Lined fretless: Make me feel better please!

[Baird6869]

I had that experience, too - playing unlined and not quite getting why the guitarist couldn't follow what I was showing him. D'oh!

My old unlined fretless basses (Benavente, G&L, Precision and a Stingray) really pissed off my guitarists. Hell, they even hate my fretted basses that don't have dots/position markers on the FB. No cheating off me!

 

[bholder]

Must be nothing on TV or a full moon. This thread is nutty.

I am going to go play my "partially kinda/sorta lined" bass now.

Neat - so what is that? Fretlines that are black on the face and white on the upper edge?

 

[Baird6869]

Neat - so what is that? Fretlines that are black on the face and white on the upper edge?

FBass. Neat diamondwood board with very faint lines on the board and cool partial white lines on the side/edge. I really like it. I don't need the dark lines at all due to the white. Amazing how a few mm can make a difference.

 

[Feral Feline]

Must be nothing on TV or a full moon. This thread is nutty.

I am going to go play my "partially kinda/sorta lined" bass now.

That's pretty wishy washy. You must take a stand, either you are in the lined camp, or the unlined group. There can be no half-measures...

Wait a sec, you're a spy! Now if I could just figure out which side you're spying for, and which side you're spying on...

 

[Baird6869]

That's pretty wishy washy. You must take a stand, either you are in the lined camp, or the unlined group. There can be no half-measures...

Wait a sec, you're a spy! Now if I could just figure out which side you're spying for, and which side you're spying on...

I prefer only dots.

Dippin' Dots.

 

[nostatic]

see, for me, that would be harder than Chinese algebra

On a related note, I think Chinese Algebra has a new album coming out...

 

[SteveC]

A few years ago, I played with a guitarist and I used a lined fretless. After playing for about 2 hours, he said "sometimes I could swear you're playing a fretless." I took that as a compliment.

The other take on that is when playing a lined fretless and people say they thought you were playing a fretted bass.

Either way is nice to hear. Except for slapping - and some would argue that too - there's no reason a fretless has to be played/sound like a fretless.

 

[jim777]

All the lines I need, right here, top of the fretboard But to me, this is definitely a 'lined' fretboard, because....it has lines!

 

[Pilgrim]

That's pretty wishy washy. You must take a stand, either you are in the lined camp, or the unlined group. There can be no half-measures...

I personally don't care. Either works fine.

 

[pnchad]

On a related note, I think Chinese Algebra has a new album coming out...

I knew that would get nostatic hehe

that's a Tom Waits quote (I think) but his reference isn't to difficulties

 

[pnchad]

this is pretty even with lines I think - It' all about the feel, 'bout the feel. 'bout the feel and this feels like a Pensa J neck

 

[Feral Feline]

Beautiful bass, PNChad, finally I get to see the whole thing!

I personally don't care. Either works fine.

Well, actually, that's NOT what she said; however, I did say that.



If you'll all now open your hymnals to page 69...

Lined, Lined, every fretless Lined
Block markers on the fretboard, blockin' my mind
Play this, don't play that, can't you see the lines?

And the lined-people said, "Anybody caught playing unlined would be shot on sight"
So, I jumped on my neighbour's unlined fretless and sent a brown note to the house
Shouting in the mic "Hey, what gives you the right?
To de-fret a vintage Fender to freak collectors out or to [bleep] eyeball intonation
If Leo was here, He'd tell you to your face, man, you gotta use your ears."

Unlined, Unlined, every fretless unlined
No markers on the fretboard, mockin' my mind
Play this, don't play that, you can't see any lines

Now, hey you, Mister, can't you site-read?
You've got to have your eyes on the chart and play what's on the sheet
You can't look at your fretboard, no you can't cheat
"You ain't supposed to look down there",
The unlined people said, "You got to play by ear and not by eye to get by"


And the maligned in each camp said, "Everybody welcome, come on, throw down and play"
And then they all glissed mwah around the neck at the end of the song
but I didn't have a fretless to play
So, I got me my fretted bass and my big ol' amp stack, and I made up my own little bass-line
I played something like, "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)", thumpin' and a pluckin'

Lined, Unlined, everyone maligned
Whether yankin' out the frets, or only a blank board to find
Play this, don't play that, ignore 'em all and make up your own damn mind!

Lined, Unlined, everyone maligned
Maligned
Maligned, Maligned







Don't play lined; Don't play unlined ...
Fret not, just...
– PLAY MUSIC ! –

 

[staccatogrowl]

All the lines I need, right here, top of the fretboard . . .

Actually, every fretless bass guitar has a lined board, thus every fretless bass provides valuable visual reference. The strings above the fingerboard make every fretless bass a lined fretless bass, regardless of additional markers, dots, inlays, capos, ornaments, lettering, post-it notes, neon signs with arrows, road maps, GPS displays, etc. Strings = lines . . .

 

[Jonithen]

Actually every fretless bass guitar has a lined board, thus every fretless bass provides valuable visual reference. The strings above the fretboard make every fretless bass a lined fretless bass, regardless of additional markers, dots, inlays, capos, ornaments, lettering, post-it notes, neon signs with arrows, road maps, GPS displays, etc. Strings = lines . . .

Thats it I'm taking up the theremin.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...strings above the fretboard make every fretless bass a lined fretless...

I was with you up to here because, of course, fretless basses don't have fretboards...

 

[bholder]

I prefer only dots.

Dippin' Dots.

Tasty, indeed, but high risk of brain freeze! (Ow! Head hurts just on mention of 'em.)

 

[bholder]

Thats it I'm taking up the theremin.

Hmmm, with or without lines?

 

[bholder]

this is pretty even with lines I think - It' all about the feel, 'bout the feel. 'bout the feel and this feels like a Pensa J neckView attachment 522802

Oh, my!

That is basically what I've been dreaming...

...I'll take that in a 5er, maybe a slightly darker / browner finish - is that a custom build?

 

[smperry]

I have no problem with players that prefer lines.

My fretlesses don't, but they have side dots for every position (with the 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc dots being slightly larger).

 

[Pilgrim]

I was with you up to here because, of course, fretless basses don't have fretboards...

As Pogo would say, that's a deeply philisophiwockle viewpoint.