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Lined fretless: Make me feel better please!

#201
bholder said:
Oh, my! View attachment 522857 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?
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my avatar is a spec bass built by Vinnie Colletti in upstate NY - he builds a wonderful jazzbox archtop line of guitars & another similar bass slightly less fancy that I know of

I wouldn't want anything but a trad 4 in this form - it's a classic
 
#202
Fletz said:
I have in my lifetime owned two tony Franklin fretlesses and loved them both ... Before GAS forced me to sell them. I got the fretless jones again and saw a bass deal here on TalkBass that I couldn't beat on a Music Man Stingray fretless. I did research and decided that the Pino fretless sound is what I want for my current situation, the color was beautiful on the one I saw here and the age/condition/price were excellent. So I bought it. I'll have it in a few days but I'm already feeling like I wimped out by getting this LINED fretless. My franklins of course we're unlined. I played them just fine.

Talk me off the ledge! Tell me it doesn't matter. Tell me I'm being too harsh on myself and that tone and playability far outweigh the ego of no lines.

Or call me out. I can take it. :)
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As others have said, how you sound is the important thing and you don't have to look at the lines. One note of caution, though - most lined fretboards started out the manufacturing process as if they were going to be fretted and they just have inlays in the slots where the frets would go. The side dots are placed where they would go for a fretted neck and are therefore in the wrong locations for fretless play.
 
#203
pnchad said:
my avatar is a spec bass built by Vinnie Colletti in upstate NY - he builds a wonderful jazzbox archtop line of guitars & another similar bass slightly less fancy that I know of

I wouldn't want anything but a trad 4 in this form - it's a classic
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Hmmm, upstate NY, you say? I'm in upstate NY myself, will have to look him up - actually looking for a nearby luthier for other reasons - a few projects that are just beyond me. Thanks! :)
(And agreed, that is a true classic!)
 
#204
Funny story: I was walking through our Ovation factory one day. A builder had just finished a special order, fretless "acoustic" bass guitar for Daryl Jones.

There weren't any lines on the board. This bass was in final set up when I notified the team that they had the side markers in the wrong place. They had left them where they'd be if it were a fretted instrument.

Expensive mistake.
 
#205
hasbeen said:
Funny story: I was walking through our Ovation factory one day. A builder had just finished a special order, fretless "acoustic" bass guitar for Daryl Jones.

There weren't any lines on the board. This bass was in final set up when I notified the team that they had the side markers in the wrong place. They had left them where they'd be if it were a fretted instrument.

Expensive mistake.
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I have one like that, and in fact, it's an Ovation too. And it is indeed really hard to play - lousy action too. Have its fretted twin, on which the intonation is way off and unfixable without removing repositioning the bridge. Ought to get rid of both of them - can't recommend the 70's Ovation bowl back short scale basses.
 
#206
bholder said:
I have one like that, and in fact, it's an Ovation too. And it is indeed really hard to play - lousy action too. Have its fretted twin, on which the intonation is way off and unfixable without removing repositioning the bridge. Ought to get rid of both of them - can't recommend the 70's Ovation bowl back short scale basses.
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This was a long scale, "Elite". Beautiful bass...great action. The markes were the only problem.
 
#208
pnchad said:
http://www.vinnycollettiguitars.com/instruments.htm

Here's Vinny's link - he still has a pic of my bass up there - he's also got a new bass model the Voltaire with 2 on hand at an excellent price -I can't say enough about his work

I don't know if he works on slab BGs or not but he's a great guy and very talented luthier
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Thanks, already looked him up - just up the road in Oneonta, maybe 45-50 minutes. One project is a chinese ebay upright that got knocked over and popped the back - should take it to someone and see if it can be reclaimed - otherwise, expensive prop. I have a couple of necks needing resets too.
 
#209
hasbeen said:
This was a long scale, "Elite". Beautiful bass...great action. The markes were the only problem.
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Yeah, I didn't mean to disparage the good ones - did that have the "Adamas" style graphite top? The short scale low end ones (forget the model number) are cheap, but to be avoided, though - imho.
 
#210
Bryan R. Tyler said:
The best are the guys who say you should only use your ears. I always have visions of their audiences recoiling as they play every note out of tune then try to slide it into proper pitch...
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I have one fretless bass - a Tacoma Thunderchief. It is unlined. One thing I have learned from listening to recordings of jam sessions where I was playing it is that after I've had about three beers somebody should take the bass away from me. :D
 
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#213
Came today. Like having the lines. Even after playing line-free on my last two fretlesses. (Fretli?)

ImageUploadedByTalkBass1418332088.235404.jpg
 
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