i've seen variations of that, but i've never tried it. TBH, my POV is based on a lifetime of unlined, side-dots-only playing. anything else temporarily confuses me when i look at it, but that's me.
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Fretless HalfStatus
- Thread starter MPU
- Start date
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,230
- 45,082
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
About fretless neck depth; to get same feel as with same profile fretted should the fretless neck depth be the same as fretted plus fret height or just the same as fretted neck without fret height?
That's an interesting question.
I don't know what's right or normal, but the first things that pop into my 6am, mid- 1st coffee brain are:
Any chance you might want to add frets some day? You could make the board thicker, so you could shave it down and add frets later (probably not likely)
Personally, I'd want to make the neck as thin as possible. As thin as the truss rod and bridge height adjustment will allow.
But that's me. Some people like a chunky neck. I find thinner to be a little more comfy.
No frets on this one in the future as I have a fretted Status already. I like the neck profile on that one and I'm trying to copy that as close as possible. The profile is very U, not even close to C. I'd like to match the feel of the necks so that there would be as litlle difference as possicle when changing between these two basses. That would help me to try to play in tune with fretless as reach and balance are already similar with same body shape.
I think (I’m just guessing here, but it’s an educated guess) you’ll find that larger manufacturers do not make a special, thicker board for fretless instruments. Of all the bass models I’ve owned a fretted and fretless version of ( quite a few, actually) the fingerboards have been the same thickness and the fretless just wasn’t slotted for frets. As such, fretless necks typically feel a bit flatter than fretted and that’s what my hand has come to expect when I pick up a fretless instrument. While I’ve never owned a Status bass, I’ve played both fretted and fretless examples and I believe they followed the pattern.
I understand why there's no different necks on fretless and fretted (mass) produced basses except frets. For custom neck like this everything is possible. That's why I'm thinking out loud. If there's no sense in my thinking that's fine. I guess that a similar neck without frets will feel thinner than one with frets. How much different, don't know. Does it really matter, don't know.
The added thickness of dense fingerboard wood might also affect the balance of the instrument but I doubt that would be problematic on a headless bass.
Overall, I think you’re overthinking things - not that I wouldn’t do exactly the same in your position. If you follow the same neck contour as the fretted bass and stick with the same thickness fingerboard I think you’ll find that the necks will feel enough the same. Playing fretless is different enough that it’s never going to feel identical; it’s simply a different animal. It’ll feel enough like home, though. You’ll be fine.
Overall, I think you’re overthinking things - not that I wouldn’t do exactly the same in your position. If you follow the same neck contour as the fretted bass and stick with the same thickness fingerboard I think you’ll find that the necks will feel enough the same. Playing fretless is different enough that it’s never going to feel identical; it’s simply a different animal. It’ll feel enough like home, though. You’ll be fine.
Here is what I have done on all my personal basses for the past 35 years.
When I built my fretless I designed it the same as fretted (i.e.: no extra thickness to account for the lack of frets). Most fret crowns are just over a mm thick anyway, so it isn't going to make a large difference even if you play with a very light touch. In reality, many players significantly depress the string when they fret, in which case the thickness their finger "sees" would be the thickness at the fretboard anyway.
Honestly, I haven't noticed a significant difference in feel between necks 1 mm thicker/thinner. YMMV.
I build about an even mix of fretted and fretless basses. I cut the fingerboards to the same thickness on both. My customers like my necks because they are fairly thin with a small "wrap" around the back. I see no need to make fretless necks thicker.
Another factor in the debate about how thick or round a fretless neck should be is: How does the player hold the bass? In my experience, players who hold their basses closer to horizontal tend to like thinner necks better. Players who hold their basses closer to vertical tend to like their necks thicker and rounder. I think it has to do with the angle that they hold their wrist.
Something else to consider. Do you normally hold your fretless bass up at a steeper angle?
Another factor in the debate about how thick or round a fretless neck should be is: How does the player hold the bass? In my experience, players who hold their basses closer to horizontal tend to like thinner necks better. Players who hold their basses closer to vertical tend to like their necks thicker and rounder. I think it has to do with the angle that they hold their wrist.
Something else to consider. Do you normally hold your fretless bass up at a steeper angle?
That would drive me batty! I totally see the logic of it and I can easily see how it would be helpful if your brain is wired that way. My brain would start to smoke….
That's actually simpler then my first iteration. Originally I had different markers for 3 & 15, 5 & 17, 7 & 19, 9 & 21 and 12 & 24, with dots for all in between.
Status neck profile is quite wide with flat back. That forces me to hold the thumb of my left hand at the back of the neck compared to my narrow and round Warwick which is more wrap around. Nothing beats a good overthinking but this time it seems that it was no use. I got the Bruceblocks cut and threaded, recesses for them routed and blocks epoxied in. Tomorrow hopefully I can glue the fingerboard on the neck. Then it cures until weekend.
Are you sure? Maybe you should give it some thought.
Guess what I've been doing for the last half an hour...
Overthinking is always better than underthinking. It's easier to delete the extra thoughts than to repair the damage from the thing you forgot.
And, yet, I’ve probably learned as much from underthinking as I have from overthinking. They were just much harder lessons!
