Experimenting

Hmmmm...fretless. I'm intrigued!
That would eliminate sharp edges and a lot of potential buzzes.
 
Hmmmm...fretless. I'm intrigued!
That would eliminate sharp edges and a lot of potential buzzes.

Of course, you could take your inspiration from the legendary bassist, Jaco Pastorious.

"As he developed as a player, Jaco had experimented with creating fretless basses. In the early 1970s, he acquired a 1962 Fender Jazz bass, which either Jaco acquired already fretless or from which he removed the frets with a butter knife (his recollections varied over the years). Jaco filled in the areas where the frets had been with plastic wood and coated the former fretboard with epoxy."
 
Of course, you could take your inspiration from the legendary bassist, Jaco Pastorious.

"As he developed as a player, Jaco had experimented with creating fretless basses. In the early 1970s, he acquired a 1962 Fender Jazz bass, which either Jaco acquired already fretless or from which he removed the frets with a butter knife (his recollections varied over the years). Jaco filled in the areas where the frets had been with plastic wood and coated the former fretboard with epoxy."

Thanks! That might be worth a try, on an old uke I have....
 
Bruce Wei sells fretboards and does custom work. Contact him on ebay and ask for one with a zero fret. Shipping is free. They are inlaid, but you could ask for a plain one.
www.ebay.com/itm/Free-Shipping-Ukul...070468?hash=item4439b6ffc4:g:JOYAAOSw~CRTq7nX

Bruce replied that he would be willing to make a fretboard for me, and he requested all the specs, inlays, etc. I am not going to waste his time by replying and having him figure a price because I know he won't be able to match the $6.00 - $12.00 prices on Amazon. It is good to know, though, that he will make a custom fretboard if you are planning a fancy uke.
 
On a fret board designed for a nut, the zero fret goes where the nut goes. One could sandwich the zero fret between the nut and the end of the fret board.
 
According to the Beau Hannan site, you have to plug them in to hear them. But I'm still intrigued.

Hmmmm...fretless. I'm intrigued!
That would eliminate sharp edges and a lot of potential buzzes.
 
After looking into this further, it's going to be a challenge. Not all fretboards are created equal, and the distance from the zero fret to the 12th fret must be the same as on the Fluke. Otherwise, I would have to move the bridge. I also want the fret markers to be in the standard locations, so cutting off the top of the board is not an option. That's going to be the main problem: maintaining the 12th fret distance and keeping the fret markers in their proper locations. Doing either one is easy, but doing both - not so much. I have a couple of fretboards here, and I've ordered some more, so I'll see if any have the right dimensions.
 
After looking into this further, it's going to be a challenge. Not all fretboards are created equal, and the distance from the zero fret to the 12th fret must be the same as on the Fluke. Otherwise, I would have to move the bridge. I also want the fret markers to be in the standard locations, so cutting off the top of the board is not an option. That's going to be the main problem: maintaining the 12th fret distance and keeping the fret markers in their proper locations. Doing either one is easy, but doing both - not so much. I have a couple of fretboards here, and I've ordered some more, so I'll see if any have the right dimensions.

You could make it a bigger project and order a blank fretboard and learn how to place and dress the frets yourself, and put in your own markers.
 
You could make it a bigger project and order a blank fretboard and learn how to place and dress the frets yourself, and put in your own markers.

That may be the most workable solution, rather than possibly end up with an instrument that does not work properly. Good luck with the project!
 
You could make it a bigger project and order a blank fretboard and learn how to place and dress the frets yourself, and put in your own markers.

Yes, that's another idea. I think I have a couple of blanks from cigar box builds. I probably have enough fret wire left over, too.
 
I just ordered tools and supplies from C. B. Getty and StewMac so I can cut my own slots and install fret wire. The Magic Fluke fretboards are unlike any others I've seen, and no off-the-shelf board will work. This should be an interesting project. I have only one Fluke with a plastic board, but if this works, I might get more.
 
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