Fender fretless fingerboard

[nattiep]

I have a fretless J with a rosewood board. You guys think this could take some rounds or should I stick to flats?

[jps]

Try TI Jazz Rounds as the wrap wire is much smaller in diameter than typical rounds and have a very nice smooth feel to them. and they sound great. too.

[FretlessOnly]

Hey Nate: Not entirely sure if this matters, but is yours a MIJ or CIJ? I have a '97 CIJ and it's had rounds on it for about a year (I took the RIC wounds off of my 4003FL when I got it and put them on, and have replaced them with LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass rounds). I play the bass about 3-4 hours per week and the board shows very little wear (that's a solid 150-200 hours play time). Conversely, rounds on my 4003FL hacked up the varnish in about 2-3 hours of play time.

I'm not sure if the rosewood used on the CIJ/MIJs may be hardier than others or not - as I recall, your is a MIM, right?

But I'd go for it. Here's my '97 board:

Note: Every so often (not often), I use 300 grit emery paper to lightly go over the board and then finish it off with either lemon oil or tung oil. Use of either oil just by itself is fine too and should help keep that wood strong and looking great.

[nattiep]

Yeah it's a MIM. It has those lines though so the sanding might be kind of odd. If it can take it I'll do it.

[FretlessOnly]

Ahh, the dreaded lines!

Forget the 300 emery, but if the rosewood is like mine, it'll take rounds. Do use some lemon or tung oil now and again though, if you're so inclined.

[nattiep]

Yeah I'm honestly getting sick of the lines.

[cassius987]

Conversely, rounds on my 4003FL hacked up the varnish in about 2-3 hours of play time.

Hacked up?? Do you have photos? Just about any string I use on my 4003FL leaves a "trail" in the varnish but it cleans up nicely with Scratch-X.

[FretlessOnly]

I suppose "hack up" was a bit dramatic.

I remember reading Paul W. saying something about Zymol or Scratch-X changing their formula recently, so I've beceome confused on which ones to use, etc.

[cassius987]

Old formula Scratch-X is now called something else... someone here will now. Anyways, that's what you want.

[FretlessOnly]

Apparently Swirl-X is the new better alternative to the reformulated Scratch-X.

[songdog]

I have a fretless J with a rosewood board. You guys think this could take some rounds or should I stick to flats?

My Fender Jazz has a mid-'70s fretless Precision neck with rosewood fingerboard. I used Rotosound RS55 strings (the "pressure wound" strings) for several years.

Even though they're smoother than a regular roundwound, they did leave some traces on the wood after all that time. Mighty bright, piano-like tone, almost too bright when new. But they lasted forever.

I'm currently using GHS nylon tapewounds on this bass and really digging the sound, you might want to give them a try.

(Obligatory Rickenbacker content: I'm sticking with Roto roundwounds on my '72 4001. If they're good enough for Chris Squire.... )