Conference napalm::guitar

    
    I'm surprised that you have a dead spot at all on your E string,
    I find most of my problems around the D and E on the G string (seventh
    to ninth fret).
    
    I doubt that removing the frets will change it much, since dead
    spots are a resonance problem and obviously, the neck and body are
    the largest factors in the resonance.
    
    I've played some basses with pulled frets and they all played fine.
     I would recommend having the job done by a repairman familiar with
    the procedure.
    
    Some people then epoxy the fingerboard to increase the "buzz" aspect
    of the fretless sound and to protect the fingerboard from roundwound
    strings.  Pedulla, for instasnce, sells their fretless basses already
    epoxied.                   
    
    As far as string rattle, you may need to readjust the neck slightly,
    but if the bass plays OK with frets, it should alow even *lower*
    action with the frets removed. You will hear rattling, if there
    is any, as an additional, *unwanted* buzz on certain notes due to an 
    improper match of string action and neck curvature causing the string
    to fret out in certain locations. I recently had my neck tweaked
    (after six years) due to some buzzing playing a first position F
    on the E string.  
    
    Unless expense is a *big* option, you would be wise to just buy a fretless
    neck and replace it that way not despoiling your P-bass.  That way,
    if you ever change your mind, you have not burned your bridges.
                     
    As far as general playability, I find the fretless much easier to
    play physically, although the intonation problem requires you to
    really concentrate, especially if you have to sing while playing!
    For solo work it is *much* more expressive an instrument than the
    fretted bass.  Good luck!
                                                          
    
    
    					Brian
    
    P.S. any comments from Stevie K. ???

    First of all I must admit that I am not a Bass player.
    Now with that out of the way I would like to add my two
    cent's. I agree with .1 when he recommends buying another
    neck. Why pay a pro to pull the frets from your stock
    Fender neck, when you can spend the same money on a
    new fretless neck, and have both necks available. There 
    is a multitude of companies making fender clone necks
    and bodies. You should be able to pick up a decent neck
    for around $100.oo, and you won't have to settle for 
    a previously fretted neck with the fret slots epoxied.
    Since Fender necks are all bolt-on, you can install it
    yourself in 10 minutes.                            
    
    
    						Good Luck
    						Mark Jacques
    						LM02/Marlboro, Ma.
    

Brian,

Thanks for the info.  I had also been thinking that not "burning my
bridges" might be a worthwhile route.  You raised a couple of other 
questions:

Have you seen fretless replacement necks with epoxied fingerboards?
Also, how long does the epoxy stand up to round-wound strings?

About dead spots - there's a grain pattern similar to this <<<<<<<<<<
(only with the points rounded off) running along the length of the neck 
under the E and A strings.  Could that be affecting the resonance of those 
notes?  

I saw the guy who replaced (or maybe "followed" would be a better way to
put it) Jaco in Weather Report using a bass with interchangable fingerboards
once.  One was fretted, the other not (the fretless one looked like it was
made of metal).  He even switched mid-tune once (during a brief drum solo).
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ask him who built it...

Paul

re:.3

>I saw the guy who replaced (or maybe "followed" would be a better way to
>put it) Jaco in Weather Report using a bass with interchangable fingerboards
>once.  One was fretted, the other not (the fretless one looked like it was
>made of metal).  He even switched mid-tune once (during a brief drum solo).
>Unfortunately, I wasn't able to ask him who built it...

	It's called the Switchblade and made by an outfit called Switchblade, I
believe.  They went out of business after about a year because the market wasn't
big enough to sustain them.  You could get five or six different type
fingerboards, fretless, fretless w/ fret markers, aluminum fretless, fretted
ebony, fretted ?? can't remember.  You sent the neck you wanted to have modified
and they returned it several weeks later with the modification. 

	If you're ever at Centre House of Music in Framingham, ask Corbit about
his custom bass which has the Switchblade on it.  He might know where to pick
one up, used.  

	By the way, estimates on a replacement neck for my 10 year old fretless
P-bass ran around $150 for various brands, Schecter was more.  Alas my neck was
not epoxied and has really taken the abuse of Roto-sounds.  Worth it for the
sound, though.  Jaco supposed used the stuff they use to seal canoes and buys
it at marine shops.

    
    	I have a funny story about what .4 described as "Switchblades"
    
    A few years ago there was a giveaway in Guitar player one month.
    They were giving away a P bass (not sure if it was Fender or a Clone)
    equipped with this system known as "Switchboards". It included
    two or three different fret boards that can quickly be changed.
    I sent in the coupon and obviously didn't win (Does anyone ever
    win those things ?). 
    
