Sicarius Bladehart gonna do this on my 1954 Stratocaster. Gonna put a floyd in it while i’m at it. Might put a humbucker in the bridge while i’m at it.
Well, from my experience on converting a bass to fretless, leaving it uncoated(only a little oil to protect the wood) gives you a more upright bass/like sound, but you MUST use flatwounds. Epoxy coating will give you the posibility to use round wounds without destroing your fretboard and giving you that lovely Pastorius sound.
Hi Benjamin. Thanks for the comment! Yes, I completely agree. Having it bare wood (on a bass) does give you the woody upright bass sound. You don't have to coat your fretboard at all, but even with flatwounds - you'll notice the wear over time. One of my guitars is an actual Yamaha Fretless Bass, and even from brand new and flatwounds on it, it wore the board away. The epoxy/polyurethane is better for 6 string guitars.
Calvin Wendland Tried that - it becomes really hard to play then. I managed to achieve a balance, but overall on an Electric guitar, if you can bolt a thin steel plate throughout the length of the fingerboard, it sounds good then. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly True it is much harder to play, however that is also the case with the cello, or even comparing an upright bass to a standard electric bass, the action is MUCH higher. Thanks for the great tutorial!
If you mean heavier, thicker guage strings.... Absolutely! That, tuning it down a tone to D, and if you want real sustain put in a Fernandes Sustainer. An E-Bow also works although a little harder to use.
For a short sustain try put your strings little higher and play with your fingertips. You can also pull the string's almost on neck, it sounds softer but sustain is great, in my converted LTD B-55 it works perfectly
1:34 That's because you didn't heated the frets before removing, heating softens the glue and frets come off much easily, so they dont tear pieces of wood out.
@@albertsciarronsky2251 Most people (me included) use soldering iron for that. When it heats up just move it along a fret for a while, then you can easily pull out the fret with fine nippers. You should watch the temperature though,I suppose overheating it might burn the fretboard a little bit, my iron has temp regulator so I keep it around 100 degrees celsius and that's seems to be enough.
I yanked the frets from an old five string bass. I filled the holes with the wood putty, but I never bothered coating the board with anything. Still sounds fine, though I rarely play the thing so who knows how well it would handle wear. Certainly wouldn't help that my muscle memory always tells me to do standard bending vibrato, which I'm sure will tear apart the wood over time. It was still a fun little project, and this video just brought up memories of it for me. Fun times.
+foxtrot889 Yes indeed. My first fretless bass was just a solid wood neck - no coatings. If you use flatwounds, it's fine and doesn't wear that much. Roundwounds however ... Thanks man, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Bad Mouth Men I'm fully aware of that, and even mention 'Vigier' in my video. There's just two differences: 1) Vigier make their fingerboards out of an alloy which is denser than the polyurethane I'm using and 2) I suck compared to Guthrie Govan! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Bad Motivator the metal fretboard on it. Doesnt dampen vibrations like polyurethane considering it is after all rubber cured and hardened. Flattened skateboard wheels as a finger board. Hahahah
You can get the fretless guitar working in the lower end but it will require you to give-up the upper register. You will have to use some baritone tuning and file your slots to fit chunky strings.
Check out a paper called "micro-mesh". It's on a fabric backing which makes it very easy to use and very re-usable. Once you use it you'll never go back to standard sand papers.
I’ve been subscribed for a while now, and I wasn’t expecting to find one of your videos after searching for fretless bass conversion. Great video and I might give it a try in the future.
I took the frets out of my Ovation Breadwinner back in the 1980's and filled the slots with strips of walnut. Since the guitar has an ebony fingerboard and I use flatwound strings there was no need to epoxy or polyurethane. Still plays great today over 35 years later. I'd recommend heavier guage strings and tuning it down at least a full tone. An E-Bow would give you some nice results. Or if you're willing to spend more, install a Fernandes Sustainer. Best regards - Glenn
I paid around $100CDN for my E Bow and it's given me a whole new pallet of sounds for all my guitars; but it's particularly fun to use with my fretless. Also, there's a great site on fretless guitar by Cenk Ergodan (check out his playing on youtube as well). Here's a link to the site: fretlessguitarlessons.com/en/ Happy picking!
HI Ninh..did my fretless in about 2 hours ..after pulling frets fill slots with bicarb of soda level off then drip superglue onto bicarb sets solid in less than 30 secs sand back with 400 grit wet and dry .. works best with rosewood neck so you get nice white markers (very helpfull when you start playing fretless)
To get around the pits where the grain is open on the polyurethane I mix some wood filler with water so it gets in the cracks better ,getting a colour to match your wood is important unless you want to see the pits highlighted but anyways I just use the wood filler along the entirety of the fretboard then sand it smooth ( to 600 or so grit ) then apply multiple layers of polyurethane ,then sanding and polishing afterwards
(Husband here) I just finish turning into fretless my old cheap bass ant it turned out great. I filled the rosewood neck frets cut with .6 mm ash tree wood and then sand it down with grain 180 till 3000, afterwards i used beewax base filler and sand it once more to a mirror finishing with steel wool 0000 once it was dry. Im using flatwound strings.
Cool, I'm glad that your guitar turned out great. The flatwound strings are a must, otherwise they'll shred the fretboard. I also experimented with gluing a steel fretboard and it works amazingly well! Thanks for the comment.
Using a compressor with a medium-fast attack and a slow release, like an 1176 or a DBX that has an attack/release (DBX 160 style won't work) will help to improve the sustain and give you longer notes. It may give it that very noticeable smack of a compressor but it improves the sustain. greatly.
I converted a guitar into a fretless, but with string gauges such as 9-42, you are correct: it feels as is it's barely usable. I put on some fender bass VI strings, and I appreciate it a lot more now (of course, you need to tune low). I would like to try a flatwound on the bottom though.
Yeah, putting flatwounds on will prolong the life of your fretboard. And I found it was more useable. I also did one where I glued a thin steel plate on and it worked amazingly well! Thanks for the comment!
Wombat Sceptre Yes it does! I actually tried bonding on a very thin sheet steel after I made this video and it works. It's no Vigier Surfretter, but it does the trick! Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
John McLellan Find the thinnest sheet metal you can find (one that you can readily bend, i.e. a 0.2mm aluminium) and either epoxy or bond the metal fingerboard to the fretboard (clamped all the wat and curved around). Then I took a jigsaw, hacked off the rest of the sheet metal and filed the edges down so that it was smooth. Works really well. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
You forgot to mention an important step. From the time that your frets are removed, you should make sure that your necks are straight as arrows. Then, you continue with the same steps as mentioned. Maybe, concerning the bass neck with the epoxy, I would try to make 2 thickness measurements; one at the nut and the other near the body of the guitar so I would be able to have a reference when sanding down the epoxy to an equal thickness. Thanks for the video !
