Fretless conversion tips

[Grassie]

Hi all,

 

Thinking of ripping the frets out of my Squier Affinity jazz, I’m pretty sure some of you have done this too, so please share any hints/tips/do’s/don’t’s.

Also looking for recommendations for somewhere to purchase wood veneer for the fret slots.

Ta very much in advance. 😎

[paul_5]

Patience is key here. If it's a rosewood (or similar) fretboard then be VERY careful when removing the frets, as it splinters very easily. Heat them up with a soldering iron to let them lift themselves out of the grooves before carefully pulling them out. Get a radius block too for the smoothing/sanding after the gaps have been filled in - these come in various sizes, so check with a radius gauge first - you might need two, as some boards have a compound radius (slightly different radius closer to the nut than the bridge).

[Grassie]

It’s a 1st gen Squier Affinity so I can’t imagine it has something as fancy as a compound radius, but thank you for the heads up. 😊

[paul_5]

2 minutes ago, Grassie said:

It’s a 1st gen Squier Affinity so I can’t imagine it has something as fancy as a compound radius, but thank you for the heads up. 😊

dunno, if it's made in the same factory as other (more expensive) basses then it's quicker (and therefore cheaper) to use the same tooling for everything.