UBD (Upgraded Bass Day): Fretless Fender Jazz with coated fretboard

[roman_sub]

Just wanted to share the results of upgrading my fretless, think I'm in love!

Started out life as a 2012 Fender US standard, typical spec factory fretless. Actually bought off this forum, as nearly new...

It now sports the following upgrades;

- black pickguard

- hipshot d-tuner

- original Bartolini pickups (from 80s)

- no load tone pot, with NOS paper-in-oil 0.047uf cap

- Thomastik Infeld flats

- brass nut

- and most importantly, polyester coating on the fretboard, expertly done by Jon Shuker!!

 

Coating the fretboard did achieve the tonal changes I had been hoping for: bass has become acoustically louder and sounds very even across all 'frets' (perhaps helped by Jon also planing the fretboard), note attack is more immediate, and sustain also improved. Arguably, the tone has taken on a slightly 'oily' (wife's words) timbre, and perhaps lost something of the natural woodiness it had before... but I love it. With rounds it nails the you-know-who tone, but I prefer TI flats for my own playing :-) 

UK December weather, so apologies for poor photos, might try to better ones over the weekend.

And another shout-out to Jon for doing an amazing job on the neck!

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by roman_sub

[Ramsay777]

Very nice! Is that finish Candy Cola?

I've got a Am. Standard from around the same time that started life as a Candy Cola, it's now Pearl White with a J-Retro pre.

[roman_sub]

1 minute ago, Ramsay777 said:

Very nice! Is that finish Candy Cola?

I've got a Am. Standard from around the same time that started life as a Candy Cola, it's now Pearl White with a J-Retro pre.

Thanks! It's actually Candy Apple Red - looks a bit more  bright red normally indoors!

I was really tempted to get a J-retro, and may return to this idea, but quite like the tones available via passive controls only at the moment.