla" into all my future videos. Thank you kind sir for your feedback and constructive criticism.
smbstressfest 1 year ago 2
"I will most definitely consider incorporating significantly less "bla" into all my future videos. Thank you kind sir for your feedback and constructive criticism." - Hell, i love sarcasm :D! Of course you can learn a lot from your videos. I just watched the wrong video for my purpose and thats why i wanna call myself a fool right now for adding such a comment!
CodeNashor 1 year ago
LOL "breathing super glue smoke yuck" "and oh yea it has cyanide :/" xD
xXBuccinOXx 1 year ago
Question on Filler Versus Laminet, The Fret groves are not the full width of the finger board, leaving the 2 sides, I would expect these 2 sides to offer an amount of strength, so sawing away these sides to make the slots across the board then insert the Laminat seems to counter. for example, replacing the Fret with Filler, not adding any tension, versus cutting the groove to insert the Laminate to Add Tension, seems that cutting of the edges weakens the board more than the laminate strengthens
cyberience 2 years ago
Sorry, I'm not sure what your question is. I think I understand where you're going, so I'll give some more info.
Fret slots always span the entire width of the fingerboard. This bass had filler stick to cover the ends, and that material is very weak and doesn't add significant strength to the neck. Some instruments have binding, but again it's thin and weak compared to the wood itself.
The "edges" (actually shellac stick) are so weak you can usually "cut" (crush) them with your thumbnail.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
When you take the neck off the body (in the fretless bass conversion), do you ease the tension of the soul first or you just don't touch it until you screw it on again to the body and then calibrate the bass guitar?
When I say "ease tension of the soul", I mean to say "turn the alem key counterclockwise when looking at the neck from the top".
Thank's from Argentina.
guillecbione 2 years ago
I adjusted the truss rod to get the neck as straight as I could before I leveled the fingerboard. This bass had a sort of weak neck and required a lot of truss rod tension even with frets to maintain a straight neck so I had to take that into consideration when converting it to fretless since we lost some strength when the frets came out.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Comment removed
guillecbione 2 years ago
he i always wanted to do this so i bought a bass off a friend and it turns out to be this exact bass :P
MrMakesmoke 2 years ago
one question....how is it so easy to remove your frets? mine wont come out. The frets are now like triangles because my pliers just take chunks out of the frets instead of removing them :/
MrMakesmoke 2 years ago
Are you using a soldering iron to heat the frets first before attempting to remove them? Also, are your end nippers flush ground to a knife edge... if not for either of these, it makes all the difference.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
yea i got them all out (after about 2 hours lol)...was using a soldering iron but i think the main problem was that the end nippers wernt flat enough. Now to find a saw to recut the frets :p
MrMakesmoke 2 years ago
I am uncertain about defretting my bass. My most important question...is the tone exactly like a fretless or do you get a weird tone? Just asking.
scarsymmetry1989 2 years ago
If you fill the slots and level the board as shown in the videos, you HAVE a fretless bass. The tone will be identical to a factory fretless. And depending on the accuracy of your work and your setup, it could easily play better than a factory instrument.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
This guy is simply amazing. He knows these machines and his craft like no other and does awesome vids as well as post very informative replys that are great to read.
kdjfnvjvd 2 years ago
Thanks for sharing this..I always wanted to convert my bass, but never knew how.
floydturbo2 2 years ago
you talk a lot
deathyos 2 years ago
Yeah, I do. Listen up and you might learn something smartass...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
If i were to take my bass to a store to do this how much would they charge?
ItsRobbieHutchFTW 2 years ago
I have replied in a private message.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Same question.
nuclearmusician 2 years ago
same response :-)
smbstressfest 2 years ago
great video. i could listen to you all day.
i oww an ibanez myself. a rare, raodster bass series, fretted, maple neck, 11lb, 34 + 1/2 inch scale. frome late 1970's. very rare.
Semimentalman2 2 years ago
@Semimentalman2 dude, i rate you, i have one, 78 mine is, still plays like a dream
BBFOGingerNinja 2 years ago
I have owned my fretless for about a year now, cause that's when i converted it. I have a problem with the action using the original bridge. Do converted fretlesses usually have this problem?
iloverush123 2 years ago
About 1 in every 4 I do requires shimming or something else to get a good action. I even had to rout to recess the bridge on a neck thru Ibanez a few years back. If you do decide to shim, I strongly recommend take the time to make a tapered shim that fills up the entire neck pocket. This way you eliminate the possibility of creating a rise in the tongue.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
hmm...maybe i'll do this with my GSR200
638PM 2 years ago
I have a question... will this work for 1 piece maple necks???
