NydiaMccartney answers:

It depends on what kind of fret wire you have. Here is a pic so you can understand me:http://liutaiomottola.com/construction/FretInstall_files/fret.GIF
Most kinds have either a barb or a flanged tang so that they don’t slip out. The result is fret wire that can be difficult to remove.

To remove it (carefully) requires a special set of pliers – http://www.guitarsetup.co.uk/img/refret/large/fret+removal.jpg – that are tailored for this purpose. You can find them online and at some local guitar repair shops. You could use wire cutters and get the same effect I suppose, but keep in mind that you should always use the right tool for the job.

Start at one end of the wire, and slowly pull it up at small intervals. Move along the length of the fret, pulling it up little by little. If you try to rush it, you can end up damaging your fretboard as the barbs come up, especially if you have hardwood fingerboard (it splinters).

Start with the highest fret – if you mess up, it isn’t as big of a deal because the higher frets on a bass aren’t used much (it kinda defeats the purpose, lol).

If you find that you cannot get the frets out, and still don’t want to go to a professional, you can a grinder (note – this is NOT a sander) or dremel drill very tenderly to the frets. You will mar your fretboard – be warned. AND this method IS permanent. You cannot go back.

One HUGE note. Because you aren’t a trained luthier, it is likely that you might damage your bass. If you truly feel like you will never want frets back on your bass, it isn’t a big deal – just fill your mistakes with wood putty. But keep in mind that you might decide in the future to refret your bass, you might have done too much damage to it to fix.

It would be better for you to find a bass neck that hasn’t been fretted yet and swap it out for your current one. As long as you have the same scale neck and you install it right, it will be much less work. Then, if you decide that your bass sounds better with frets, you can always swap it out in 10 minutes. They start at $135 at allparts.com

NydiaMccartney answers:

It can work without it but i suggest using it, u should find all u need here
http://www.stewmac.com/ 10 points please

NydiaMccartney answers:

The specifics of your question are a little vague. You removed the frets and sanded “it” down. Does “it” refer to the fretboard or the entire guitar?
If you’re trying to make a fretless bass and just need to seal the fretboard, there are several things to consider. If it’s a maple neck, you’ll want to put a clear durable on it. You can safely use polyurethane from a hardware store. Spray-on will give a smooth finish, but you can also brush and buff. You’ll want at least 3 or 4 coats.
If it’s a rosewood fretboard, you don’t usually apply any finish. It you want to seal it, you can rub in a light coat of mineral oil.
In either case, you’ll want to deal with the slots left by the frets. It would be a shame to sand the fretboard deep enough to remove the slots. A better way would be to fill them. If you use a mixture of sawdust and wood glue, you have a cheap wood filler. Personally, I’d opt to fill the slots with a contrasting colored wood and sand it all flush. That way, you’d still have fret markings for reference, but it would play like a fretless.

If you’re talking about refinishing the entire guitar, use clear poly in a spray. It’s not the “professional” finish but it’s your cheapest option and will work fine.

NydiaMccartney answers:

Any impact the screw holes would have on the sound would be so small as to be undetectable. And as long as they’re not gigantic, they won’t have any effect on the structural integrity of the guitar, either. I would recommend filling the holes with wood filler, though, since that hardens to the density of actual wood and would essentially fix the damage. If you’re not familiar with wood filler, it’s a soft putty that comes in a plastic tube (or tub, though tubes are easier to use for filling nail or screw holes because you can squeeze the filler into place) and hardens when exposed to air. After wood filler is dry, you can sand it and paint it, which will enable you to minimize the appearance of flaws on your guitar.

NydiaMccartney answers:

Is it an acoustical guitar? If so, remove strings, and work from the inside instead of trying to glom some stuff on the outside and then waiting for it to dry so you can sand it out.

Take a small piece of very thin pliable plastic, or even a small piece of luan wood, apply some glue to one side, and place it from the inside over the hole. After it has dried, then work on putting something pliable into the exposed hole. Wood filler may work. You could match it pretty closely to the color of the guitar. Apply in two batches. Let the first dry, then gently sand only the filler. Apply another batch, just a touch higher than the surrounding wood, and let it dry. Sand that.
Then when it appears to match the surface, you can apply some wax product that does harden–see your hardware store. It should give you a finished look. Leave the underside piece in place. It shouldn’t affect the sound of your guitar.

NydiaMccartney answers:

Well if it’s made out of wood, which I assume it is, I would use wood glue and then wood filler to, you know, fill in the holes. After that just sand it down and you’re good to go.

NydiaMccartney answers:

If its a nitrocellulose finish you can just put another layer on, or have someone do it for you. If it isn’t then they might have some sort of scratch filler liquid at a music store.

I like scratches on my guitars. I can think back and say “remember when”. Or just look at the scratched parts and think of all the good songs we played.

NydiaMccartney answers:

I’ve used Spackle in the past to fill open grain and under paint it worked well. You could also try auto body filler, they make a fine one for final coats which would be thin enough to fill wood grain.

NydiaMccartney answers:

ONLY 3 mm deep?? Boy are you lucky. I think the grain of the wood can be raised by only wetting it with some water. Please don’t drench it… Just moisten it. Every few minutes, wipe some more water on it. The moisture causes the wood grain to SWELL again, and the grain just might raise up to the original height.
This is the NO COST, NO WORK method. Try it before you go buying pastes and fillers.