Glarry: a really cheap way to get into unlined fretless?

[dkelley]

That would be a concern. I could work around it, but I would prefer not to.

Easy to fix. Buy a marker - the fancy paint ink type, like white or whatever color you want, and put dots at the right places.

Ok, maybe not easy... gotta find those notes... at least octave and 2 octave (what is that, fret 5?) are accurate to find by pitch that way.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I guess I'm out of sync with a lot of TBers about learning to play unlined fretless. I have a lined fretless 5 and plan on building a lined fretless 6. If I ever get good enough to play unlined fretless, I'll just not look at the neck. I've been playing bass for over 50 years and I still have to look at the neck even with my fretted. I just don't get what difference there is with a lined or unlined other than aesthetics. They are both fretless and if you are talented enough that you can play by feel it doesn't make a difference either way. Of course this is just my opinion.

 

[kesslari]

At $99, this may be too cheap lose if it doesn't work out. It is better than paying $1,000 for a used Warwick only to find out I want to keep my lines.

Because an unlined fretless will make you a better bass player. And you can look down your nose at the guys who use lines! Win-win!!

 

[crankypants]

I've seen you play, Doctor. You would do well to spend some on a good unlined with the dots in the right place. Why cheap out now? You're no beginner.

That's just, like, my opinion, man.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Because an unlined fretless will make you a better bass player. And you can look down your nose at the guys who use lines! Win-win!!

I can't wait to call Gary Willis a chump! Seriously, I just want to know if I can do it.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I've seen you play, Doctor. You would do well to spend some on a good unlined with the dots in the right place. Why cheap out now? You're no beginner.

That's just, like, my opinion, man.

Thanks for the kind words. Life is expensive and sometimes the cheap toy is appropriate.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I guess I'm out of sync with a lot of TBers about learning to play unlined fretless. I have a lined fretless 5 and plan on building a lined fretless 6. If I ever get good enough to play unlined fretless, I'll just not look at the neck. I've been playing bass for over 50 years and I still have to look at the neck even with my fretted. I just don't get what difference there is with a lined or unlined other than aesthetics. They are both fretless and if you are talented enough that you can play by feel it doesn't make a difference either way. Of course this is just my opinion.

You will get no argument from me. When I play unlined I look at the dots or ghost lines if the bass has any. Looking is cool and there is nothing wrong with that. I bet classical bassist's look too.

 

[Bass V]

Jaco only needed 4 strings ...and fret lines to guide him lol
if you only have 1 bass (or all your fretlesses are wrong) and it's incorrectly dotted then you're ok but inconsistency messes me up cos I still need to look to nail it on a fretless. I've redone all the markings on my Peavey, etc., but I have better luck with my unlined Dean cos of the optics, or lack of confusion.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

At $99, this may be too cheap lose if it doesn't work out. It is better than paying $1,000 for a used Warwick only to find out I want to keep my lines.

Talked too much, played almost nothing but for the price ..

 

[Stewie]

Buy an Allparts neck on the bay for $100 and put it on a Precision you must already own. I've asked them and they say that the dots are in the right place. If you don't like it, sell the neck here.
The side dots on my 1976 Precision are where the frets would be. Yes, they are handy

 

[dbsfgyd1]

At $99, this may be too cheap lose if it doesn't work out. It is better than paying $1,000 for a used Warwick only to find out I want to keep my lines.

I like the premise of the the thread. That said, I don't need to spend $100 to find out I'm not good at something.

 

[InhumanResource]

I guess I'm out of sync with a lot of TBers about learning to play unlined fretless. I have a lined fretless 5 and plan on building a lined fretless 6. If I ever get good enough to play unlined fretless, I'll just not look at the neck. I've been playing bass for over 50 years and I still have to look at the neck even with my fretted. I just don't get what difference there is with a lined or unlined other than aesthetics. They are both fretless and if you are talented enough that you can play by feel it doesn't make a difference either way. Of course this is just my opinion.

For me it started with aesthetics but on fretless I really want my ears to tell me where the note is vs my eyes.

For the record unlined looks better, obviously.

 

[ElectricBass72]

Why would any amateur want to get unlined? If a bassist who has been playing for years wants unlined.... I get it. But anybody just starting out.... go with the lines.

 

[OptimalOptimus]

Of you go fretless you go all the way.

and of you bref to test water ... then you aren't ready

 

[City]

I got one. It does put you in the fray of Fretless. Sound - eh. I think it is the wood on the neck. Seems soft to me, not much of a mwah, only slight. also worked hard to get playable action on this....but it was playable, and was a good introduction to unlined (I do have a lined). Overall it served the purpose that I bought it for.

 

[Herbie Chesnutt]

Here's the fretless collection at Harley Benton/Thomann. A few unlined here. These basses are a lot better quality than Glarry, imo, and are still affordable even with shipping and VAT.

Harley Benton Fretless Basses – Thomann United States

 

[lfmn16]

I'd just get a Squier Fretless. You could probably buy one used and ready to go for under $300. Then if you don't like it you shouldn't have a problem selling it. When you buy cheap junk like this, you generally have to put money in it to make it playable and then it's not worth anything if you try to sell it.

I don't put too much faith in these videos (none actually). They clearly have an agenda and you can manipulate a video to make anything sound and look good. It doesn't tell you a think about how it actually plays or looks in person. I bought a Wolf guitar several years ago. It looked great on the internet, not so great in person. It sounded meh.

 

[ElectricBass72]

I love my ESP 5-string fretless. It has lines. I had a Michael Kelly Dragonfly acoustic 5-string with tapewounds back in the 00's... no lines. I played the hell out of it. I don't think lines or no lines matter much. My ESP lines are very faint and don't make the bass neck look bad in any way. Actually... I think it looks cool.

 

[twinjet]

At $99, this may be too cheap lose if it doesn't work out. It is better than paying $1,000 for a used Warwick only to find out I want to keep my lines.

The saying holds true; a good player makes a cheap bass sound like a million bucks. Nice.

 

[GretschWretch]

I am a big Glarry fan, but I would bet that they did not. I know my Rogue fretless is incorrect, the dots are where they would be on a fretted bass.

On my fretlesses, regardless of badge, the factory side dots are too dang small to be visible in poor lighting. I use 1/4" file folder dots, coloring them appropriately for visibility, and put them where they are supposed to be, not where they are necessarily from the factory.