I'm thinking of having my MIM Jazz defretted, but I still want a bright tone, is this reasonable? Are there any roundwound strings that won't chew up my poor fretboard, or flats/semiflats that are unusually bright? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Why don't you use the search function?

Or better yet, just scroll down the page and post in one of the 4 or 5 already about fretless basses.

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Dude, just get flatwounds if your that worried..

are you doing the de-fretting yourself, or getting it professionally done?

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I'm lazy



The reason I ask, is if flatwounds can be bright, the few fretless basses I've heard aren't bright at all.
If I do get it defretted it'll be professionally done, no way I'm fucking with it myself.

Haha, good, the people who dont say that.. end up with a ruined bass..

and speak to the/a professional about the whole string thing.. and how it would affect your fingerboard..

but there are a couple of fretless's in my local that are stringed with roundwounds.. and arent damaged on the fingerboard..

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hm, thanks for the advice.

Did'nt Jaco put layers of epoxy, or something similiar ( a clear coat of something that hardens, basically ), on the fret(less)board of his jazz bass?

He did, and used some wood filler to fill the frets with.. but people do all kind of different tricks these days..

Here are some pictures of what the Epoxy can do to your fretboard after de-fretted..

http://www.woodwiz.com/guitarlab/GT...wood%20long.jpg

http://www.woodwiz.com/guitarlab/long%20shot%20left.jpg

http://www.woodwiz.com/guitarlab/neck_on_sun_table.jpg

http://www.woodwiz.com/guitarlab/benoit.jpg

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Damn. I want to have sex with those fretboards

Hahaha, yeah they do look nice and shiny and smooth..

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In my experience, it'll be many many years before roundwounds on a fretless give you any bother: i've had one of mine, a cheap Samick, set up with roundwounds for about 2 and a half years and still no sign of any wearing above the usual...

That really surprises me because I have a fretted bass that I bought brand new one year ago and it has grooves where the strings touch the wood ... I would imagine there would be much more if there weren't frets stopping the string from touching the fretboard. Do you do alot of bends? I would imagine those are what do the most damage.

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