I defretted a guitar a few years back and luckily in my case it was quite successful. I picked a 300 pound-ish guitar that had an ebony fingerboard with no inlays and I only filled the gaps left by the frets with epoxy resin I didn't cover the whole fingerboard.
Adam Howell Cool, I'm glad someone else has tried fretless-ing a guitar. No, you don't have to cover the whole thing, I have a Yamaha Bass that's uncoated, I think that it just adds a little bit more protection that just having it bare wood. Thanks for your input - be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks for this. I was thinking of converting a cheap guitar I have. The factory put too much of a bevel on the fret ends which causes the high and low E strings to slip off the edge. But now I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll try replacing the frets instead.
I'm doing a fretless guitar right now. It's the pawn shop special Austin. I've Grease the Frets out. Putting Maple, Bolivian Rosewood, Brazilian cherry, in Walnut. Been wanting to get a piece of Bolivian Rosewood and make a neck. Or fretboard.
Hey bro. I generally use two stage epoxy resin, the same kind that you find in boat or marine shops. It's pretty easy to work with and the results are good so long as you do it right.
Hi Sir! This is amazing! I might try it sometime. Just a question. Sir, does your bass have fret marks on the fretboard before the process? If yes, how did you remove them? I totally want a fretless bass without marks. Thank you sir! :)
Also, I'm confused about where did you use the poly... spray? Because it seems like you used it for the bass' fretboard at first (2:21) yet at the latter you told otherwise (5:17)? Thank you sir.:)
I dont know if anyone will reply to this but anyway. Great video btw. I was considering doing the epoxy method on my next bass build. Is 25ml enough to do a thin layer on the bass?
I have a few fretless guitars. The key to making them playable is really heavy flatwound strings. Also I found standard tuning to be difficult- so I usually tune them in repeating fifths. My Eastwood sings with B F# B F# B F#. A shorter scale (childrens size) I have CG....
Found pretty much the same thing. In standard tuning or even in open tunings chording will often rely on fingering the same fret position on different strings, and apart from double stops you'll never get them right. Found myself using DADGAD, which has two benefits: many voicings have notes two frets apart (much easier), and a LOT of DADGAD arrangements mix upper voicings with open strings, which helps with autocorrecting intonation. Now have three fretless guitars and a fretless bass. They rarely leave the house but they're absolute fun to mess around on.
@@butting23 cool!! DADGAD is a great fretless tuning especially if you want to chord.... i might go back to it because the high 6 string is often an issue. Or alternately i've played the high 6th unfretted (or capo'd) like the Indian Taal (chiming reference note). Have you tried a sustainiac on a fretless?. Its really magic.
Thanks. What a pain in the keyster. If I decide to make a guitar fretless, I think I'll buy the neck.Thanks for this video!BTW...Vietnamese (?) guy with a Texas A&M tshirt and a British accent...i chuckled a little!
+SuperGaleford Ha! close enough. From a Cantonese family, born and raised in England and ... ummm ... likes watching Aggie Football. It gets weirder, trust me! Thanks for the kudos, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ivan Carlos Santiago I'm not saying that Fretless Guitars in general aren't useable, just the one I made. I've since done another guitar with a steel fingerboard and that is a HUGE improvement to coating it with polyurethane. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks for the great tutorial. Tried the epoxy on my cheap electric guitar but couldn't get that glass mirror look. Should i put something after sanding it?
I think using finer grades of sandpaper might do the trick if you're not getting mirror finish. If you work down the grits, 600, 1000, 2000, 5000 etc - you'll find polishing it much easier.
A way to fix sustain on a fretless guitar is actually to lower the action! You actually need the buzz of the strings to the nek. I've done this, almost sounds like a coral sitar.
Simon de rycke Yeah, it plays better with a lower action, but I didn't find that much of a gain in sustain on my guitar. Maybe with a metal plate over the metal fretboard perhaps? Thanks for the tip though, might give it another try! Be sure to share and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly No, just with any fretboard. By lowering action the string makes less contact with your fingers, and it's your fingers that damp the strings. I got this tip from a forum where they make and mod ouds, sitars, ...
Loved the finish you got with the epoxy resin. All that hard work definitely paid off. Do you think the polyurethane was a better finish? I wonder if it's a softer texture than the epoxy. Might this be what deadened those strings. Really appreciate the time in putting together this video. I'm looking at defretting a a maple bass neck (an old 80s Hondo II P bass) so won't be trying the wood stain, but the info on the finishing is really useful. Many thanks :)
Great instructional, although this video doesn't do justice to the fretless guitar. When done properly, you can get decent sustain out of a fretless. If you manage to get a really hard, smooth surface and use heavy gauge flatwounds (13gauge) then you can get nice tones. Also, it works slightly better with a longer scale length. Don't interpret this as hating - I totally get you not wanting to waste time and money on the guitar, it's a more difficult job than the bass. Thanks for the vid :)
JohnPKnuckles Yes, I find that sustain is not a problem on the bass, especially now that it's coated with epoxy. It sounds a little different, but that's a good thing. On the normal guitar though ... I think bolting a steel plate to the fingerboard would give it ultimately more sustain. And yes, it's a big job and you don't want to wreck a very good guitar by doing this. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly got it done professionally though but I love having an active bass that is fretless also I went the same way as you did having the fret lines faint
Joe Teeple Thanks Jon. To answer your questions: 1) The more reputable brand, the better (like 3M) but if not, so long as you mix it in the right quantity, it should come out okay. 2) the only other advice that I didn't put in the video is use a spirit level to make sure the fingerboard is completely horizontal BEFORE you apply epoxy. So long as you have radius blocks, you should be able to sand it to the correct radius and it will play the same. If not, you'll have a flat fingerboard, which is okay for some, but not okay for others. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
So after filling in the slots you painted the fretboard and covered it with a laquer? Is it really necessary? I guess filling (with proper colour of wood fill) would be enough? Ans some matt laquer?
It's not necessary, no. Some people like or prefer bare wood (especially Jazz Bass players) but I want to protect the fingerboard from unrepeatable damage. As for Lacquer, that'd wear away quite quickly.
Do have to put a finish on the guitar, or can I just end the steps at the wood filler? I have a really cheap fender that I want to make fret less so that I can play it with a bow and mess around with, but I also want to be able to still play regular chords as well!
