Cscsiga Posted October 26, 2022 Author Share Posted October 26, 2022 1 hour ago, Grimalkin said: Click the pic and magnify the bridge, the saddles are pretty much pulled all the way back to the back-plate with the silks of the strings (D/A/E) running into the string slots. It's all pulled too far back, pretty much to its limits. I'm wondering how the intonation has been set up. Since it doesn't have any marking on the fretboard I can only rely on my ears despite the side dots. It also deceptive to my eyes (and i think to others as well) visually when I look down. So ears only on this horse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, Cscsiga said: Since it doesn't have any marking on the fretboard I can only rely on my ears despite the side dots. It also deceptive to my eyes (and i think to others as well) visually when I look down. So ears only on this horse. It has side markers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 3 minutes ago, Grimalkin said: Explain please, Jaco? Apologies. Pino. The concept is the same - the intonation is adjusted to where the player feels comfortable, not where the eyes say it should be. I've tried compensating for the angles you look down at the strings at, i also tried compensating for my own poor technique. The upshot is that regardless of how the intonation is set you play by ear and adjust very quickly to any difference (as one should on a fretless) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 1 minute ago, BreadBin said: The upshot is that regardless of how the intonation is set you play by ear and adjust very quickly to any difference (as one should on a fretless) You have to be playing at a slow tempo to pitch correct on the fly, anything higher and you can forget about it. Then it's positioning and muscle memory, no chance of individual note pitch correction. From 0.30: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Also - to answer the OP. I would not put frets on this lovely bass, I would either find a replacement neck or just use a different bass. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Change your pitch sighting and bring the saddles forward mate. All bunched up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 2 minutes ago, Grimalkin said: You have to be playing at a slow tempo to pitch correct on the fly, anything higher and you can forget about it. Then it's positioning and muscle memory, no chance of individual note pitch correction. From 0.30: How do you suppose all the many players of unlined bass guitars and upright bass players have managed for so long? The guys in that video aren't looking at their fingers half the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dclaassen Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 I’ve had both and appreciate a lined fretless. It comes in handy when rehearsing to get your shifts down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 (edited) 4 minutes ago, BreadBin said: How do you suppose all the many players of unlined bass guitars and upright bass players have managed for so long? The guys in that video aren't looking at their fingers half the time! Playing a bass guitar is a very different thing to playing an upright bass, different positioning techniques. And uprights, have a certain amount of leeway with intonation, let's put it that way. Birelli is looking at his fingers almost all of the time... Edited October 26, 2022 by Grimalkin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Looking almost all of the time, Pino the same: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Pino, miming, not even plugged in and he's still instinctively checking his positioning quite a fair bit: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreadBin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 @Grimalkin I know you like to prove a point in here. I'm not going to get sucked into debating with you as it is a pointless waste of time. The OP has stated that he plays by ear. I play by ear. Whether you think that is correct or not is irrelevant to me. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 3 minutes ago, BreadBin said: @Grimalkin I know you like to prove a point in here. I'm not going to get sucked into debating with you as it is a pointless waste of time. The OP has stated that he plays by ear. I play by ear. Whether you think that is correct or not is irrelevant to me. I use everything I can to improve intonation, I listen to the guys who have that together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 And I'm a drummer, so what would I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 (edited) Do uprights, doublebass have any fretboard reference? Straight bridge so all about finger position, also higher action?.. Fretless bass even unlined... do they all tend to have a ref or fret position mimic, dot or mark at the fret, rather than in between? so some sort of bridge intonation would be requiered to play by dot rather than ear?.. Correct? Edited October 26, 2022 by PaulThePlug 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 15 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: Do uprights, doublebass have any fretboard reference? Straight bridge so all about finger position, also higher action?.. Fretless bass even unlined... do they all tend to have a ref or fret position mimic, dot or mark at the fret, rather than in between? so some sort of bridge intonation would be requiered to play by dot rather than ear?.. Correct? Upright players don't use fingerboard references as such, their positioning is cued by the physicality of the instrument, the scroll, the upper shoulders, thumb position. Of course if you are bowing with an orchestra at slower tempos you can finger roll to adjust a little flat or sharp, if you have time. You'll note that upright jazz players have quite a bit of leeway with intonation, a bit of gratis. I intonate all my fretless basses for the positioning I want in regard to the lines. Which is just behind, almost the same as a fretted. Both by eye and ear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Uprights are a different ball game in equivalence to electric bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 I would love to have the ears for fretless playing... Big Respect to those that do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 3 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: I would love to have the ears for fretless playing... Big Respect to those that do. Get lines. You'll get a lot closer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Downunderwonder Posted October 26, 2022 Share Posted October 26, 2022 21 minutes ago, PaulThePlug said: I would love to have the ears for fretless playing... Big Respect to those that do. I doubt any bass player has such poor tonal discernment that would make it impossible for them to take up fretless. You need to have a proper go. There is a paradigm shift in having to DIY the pitch. It's not just plopping fingers down any more. It takes a bit of practice to develop the reflex to correct your positioning on the fly and even more to get the muscle memory. If you can hear when it's wrong then you have plenty good enough hearing for the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralf1e Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 11 hours ago, BreadBin said: @Grimalkin I know you like to prove a point in here. I'm not going to get sucked into debating with you as it is a pointless waste of time. The OP has stated that he plays by ear. I play by ear. Whether you think that is correct or not is irrelevant to me. I used to practice in the dark and I mean cant see the fret-board anyway. So I guess I play by ear a lot as well. Mind you it screws you up when you cant hear yourself as others are too loud. I gotta put one of my fretless necks on now thanks to all this. I've not tried it for years since taking the top off my left hand forefinger. 🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimalkin Posted October 27, 2022 Share Posted October 27, 2022 Nothing comes for nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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