Fretless players; lined or unlined? and why?

[dkelley]

I was raw and this was like 55 years ago. All I remember about it was, it my my finger board sticky.

yea LoL and as a bowed instrument tech at tapestry music in white rock, bc, canada, I can confirm that the almost become like little frets on the violin at some point too ;-)

 

[dkelley]

I recently came into possession of a beginner cello (free) that had the tape lines on it.

I played it like that for a few weeks, and for a few lessons (my teacher disapproved of the lines) But I found it was holding back my progress on properly playing the instrument.

I couldn't see the lines when playing first position, but I could feel them. And I knew they were a crutch so I removed the tape. My intonation has gotten much better and more natural. I know where to position my hand relative to the cello and where it sits in relation to my body.

Disclaimer - I did leave side dots on the cello, similar to a fretless, as a check of my hand position. Can't use them while playing, obviously, but they are an indicator for when I sound out of tune.

I'm usually sharp, but it's frequently a technique issue that needs to get corrected.

Having played fretless bass has certainly been a help to my learning the cello, and the cello neck discipline has helped my bass playing.

cool report! and awesome that you are taking up cello! tough instrument.... it's kinda like upright bass with the fact that you have to change positions just to play most scales, because it's tuned in 5ths with a scale length of a short scale bass... imagine tuning a bass guitar like a cello and trying to play it, right? amazing instrument though, so satisfying when it all comes together (I'm not a good cellist, but my violin skills get me far enough that I can sound like one ... briefly... until I have to play in tune when I shift. speaking of tuning... LoL

 

[Kirk Bryant]

There are quite a number of upright bass players that use a cello like tuning, or tuned in 5ths.

 

[GIBrat51]

I have both, and generally prefer the unlined basses. I learned how to play bass on an unlined fretless, so that is where I am at home. Part of it is the look of a clean unlined fretboard, part of it is that I like the challenge of getting my intonation right without the aid of lines. That's just what I like though.

I voted "carrots" because, as a die-hard member of the Carrot Party, I always vote "carrots". However...
Lined vs. unlined. I have to go with "lined". For one, I've been playing fretted instruments for... well, since 1968. I never even had a fretless bass in my grubby paws, until last October. Reverb had a left handed, '93 Canadian Fury Anthem lined fretless bass that just screamed "If you don't buy me, you ain't got a hair on yer..." well, you know. It's an absolutely marvelous instrument, and once I got the hang of putting my fingers on the lines instead of behind them (took me about 5 minutes), I've been playing the snot out of it ever since. I like lined fretless basses so much, I bought a G&L Kiloton Lined fretless about 10 days ago. Birdsong Guitars is making me a killer custom Fusion lined fretless, and I have a Schecter Stiletto Studio lined fretless on order from Sweetwater. But, why lined instead of unlined? Well... in Junior High School, I was banished from Music class because the teacher declared me to be tone deaf. I don't think I'm completely tone deaf, but... I'm probably pretty close. So, trying to play an unlined fretless - especially now that I'm in my '70s - would make for a very steep learning curve. And, one that isn't likely to be a whole lot of fun. At my age? I don't have much use for "not a lot of fun"...
So... bottom line? I can play a lined fretless bass right now. But, an unlined fretless bass? Well, maybe - if it was 1968 - and I wasn't mostly tone deaf? Maybe; but how many left handed fretless basses were there, in 1968?