jazz3625tonic

Hi, yes, that's why I deceided if I do go ahead with it it would be only the last couple of frets. I would level, crown, ect. the 1st through the 18th frets. But most folks here are right... leveling the whole board (20 frets) and just taking the last two or three frets down themselves after leveling, ect. sounds just as easy as (or easier) than leveling frets 1 - 18.

But no matter how I did it intonating at the 12th fret (frets 1 - 18 being level anyway) would work and is neither here nor there.

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The .010" seems slight to you, but in 'fret world' it's an extreme difference. The type of thing you are talking about here, has been done : a "down hill" fretting style. I think they always go with at least 3 sizes and they are are blended into each other. Never tried it, so can't say a whole lot about it. Just the idea of different sized frets makes it seem unappealing to me (Don't want to feel an increase in fret-board friction way up the neck, and the tips of my 1st and smallest finger are small enough to fit between most of the frets up there).

Anyway, even with 3 sizes, there's probably some significant re-crowning to do on many of the frets.

If you are thinking of not blending them together, and having .010" difference of height between frets 13 and 14, I'm suspecting it's going to be a problem when you fret the 14th or 15th fret and it makes hard contact with the previous fret before making good contact with the fret you are playing. Might get a serious case of that "back buzz" (where strings are laying too hard, or on too many frets, behind the fretting hand.

But, I'm just making semi-educated guesses here, since I have not actually done this.

If you're careful, it's quite a reversible mod to experiment with .

You could even experiment by finding pieces of guitar/bass strings (or metal wire) .010" higher than the frets and taping it next to the 13th or 14th fret and see what effect that has on playing positions around there. (I mean see if it causes the problems I wonder about)

Well, it's only a 4 string 20 fret fingerboard and I hardly if ever play above the 14 fret, not because I can't but because it really isn't something that is needed for 99% of the music I play. (Blues, Jazz, ect.) Most bass players that do a lot of chording and solo work more often than not play a 6 string bass. Having said that and after some more thought I don't think I have to start my drop off at the 14 fret, the 16th or even the 18th fret may be best. After a level, crown and polish from the 16th or 18th fret to the nut and even if I end up with a differance of .005 - .008 lower in height at the end of the fretboard I'm thinking it would be a benefit to me for getting my action were I like it. I doubt I would ever be able to feel the difference since trying to play a bass line on the 18th fret on the E string let alone the G on a Fender style body just does not make sense and is hardly if ever called for. I guess the reason I even thought of throwing this out there is to see if there is a reason not to do it that I'm not thinking about like not being able to tune or intonate the bass, or It would look unsightly, or not being able to level the rest of the frets down to the nut.

And I'm not thinking of mixing up the fret size's or having lower in height frets at the 14th through the 16th and then going to higher frets again to the end of the fretboard, just a slight drop off on the last few is all and since the width's on the fret wire's are almost the same I doubt someone could see the difference without a close inspection.

I really do appreciate your's and any (and all) input also since I want to give enough time in this thread for somone to let me know if there is really some fundamental reason why it should not be done. It's an idea that I won't just jump into.

A good fret dressing for low action usually requires some kind of "fall away" in fret top height starting at ~#12 to #14 and extending to the end of the fretboard, to avoid exactly the kind of buzz you're talking about. 0.010" at the end of the fretboard is totally within the range of acceptability for a bass, and while a step-function drop in height at #14 is probably not necessary....I'm having a hard time coming up with a reason to NOT do it that way.

I know at least one person on the forum has done something similar on guitars.

Well, it just makes sense to me and since the widths are so close and the height being within .010" I doubt most people would be able to see it. I like my action close as I play with a light touch so the relief in my neck is almost always slight and and to get real close action I even sometimes will shim the neck a tiny bit so having the fret heights at the end of the board a bit lower to start seems logical but I am a bit nervous to try it.