Larry Graham Style Bird!

MikeyB5 · September 11, 2009, 02:41:29 PM

I saw this in a store a while back and wanted to get a pic of it.Then I found it on Luthier's Access Group site.Interesting.They just painted over the fret board.

gearHed289 · September 11, 2009, 03:26:44 PM

Ha! Cool. I dub thee Tennessee Tuxedo. Needs a black PG.

OldManC · September 11, 2009, 04:08:40 PM

Please forgive my ignorance but will that paint hold up or look like ass after a few months worth of gigs? I kinda like it but would be wary of doing it unless I knew it would stay looking that way.

exiledarchangel · September 12, 2009, 02:02:52 AM

I like that look, but it needs a black pickguard, black dots on the fretboard and all black hardware!

godofthunder · September 12, 2009, 05:49:44 AM

I'm not digg'n it

MikeyB5 · September 12, 2009, 05:52:39 AM

Quote from: OldManC on September 11, 2009, 04:08:40 PM
Please forgive my ignorance but will that paint hold up or look like ass after a few months worth of gigs? I kinda like it but would be wary of doing it unless I knew it would stay looking that way.

They put a clear coat over the whole thing after the fretboard was painted.

Highlander · September 12, 2009, 08:43:20 AM

... but would probably wear thru eventually, like a relic...

Dave W · September 12, 2009, 09:12:00 AM

All depends on how flexible and abrasion resistant that finish is.

The Rick Tuxedos, Blackstars and Rednecks had painted fretboards with tough finishes, though I don't know how many of them have ever been played hard.

Lightyear · September 12, 2009, 09:39:05 AM

I would think that with flats and an advanced finish it would last for a while - but not forever.

OldManC · September 12, 2009, 12:18:58 PM

I guess a clear coat would certainly help. Do the special edition Rics have the same thick coating the standard ones have? I didn't think of those...

Dave W · September 12, 2009, 02:27:43 PM

I've never seen one in person. Ilan may have.

Chris P. · September 12, 2009, 03:13:59 PM

I guess if you use a very hard type of clear coating, it won't be a problem. Maybe get a new coating after some time.

Highlander · September 12, 2009, 04:02:03 PM

My maple neck on the RD is "coated" and not showing too much wear at present - 23 years old... admitedly, not seen a lot of use up until this year...

Daniel_J · September 13, 2009, 12:36:09 AM

It really all depends on the fret height and the way you play it. The type of finish has a little bit to do aswell.

On a standard 34 inch scale neck and on today's jumbo frets, most of the players won't even get close to press the strings all that way to make it contact the fingerboard even when doing heavy bending. You really have to press the strings really hard, even on the thinner G string, and right at the mid point between frets to make it contact the board, and most of the players press the strings closer to the frets.

Fingertips would make contact with the board, but with the very resistant poly finishes of today there's little chance that sweat and grease would be enough to corrode it in a short period of time. I don't know about nitro since I have little experience with.

Well, that's my opinion anyway. I've worked on a good number of basses and have never seen a fingerboard that had actual markings of the strings winding wires on it.
But that's just me. Maybe I just haven't came across with a real heavy player yet.

Maybe some of you guys can share the experience of some of your basses that have worn boards and post some pics?

Highlander · September 13, 2009, 10:38:02 AM

She's fretless, Daniel...