Yes, you can just fill in the wood and have it bare wood. Be sure to use flatwound strings, as normal roundwounds will eat into your wood like no tomorrow. Thanks for the comments, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
So this question is really specific but when you put the dye on, suppose the fretboard was a lighter wood, such as the neck. Could you, in theory, dye it another color? Maybe red or blue? I'm not sure how it would turn out and I'm fairly new to woodworking and guitar building. Great video. Thanks.
Do not finish the fingerboard. I've been playing fretless bass for 30+ years. I've converted many necks. Just stain the wood. Sand up to 1200 wet. I use DR black beauty lights 40, 60, 80, 100 round wound strings. Yes round wound. I can sound fretted and fretless. My wood of choice is ebony, Pau ferro or even rosewood are good. The best way is to just buy a neck.
It's funny that you choose a Yamaha guitar. I contacted Yamaha about getting a 'silent' guitar without the frets and they told me they don't do custom guitars. I found a true fretless on ebay. It's an Aram brand that i haven't be able to find any information on. You right about the sound though, i have to grow out my nails to play it.
Timothy Lee Yeah, Yamaha do few select custom guitars. Those that are custom tend to be horribly expensive. After I made this video, I solved the sustain problem by glueing on a very thin steel fingerboard ... problem solved! Although it was painful to do, it solved the sustain problem. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly Yes, I contacted Yamaha with the idea that they could just pull a guitar out of production before it was fretted. Made sense to me, less work and is one of the last stages of production. No No No, it just goes to show that the big boys are set up to product massive numbers guitars. Musical instrument as automobile or an other assembly line commodity. Make you what to run out and buy me one! No wonder everyone wants vintage, the new stuff has no soul. DIY all the way.
Timothy Lee I'll agree to that in some part. The cool thing now is that you don't even need to buy a guitar and modify it. You can literally buy all the parts separately (imported from China or whatever) and put it together yourself. In some cases, it'd cost you less money than buying a 'stock guitar'! There's hundreds of guides on UA-cam explaining what to do with 'kit guitars' and I've only scratched the surface of it. Keep an eye out for more videos!
Amazing! However it seems that when applying the epoxin/polyurethane on the two fretboards (5a and 5b), the polyurethane spray was applied to the bass neck, and the epoxy resin was applied on the guitar neck... but in all the other parts of the video (including the end) it is said that polyurethane was put on the guitar, and epoxy on the bass, i'm a bit confused about that! i really want my final result to be similar to the bass neck, it seems to work well!
To be honest, both methods yields the same cosmetic result if you do it properly. The epoxy will last longer, though the Poly spray is the cheapest way to do it.
OK I know this is some years old, but here are a couple of my own "tricks" in case anyone wants to take a stab. 1) Several thin layers of superglue is the best thing I've found to use. 2) Usually have to remove the nut, and shave it down. Hope that helps
Awesome tutorial. Regarding the epoxy for filling the frets in, do you reckon there's a way to emulate the Pedulla style fillings? They look really bright.
+J. Collins The only way I can think of is if you put in very thin sheets of maple where the fret gaps are and painstakingly cut and sand away the excess. Then polyurethane/epoxy it as per this tutorial. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Great video! I've wanted a fretless guitar for some time now, and I might do It myself, thanks to you. Do you think there's any way to solve the guitar sustain issue? Like changing the pickups, or using another material??
Hi Diego. Thanks for the comment on my video. Solving the sustain issue is tricky, but it can be improved by raising the action (which makes it difficult to play) and using all steel fixings - steel bridge, saddles, tuners etc. Another way that works (and I tried it) was to glue a very thin piece of sheet steel to the fretboard (i.e. less than 0.3mm thick). This made a massive difference to sustain, but if the glue ever comes away - it ruins your guitar. I actually ruined a perfectly good guitar when I applied sheet steel onto a fretboard only for it to come away after a week ... and take most of the wood with it! Thanks again, be sure to share and subscribe :)
Got a question: Would it make a difference in sustain, attack and tone if I'm using the exopy resin on the guitar instead of the polyurethane spray? Also, would a zero fret help with the sustain and the tone of the fretless guitar?
It seems to work better than poly, for sure. But what would really help with sustain is if you glued a thin sheet metal to the fretboard. That really works.
Ninh Ly oh most definitely, no doubt about it. Guthrie is definitely one of the most talented players out there. I've always had respect for fretless guitar players, as they truly know their music inside and outside.
Sigurd Fylling Kaarstad Only so much before the epoxy cracks. I suggest you do all your adjustments first, then layer the epoxy. Any adjustments thereafter should be minimal. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks man, I'm researching different alternatives to epoxy, like hardened glass or metal, there are plenty of people her in Norway that could make a fingerboard like that, but wodd alone could work wth a sustainiac! CHEERS!!
Sigurd Fylling Kaarstad I actually made a guitar with a steel fingerboard and it works! the sustain is great. You'll need a thin sheet of 0.3mm sheet steel and bond it to your fingerboard. You have to wrap it around your radius, but once you do it, it's pretty cool! Thanks again for stopping by!
Mr Big Guy the third It plays perfectly fine, and considering I got it for less than £30, even if I did completely 'gooch' it and render it unplayable - it wasn't that much money. I wouldn't dare do this to an expensive guitar. Thanks for the comment, be sure to share and subscribe :)
Just be careful. Start of with a high grit sandpaper to avoid unnecessary gouging of your neck. Most of the scratches will be covered by the epoxy/poly if they're not too deep.
100 Grit is a little harsh, probably start with a 180 grit and see how that pans out. If you find that it's scratching it too much, go down to 220 grit, 300 grit etc.
You can remove ivory dots by using a heat gun to melt the glue and then something like a pick or a nail to gouge it out. Alternatively, you could use a dremel style tool and drill in the middle and then hook it out using a dart.
Quick question: Do I leave the nut (upper bridge) orshave the notches down a bit? Cellos usually don't have a nut, the neck itself will have the notches in but the lower bridge is much higher.
+Anthony Attwood Yes, to get the action a little lower, you'll need to take off a little on the nut. But be careful when you do! Don't shave it down too far, because it then becomes unplayable. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
+Anthony Attwood The best way to do this is to take a fret saw and shape each slot one at a time. Another option, mostly for bass players, is to use scrap string clippings to wear the slots down. Be careful, since you can crack your nut if it gets too thin. Also, you can still get buzzing on lower notes or open strings if you take too much off.
