Playing the fretless bass

[Beedster]

54 minutes ago, Bagman said:

It was Blue Murder!!!

 

...and on reflection I suspect technically incorrect, although I can't face watching it again to scrutinise further. But surely while had had be been comparing fretless with fretted his point would be valid, but I very much doubt that given the slight 'finding' of the correct pitch plus vibrato no matter how slight, there would be any noticeable audible and even measured difference between lined and unlined intonation on the notes in question.

 

Unless you were specifically trying to demonstrate one in a YT piece of course.........  

[JPJ]

I think the point of the video was ‘trust your ears’. I must confess having played unlined fretless for close to 43 years I prefer unlined to lined. I have a couple of defretted basses where the fret slots have been filled with near matching wood but I still find them distracting. 

[Beedster]

3 minutes ago, JPJ said:

I think the point of the video was ‘trust your ears’. I must confess having played unlined fretless for close to 43 years I prefer unlined to lined. I have a couple of defretted basses where the fret slots have been filled with near matching wood but I still find them distracting. 

 

Agreed 👍

[SimonK]

I've only ever played an unlined fretless and really like the big expanse of smooth wood to slide around and find the notes - I do use the dots on the top of the neck as a rough guide, but I think lines would just take away a bit of the freedom that a fretless neck gives!