Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

So, many years after I pulled the frets from my first bass, a Yamaha RBX300 I refinished the whole thing.
As I sanded it, it turned out the wood (basswood) was kind of cute enough to leave it natural.
Like McCartney I sanded the horns (I didn't care much for the original looks) but I did refinish it satin.
I filled the fret slots with epoxy.
This bass was a good beginners bass when it had frets, but wasn't spectacular in the sound department.
As a fretless it really came to live.
I like it that much that I seem to use this one all the time;

Before and after.


It's not mine, but the same.
This is the result after:

Cool. I have a BB300 I have debated about pulling the frets on just for fun.

Couple things come to mind - 1) did you modify the nut at all after pulling the frets? 2) Are you using different strings now that it's a fretless?

Yes I lowered the nut, otherwise the first position (example the F on the E string) will be sharp.
I left the roundwounds on. It leaves an impression in the rosewood, but doesn't eat it.

wim wrote:Yes I lowered the nut, otherwise the first position (example the F on the E string) will be sharp.
I left the roundwounds on. It leaves an impression in the rosewood, but doesn't eat it.

My argument for lowering the nut is it is easier to play and get's a better fretless sound. I suppose the sharp intonation there is also true, but that's adjustable.

I kept RW's on my first fretless for a while - it too had a rosewood fingerboard. Yeah, caused some marks, but nothing major. I have brite flats on my current FL - the luthier who made me a new nut was kind of aghast that I wasn't using true flats, but it's got a massive fingerboard, so if I find that it's getting eaten up, I'll just spring to get it shaved down a few thousandths. So far it appears that the polyurethane finish is holding up.

As I ponder doing this to the BB300, I've heard some folks (don't remember where) talk about putting down a clear epoxy on the fretboard to give it a little more protection.

Kindof a wipe on, rub it in, and squeegee it off.

Any thoughts?

I had a yamaha similar to that as my first fretless.(rbx120f?).Your refinish/ reshaping looks really good! On my Yamaha, I greatly improved its sound by replacing the P-pickup with a Lollar classic series. I did a series of trades for a Mim J,a Carvin AC 40 fretless,and finally decided to defret my Rick Cii. On all the basses,i tried a variety of strings,flats,tapes,rw,and for me,tapewounds work really well.i love the feel,and they sound great,also there's minimal fingerboard wear.the Labella White copperwound strings on my Cii are supersmooth to play,but have a RW-like zing to the sound.

RickyBubba wrote:As I ponder doing this to the BB300, I've heard some folks (don't remember where) talk about putting down a clear epoxy on the fretboard to give it a little more protection.

Kindof a wipe on, rub it in, and squeegee it off.

Any thoughts?

Putting on a finish might give you a brighter response,if that's something you're looking for,as well as protecting the fingerboard if you're using RW strings. My Cii already had an unvarnished fretboard,and i think it sounds a lot warmer than my Ricks with finished fb's,so i am gonna keep it that way. I will only use tapewound strings on it to protect the finish. ( plus i like them)!

John Carruthers converted my old Yamaha BX-5 to fretless for me in the late '80s. He applied a mylar tape to the fingerboard that worked really well for protecting the wood and providing a nice hard surface (relative to the rosewood) for more Mwahness®.

Mylar tape is an interesting thought.

Good discussions. I have often read that the wear in general is fairly light even for rough strings. When ever I go this route, I'm pretty sure I would stick with round wounds as I like the brightness factor.

I do have some Fender flats on a classic Ibanez, but they really haven't done much for me to be honest.

RickyBubba wrote: Good discussions. I have often read that the wear in general is fairly light even for rough strings. When ever I go this route, I'm pretty sure I would stick with round wounds as I like the brightness factor.

I've installed Labella white tapewounds on several basses now(fretted and fretless),and they have a great combination of smooth bass and treble zing to them. I installed the latest variation,which are the Labella white tapewounds with a copper core wire,and they have a lot of twangy treble to them,too. I put them on my defretted Cii,which has no finish on the fingerboard. They make a good alternative to roundwounds,as they retain a lot of that RW "metal" sound.

Sorry just realized i'm probably repeating myself....

woodyng wrote:Sorry just realized i'm probably repeating myself....

I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress...

edski wrote:

woodyng wrote:Sorry just realized i'm probably repeating myself....

I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress, I repeat myself when under stress...