The Fret Shack

This is a custom electric build that we are retrofitting a Fender style neck for. This is a process that has more to it than simply routing the neck pocket.
The geometry of the instrument requires measurements for the scale length, side to side, and neck angle. All of this must be determined before rerouting and fitting a neck.
The side to side is measuring until the neck is equal on either side from the center of the bridge. This is to ensure that strings are not too close to the side of the fretboard, so the strings do not fall off of the neck while playing.
The scale length is measured from the nut of the guitar to the 12th fret, and then doubling the measurement to the bridge. Based on the scale length measured from the nut, it can be determined how far from the bridge the 12th fret needs to be. When installing a neck, the depth of the neck pocket will affect the scale length. It must be precisely measured to ensure the guitar will intonate properly when setup. This is a process of measuring 10 times and cutting once.
The neck angle is the ever so slight backwards tilt of the neck. This is to ensure the guitar has an adequate range of action. This is measured by using a straight edge from over the bridge and accounting for the desired action of the guitar.
Once all of these measurements are perfect and checked numerous times, a routing temple is created for the guitar. After that the neck pocket is routed and the neck is screwed into place.

Just a couple of cool things that have come our way recently!
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A lot of bass players have a 5 string, 6 string, and a fretless in their collection. Unfortunately, fretless basses are not common and a lot will run you some serious $$$.
So it's not uncommon to take an under utilized bass from a players collection and turning it fretless, to create another tool in their tonal arsenal.
The start of a fretless conversion starts the same as a normal refret, by using a little heat and some carful use of a fret puller to pull the frets without causing chip out.
Once all the frets are out the fret slots will need to be filled. I personally like using contrasting material to fill the slots. Here, I use some maple veneer which will act as fret markers for the player.
After the fret slots are filled, the veneer gets cut down and we'll start leveling the board.
When we get the board dead flat and sanded with high grit sandpaper, I start applying a coat of finish to the fretboard. The finish you use is up to player preference. For this fretboard, I went for light coat of polyurethane.
The final step is a good setup and getting everything dialed in for this bass's new life as a fretless.