I made up my mind: I prefer lined fretless.

[oren]

I have one of these too, black, with unlined ebony board. I think it's the best fretless Godin ever made. Have you tried TI Jazz flats on it?

I haven’t yet. It’s got Chromes on it at present, which sound great, but I’m sure the TIs would be terrific too - I have TIs on my Sire fretless and on my 78 P bass and love them on both.

 

[oren]

That's a nice looking Godin.

It’s one of the original Godin LR Baggs Acoustibass from the 90s. It was designed to sound as much like an upright as possible. I don’t think it hits that mark, but it’s got its own voice, which I like.

 

[frankie5string]

Of course you do. You stare at the fingerboard while you play... ;-)

 

[Wisebass]

Hi Doc

Very nice thread with very nice folks!

I can play unlined fretless and I can stay in tune, but frankly, I don’t need the challenge of an unlined fingerboard.

Yep!

I have no shame in my game:we get no bonus points for difficulty of execution, so I am happy to have the help of lines.

We are bassplayers. Not stars in cheap Hong Kong Kung fu movies!

No need to know how to fight blind folded against an army of demoniac ninjas throwing things at us!

I play and played a lot of music that wasn't comfortable to play for me. (I enjoy that)

But I always played on instruments that were comfortable for me (had quite a bunch to find out which ones work)

I play a lined fretless.

Give me that unlined bass (or any other unknown bass) and I will play everything in my comfort zone.

As soon as I leave my comfort zone I will take the instrument I know. And fight to make music!

greetings

Wise(b)ass

 

[Eilif]

At the risk of sounding like a jerk...
I think lines are fine for those who need them and the way many bass players play (moving chordal lines, etc) lines may be highly useful.

That said, in light of the instruments like the Cello and Doublebass, there is no fundamental reason that lines (or even dots) are essential to correct intonation.

If my comfort zone is going to be a limitation (not often in sort of music I play) I'll bring a fretted instrument, but if I bring a fretless it's going to be a lovely slab of unlined wood.

Same here. I find that frets/lines seem harder to play, though fretted/lined players will have better intonation than me...

View attachment 3946269

The Warwick illustrates another aspect of the fretless experience. Not applicable to most fretlesses, but for those with fixed bridges, lines may actually be a slight detriment as your finger placement can be more accurate than placing directly on the lines.

My Wendler has a fixed bridge. I don't play high enough for it to be a big factor, but up top it's probably better to consider the dots a reference point rather than following lines closely which is how I've always thought of the dots anyway.

Perhaps a moot point in this case because (AFAIK) all Wendlers are unlined, but I wouldn't have bought a lined one anyway.

 

[dkelley]

For some reason the mad thought came in my mind what could a good six string player do on a fretless sixer. That's a whole new set of parameters.
I bought a six string fretted in a moment of insanity. Though it is truly too much bass for me in real time I was caught unaware how intuitive and "modular" if you will, playing one was.
Perhaps lines or not it would be an interesting idea for the right player.

I owned a fretless 6 for a while. That particular instrument had an issue with the action, so was returned, and I went fretted for other reasons.
It was a fantastic instrument - and if you already can play six and already can play fretless, fretless 6 is a great choice and no more challenging than one or the other alone, imho.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Lined or unlined does not matter; it's the mwah that rules them all!

When I was gigging regularly, most of the guys in the bands I played with couldn't tell you whether I was playing fretted or fretless unless they knew something about bass. Most of the time I played double bass or a fretless P; the P sounded like a P, not a fretless; the mwah was typically reserved for things like jazz ballads. I had a fretless Lakland with so much baked-in mwah that I had to change strings to play it down. We're each different, and that's OK.

 

[logdrum]

When I got my first unlined ESP fretless neck in the late 80's, it was unfinished.

The first thing I did was go to Radio Shack and bought some of those dry transfer rub-off letter packs that were used to label electronic equipment. They had little 1/8" long lines in those packs you could rub onto anything you wanted.

I used a fretted neck as a template, and rubbed off lines on the side of the neck where frets would be. I then rubbed off dots between the frets, where they would normally go on a fretted bass.

So, from the side, it is lined, and looks like a regular bass. I never understood an unlined fretless having fret dots at the actual fret positions, it's not standard and it threw me off. Seemed stupid and non-intuitive.

I then sent the neck off to Pat Wilkins to clearcoat the entire thing. It came back perfect, but the fretboard was so flawless I never wanted to scratch it with strings. It looked like fine furniture.

To me, that's how an unlined fretless should be, and I'm surprised no one makes them like that. Lines only on the side of the neck indicating where frets would be, and dots in the normal places on the side of the neck. The fretboard itself can remain blank.

