Fretless Set up

[Nighttrain1127]

When setting the intonation on a fretless is it set the sme way as a fretted? Are there any setup differences that I need to be aware of on the Fretless?

[Nighttrain1127]

Thanks for the reply I just wanted to be sure I was not making a mess of things. I love the fretless it is a lot of fun.

[LzeroKI]

when adjusting string height on a fretless, should I use the measurement from the gear-head part of fender's website?

I.E. instead of the E being 2.4 mm from the fret, should it be 2.4 mm from the fret board?

[JimmyM]

My personal opinion is yes, but only as a guideline. Some like it lower, some like it higher. Me, I like it exactly.

[202dy]

Originally Posted by LzeroKI

when adjusting string height on a fretless, should I use the measurement from the gear-head part of fender's website?

I.E. instead of the E being 2.4 mm from the fret, should it be 2.4 mm from the fret board?

Yes, this is a good starting point. You can fine tune it from there.

[Son of Magni]

Something that's often missed on fretless setups is the nut height. I like to reduce the string height at the nut to about .010. That's like a thin business card. Some people don't do that, but I can't understand why

[202dy]

Originally Posted by Son of Magni

Something that's often missed on fretless setups is the nut height. I like to reduce the string height at the nut to about .010. That's like a thin business card. Some people don't do that, but I can't understand why

Back buzz is the reason. But .010" is typical on a fretted bass at the G string. The same is true for fretless basses. Most basses will require a little more as the string diameter increases because the vibration pattern increases and can cause some back buzz. Increasing by .002" per string is usually enough margin. Some fingerboards will require more, some will require less.