+MadMetalheadMark You can do, but it's a pain to keep switching necks - best just buying another guitar and having one fretless. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
I you don't have 'nippers', you can also use a soldering iron, just heat the frets up individually, and 'push' them out, i did and it's ok. Nippers would be better though xP I've been fortunate enough that one of my friends' father works at a metal factory, so he's made an aluminum sheet for me that i'm planning on putting on the fretboard. My only concern is the aluminum. It's only experimentation, but i have this terrible feeling that the strings are going to eat away at the aluminum over time, and ruin the intonation... any ideas on this?
Hi Mad Dek. Yes, you can use a soldering iron. But my point in the video is that it's quicker to use nippers. I actually tried a fretless conversion with sheet aluminium and I do have a few tips. 1) Use the thinnest sheet aluminium you can find. Less than 0.3 mm should suffice. You want to be able to bend it into shape to follow the radius. 2) Bond it on with the toughest glue or epoxy you have, and make sure that you clamp it all the way along the radius. 3) The strings shouldn't eat away at it that much. Nowhere near as much as just using bare wood. I did try this and it worked great for a while. You don't have the sustain problems of the epoxy and/or polyurethane. However, I musn't have glued it on properly so when a little bit of it came away and I tried to reglue it, the whole thing came off, taking chunks out of the neck with it. So this is why I say bond the whole thing with the strongest glue you can find! Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
also if u hate fret buzz with a passion
+Conner Nagy True that! Hate fret buzz? Get rid of them all! Thanks for your comment, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Conner Nagy 😂
I thought that was more of a bass problem
Don't we all?
Literally why I went fretless
"Fretless guitar ... notes barely ring out ... I guess that's why they don't make them." I spit out my drink! Haha... They both look great.
Thanks, I appreciate the comments! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly How many times have you copied and pasted this comment?
Shell how many times have you made the mistake of calling someone out on a stupid thing?
Watch sarod we play it with nails
Fretless guitars are for people who use high distortion. And they do make them
Brb, gonna do this on my neckthrough les paul custom shop.
You monster
noooo
Gonna do this on my vintage '59 les paul
Sicarius Bladehart gonna do this on my 1954 Stratocaster. Gonna put a floyd in it while i’m at it. Might put a humbucker in the bridge while i’m at it.
I literally just screamed.
Well, from my experience on converting a bass to fretless, leaving it uncoated(only a little oil to protect the wood) gives you a more upright bass/like sound, but you MUST use flatwounds. Epoxy coating will give you the posibility to use round wounds without destroing your fretboard and giving you that lovely Pastorius sound.
Hi Benjamin.
Thanks for the comment! Yes, I completely agree. Having it bare wood (on a bass) does give you the woody upright bass sound.
You don't have to coat your fretboard at all, but even with flatwounds - you'll notice the wear over time.
One of my guitars is an actual Yamaha Fretless Bass, and even from brand new and flatwounds on it, it wore the board away.
The epoxy/polyurethane is better for 6 string guitars.
Ninh Ly yeah, well, even upright basses need a fretboard change at a point in their life
after removing the frets you have to lower the action on the nut, and raise the action on the saddles. then it should sound good.
Calvin Wendland Tried that - it becomes really hard to play then. I managed to achieve a balance, but overall on an Electric guitar, if you can bolt a thin steel plate throughout the length of the fingerboard, it sounds good then.
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly True it is much harder to play, however that is also the case with the cello, or even comparing an upright bass to a standard electric bass, the action is MUCH higher. Thanks for the great tutorial!
***** Anytime! I'm glad you enjoyed this video. I've been meaning to make more guitar vids, but just haven't had the time. Keep an eye out for them!
@@NinhLyUK do you have a video of the metal plate thing?
playing in d standard helps with sustain
Thanks for the tip! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Hmm what about using lower gauge strings? I guess that could help.
If you mean heavier, thicker guage strings.... Absolutely! That, tuning it down a tone to D, and if you want real sustain put in a Fernandes Sustainer. An E-Bow also works although a little harder to use.
For a short sustain try put your strings little higher and play with your fingertips. You can also pull the string's almost on neck, it sounds softer but sustain is great, in my converted LTD B-55 it works perfectly
Fretless guitar played with an EBow sounds fantastic, by the way!
+G L Wilson Apparently so. eBow is a pretty awesome tool! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
1:34 That's because you didn't heated the frets before removing, heating softens the glue and frets come off much easily, so they dont tear pieces of wood out.
The heat is not gonna make bigger the fret, isn t it?
@@albertsciarronsky2251 Fret shouldn't expand too much to deal damage to the fretboard.
@@WhiskeyTape thanks for the answer, how would you heat them?
@@albertsciarronsky2251 Most people (me included) use soldering iron for that. When it heats up just move it along a fret for a while, then you can easily pull out the fret with fine nippers. You should watch the temperature though,I suppose overheating it might burn the fretboard a little bit, my iron has temp regulator so I keep it around 100 degrees celsius and that's seems to be enough.
@@WhiskeyTape great, thanks!
I yanked the frets from an old five string bass. I filled the holes with the wood putty, but I never bothered coating the board with anything. Still sounds fine, though I rarely play the thing so who knows how well it would handle wear. Certainly wouldn't help that my muscle memory always tells me to do standard bending vibrato, which I'm sure will tear apart the wood over time. It was still a fun little project, and this video just brought up memories of it for me. Fun times.
+foxtrot889 Yes indeed. My first fretless bass was just a solid wood neck - no coatings. If you use flatwounds, it's fine and doesn't wear that much. Roundwounds however ... Thanks man, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
vigier make a fretless, dude. and guthrie govan can get some great sounds out of it!
Bad Mouth Men I'm fully aware of that, and even mention 'Vigier' in my video.
There's just two differences:
1) Vigier make their fingerboards out of an alloy which is denser than the polyurethane I'm using and
2) I suck compared to Guthrie Govan!
Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Bad Motivator the metal fretboard on it. Doesnt dampen vibrations like polyurethane considering it is after all rubber cured and hardened. Flattened skateboard wheels as a finger board. Hahahah
It helps with pulling if you take your end nippers and grind the tip flat to you can get right down on the fret board
You can get the fretless guitar working in the lower end but it will require you to give-up the upper register. You will have to use some baritone tuning and file your slots to fit chunky strings.
Yes
Check out a paper called "micro-mesh".
It's on a fabric backing which makes it very easy to use and very re-usable.
Once you use it you'll never go back to standard sand papers.
I’ve been subscribed for a while now, and I wasn’t expecting to find one of your videos after searching for fretless bass conversion. Great video and I might give it a try in the future.
Cool - if you want the best results, glue a metal fingerboard to the neck .Works great!
young man, yall is to be commended for replying to the many questions in the comments.
Ah thanks, I appreciate the compliments.
