| Author | Message | ||
| waggaboy
Junior Username: waggaboy Post Number: 20 Registered: 2-2003 |
Hi There, I have a new Custom Rogue on order and am wondering if I could send my current '96 rogue back home to the factory to get the fingerboard made fretless? I am wondering what options there would be -- can ghost frets by retrofitted or is there a way to replace the fingerboard laminate? I am also wondering if I can get the hardware plated or whether it needs to be replaced? My new custom is having gold plating done. Kind Regards, Sean. | ||
| wayne
Member Username: wayne Post Number: 95 Registered: 5-2002 |
Sean- Yes you could get a good luthier to inlay ghost frets. If you send it back home to Santa Rosa, they will "re-construct" the bass to fretless - they'll remove the old fretboard and replace it with a new, beautiful, clean piece of ebony. They actually consider this a minor job, so it is relatively inexpensive. I'll let Mica or Val post the current rate. Though, if your bass had side LEDs they cannot be salvaged, so that's an automatic $1200-$1500 to replace them on top of the conversion cost. I had my Series I converted and it is perfect. My only problem occurred when UPS got their hands on my bass.....but that's another story in another thread....... C-Ya............wayne | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 1495 Registered: 6-2000 |
Hi Sean, I agree with Wayne that it's probably better to have a good local luthier (like David's associate Jeff) do the work. If you've got inlays, the very best thing would be to replace the fingerboard, as sliding over different materials produces different sounds. I've seen plenty of times where folks will inlay ghost frets on a board and leave the original inlays. It doesn't bother everyone, but I think it's more likely to bother an Alembic player since the sound is so clear to begin with. FYI it's $550 to replace the fingerboard. You can elect to have unlined, lined, or sidelines. If things go well, we'll need it for about 2-3 weeks. If it turns out to need some finish work, it's another month on that. | ||
| cdf
Member Username: cdf Post Number: 63 Registered: 5-2003 |
Probably an ignorant question, but what are ghost frets? | ||
| dnburgess
Advanced Member Username: dnburgess Post Number: 205 Registered: 1-2003 |
Sean I have taken the liberty of asking Jeff Mallia for a quote on the work. Jeff is a fine luthier with whom I entrust all my Alembics. cdf, ghost frets are strips of wood inlaid where the fret would have been - to show the position. My question is how can this be done without getting sound changes when you slide over them? Does anyone have playing experience with ghost frets? | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 1496 Registered: 6-2000 |
It's always better sound-wise to have blank board like an acoustic instrument. Over time, the board will need to be relevelled as the glue-rich strips won't shrink at the same rate as the Ebony. | ||
| effclef
Member Username: effclef Post Number: 77 Registered: 1-2004 |
Mica, how about going the other way, fretting a bass which started life as a fretless? What's the cost, and would it necessitate removing the fingerboard? (I.E. you can't use a fretsaw when the fingerboard is on a finished bass.) EffClef | ||
| cdf
Member Username: cdf Post Number: 64 Registered: 5-2003 |
thanks for the clarification | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 1497 Registered: 6-2000 |
Since we're really making focused and less modification focused, it's harder for us to fret a fretless than let's say a repair shop. We use a CNC to slot the fingerboards before they are even glued to the neck. I'm sure we could slot the board by hand, but it would likely be an expensive enterprise. I usually think it's best to leave reapirs to repair experts. | ||
| effclef
Member Username: effclef Post Number: 83 Registered: 1-2004 |
Great answer, Mica. I wouldn't want to "sign Alembic up" to do something that would come out less than perfect. Looks like the $550 or more route would be the way to go for replacement - but at the same time, a fretless bass is a rarity and I think just finding a fretted one would be better than modifying one which started life as fretless. Is the sidelines option new, by the way? I was going to comment on it a couple of days ago when I first noticed it in the Custom Quote Generator. Great idea! EffClef | ||
| mica
Moderator Username: mica Post Number: 1505 Registered: 6-2000 |
Sidelines are pretty new. I think Kent got them originally on the Growling Tiger, at least I don't remember us doing them earlier than that. Of course any inlaid lines are only suggestions, even changing the relief will slightly change where you should be aiming. But it's nice to have some sort of a roadmap until you can totally do it by ear. | ||
| waggaboy
Junior Username: waggaboy Post Number: 42 Registered: 2-2003 |
Growling Tiger Link: http://www.alembic.com/info/FC_tiger.html |