    The funny part is that about two months later I recieved a call
    at home from someone at the company that makes the "Switchboard
    system. He was looking for someone in New England, particularly
    the Boston area to go around to music stores and sell them on this
    system. I told him I might be interested (not that I am much of
    the salesman type, but if I could score a new bass equipped with
    this system I would be willing to do some legwork). The deal they
    offered to me wasn't too good. They expected me to buy a system
    with my own money, install it on a bass, at my own expense, and
    go out and market the system. If I could get a store to pick up
    a franchise, they would refund 1/3 of the cost of a switchboard
    system (big deal !!!). I told him they would have to do better
    than that. Certainly my time, travel expenses, and other costs
    would easily exceed the cost of an instrument equipped with this
    system. He explained that they were a small startup company and
    couldn't afford to do that. I wished them good luck and the
    conversation ended. 
    
    	At first when I answered the phone I thought perhaps I had
    won the contest. Now I know that the information you send them
    (Name, adress, phone #, etc) is not used strictly for notification
    like it says on the entry blank. Names must go on every mailing
    list from here to tim buk too.
    
    	Just thought you all might be interested in this little
    story.
    
    						Keep on Pickin'
    						(or thumbin, for you
    						bass players)
    						Mark Jacques
    						LM02/ Marlboro, Ma.
    
    
                                                        
    

re:.5

	Yeah, I think you're right.  Switchboard does sound a lot more
accurate than Switchblade.  Just going by the failing memory here.

    
    The company that made Switchboards was called Novatone.
    
    They also sold necks with the fretboards already fitted or entire
    basses with the fretboards modifed as well as doing the factory
    retrofits mentioned in .4.
    
    You sure they are out of business???  With business practices like
    those in .5 I could believe it.  They *did* make a big thing out
    of not working through dealers but by "product demonstrators" instead.
    
    
    

    Re; .3
    The grain pattern in the wood will not affect the tonal qualities
    of the instrument. (In the *body* of an acoustic, then yes). I play
    twice a week with a guy from work, and he's had a P-bass for about
    a year. Well, lately its been sounding *dead*, much in the same
    way you describe. He called the guy at the store where he bought
    it, explained the situation, and the guy told him to replace the
    battery in the body. This was new to us. Sure enough, there is a
    pre-amp powered by a 9 volt transistor battery. (Its in the back of the
    bass I believe). If this is news to you as well, check it out. It
    may clear up your problem of the deadness.
    dep.

    Re: .8
    
    If your friends Bass has a battery inside, it must have active electronics
    on board that requires power. It must be a newer P Bass, cause
    the old ones never had any active electronics on them. Most of the
    new ones don't have active electronics, either, so his must be
    a special model: Fender Elite Series).
                     
    

How do those of you who currently play fretless basses feel about fret
lines versus side dots only?

Also, is neck epoxying a one-time deal, or is it something you have to do
periodically?  If you have to do it more than once, what's involved?

I can tell I'm getting dangerously close to pricing necks.

Paul

    
    Side dots are an absolute *must* for me.  My fretless came without
    them and after two weeks of stickers on the neck, I had side dots
    inlaid.
    
    Fret lines assist in good intonation and help correct for the visual
    problem of viewing your fingers on the neck at an angle.  I suppose
    they could become a crutch.  Sometimes, if I haven't played my fretless
    for a while I wish I had those fret lines.   :-)
    
    Epoxying supposedly lasts a long time.  The idea is that if the
    epoxy surface becomes irregular, you sand it down and reapply if
    needed.  The more abrasive your strings are, the worse off you are.
    
    The epoxy, by the way, would apply equally to replacement necks....
    The glass-like finish accentuates that Jaco "buzz". Strings on bare
    wood will buzz, but not as much. 
                           
    Don't get me wrong, though, epoxied fingerboards are not a requirement
    and probably most players do *not* use them, hell I don't.  Just don't 
    expect to use Rotosounds and not have fretboard wear over the years.
    
    

I got sidetracked from this project for a long time; but a recent
visit by a friend and his fretless pushed me over the edge, so I finally
ordered a neck.  It's a Chandler neck with fret lines and an ebony
fingerboard.  I appreciate everybody's previous advice, and I just have
one question left (I think - no promises 8^).

Looking through the previous replies, I couldn't find any mention of
ebony fingerboards, and I'm wondering whether or not ebony is hard
enough to stand up to roundwound strings without epoxy.  I would just
have it epoxied and forget about it, except that nobody I talk to around
here seems to know anything about what material to actually use to do the
job.  People at music stores are saying "maybe you could use polyurethane".
Does anybody know what kind of epoxy one would use for this, and what kind 
of store might carry it?

Paul

    
    Ebony will wear better than either maple or rosewood, but you might
    want to consider epoxy anyway.  Keep in mind it will change the
    tone, make it "buzzier".
    
    Jaco Pastorius used to use marine epoxy that he bought at his local
    boat supply.

    Or you could call up Mike Pedulla in Rockland (he used to answer
    the phone, maybe his company's too big now?) and ask him what *he*
    uses on his Buzz Basses.
    
    BTW, how much did the neck run you?
    
    

    The neck was $130.00; I think list is $180.00 , give or take.
    
    Paul