I took the frets out of my Ovation Breadwinner back in the 1980's and filled the slots with strips of walnut. Since the guitar has an ebony fingerboard and I use flatwound strings there was no need to epoxy or polyurethane. Still plays great today over 35 years later. I'd recommend heavier guage strings and tuning it down at least a full tone. An E-Bow would give you some nice results. Or if you're willing to spend more, install a Fernandes Sustainer. Best regards - Glenn
Yeah, I use flatwounds on bare wood on my other fretless bass. I've never tried an eBow, probably should. Thanks for stopping by.
I paid around $100CDN for my E Bow and it's given me a whole new pallet of sounds for all my guitars; but it's particularly fun to use with my fretless. Also, there's a great site on fretless guitar by Cenk Ergodan (check out his playing on youtube as well). Here's a link to the site: fretlessguitarlessons.com/en/ Happy picking!
Awesome, thanks!
You're welcome!
HI Ninh..did my fretless in about 2 hours ..after pulling frets fill slots with bicarb of soda level off then drip superglue onto bicarb sets solid in less than 30 secs sand back with 400 grit wet and dry .. works best with rosewood neck so you get nice white markers (very helpfull when you start playing fretless)
Thanks for the comments John, my first fretless was bare wood just like yours. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
To get around the pits where the grain is open on the polyurethane I mix some wood filler with water so it gets in the cracks better ,getting a colour to match your wood is important unless you want to see the pits highlighted but anyways I just use the wood filler along the entirety of the fretboard then sand it smooth ( to 600 or so grit ) then apply multiple layers of polyurethane ,then sanding and polishing afterwards
(Husband here) I just finish turning into fretless my old cheap bass ant it turned out great. I filled the rosewood neck frets cut with .6 mm ash tree wood and then sand it down with grain 180 till 3000, afterwards i used beewax base filler and sand it once more to a mirror finishing with steel wool 0000 once it was dry. Im using flatwound strings.
Cool, I'm glad that your guitar turned out great.
The flatwound strings are a must, otherwise they'll shred the fretboard.
I also experimented with gluing a steel fretboard and it works amazingly well!
Thanks for the comment.
Using a compressor with a medium-fast attack and a slow release, like an 1176 or a DBX that has an attack/release (DBX 160 style won't work) will help to improve the sustain and give you longer notes. It may give it that very noticeable smack of a compressor but it improves the sustain. greatly.
I converted a guitar into a fretless, but with string gauges such as 9-42, you are correct: it feels as is it's barely usable. I put on some fender bass VI strings, and I appreciate it a lot more now (of course, you need to tune low). I would like to try a flatwound on the bottom though.
Yeah, putting flatwounds on will prolong the life of your fretboard. And I found it was more useable.
I also did one where I glued a thin steel plate on and it worked amazingly well!
Thanks for the comment!
GREAT video !! Thanks ! Answered a lot of questions.
Great walkthrough on the process. I'm deffinetely considering making a frankenguitar now.
Love you vidoes man. Just for a tip. If you use a spray, apply about 6 coats and wet sand so it doesn't get those annoying pits.
Yeah, that's right. Thanks.
Using actual metal as the fingerboard solves the sustain problem.
Wombat Sceptre Yes it does! I actually tried bonding on a very thin sheet steel after I made this video and it works. It's no Vigier Surfretter, but it does the trick! Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Do you know how I'd go about doing that? I'm tempted to do this on a cheap Squier Strat.
John McLellan Find the thinnest sheet metal you can find (one that you can readily bend, i.e. a 0.2mm aluminium) and either epoxy or bond the metal fingerboard to the fretboard (clamped all the wat and curved around). Then I took a jigsaw, hacked off the rest of the sheet metal and filed the edges down so that it was smooth. Works really well. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
You forgot to mention an important step. From the time that your frets are removed, you should make sure that your necks are straight as arrows. Then, you continue with the same steps as mentioned. Maybe, concerning the bass neck with the epoxy, I would try to make 2 thickness measurements; one at the nut and the other near the body of the guitar so I would be able to have a reference when sanding down the epoxy to an equal thickness. Thanks for the video !
Thanks bro, much appreciated.
I defretted a guitar a few years back and luckily in my case it was quite successful. I picked a 300 pound-ish guitar that had an ebony fingerboard with no inlays and I only filled the gaps left by the frets with epoxy resin I didn't cover the whole fingerboard.
Adam Howell Cool, I'm glad someone else has tried fretless-ing a guitar.
No, you don't have to cover the whole thing, I have a Yamaha Bass that's uncoated, I think that it just adds a little bit more protection that just having it bare wood.
Thanks for your input - be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
"Who plays with his finger nails?"
Robbie Krieger, and every flamenco guitarist: Am I a joke to you?
Right ... Flamenco. Not an electric guitar.
if you use flatwound strings on frettless bass ,or guitar, it helps with sustain. and it also doesn't chip up your frettboard as quick.
Yes, I did suggest using flatwounds in the video.
Thank you, it was very helpful !
You're welcome Umit!
Thanks Ninh this helped a lot as i want to try fretless.
+Ricky Roma It's harder to play than it looks. Worth a go though. Thanks man, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
i will thanks
Thanks for this. I was thinking of converting a cheap guitar I have. The factory put too much of a bevel on the fret ends which causes the high and low E strings to slip off the edge. But now I’ve changed my mind. Maybe I’ll try replacing the frets instead.
Thanks for your insight. Cool experiment
The lack of sustain is likely from the coating he put on the neck. I sanded my neck down and only put tongue oil on it and its great!
It's still not fantastic even without coating ... and unless you're using flatwounds, your neck will be ruined in no time.
You don't "need" a soldering iron. But it helps reduce ripping the wood out as you pull the frets.
I'm doing a fretless guitar right now. It's the pawn shop special Austin. I've Grease the Frets out. Putting Maple, Bolivian Rosewood, Brazilian cherry, in Walnut. Been wanting to get a piece of Bolivian Rosewood and make a neck. Or fretboard.
Sweet, I hope it goes well!
Do I have to buy certain resin?
Hey bro. I generally use two stage epoxy resin, the same kind that you find in boat or marine shops.
It's pretty easy to work with and the results are good so long as you do it right.
@@NinhLyUK i ended up getting some at hobby lobby. Should I wait full cure time before I sand?
Hi Sir! This is amazing! I might try it sometime. Just a question. Sir, does your bass have fret marks on the fretboard before the process? If yes, how did you remove them? I totally want a fretless bass without marks. Thank you sir! :)
Also, I'm confused about where did you use the poly... spray? Because it seems like you used it for the bass' fretboard at first (2:21) yet at the latter you told otherwise (5:17)? Thank you sir.:)
I dont know if anyone will reply to this but anyway. Great video btw. I was considering doing the epoxy method on my next bass build. Is 25ml enough to do a thin layer on the bass?
