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Alembic Club » Alembic Basses & Guitars » Archive: 2008 » Archive through June 20, 2008 » Polyester finish on fretless « Previous Next »

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funkyjazzjunky
Member
Username: funkyjazzjunky

Post Number: 83
Registered: 5-2007
Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 2:52 pm:   Edit Post

I saw an maple neck & maple body Pedulla bass with a polyester finish on its fretless ebony fingerboard.

It seems like a good idae to get the fingerboad refinished every few years and not worry about messing up the ebony.

Any experience with a protective finish on a fretless fingerboard?
3rd_ray
Junior
Username: 3rd_ray

Post Number: 25
Registered: 2-2008
Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 6:05 pm:   Edit Post

I had a Fender Jazz fingerboard epoxied by HG Thor (http://www.woodwiz.com/epoxy/) a few years ago. I didn't notice any difference in tone before or after the epoxy. I thought it looked cool and would keep the fingerboard safe. I didn't keep that bass long enough to tell how it would hold up over time.
ajdover
Senior Member
Username: ajdover

Post Number: 615
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 7:07 pm:   Edit Post

I have a '99 MIA Fender Jazz Bass Deluxe with an HG Thor Epoxy board. I love it - it looks great and it doesn't give me any problems. HG does a great job, and I can vouch for their work.

Alan
slawie
Junior
Username: slawie

Post Number: 31
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 - 9:53 pm:   Edit Post

My mother used to have a plastic cover on her couch. It protected the material but on hot days......I will spare you the mental image.

Slawie
jacko
Senior Member
Username: jacko

Post Number: 1738
Registered: 10-2002
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 9:23 am:   Edit Post

I've been playing my fretless almost non-stop since early 2005 using roundwounds and haven't noticed any wear at all.

Graeme
keith_h
Senior Member
Username: keith_h

Post Number: 1003
Registered: 2-2005
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 2:06 pm:   Edit Post

I think the polyester would be softer than the ebony fingerboard. It definitely will show the string wear more than the wood. If you were to coat it I think you would need to use something harder like epoxy.
Personally I think it would be a waste of time and money. If coating them was so great I would think the various manufactures of bass guitars and uprights would make it standard.

Keith
edwin
Advanced Member
Username: edwin

Post Number: 331
Registered: 5-2002
Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 7:34 pm:   Edit Post

I have a Dave King fretless which has seen a lot of use since 1993. Except for some chips along the sides of the fingerboards, the epoxy has held up great with some very hard playing, including slap. Before that, from 1991 to '93, there was a polyester finish on it, and it wasn't nearly as good, tonally or as far as durability.

YMMV,
Edwin

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