Re: "self resonating" fretleess electric guitar -- ideas?

[andy butler <akbutler@tiscali.co.uk>]

Charles Zwicky wrote:
> 
> Oh people people!  Please do not file the frets!!
> 
> The uneven density between the wood and metal wil prevent you from ever 
> getting a properly smoothed fingerboard.
> 

Respect to Charles, just to share what info I have.


This is just my experience with one instrument.

I had the frets filed on my Fender Jazz Bass.
There was no problem whatsoever with getting the fingerboard smoothed.
Even though I didn't varnish the fingerboard.

The left over tangs actually added a bit more edge to the sound (but I had 
to 
set the intonation on the bridge "incorrectly" to make this work).

The only problem I had was with the pearl inlays.


As it happens, the way Fender made that bass (in about 1976) involved 
forcing the frets in under more 
tension than usual, thus causing the neck to bow back a bit. Pulling the 
frets out would have been unpredictable in terms of the final shape of the 
neck.

A popular alternative at one time (80's??) was to lightly sand the 
fingerboard without a sanding block after the fret filing and proper 
smoothing procedure. Apparently for a nice growly sound on vibratos (as 
long as you were dead accurate on intonation). 

andy butler