If someone else makes them like this, I am unaware of it.

My first one is like that because it was a maple fretboard de-fretted then and ebony fretboard was added. The dots and fret tang/barb cuts on the wood and dots remained. I do not look anyway. I have 2 guitars with no dots at all side or fretboard side plus I play upright and cello, but I never look down or considered lined lower or crutch or training wheels. I have a couple lined anyway I've seen heard intonation problems with both. An octave reference. and octave +5 reference is good to have though. I think I'd like to really have them on 6 string though

 

[HearNoStevil]

I do not look anyway. I never look down or considered lined lower or crutch or training wheels.

 

[basscase666]

Having played a cheap but unlined fretless for two decades, I'm only going with lined from now on. Unlined isn't that hard to intonate but it takes constant attention and when you're distracted, like when reading difficult notation, your intonation is the first thing to go. Also with unlined, I don't like going lower than the third fret or higher than the 10 th fret.

 

[BurningSkies]

I've had both, but am digging my lined one these days.

My old fretless:

My main squeeze right now:

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I've had both, but am digging my lined one these days.

My old fretless:

View attachment 3946922

View attachment 3946935

My main squeeze right now:

View attachment 3946925

View attachment 3946926

View attachment 3946927

Both of them are beautiful. I would imagine than an unlined Dingwall would be quite a challenge.

 

[BurningSkies]

Both of them are beautiful. I would imagine than an unlined Dingwall would be quite a challenge.

There are a few of those around, and I suppose I could work with it, though I'm really happy with the lined. This one is a conversion, so the only option was lined for it. I could never get the Jazz bass to sound like I wanted, but the Dingwall does. It also has extensive electronics customization...piezo bridge, two preamps, etc.

Since I've been playing fanned fret of this scale exclusively since 2005, I'm pretty well previously trained for it.

 

[logdrum]

View attachment 3946785

I meant I never look down on, or call them as crutches or training wheels - lined fretboards - The one I use more these days is a lined. So when I switch to the unlined, it doesn't make a difference for me. Earlier on, when I study, practice or play in a band that involved sight reading, I have trained myself to not look at the fretboard. Anyone can get there with persistence, time and patience. If you sight read and look at the fretboard, fretted, fretless then you will get lost . But that is not the topic here - but in a way if you learned the fretboard mastery, you will not look at the fretboard maybe except when soloing.

Upright bass players have exercise called vomit, which is A on G string slide to B , back to A. then A slide to C#, then back to A etc basically up the scale (tghen go to D string etc.. I started doing this on fretless as well. Improved muscle memory a ton.

 

[deernaes]

Amen Doc.
There's nothing wrong with having a point of reference..

 

[4Mal]

I have one of these too, black, with unlined ebony board. I think it's the best fretless Godin ever made. Have you tried TI Jazz flats on it?

The Acoustibass, fretted or fretless might just be the best instrument Godin has ever made.

I still have a 94 Prototype fretted i Cognac burst. Sold my cognac burst fretless and a white fretted. The proto is a keeper.

It’s one of the original Godin LR Baggs Acoustibass from the 90s. It was designed to sound as much like an upright as possible. I don’t think it hits that mark, but it’s got its own voice, which I like.

and it is a huge voice. The overtones from the harp are just crazy. I've done a ton of acoustic support dates with my Acoustibass. I usually demo with a couple of ABG's and the Acoustibass... The acoustibass always gets the call....

 

[4Mal]

just for the record... being mostly a fretted player that sings, I vastly perfer lined...

 

[4Mal]

P's in a pod. The white is a Franken P I built last fall. Squire Chris Aiken body, Fralin split, Fender threaded barrel bridge, AllParts Ebony neck, Hipshot Ultralites. Lull nut and final setup. It kills. Flanked by Marco N1 and Mike Lull P5... my mutt keeps good company.

Driveway socially distant trio jam this evening. Surf, blues, americana, retro swamptasic rock. Played Fretless about half time. Junkyard dog, but it comes when I call! Damn it was good to be playing!

 

[CaseyVancouver]

I’ve got one of each and like them both. I find it easier to play in tune and not get lost above the 12th non-fret with the lines.View attachment 3945574
View attachment 3945583

Darn you Oren. I have a rack of basses and really do not need another, most of ‘em never see a stage. If I could get a black Godin with a painted black neck, black headstock and unlined board I will be tempted to add. The Godin site shows only white bodies so it’s a cu$tom order. And it’s Canadian. Darn.

 

[flip18436572]

I play double bass which of course is blank, but when I play electric, I only currently play fretted as I sold my only fretless which was also without lines. I am thinking of taking a junk Fender I have and removing the frets and seeing what that will do....