Can you convert bass to fretless?
Going fretless is a reversible mod, but the way back isn’t as easy and it’s not cheap. To reverse it, the fretboard first has to be cleaned from all paints, then the fret slots have to be sawn, and finally you have to re-fret the neck—not as easy as pulling frets out.
How low should the action be on a fretless bass?
As for string height, a very low string tends to choke out the fretless “mwah” sound. A high string doesn’t have much at all. Somewhere in the middle you’ll find a height that gives you the fretless tone you like. Start at the factory height and adjust 1/32 at a time till you get what you like.
What do you fill fret slots with?
I filled the fret slots with 0.024″(0.6mm)thick veneer strips. These were so fragile that I had to stick them into the slots dry before applying a thin, liquid kind of CA glue (super glue) which flowed easily into the gaps on either side of the strips.
What is considered low action on bass?
Action refers to how big the space between your strings and your frets is. If the distance from the top of your frets to the bottom of your strings is short you have low action on your bass. As a general rule, low action is between 1/16th” and 9/64″, or 1.6mm to 3.5mm.
What epoxy did Jaco use?
I filled in the chunks with Plastic Wood.” He told Milkowski that he used Petite’s Poly-Poxy, a boat epoxy, on the fretboard. “You can find it in any boating supply store in Florida,” remarked Jaco.
Should I glue frets in?
The glued frets create a fuller sound that actually vibrates through the neck. You can see how this translates to better overall tone.
What are the benefits of a fretless bass?
Why Play a Fretless Bass?
- Complete Control of Tones. Without frets to stop the vibrations, the musician’s fingers are the only thing that is cuts the vibrating strings short and creates the pitch.
- Staying “In Tune” During Live Performances.
- Sliding Harmonics.
- Less “Pressure” When Playing.
Why is fretless bass hard?
The biggest misconception about playing a fretless bass guitar is that the instrument is substantially more difficult to play than a regular bass guitar. The truth of it is that fretless bass guitars are not harder to play than regular bass guitars, but they do require more effort and more focussed skill.