LanOsb133 2 years ago
Absolutely, you'll want to use a dark veneer to fill the slots for contrast though.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
OK!!!! thanks sooo mmuch for the Fast reply... and can i get ur opinoin on a bass that im building???
LanOsb133 2 years ago
OK where the smack did you get the veneer...idk if its easy to come by where your at, but in San Diego it doesn't exist...i have to order it from across country
OthnielProphetiaE 2 years ago
I buy mine from a local woodcraft store. I looked on a map and the closest one to you in in Stanton, CA. You can always order it from them or anybody else online though.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
So im going to be doing this same job on one of my basses, which is basically the same model, (probably the same neck dimensions), so ill have some question through out this video series...
Question #1: do you suggest using super glue over wood glue or wood filler to hold the vainer veneer
Question #2: how did you groove out your soldering iron head, do you suggest that method, and does it really help with fretboard chipping. Are their other methods???
Thnx for your help
OthnielProphetiaE 2 years ago
I strongly suggest superglue. It's the right adhesive for this particular job, perfectly suited for flowing into tight gaps.
I used a small file to groove the tip of the soldering iron. It does an excellent job of controlling chipout and will break the bond of any glue present. I've heard of other people applying heat to the frets with a rubberized heating pad, but that can't put the heat exactly where you need it like the soldering iron can.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Deadly shag carpet.
jtromsness 2 years ago
the other day i just got my dad's pincers and ripped the fuckers out. sanded it with sandpaper and stuck me strings back on. i realise to get better results i should put more effort into to it but, eh. works for me.
drjohnpreston 2 years ago
i know loads of people who have converted a freted to fretless and it works after a while the they got loads of flat notes pluss the fret bord should be very smooth so basicly it wont sound as good as a proper fretless.if u test the sound against fretless u have converted and a rickenbacker fretless theres a lot of differnt.
thejamsfarther 2 years ago
A converted fretless bass functions exactly the same as one that was originally built as a fretless when the the fret slots are filled with an appropriate material and leveled off smooth. You are correct that as a fingerboard wears you will get lots of dull or dead notes. That is caused by the string riding in a groove and being additionally mutedfrom the sides rather than only the bottom as it should be on a perfectly flat fingerboard. When this happens you simply level the fingerboard.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
On even the thinnest fingerboards you should be able to get at least 4 levelings before the board is too thin and would need replacing (as long as you don't wait to long in between).
Also, every Rick fretless bass I've seen has a thick polyester finish from the factory, so you're comparing apples to oranges.
Finished fingerboards will always sound different than raw wood. Players often comment that the finished board has more "zing" or "snap" and sustain is usually better up the neck.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
i've done the same with an ibanez gsr 180, the same way. Now it sounds amazing.
IbanezCTB5 2 years ago
when you are heating the frets to pull them out, are you using just needle nose plyers and pinching the frets? or are you actually pulling on them, and if so, what kind of force is necessary
youtubielol 2 years ago
I have that same ibanez. Today I made mine fretless
thestick169 2 years ago
GSR200 rite? i got the same one lol
kyehman1 2 years ago
what if your neck isnt a bolt on, what if it is a solid body? can you still do the conversion?
kingdudeW 2 years ago
Absolutely. The job just costs a bit more on a neck thru or set neck bass due to the extra caution and time I have to spend.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
GIO!!! that was my first bass. i always wanted to covert it to fretless...
justindene 2 years ago
is that a ibanez gio????
zackerz9311 2 years ago
I didn't make a note of the model number or series, but I think that sounds right. It was an Indonesian made instrument if that helps.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
is it possible to replace a tension rod?
Nateisbored 2 years ago
The truss rod? Yeah, if something goes wrong they can usually be repaired or replaced. Sometimes it's not cost effective to do it though depending on the instrument and what exactly needs to be done. This kind of work gets expensive real quick...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
i love your in-depth tech videos. thanks for uploading them :)
heminder 2 years ago
nice vid plan on doing this conversion to my five string later on. Hope I don't screw it up. Thanks so much for posting and having to put up with jerks.
heretherenothing 2 years ago
I've played all sorts of basses over the past few years, once even an eight-string, but one thing I've always wanted to do was get a fretless. Now even though I'm good, I don't think I'm good enough to go w/o markers. Is there a specific term I should use the next time I'm at my local music dealership other than, "fretless bass with markers"?
REDMAX777 2 years ago
see you may think that its tough without the markers, i felt the same way, but once you actually play it, it's almost exactly the same
CooleyCoolenson 2 years ago
can you fret a fretless bass.??
Ju1ceem4n 2 years ago
good question
i second that question
dohead 2 years ago
yep, its possible, but it must be done by a professional, because its a very precise job, not only the sloting part but the insertion of frets too.... i wont doit any way, i love fretless tone :D:D:D
jsanchezpcr708 2 years ago
I have the same bass and I want to defret it too.