Damn,,seeing the blue jays shirt made me think that you lived here in Toronto,,,Considering having this done to my fretless neck like Yaco.
Toronto sports fan, but I don't reside there. My family still does though.
I ended up gluing a steel fingerboard to a neck and it worked great!
@@NinhLyUK Hmm steel...sounds like a good idea to me.
I have a few fretless guitars. The key to making them playable is really heavy flatwound strings.
Also I found standard tuning to be difficult- so I usually tune them in repeating fifths. My Eastwood sings with B F# B F# B F#.
A shorter scale (childrens size) I have CG....
Found pretty much the same thing. In standard tuning or even in open tunings chording will often rely on fingering the same fret position on different strings, and apart from double stops you'll never get them right. Found myself using DADGAD, which has two benefits: many voicings have notes two frets apart (much easier), and a LOT of DADGAD arrangements mix upper voicings with open strings, which helps with autocorrecting intonation.
Now have three fretless guitars and a fretless bass. They rarely leave the house but they're absolute fun to mess around on.
@@butting23 cool!! DADGAD is a great fretless tuning especially if you want to chord.... i might go back to it because the high 6 string is often an issue. Or alternately i've played the high 6th unfretted (or capo'd) like the Indian Taal (chiming reference note). Have you tried a sustainiac on a fretless?. Its really magic.
Thanks. What a pain in the keyster. If I decide to make a guitar fretless, I think I'll buy the neck.Thanks for this video!BTW...Vietnamese (?) guy with a Texas A&M tshirt and a British accent...i chuckled a little!
+SuperGaleford Ha! close enough. From a Cantonese family, born and raised in England and ... ummm ... likes watching Aggie Football. It gets weirder, trust me! Thanks for the kudos, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
You could plug them in for us to hear how they sound.
And believe me, a fretless guitar is very usable. Just search some examples here on UA-cam.
Ivan Carlos Santiago I'm not saying that Fretless Guitars in general aren't useable, just the one I made. I've since done another guitar with a steel fingerboard and that is a HUGE improvement to coating it with polyurethane.
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly Would I get similar sustain problems if I made a fretless bass with polyurethane?
Not at all, I poly'd my Yamaha and it turned out great! Alternatively for that Jazzy sound, bare wood and flatwounds is good too.
Now I want to make a fretless Ibanez RG, I may paint the fret slots so I can see where the frets were.
Thanks for the great tutorial. Tried the epoxy on my cheap electric guitar but couldn't get that glass mirror look. Should i put something after sanding it?
I think using finer grades of sandpaper might do the trick if you're not getting mirror finish.
If you work down the grits, 600, 1000, 2000, 5000 etc - you'll find polishing it much easier.
@@NinhLyUK Thanks!
good video txs for the idea
A way to fix sustain on a fretless guitar is actually to lower the action! You actually need the buzz of the strings to the nek. I've done this, almost sounds like a coral sitar.
Simon de rycke Yeah, it plays better with a lower action, but I didn't find that much of a gain in sustain on my guitar. Maybe with a metal plate over the metal fretboard perhaps? Thanks for the tip though, might give it another try!
Be sure to share and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly No, just with any fretboard. By lowering action the string makes less contact with your fingers, and it's your fingers that damp the strings. I got this tip from a forum where they make and mod ouds, sitars, ...
Thank you sir, I think I just save my guitar and a lotta job 🙃
heating up the frets helps to heat up the glue minimize the wood you bring out with the fret ( you can you a shirt iron)
Whilst that in theory works, I found that I didn't need to, as the frets were not held in with glue on my guitar. Heat gun does the trick as well.
The best fretless guitars use a steel plate for fret board. Also, different strings have to be used too.
Loved the finish you got with the epoxy resin. All that hard work definitely paid off. Do you think the polyurethane was a better finish? I wonder if it's a softer texture than the epoxy. Might this be what deadened those strings. Really appreciate the time in putting together this video. I'm looking at defretting a a maple bass neck (an old 80s Hondo II P bass) so won't be trying the wood stain, but the info on the finishing is really useful. Many thanks :)
Epoxy is definitely better, but harder to work with. Poly is okay, but I found it wore out faster than epoxy.
thx for the video... very instructing
Great instructional, although this video doesn't do justice to the fretless guitar.
When done properly, you can get decent sustain out of a fretless. If you manage to get a really hard, smooth surface and use heavy gauge flatwounds (13gauge) then you can get nice tones. Also, it works slightly better with a longer scale length.
Don't interpret this as hating - I totally get you not wanting to waste time and money on the guitar, it's a more difficult job than the bass. Thanks for the vid :)
JohnPKnuckles Yes, I find that sustain is not a problem on the bass, especially now that it's coated with epoxy. It sounds a little different, but that's a good thing. On the normal guitar though ... I think bolting a steel plate to the fingerboard would give it ultimately more sustain. And yes, it's a big job and you don't want to wreck a very good guitar by doing this.
Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Fretless acoustic guitar has much more sustain with nylon strings. There are many great reasons to play beyond twelve tones.
Yes, that's right.
I also found that gluing a steel fretboard works great on electric.
Awesome tutorial! I keep thinking about getting a dirt cheap small travel guitar or ukulele for this very purpose 🤓
Absolutely! It's worth trying on a cheap guitar. But it's pretty cool if you get it right.
Thanks.
Great idea for a fretless 6 string. i wish i had guitars to experiment on. if you ever have a give away remember me.. lol
Did my bc rich Havoc bass and I love having a fretless bass
Awesome, glad you tried this!
Ninh Ly got it done professionally though but I love having an active bass that is fretless also I went the same way as you did having the fret lines faint
Isn't the epoxy resin harder? If so, it might have yielded better results sound-wise on the guitar.
+SteelSkin667 No, epoxy is not harder than steel! Trust me, I tried both - steel all the way!
Useful video. How much resin did you need for the bass?
Will any epoxy resin do to replicate the results of the fretless bass? And where would you get it?
good job and great demo, Thanks! mostly when you know the price of a fretless guitar...
No worries, glad you like this video.
cheers mate.
Thanks Kaya
Awesome video!
Any recommendation on a brand of epoxy? Also, advice on applying and sanding it?
Thanks
Joe Teeple Thanks Jon. To answer your questions:
1) The more reputable brand, the better (like 3M) but if not, so long as you mix it in the right quantity, it should come out okay.
