| I hear ya. Fretlines are great for players like me that aren't regular fretless guys (yet?) But I want them subtle, or gone. Dots are a good choice, of course, but not unique enough for me. I'm thinking through some options, and one of the ones I'm considering is narrow triangles under the E string with the point directly centered over where the fret should be. Basically, triangular dots, right on the edge of the board, perhaps 1/8" deep so I can see them from the sides, too.
If I do this, I'm going to use the same wood for the markers as I do for the body, for continuity. It'll have its challenges, as any inlay does, and since it'll be on the edge of the board, the side of the inlay will also be visible. That means it'll have to be very clean work, but it also means I won't have to do side dots.
My point is that there are many ways to skin this cat, not all of which are immediately obvious or commonly seen. I've even consider very thin v-channels, or, conversely, wood frets, which would be basically be high spots in the ebony. Challenging work, and probably not long-lived, but pretty cool, and maybe unique sounding, I think. Hopefully, I reach a point where I can be that experimental. Right now, it's just fantasy. | 
