lownote Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 (edited) Do stop me if there is already a thread but I couldn't see one. Just thought it might be good to have somewhere to swap ideas , wrinkles, that sort of thing. I accidentally got into unlined after I bought a Revelation off eBay. The seller's pix were so bad I thought it was lined until I picked up but I decided to keep it anyway (as new, £120, what's not to like?). I'd always assumed unlined was seriously hard, but it turned out to be much easier than I thought - so long as the side markers are in the right place. In fact I took to it so much I've since bought another, an active 940FL Vintage (pic) and my fretted Hohner 6 is gathering dust. The Vintage through my Ashdown MAG300 + 15" is such a nice sound. So far the upsides are the sound, and having young people at blues jams ask "Are you really playing unlined? Wow" in an awed tone which frankly I don't get very much for .. anything really. The downsides are they're pretty difficult to sell because there are so few unlined FeLlas. Edited January 1, 2020 by lownote12 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Yup. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merton Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I always found myself relying on the lines on my old Status Groove fretless so when my friend built me this made a conscious decision to go unlined, to force me to listen more and look less. It’s great fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Yep, I play unlined fretless almost all the time. In fact I've played unlined for so long now I am completely disorientated on a lined! Here's my squeeze: a beautiful Franz Sirius from Germany. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted December 31, 2019 Author Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 minute ago, Merton said: I always found myself relying on the lines on my old Status Groove fretless so when my friend built me this made a conscious decision to go unlined, to force me to listen more and look less. It’s great fun Fiver, nice. I can't seem to find a cheap 5 string. There is always this, currently in the Bass Gallery for almost £8000. Its ebony fingerboard is probably worth more than all my gear put together. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I've had a couple of fretless basses, and while I don't have one at the mo because I don't have a requirement for one, I've never had a lined one...they just seemed a bit, erm, training wheels... 🤐 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lownote Posted December 31, 2019 Author Share Posted December 31, 2019 6 minutes ago, franzbassist said: Yep, I play unlined fretless almost all the time. In fact I've played unlined for so long now I am completely disorientated on a lined! Here's my squeeze: a beautiful Franz Sirius from Germany. Wuff, that is beautiful. And I just found a clip online so I know its sounds great too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I've only ever had unlined and quite honestly have never understood the lined/unlined thing. If you have side dots then I really can't see having lines or not makes things any different. On a fretted bass surely people aren't leaning over the front to see where they are by using the fretboard dots or blocks over using the side dots, same with fretless. I much prefer the look of unlined as well and would always buy unlined over lined if a choice was available. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drTStingray Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Yes definitely - great fun and sounds fabulous 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Yes, but currently no pics - a 5 string Overwater & a 5 string custom build - Gibson RD body, Fender-style neck, MM pickup in the sweet spot and SD 2 band pre. G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyonbass Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Here's my ACG J Type, the pre-amp really works well with fretless, I still struggle with intonation up the dusty end though! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I have both, but use my ears more than the lines/side markers. lined is a Pedula Buzz 4 unlined is a Moon MBC 5 Both have polyester coated fingerboards.........so loads of mwah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philw Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 My Wal is lined 'cause I naively ordered it that way back in '83, but at least I had the sense to specify rosewood lines in an ebony fingerboard so they're only visible if you look hard. Anyway, I soon discovered that, for me anyway, lines compete with chocolate teapots in the usefulness stakes. When I look it's at the side dots (don't get me started on dots positioned between the "frets"! What utter madness is that?). And, well, I sometimes wonder what kind of looks an orchestral string player would get from their colleagues if they turned up with, say a lined violin? Happy New Year P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Here are some of mine, I really don't like lined fretless basses because you tend to play with your eyes and not your ears. De Gier Origin Deluxe Fretless 6 Ernie Ball MusicMan StingRay 5 Fretless Fender Precision Bass Fretless 1970 Fender Precision Bass Fretlessised 1978 Laurus Quasar SL 190 Leduc MP 628 SF AA Leduc MP 631 SF Leduc MP 628 SF MTD 635-24 Fretless Nexus Gom Jabbar Magellan Fretless 6 Noguera Fairplay Fretless 6 Noguera YC Signature 8 Fretless Paul Lairat Gabriella 5 Fretless Stradi Symphony Bass #6 Most of them have gone... 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Handmade, 36", lightweight, hi-Z, luminous dots on the side. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 1 hour ago, Hellzero said: Here are some of mine, I really don't like lined fretless basses because you tend to play with your eyes and not your ears. That is some collection @Hellzero! Chapeau!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highfox Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Sometimes. An 83 Ibanez Musician. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I can and have done. The 'must have' fretless for me was always a Pedulla Pentabuzz and the one I have is lined. I prefer lines but I'm not lost without them. Indeed, after a little while playing unlined coming back to a lined bass is a little disorienting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnFitzgerald Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I do, yes. This is my Fame / Mayones neck thru. Bought from here as a matter of fact this is it with it's almost matching 6 string fretted model. this one has ebony board an the brightest sounding flats I've ever heard. It also has the side dots in the correct place for fretless, which really helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
munkyowen Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Only picture I could find of mine has me in the way of it 🙃 no lines, lovely sound 😁 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilp Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Yes. As has been said, it makes no difference, you can't see the lines, and you don't tune with your eyes... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davebassics Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I dabble ... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Horse Murphy Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 I too am an unlined Fretless player and agree with everyone's comments I why they're preferable (to me) than lined Fretlesses and perhaps more importantly, I think they look better too 😉 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 Fortunate enough to have had both lined and unlined Stingrays in my time, and much prefer unlined as I tended to overthink/over rely on watching my playing with lined rather than just intonating from muscle memory. Spookily enough sold my last 2EQ Pino-inspired one to the previous poster, Mr Old Horse of this parish many moons ago... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted December 31, 2019 Share Posted December 31, 2019 My Godin A4 Ultra is the best of both worlds - unlined but with side lines. It looks unlined to the audience but lined when you're playing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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