The bass guitar fretboard is one of the pieces of a guitar you have to take care to maintain. As the frets on the guitar are where you are to place your fingers to form the correct chords, this part of the guitar is commonly worn. When you play a lot, you will usually end up replacing your strings first, then the frets. Frets are worn down with age and pressure from strings and fingers. As they are worn down, depending on the material, they may splinter or alter the sound of your guitar.
Should you encounter this problem, you should replace your bass guitar fretboard immediately. A fretboard that is worn not only affects the sound, it can teach your fingers bad finger memory. This is due to the fact that old or damaged frets may slide or be worn in such a way where your fingers do not rest properly on the strings. These minor adjustments can cause problems if you are trying to play on a professional level, as the sound will not be in tune. If you have ever dragged your finger across a violin string as it was being played, you would be able to hear the differences in tone as your finger moves up or down the string. The same principle applies with bass guitars.
If you need to replace a bass guitar fretboard, there are two ways that you can do it. First, you can remove all of the strings and try to replace the fretboard yourself. This can be done by peeling off the old fretboard and applying the new. Depending on how your instrument is constructed, this might be easy or difficult. If you have never replaced a bass guitar fretboard yourself, you may want to order the fretboard you want online and take the guitar and new fretboard to a professional shop. A professional will be able to remove the fretboard without damaging the neck of your guitar and make certain that the board is seated properly. A proper seating is required in order to get the quality of sound that you need.
There are several ways that you can make certain that your bass guitar fretboard remains in good condition. First, you can make certain that you clean the fretboard. Cleaning the fretboard will keep dust and containments off of the board, with will prolong its life. Second, you can learn to only apply the amount of pressure needed to get the correct sound. Some individuals will press too hard on the fretboard, which can lead to damage that can only be replaced through replacing the board.