2) the only other advice that I didn't put in the video is use a spirit level to make sure the fingerboard is completely horizontal BEFORE you apply epoxy. So long as you have radius blocks, you should be able to sand it to the correct radius and it will play the same. If not, you'll have a flat fingerboard, which is okay for some, but not okay for others.
Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly Awesome, thank you so much. You've been very helpful
Joe Teeple Any time! :)
Ninh ly: “Who plays with their fingernails?”
Classical guitarists: “Allow us to introduce ourselves”
Very true.
awesome!!
+Kpafu Kpa Thanks man, I appreciate the comments. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
So after filling in the slots you painted the fretboard and covered it with a laquer? Is it really necessary? I guess filling (with proper colour of wood fill) would be enough? Ans some matt laquer?
It's not necessary, no. Some people like or prefer bare wood (especially Jazz Bass players) but I want to protect the fingerboard from unrepeatable damage.
As for Lacquer, that'd wear away quite quickly.
@@NinhLyUK Thank you!
Do have to put a finish on the guitar, or can I just end the steps at the wood filler? I have a really cheap fender that I want to make fret less so that I can play it with a bow and mess around with, but I also want to be able to still play regular chords as well!
Yes, you can just fill in the wood and have it bare wood. Be sure to use flatwound strings, as normal roundwounds will eat into your wood like no tomorrow. Thanks for the comments, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
So this question is really specific but when you put the dye on, suppose the fretboard was a lighter wood, such as the neck. Could you, in theory, dye it another color? Maybe red or blue? I'm not sure how it would turn out and I'm fairly new to woodworking and guitar building. Great video. Thanks.
Thanks. I have no idea how that comment got to this video. I commented on one of his other videos. Haha oh well. Thanks for the info
Do not finish the fingerboard.
I've been playing fretless bass for 30+ years. I've converted many necks. Just stain the wood. Sand up to 1200 wet.
I use DR black beauty lights 40, 60, 80, 100 round wound strings. Yes round wound.
I can sound fretted and fretless. My wood of choice is ebony, Pau ferro or even rosewood are good.
The best way is to just buy a neck.
Fair enough.
It's funny that you choose a Yamaha guitar. I contacted Yamaha about getting a 'silent' guitar without the frets and they told me they don't do custom guitars. I found a true fretless on ebay. It's an Aram brand that i haven't be able to find any information on. You right about the sound though, i have to grow out my nails to play it.
Timothy Lee Yeah, Yamaha do few select custom guitars. Those that are custom tend to be horribly expensive. After I made this video, I solved the sustain problem by glueing on a very thin steel fingerboard ... problem solved! Although it was painful to do, it solved the sustain problem. Thanks for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly Yes, I contacted Yamaha with the idea that they could just pull a guitar out of production before it was fretted. Made sense to me, less work and is one of the last stages of production. No No No, it just goes to show that the big boys are set up to product massive numbers guitars. Musical instrument as automobile or an other assembly line commodity. Make you what to run out and buy me one! No wonder everyone wants vintage, the new stuff has no soul. DIY all the way.
Timothy Lee I'll agree to that in some part.
The cool thing now is that you don't even need to buy a guitar and modify it. You can literally buy all the parts separately (imported from China or whatever) and put it together yourself.
In some cases, it'd cost you less money than buying a 'stock guitar'!
There's hundreds of guides on UA-cam explaining what to do with 'kit guitars' and I've only scratched the surface of it. Keep an eye out for more videos!
Amazing! However it seems that when applying the epoxin/polyurethane on the two fretboards (5a and 5b), the polyurethane spray was applied to the bass neck, and the epoxy resin was applied on the guitar neck... but in all the other parts of the video (including the end) it is said that polyurethane was put on the guitar, and epoxy on the bass, i'm a bit confused about that! i really want my final result to be similar to the bass neck, it seems to work well!
To be honest, both methods yields the same cosmetic result if you do it properly.
The epoxy will last longer, though the Poly spray is the cheapest way to do it.
@@NinhLyUK thank you very much!
OK I know this is some years old, but here are a couple of my own "tricks" in case anyone wants to take a stab. 1) Several thin layers of superglue is the best thing I've found to use. 2) Usually have to remove the nut, and shave it down. Hope that helps
Awesome tutorial.
Regarding the epoxy for filling the frets in, do you reckon there's a way to emulate the Pedulla style fillings? They look really bright.
+J. Collins The only way I can think of is if you put in very thin sheets of maple where the fret gaps are and painstakingly cut and sand away the excess. Then polyurethane/epoxy it as per this tutorial. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Did you make a video on the steel fretboard on the yamaha?
I didn't. I probably should have done.
@@NinhLyUK dam, that would of been killer
Thanks for the tips though
Great video! I've wanted a fretless guitar for some time now, and I might do It myself, thanks to you. Do you think there's any way to solve the guitar sustain issue? Like changing the pickups, or using another material??
Hi Diego.
Thanks for the comment on my video.
Solving the sustain issue is tricky, but it can be improved by raising the action (which makes it difficult to play) and using all steel fixings - steel bridge, saddles, tuners etc.
Another way that works (and I tried it) was to glue a very thin piece of sheet steel to the fretboard (i.e. less than 0.3mm thick). This made a massive difference to sustain, but if the glue ever comes away - it ruins your guitar.
I actually ruined a perfectly good guitar when I applied sheet steel onto a fretboard only for it to come away after a week ... and take most of the wood with it!
Thanks again, be sure to share and subscribe :)
You can use an EBow for more sustain. I looked up this video specifically because I want to use an EBow with a fretless guitar.
Jeff Donovan Wow, I've just looked that up as I've never heard of it. That's pretty cool! I think I might give that one a go. Cheers Jeff!
Ninh Ly Thanks. I just subscribed to your channel. Hopefully we'll see some EBow playing on your fretless guitar.
Got a question: Would it make a difference in sustain, attack and tone if I'm using the exopy resin on the guitar instead of the polyurethane spray? Also, would a zero fret help with the sustain and the tone of the fretless guitar?
It seems to work better than poly, for sure.
But what would really help with sustain is if you glued a thin sheet metal to the fretboard. That really works.
I have always liked just using an oil to seal up unfinished wood.
Yeah using oil especially on a bass creates that deep jazzy tone.
"The fretless guitar is barely usable"
I think Tim Donahue would disagree :) Seriously, look the guy up, he's absolutely amazing.
My fretless guitar was barely useable. Guthrie Govan on his Vigier Surtfretter (with a steel fingerboard) - now he knows how to rock it.
