steve-bbb Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 does anybody know if is possible to clean up scratches on an ebonol coated fretless? if it were just plain rosewood i could just take some sandpaper to it i guess but what about this ebonol? my first guess is a very very fine abrasive paper followed by polish or cutting compound or something? the pic below is my recent purchase - i bought it as seen so not complaining about the condition - it doesnt affect the sound at all except i believe in one particular spot - E on the 9th position on the G string - always buzzes when you fret it exactly on pitch - im guessing this is due to the finer guage of the string - so it then occured to me that maybe i could polish it out or if not eliminate completely then maybe reduce the effect not too worried about the cosmetic issues but would liek to stop the buzzing on the G string at 9th here is a pic - please note i took this with a light source place at extreme side on angle just to demonstrate the effect better in the pic - under regular lighting conditions it doesnt look anywhere near as drastic as this thanks sorry nearly forgot to mention - its a squier VM J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 Squier VMJ? Nice. Looks like the previous owner was using 'fretted' vibrato technique... I've got the same sort of wear on my Mighty Mite ebanol board, so I'd be interested in any replies too. I've used 1200 paper on it before now, but that's not ideal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bass Doc Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 [quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1364072344' post='2021707'] I've used 1200 paper on it before now, but that's not ideal. [/quote] Poysonally I would start with something nearer 320/400 and go through the grades to 1200 finishing off with Brasso. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted March 23, 2013 Author Share Posted March 23, 2013 Yes I've used brAsso before with brown card wrapped around sanding block for polishing out fine scratches How thick is the ebanol though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted March 23, 2013 Share Posted March 23, 2013 1200 wet&dry with soapy water as a lube and a lot of patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Emery-Cloth-Polishing-Kit-Micro-Mesh-Sanding-Sheet-MicroMesh-Abrasive-Finishing-/221078302349 I've used this micro-mesh finishing paper set on an ebanol board with good results (1500 to 12000 grit). Ebanol shows every little mark and you need to steadily work your way up through the finer grades to get a polished finish. Wear a face mask as the ebanol dust gets everywhere. The white plastic fret lines on the VMJ ebanol boards can also cause isolated buzzing if their not perfectly flush. Before you tackle finishing the whole board it may be worth checking the 'fret' where you're getting the buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 [quote name='ikay' timestamp='1364125382' post='2022069'] [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Emery-Cloth-Polishing-Kit-Micro-Mesh-Sanding-Sheet-MicroMesh-Abrasive-Finishing-/221078302349"]http://www.ebay.co.u...g-/221078302349[/url] I've used this micro-mesh finishing paper set on an ebanol board with good results (1500 to 12000 grit). Ebanol shows every little mark and you need to steadily work your way up through the finer grades to get a polished finish. Wear a face mask as the ebanol dust gets everywhere. The white plastic fret lines on the VMJ ebanol boards can also cause isolated buzzing if their not perfectly flush. Before you tackle finishing the whole board it may be worth checking the 'fret' where you're getting the buzz. [/quote] thanks for this - i did spend a bit of time looking at it again and noticed that the fret lines can be felt but it really is very minimal but might be enough to cause the buzzing im liking the sound of the micro mesh apologies for late repy - too much time spent loitering in off topic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 (edited) ok progress report - stage 1 complete removed nut and removed neck from body attacked it with some 600 grade wet&dry using it wrapped around rubber sanding block with soapy water to stop the dust i expected to take quite a bit of rubbing to get down enough to even out the grooves from the strings but as the grooves were not all that deep AND the ebonol is actually much softer than i anticipated only needed about 3-4 dozen strokes and it was done the finish is now very smooth to the touch and if you werent bothered about comsetics, would be playable as it is now - however the 600 grade doesnt leave any scratches visible to the naked eye but the abrasive marks being very fine does still produce a significant amount of greying to the surface - if the body was an old dog i would just use it as it is, but as the vmJ is rather a fine looking specimen i will make the extra effort to get some micromesh or maybe try some cutting/polishing paste to reduce the greying effect and gloss up the finish a bit more Edited April 6, 2013 by steve-bbb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikay Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 [quote name='steve-bbb' timestamp='1365236438' post='2036965'] but the abrasive marks being very fine does still produce a significant amount of greying to the surface [/quote] This is where you need the micro-mesh. Steadily work up through the grits and the polish will come back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 [quote name='ikay' timestamp='1365244087' post='2037095'] This is where you need the micro-mesh. Steadily work up through the grits and the polish will come back. [/quote] just doing it now with some 1200 grade - the greying is much less now so that it doesnt look so much grey more like a nice sort of satin matt finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 (edited) this is how it is looking after the 1200 grade - still a bit grey out in bright sunlight - not glossy at all very satin matt at the moment but perfectly usable and functional if you werent fussy - the small scratches at the bottom left (and a couple of other small spots) of pic are all thats left of the deepst roundwound scratches - i only sanded as far as getting rid of as much as possible without removing too much material and im sure once polished and strung up they will be barely noticeable - its certainly a massive improvement on how it was before Edited April 6, 2013 by steve-bbb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 after the 1200 grade i then used a microfibre cloth wrapped around the rubber sanding block to polish out the fine scratches with T-Cut the end result - no greying or visible scratches - the satin finish is gone and it looks more polished it is not as glossy as the ebonol is when new from the factory, however the amount of gloss and shine it now has is more comparable to a piece of real ebony, and because it has a less 'lacquered' appearance now compared to new, there is also wood grain pattern showing through the ebonol -very pleased with the end result as it looks much more organic than the original high gloss finish - now to find some black nylon wounds and see if the gotoh bridge will set up without the need for shimming the neck (will post pic of the finished result when i get some sunshine here to take a decent pic!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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