CapitalismOwnz 2 years ago
Wow, I'm actually defretting the exact same bass.
edthehead83 2 years ago
is it possible to make from fretless to fretted??? thanks!
feverhood 2 years ago
hey my dad was from evansville. might you know the jennings?
dahmer09 2 years ago
Hmm, I don't know anyone by that name actually...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Comment removed
cdhgamer 2 years ago
Im just wondering. what tool do you use to take out the frets. i have found my frets are a bugger to get out and im incredibly worried about chipping the fret board
jolleyjames13 2 years ago
I use flush ground end nippers. You can purchase them from a guitar tool specialty place like LMII or StewMac or you can make your own. You'd want to grind them slow and take care not to overheat the nippers and compromise the temper of the steel. Also, chipout is rarely a problem if you heat the frets with a soldering iron the way that is shown in the video. Check my strat refret video series for more info on fret removal too.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Cheers man.
I did it this mornign got all the frets out but i didn't put wood in the gaps i filled it with filler. I actually think it's alot easier than using wood strips. But seriously i thank you so much for the tutorials great help.
Btw do you do electric guitar wiring im thinking of putting some new pickups on my bass and feel im going to ruin it if i try without anything to help me along :P
jolleyjames13 2 years ago
nice vid man
Blavits 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Don't comment upon glue and cyanoacrylate if you're not a biochemist.
It has nothing to do with hydrogen cyanide
paulanderson79 2 years ago
Interesting, I just read an article stating that the chemicals necessary to form cyanoacrylate polymer include ethyl cyanoacetate. Also stated is that a component of the ethyl cyanoacetate was indeed "cyanide".
So if that information is incorrect, then it appears as though I'm not the only one who has made the error.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
It's easy to come on here and sharp shoot every little thing a person says, right? If you have additional relevant information about the chemistry of instant adhesives that you'd be willing to share, I'm game. I always enjoy learning new things. But I'm not sure that's what you had in mind with your comment. You wouldn't have come across like such a jerk if you'd taken the time to qualify "it has nothing to do with hydrogen cyanide". You're right though, I'm no biochemist... I fix guitars
smbstressfest 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
god, shut the hell up, who gives a fuck about what you know about glue.
Blavits 2 years ago
Is it possible to just trim the other side of the nut, so the slots stay intact?
RaytheMon 2 years ago
Sorry, I posted too soon..:)
RaytheMon 2 years ago
hey did u know that u posted this video on my birthday
haha
donnieboy31 2 years ago
I do now...
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Alright!
Thanks(:
xGABEGABEx 2 years ago
Is this conversion something that I could do on an acoustic/electric bass that doesn't have a detachable neck?
xGABEGABEx 2 years ago
Absolutely, although you'll have to be a little more careful when trimming and filing the fret markers flush with the side of the neck. And watch out that your superglue doesn't drip on to the top of the instrument as you glue down your fret markers. Other than that it's really the same job.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
What would be different doing a conversion on a Graphite (MOSES) neck?
Thanks
godot93 2 years ago
I'm not sure how I would approach this as I've never done a fretless conversion on a composite neck with a composite fingerboard. I would venture to say that you probably wouldn't need to level the fingerboard on one of these necks. And I'm not sure that I'd glue something far less durable (maple veneer) into fret slots cut into a carbon/graphite fingerboard. If a very thin sheet of white carbon graphite material could be sourced that would be my first choice for the fret markers.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Thanks for the consult.I'm thinking that I'm not even going to put in lines,maybe epoxy with some black color mixed in.
godot93 2 years ago
Ok, in that case I agree 100%. Epoxy with black fresco powder would be perfect.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
Could you give me a rough idea of what one of these professionally done conversions would cost? Thanks
WWFSMD808 2 years ago
I have replied in a private message.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
anybody notice the limited edition green stingray in the back?
magicman841 2 years ago
so, if there's no glue, is the heat mainly for the wood and not the metal? because I was thinking, wouldn't the heat make the metal expand, therefore making it wider? I guess what I'm asking is, does heat make the wood more forgiving?
twoboots4you 2 years ago
Yeah, that's correct. And certainly, the heat would expand the metal fret a small amount. They way I understand it (I asked someone this question once too) is that there's a certain amount of moisture in the fingerboard. Using the heat will tend to make a very small amount of steam from this moisture content thus softening the wood and reducing the risk of chip out (if a board looks dry, wipe with a damp cloth first). Acoustic guitar builders use this to their advantage when bending sides.
smbstressfest 2 years ago
This wasn't up when I did my conversion. I wish it was.
You didn't mention the end-nippers. Where did you get them and did you grind them sharp?
radmin2 3 years ago