Papajerry Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Can I make a laminated fretless neck without a separate fingerboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug Posted June 13, 2008 Report Share Posted June 13, 2008 Can you... yes. Would you really want to.... ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papajerry Posted June 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 My thought was that the stripes from the lamination's could show and be a bit different. I thought some of the maple necks were one piece with the frets cut in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 14, 2008 Report Share Posted June 14, 2008 They are in a lot of Fenders....one piece of maple with the truss rod mounted through the back of the neck instead of in a trench under a fingerboard. The trench is routed in the back of the neck instead, and a filler strip of wood is used to cover the hole left by the rod install, also called a fillet. It's entirely possible (in theory at least) to install a truss rod prior to glueing up the laminations so the back and front of the neck are unscathed. You would have to be very very good or very very unhinged to do this of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 I have a Peavey with a neck constructed in this way - an all maple neck made of two pieces of maple joined together in the middle, with the truss rod inserted as they're glued. It's actually one of my favorite necks, but that has little to do with the construction and more the feel. But yeah, it works. From the patent it appears they leave some extra on the ends for registration that gets cut off after the neck is milled. I think that would be the key to lining things up. (If you're curious about seeing the patent document and my link doesn't work, go to http://www.google.com/patents or wherever and look for patent number 4,237,944 - "Method for forming the neck of a guitar" I think it could open up some interesting possibilities for like, a bookmatched neck or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Interesting - good find! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bygde Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 Make sure you use hard woods (not hardwoods, but hard hardwoods) if it's going to be fretless. Bass string are very abrasive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 "Make sure you use hard woods (not hardwoods, but hard hardwoods) if it's going to be fretless. Bass string are very abrasive." A fretless rosewood neck/integral fingerboard would be pretty cool! Maybe RW-maple-RW lamination? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 15, 2008 Report Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) Rosewood isn't hard enough, plus a lot of maples aren't either! We're talking purpleheart, ebony, lignum vitae and the like...seriously dense woods that take more than a little hammer! You'd have to acrylise or epoxy coat maple to make it as hardwearing. Not sure if rosewood would appreciate acrylising, although i'm sure it'll take epoxy. Edited June 15, 2008 by Prostheta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Rosewood isn't hard enough, plus a lot of maples aren't either! Ah, too bad, I think that would look cool! Perhaps a solid purpleheart neck/FB, or one laminated from purple heart and ebony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Really? I've seen many a fretless bass with a rosewood board, althought they've all been strung with flatwounds - I'm sure roundwounds would chew into anything but the hardest of woods. Fretless is not my expertise, but I found this surprising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flon Klar Guitars Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 My fretless fingerboards get a coat of Mirror Coat on top- I prefer the sound of roundwound strings, so I need all the protection I can get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Really? I've seen many a fretless bass with a rosewood board, althought they've all been strung with flatwounds - I'm sure roundwounds would chew into anything but the hardest of woods. Fretless is not my expertise, but I found this surprising. Flatwounds aren't nearly as bad as halfs or rounds. You're right though - rosewood is used, but you've hit the nail about strings also. Forgot about that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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