Hellzero

That should be the answer. Indeed according the Build Diaries thread and the work done, @Andyjr1515 is a person to get in contact with. Look here for his last terrific job :

Quite a strange answer as there's absolutely no need to plane the fingerboard off. Did you send him the photos ?

Nice communication problem here. Now with the photos, it's obvious that you forgot to mention the position lines. This makes a HUGE difference, since lots of fretless basses are made this way. It's not my favourite way, but it's not really a problem in fact, and I'm a fretless player, by the way. Looks like you wanted to get us on the wrong path, not fair at all.

Go to Overwater and get it fretted. Won't cost you a fortune and if there's a fingerboard (who knows) issue Chris May will fix it when fretting. And as you mentioned with the side dots at the fretted positions, it's a good idea to have frets on it. That said : What kind of idiot could have asked for these side dots positions ?!?

Terrific work. Congratulations ! Looks better than most of the high end acoustic guitars seen in the stores and surely sounds damn good. 👍👌🍾

And here :

Take a look here 😉 :

As usual, unusual skills non understood by usual people. Don't try this at home or you'll quickly know you have no ears nor skills. Sarcastic or angry : no, simply realist and so tired. It's brilliant playing and approach of the most difficult instrument to play music with.

Sold a bag of new and lightly used strings to Russ. Ultra fast payment as usual and great communication too. I hope Brexit won't break the perfect harmony we created through these countless deals. But thanks to quantic physics laws, we both can be two entities living at far distance at the same time, hope this will avoid us from smuggling, our doubles making the deals without passing through the customs.

Thanks. The strings gauges are 0.020, 0.028, 0.044, 0.064, 0.084, 0.104, 0.128, 0.174, from F to F#. These are Kalium, but the new ones will be Newtone Diamond nickel plated steel with tapered core for all strings. I'm waiting them for my two 8 strings basses.

Here they are :

You know what, I noticed that the more you want to help people, the more you are considered pedant and the more you get aggressive comments. So from now on, I'll keep what I know for me, I won't share it and won't participate on the forum again. I guess you'll agree with that. Better this way. Set up your instrument the way tou want without taking into account more than 400 years of classical lutherie and 70 years of electric lutherie. So long. Enough is enough.

Also ask someone already playing bass to go with you if you decide to go the shop route, as they are not all honest people... You won't get fooled.

The first mistake is corrected here, but not the second one.

It's no rocket science at all. And what I'm explaining with words is what Sheldon is showing. I only gave a tip to make it faster and easier. And sorry for you, but following the neck radius is the ONLY way to do. I'm 54 years old, by the way, and setting up instruments for more than 30 years. Back to the tracks with these two mistakes. First mistake is to cut directly the strings at the desired length. Why not ? Because the wrapping will slip over the core having a dead string as a result. How to avoid that ? Measure the desired length, then break a bit more than an 100 degrees angle at this position and cut the string 1 to 1,5 cm after that break. This way the wrapping won't slip over the core. And there's a well in every post in every tuner, just check how deep it is to cut at the correct length. Second mistake is to wrap the strings over the post until the string is tuned. Why not ? Doing this, you'll make the strings wrapping on themselves causing nods and unwanted harmonics. How to avoid that ? Simply release the whole string at the bridge by moving it up and down when there is something like 1 to 1,5 cm left. You will notice that the string will unwrap and go back to the correct position. And then wind the string slowly to pitch. The string will now be dead straight avoiding the nods and harmonics of wrapped on themselves strings. So no rocket science at all, but common sense that would have been easier to explain in a video. But your post was so aggressive I felt I had to answer it immediately.

Ok, looks like all the videos on the net are completely wrong when explaining you how to fit the strings. That's just unbelievable. Looks also like I'll have to make that video as there are two common huge mistakes done every time I'm watching one. But first I'll have to search for Sheldon one, if there's one as I'm sure he's doing it right.

To date, the best advices to set up your bass with clear demonstrations. Thanks @Dood That said, it's missing the most important part which is the correct mounting of strings... And for adjusting the string height, here is my tip. Do as Sheldon is saying with the highest string (using whatever has the correct thickness), then put this exact same height for each and every lower string using the same technique, without forgetting to always precesely retune your bass : this way, your strings will just fit precisely your radius. And then, simply raise each saddle by a quarter turn higher than the previous higher string. You can retune by each string or even after the whole process, but there will be less stress when done after each raising. So simply put for a 6 strings bass : 1/4 turn higher than the C string for the G string, 1/2 turn higher than the C string for the D string, 3/4 turn higher than the C string for the A string, 4/4 turn (full turn) higher than the C string for the E string, 5/4 turn (1 + 1/4) higher than the C string for the B string. This way, you'll have the perfect reproduction of your radius going higher with every lower string. And for measuring you can also use hex keys (Allen keys). As you've certainly noticed in my for sale ads, my favourite action at the 12th fret is going from 1,5 mm to 2 mm for a 4 strings bass without any buzz. This is achieved by the same process Sheldon is explaining without forgetting the only way to correctly fit the strings. It used to be my job as I used to run my own electronics and lutherie repair shop for years and have also been a guitar and bass tech for loads of bands around here. PS : instead of using a piece of wood and one finger for breaking in the strings at the nut and saddles, you can simply push slightly and progressively before and after them with your index and major finger at the same time.

Looks like that, indeed.

Will make some photos tomorrow as I like the light in that room.

You don't. Being an 8 strings bass, it's played vertically instead of horizontally, so up to the first octave, you use all the neck and then progressively switch to the upper register strings. This means 3 octaves vertically and 4 octaves when extending horizontally or even 5 octaves with F# to C# scale. It's another approach and you play the notes where they sound better as there's a lot of possibilities.

And now the couple is home, two unique basses as there are no others like these, Yves Carbonne being a lefty, my fretless is the only righty to date.

My new pride and joy : the only Noguera Yves Carbonne 8 Fretless right handed...