I took a break from playing live over the past few years, and returned to find that most basses these days come with glow in the dark side dots. Having played for years without them, my question is have you ever needed them for visibility? I've never been able to not see my side dots.
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Do you really need luminlay?
- Thread starter Rdore2000
- Start date
depends on gigs you play. Dark bar gigs I think they can be great. Not a must have, but a nice to have and usually not an expensive add on/mod. Definitely doesn't hurt to have them.
no I have not needed per say, but I love them
You don't NEED them, but they help a lot on dark stages. The previous statement only pertains to real Luminlay dots. I have some instruments with generic fluorescent side markers, and they don't last half as long as Luminlay. You get best results when charging them with a UV flashlight right before the show.
Never had them. Rare for me to look at the neck while playing, so definitely do not need them.
I like the Luminlay numbered control knobs though.
I like the Luminlay numbered control knobs though.
i can usually see side dots via any kind of stage lighting, including not-so-hot stage lighting. there have been a few times i was glad i had high-contrast side dots, and maybe a couple of times i appreciated the glow-in-the-dark DIY dots i made for a couple of axes.
i voted, "no."
i voted, "no."
Needed them? Maybe not needed but I do like to have the quick and easy reference.
On a couple of the necks I have that I thought were less visible. I put a dab of nail polish with glitter in it. Increased visibility day and night.
On a couple of the necks I have that I thought were less visible. I put a dab of nail polish with glitter in it. Increased visibility day and night.
Given that...
a) The eyes' ability to see in low-light conditions worsens with age, and
b) The average age of a bassist is increasing,
I'd say the answer is increasingly 'yes'.
EDIT: Actually, never mind Luminlay... I'm surprised that there hasn't been an upsurge in LEDs on guitars and basses in the last decade.
a) The eyes' ability to see in low-light conditions worsens with age, and
b) The average age of a bassist is increasing,
I'd say the answer is increasingly 'yes'.
EDIT: Actually, never mind Luminlay... I'm surprised that there hasn't been an upsurge in LEDs on guitars and basses in the last decade.
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Maybe on the basses you're playing, but what about the mid-priced basses? I don't think they're common at that level. But, I haven't been buying many new basses these last few years, so maybe things have changed? It'd be nice if they did though, or at least offered them as an option. Real handy feature for busy players who find themselves in a variety of lighting situations, or for those of us with less than owl-like vision.
most? They're still a small % as far as I can see.
Need it? Dunno. Do you really need a high mass bridge? Or a preamp bypass switch? Or fingerboard markers at all? Or...
Personal preferences and all that.
Funnily enough, none of my basses have luminlay side dots, hence the question. The Roger Glover signature basses have glow in the dark front dots, which, to me, are pretty pointless.
They are extremely helpful on dark stages. I have offset glowing face dots which are even better. I set a black light up on my iPad and wear a pair of glowing glasses - plus it hits the bass fretboard perfectly and I can always see where I am. There are definitely gigs where I would have been lost without them. Especially large stages at casinos with crazy lights where the band is otherwise in the dark.
Well, I think it's a cool option. Have I ever needed it, no. Would it be an option I'd choose? Maybe. More for aesthetics than function, I'd say.
I don't know if they are "needed," but I also don't see any reason not to have them since they are pretty readily available.
Practice up to where your hands know where they are or where they're going.
Two-step process:
Practice in front of a big mirror where you can see yourself and the entire bass, particularly your fret hand on the fingerboard. This will help break you of having to know where you are by looking (and you can practice all your cool rock and roll pouts and faces!). And you can correct your 'grip' as now you're watching you as a teacher would.
Once you're good with that, practice in a pitch black room. Start your CD or the radio to play along, or just you alone, maybe with a metronome. Flip off the lights, you're completely in the dark, and your hands will tell you where you are.
After that, glow-in-the-dark is not needed.
Two-step process:
Practice in front of a big mirror where you can see yourself and the entire bass, particularly your fret hand on the fingerboard. This will help break you of having to know where you are by looking (and you can practice all your cool rock and roll pouts and faces!). And you can correct your 'grip' as now you're watching you as a teacher would.
Once you're good with that, practice in a pitch black room. Start your CD or the radio to play along, or just you alone, maybe with a metronome. Flip off the lights, you're completely in the dark, and your hands will tell you where you are.
After that, glow-in-the-dark is not needed.
I have them on my newest bass and, like a backup, you don’t need them until you need them. Then it is very nice to have them.
Only had trouble seeing clay dots. Those things just disappear on a dark stage.