Ninh Ly oh most definitely, no doubt about it. Guthrie is definitely one of the most talented players out there.
I've always had respect for fretless guitar players, as they truly know their music inside and outside.
Can't I just stop after using wood filler? Like Jaco Pastorius did?
Yeah sure you can. Although if you don't use flatwound strings, you'll eat your fretboard away.
Good luck bro.
Jaco actually covered his in epoxy resin if I remember correctly
@@frostok yes jaco used marine epoxy which is pretty expensive but works really well
How did you remove the inlay on the bass neck, or did you start out without inlays in the first place?
+Trung Ha Quang Started without inlays. Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Can you adjust the truss rod with that epoxy resin?
Sigurd Fylling Kaarstad Only so much before the epoxy cracks. I suggest you do all your adjustments first, then layer the epoxy. Any adjustments thereafter should be minimal. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks man, I'm researching different alternatives to epoxy, like hardened glass or metal, there are plenty of people her in Norway that could make a fingerboard like that, but wodd alone could work wth a sustainiac! CHEERS!!
Sigurd Fylling Kaarstad I actually made a guitar with a steel fingerboard and it works! the sustain is great. You'll need a thin sheet of 0.3mm sheet steel and bond it to your fingerboard. You have to wrap it around your radius, but once you do it, it's pretty cool! Thanks again for stopping by!
That's cool! I'm gonna try your method first and then work my way up :)
+Ninh Ly You should do a video about it ! That's really interesting to know it can be done at home.
Out of curiosity, how and why did you get from explaining foreign sports to making fretless basses?
Question: If the truss rod fluctuates, does the polyurethane crack?
No, it should bow enough without cracking.
Thanks!
Is there a way I could use a pedal or run a program to add sustain to a modified guitar, thus eliminating the lack of sustain?
Yes, I think if you use a sustain pedal that should solve some of it.
When you say car Polish, do you mean wax by chance? Just want to make sure I don't use the wrong material lol
I saw another video that says to use lemon oil.
Flatwound strings for an electric fretless guitar?
+infectionsman Yep, they make those! Just look online and you'll find many brands that do them. Cheers, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Pat Metheny's been using them for decades.Very nice once you get used to them.
He's gooching a perfectly acceptable guitar
Mr Big Guy the third It plays perfectly fine, and considering I got it for less than £30, even if I did completely 'gooch' it and render it unplayable - it wasn't that much money. I wouldn't dare do this to an expensive guitar.
Thanks for the comment, be sure to share and subscribe :)
What if I scratch the wood while I'm sanding off the wood filler?
Just be careful. Start of with a high grit sandpaper to avoid unnecessary gouging of your neck. Most of the scratches will be covered by the epoxy/poly if they're not too deep.
Ninh Ly The instructions on the tube say medium sandpaper (i.e. 100 grit).
100 Grit is a little harsh, probably start with a 180 grit and see how that pans out. If you find that it's scratching it too much, go down to 220 grit, 300 grit etc.
Is it going to be fine if I did this with a classical since I cannot unbolt the neck?
+Tuonelan Joutsen Yes, process is the same with a classical guitar. Cheers for stopping by, be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
+Ninh Ly Thanks a lot! I'm glad I've found your video because it's the best one. Cheers
Im about to make my bass fretless. And just a question, why not the heat gun?
you can. I think he's saying you don't HAVE to use it.
The Vigier fret less comes with hefty strings - 12s, I think. Should help the sustain.
what type of bass is that? If anyone could tell me that would be great.
It's a Yamaha BB404. A cheap one, but it sounds great! Thanks, I appreciate the comments! Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
On the bass how did you remove the ivory dots on the fret board??
You can remove ivory dots by using a heat gun to melt the glue and then something like a pick or a nail to gouge it out. Alternatively, you could use a dremel style tool and drill in the middle and then hook it out using a dart.
I really appreciate it thank you very much
Anytime bro!
Preamp + compressor + sustainer and it's fully usable.
Quick question: Do I leave the nut (upper bridge) orshave the notches down a bit? Cellos usually don't have a nut, the neck itself will have the notches in but the lower bridge is much higher.
+Anthony Attwood Yes, to get the action a little lower, you'll need to take off a little on the nut. But be careful when you do! Don't shave it down too far, because it then becomes unplayable. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly
already done my friend :) Thank you!
+Anthony Attwood The best way to do this is to take a fret saw and shape each slot one at a time. Another option, mostly for bass players, is to use scrap string clippings to wear the slots down.
Be careful, since you can crack your nut if it gets too thin. Also, you can still get buzzing on lower notes or open strings if you take too much off.
Soo, I can buy a spare neck (probably quite cheaply) and just make a fretless neck so I can switch whenever I want?
+MadMetalheadMark You can do, but it's a pain to keep switching necks - best just buying another guitar and having one fretless. Hope that helps? Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Ninh Ly Thanks.
How long did you leave the poly lacquer to cure before sanding? I feel like the advises 24h might not be enough...
24 hours in warm conditions.
48 hours if it's cold.
@@NinhLyUK I've left mine a good couple weeks but i can still scratch it with my nail. Is that normal? I was kind of hoping it would dry rock hard!?
I you don't have 'nippers', you can also use a soldering iron, just heat the frets up individually, and 'push' them out, i did and it's ok. Nippers would be better though xP I've been fortunate enough that one of my friends' father works at a metal factory, so he's made an aluminum sheet for me that i'm planning on putting on the fretboard. My only concern is the aluminum. It's only experimentation, but i have this terrible feeling that the strings are going to eat away at the aluminum over time, and ruin the intonation... any ideas on this?
Hi Mad Dek.
Yes, you can use a soldering iron. But my point in the video is that it's quicker to use nippers.
I actually tried a fretless conversion with sheet aluminium and I do have a few tips.
1) Use the thinnest sheet aluminium you can find. Less than 0.3 mm should suffice. You want to be able to bend it into shape to follow the radius.
2) Bond it on with the toughest glue or epoxy you have, and make sure that you clamp it all the way along the radius.
3) The strings shouldn't eat away at it that much. Nowhere near as much as just using bare wood.
I did try this and it worked great for a while. You don't have the sustain problems of the epoxy and/or polyurethane.
However, I musn't have glued it on properly so when a little bit of it came away and I tried to reglue it, the whole thing came off, taking chunks out of the neck with it.
So this is why I say bond the whole thing with the strongest glue you can find!
Hope that helps?
Be sure to share this video and subscribe :)
Thanks a lot! :D
Anytime! :)
I've found super glue polishes super nice
I heard about that. Someone mentioned building up layers of super glue. Never tried that myself.