Removed the strings, nut, and neck. Many people leave the neck on, but I didn’t want to risk any damage to the body. Oiled the fretboard using pure lemon oil. Oiling adds additional lubrication to the rosewood and helps to minimize chipping when the frets are removed. I let the oil sit for about 30 minutes.
All taped up for protection using painters masking tape.
I wanted to leave a slight, but visible back bow in the neck. This helps to relieve some pressure on the fret tangs.
Clamped down being careful to keep the bow.
Taped either side of the fret prior to removal to protect the board. Once the fret was removed, I peeled the tape back slowly to check for chipping. If there was a chip, it would stick to the tape in the exact location to be glued back. I had some Krazy Glue handy just in case.
Using a soldering iron that had a the same type of tip as a flat head screwdriver, I began heating up the fret at one end. I held my finger on the middle of the fret until it was too hot to touch.
I used the fret puller to slowly work the end loose until it “popped”. I worked my way across with the pullers always keeping the soldering iron on the fret. I noticed that when I got that “pop”, it wanted to come out on it’s own.
The frets came out very clean with no chipping. Surprisingly, the removal process was easier and faster than expected. Having the right tools maximizes the results. What you see here are the tang marks which disappear with sanding.
Using a long serrated (bread) knife, I cleaned out the slots and opened up the ends.
I chose birch because it’s light in colour and would match the maple neck quite nicely. The strips were cut with the grain running parallel to the fretboard. I then glued the strips into place using Krazy Glue. You have to take your time here for the veneer strips are very fragile and split easily along the grain.
With all the strips in place, I then adjusted the truss rod so that the neck was flat. The fretboard was then taped in preparation for trimming. At this point, I let the neck sit for about 30 minutes to make sure the glue was set.
I first used a pair of sharp scissors to trim the ends, then an exacto knife with a large blade to trim the veneer. I had a couple of strips that split along the grain just below the surface of the fretboard. I fixed them by shaving off a small sliver of veneer and gluing it in over top. Delicate work to day the least. With the tape still on, I lightly sanded the strips down using 220 sandpaper. I felt that leaving the tape on would give the strips a some stability and I could also sand perpendicular to the fretboard without leaving any marks in the rosewood.
The tape was removed. I continued to sand the fretboard using 220 sandpaper until the strips were level and the tang marks and residue from the glue were gone. I didn’t use a radius sanding block because I wasn’t taking allot off and was not planning on changing the radius. I happen to have quite a bit of woodworking experience and a good feel for these things, but a radius sanding block is the ideal way to go.
Here it is partially sanded and wiped down. I continued sanding using 320, then 600. I applied a generous amount of pure lemon oil and wet sanded using the 600 grit paper. I did this twice before applying the final coat of lemon oil. I let it dry for about 8 hours and buffed it up with a soft cloth. It feels like glass.
I sanded the nut down, taking enough material off to compensate for the original height of a fret. I then glued the nut back in place and reassembled the bass. It's now ready for strings and final set-up.
All done. Strung with La Bella tape wounds.
