henry norton Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Just curious but what type of board do you prefer; lined, marked (with harmonic positions where the fret would be), or good old plain unmarked? And why, of course! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Unmarked - so I can maintain my intonation with my ears and not my eyes. So I can play in the dark..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bh2 Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Heh... I use lined but I can intonate okay without looking... when I do look I start drifting off in an 'in-tune' sort of way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lew-Bass Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 My one and only ever fretless is currently my main bass, and it's unlined. I reckon I'd prefer a lined one though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Unlined, with dots on the side. If I'm out of tune, I'd rather not know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaver Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I tried an unlined for a while, which I should of stuck with for the reasons Bilbo gives above. Eventually I decided to sell and build a lined fretless instead. Why, because I'm a lazy wuss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 (edited) I would like an unlined fretless, but cost and the opportunity to have a matching fretted/fretless set mitigated against it, for now at least. So I have a cheap lined defret job. Edited November 7, 2009 by velvetkevorkian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Unlined but side dots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tengu Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Mine is lined but purely because it was the only one available in my price range at the time. I can't really see the lines during gigs so I could probably get away without them. I'd like to try an unlined one once I have more experience with the fretless (I've only been playing it for about a year). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Lined or unlined it makes no difference. The lines are a suggestion only not an absolute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martthebass Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Think I'm better on lined and prefer it that way but currently have unlined with side dots because the deal was good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry norton Posted November 7, 2009 Author Share Posted November 7, 2009 I used to have an unmarked, but found I got to know the little details and nuances of the ebony and started using those to reference my intonation if the light was OK. I also had one or two (neurotic singer songwriter type) people moan during sessions about the 'mwaw' sound seeming out of tune. I now have dots on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th positions. I've still got that cool looking and mind opening expanse of plain wood but also a reference for basic positions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodaxe Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Lined... sort of. Mine's a Defret & I thought it would be a good idea to put mahogany fretlines into a dark rosewood board - it was, until I started playing it. At the first sign of finger-grease & that, all my lovely inlaid strips vanished. With hindsight, I wouldn't have bothered, as I don't look at the face of the fingerboard anyway - just the edge. I've now "enhanced" the fretlines on the edge & generally know where I am. Haven't tried it under typical stage lighting (i.e. not much) yet. Pete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Plain board, side dots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Doesn't matter to me. I've learned to play on both because I wouldn't want to limit my ability to use the right tools for the job. Nothing wrong with lined boards at all either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleblob Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I've had unlined and now a lined and I think bilbo is spot on that it's best that your ear maintains your intonation, therefore not having lines forces you to listen more to what you're playing. However, personally I just feel more comfortable having lines. For me they're like having an air bag in a car, I don't neccesarily use it, but it's damn good to have it in case I need to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkstrike Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I can use either, but prefer lines. They come in handy when I can't hear myself, as I can get relatively in tune anyway(I have my lined ones well intonated to the lines), and for chords, they're a godsend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 Unlined looks cooler, but I'd be sunk without the side dots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beedster Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 [quote name='Darkstrike' post='648443' date='Nov 7 2009, 11:45 PM']I can use either, but prefer lines. They come in handy when I can't hear myself[/quote] [quote name='witterth' post='648447' date='Nov 7 2009, 11:53 PM']Unlined looks cooler, but I'd be sunk without the side dots.[/quote] +1 to both of the above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted November 7, 2009 Share Posted November 7, 2009 I'll never be a fretless-only player, so I need to be able to switch between fretted and fretless really easily. My Ibanez fretless (a 2366 P-bass from 1972) has "fret-edges", i.e. partial frets about a millimetre long set into the side of the fretboard, exactly where the frets would end on a fretted bass, plus the usual side dots you'd expect. When I'm playing, and glance down at the (side of the) neck, it looks like a fretted bass. To the audience, it's an uninterrupted expanse of (stained) rosewood. [url="http://tinypic.com/a/z8zs/3"]http://tinypic.com/a/z8zs/3[/url] Brilliantly simply, and simply brilliant. I'd recommend that to any fretted player looking to start playing fretless. The only thing I'd change (magic wand at the ready) is that I'd prefer a maple board. Rosewood doesn't have quite the sound I'm after. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 [quote name='witterth' post='648447' date='Nov 7 2009, 11:53 PM']Unlined looks cooler, but I'd be sunk without the side dots.[/quote] Likewise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairobill Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 (edited) Lined boards exclusively. Edited November 8, 2009 by Cairobill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7string Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 I had my Conklin GT7 de-fretted when I got a new fretted bass. I did look into getting a new fingerboard, but couldn't afford it! I have lines and Jon Shuker did a great job of making them as faint as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duarte Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Unmarked. It looks badass. ANd I'm a fan of pau ferro boards...that wood is beautiful. I'm yet to try a fretless ebony board but it looks 'schweet' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Lined. Why make fretless bass playing anymore difficult than it already is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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