MatthewVanitas - Posted - 11/12/2014:  07:51:29

I really enjoy fretless with nylon strings, and I really like the look/idea of copper-clad necks. Are copper (or formica, alumnium, glass, etc) fretboards worth doing for a nylon-strung instrument, or do they really only have great benefits when playing with steel strings?

I'm living down here in Colombia right now, so if I get this done it'll be by just going to some workshop that does roofing or countertops of whatnot and give them $20 to overlay something on a fretted neck after grinding the frets down, so seems a shame not to cash in on having cheap labor available. Just didn't know if the cladding that'd make steel strings ring out and slide well would just sound dull with nylon strings.

oldtimer - Posted - 11/12/2014:  08:16:42

I use Nylguts on my old brass clad Ramsey. And Dan Gellert uses nylon on a brass clad fingerboard. It works just fine. The brass doesn't give the zing to nylons that it does to steel strings, but it sounds great.
Here is Dan playing his:
youtube.com/watch?v=tButoruSMDc#t=55

etparadox - Posted - 11/12/2014:  08:38:30

Don't have them grind the frets down. Heat them with a soldering iron and pull them out with end nips. If your overlay isn't installed properly you'll get high and low spots that will cause problems. 

rudy - Posted - 11/12/2014:  11:23:52

You'd be better off with brass overlay.  Copper will form a green patina as it reacts to finger moisture and you'll end up with green fingers.

zac987 - Posted - 11/12/2014:  13:34:58

I agree with Rudy. Brass is a much better look (the patina looks far more natural on a musical instrument), and I've heard it sounds better as well. Nylon strings will do just fine with the brass fretless. 

MatthewVanitas - Posted - 11/12/2014:  14:07:49

Any idea what sort of store one seeks out to find guys who work with copper sheet?

Would aluminum sheet work just as well? I know a neighborhood where there are some fabricators that I think make aluminum tanks, corrugated sheets, etc.

Failing finding either a copper supplier or an aluminum supplier, there's a whole city block here of shops that do nothing but countertops, so I'm sure I can find someone to install formica pretty easily. Bogota uses the whole medieval-style layout where like shops are all together, so you can't find a coffee press to save your life, then you turn a corner and there will be literally 20 shops on one street selling coffee pressed.

MatthewVanitas - Posted - 11/19/2014:  09:02:48

I found a guy who can clad me a neck in galvanized steel for US$5.

But it galvanized steel an okay material for that, or is it not slidey enough on the fingers? I'm worried the coating will haze and not slide smooth after that. Formica a safer bet if I just can't find anyone who does aluminum or brass?

banjered - Posted - 11/19/2014:  10:33:00

Wouldn't pulling the frets cause a tendency for the neck to bow?  Maybe grind them down? Banjered

Lyndon Smith - Posted - 11/19/2014:  10:52:11

MatthewVanitas: I've gone with brass plate on my half fretless that I'm building. Just remember that whatever you use for the plate it must be the same height as the fret wire. In my case it was 40 thousandths thick. Slightly higher is probably ok but lower is a no no...

Half Fretless

Dobson Heel

Hawgfiddle65 - Posted - 11/19/2014:  13:01:46

Hi

Lyndon, that's a  cracker. I really like the brass in the scoop.What sort of tone ring is that?

Yes ,brass not copper. I guess Columbia is pretty humid and along with sweaty salty fingers you'd get verdigris developing pretty quickly on a copper plate

Plenty of brass on Ebay, or else try people who supply name plates/plaques etc

Jim

Edited by - Hawgfiddle65 on 11/19/2014 13:03:42

SmokinJoe - Posted - 11/19/2014:  18:49:32

Absolutely NO on the galvanized steel. It will haze over, galvanized coating will rub off on your hands (in very small amounts) and is not good for you - especially if it ends up in your mouth, and it won't look nearly as good as brass, copper, or stainless steel.