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Lined fretless: Make me feel better please!
- Thread starter Fletz
- Start date
Nicely done!
I have been threatening my band with Theremin for the last 5 years.
I honestly put this on my Christmas list when my wife wanted ideas for me......
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Fingers crossed.
This may not have been a mistake, and I wouldn't call it "wrong". I, for one, prefer side markers in the "fretted position" on my fretless basses. Perhaps Mr. Jones has the same preference.
hasbeen
Commercial User
- Sep 23, 2004
- 4,806
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- Executive Vice President, The Adam Hall Group
To be "sometimes" out of tune is just fine.Maybe he meant that sometimes you were out of tune.
Not looking to start an argument, and you have every right to your preferences, but a side dot on an unlined board that lands you 1/4 tone off pitch is most certainly "wrong".
Of course, IMHO.
Well if someone is accustomed to side-dots on his/her fretted and that someone is used to playing ahead or behind of the dots and continues to play just ahead or just behind the dots on his/her fretless that has side-dots in the same location as his/her side-dots on his/her fretted basses are located... such as esa372's post #223: "I, for one, prefer side markers in the "fretted position" on my fretless basses." ...
Well, then it's most certainly only wrong in your eyes, MD, IYHO.
^^^
Being "accustomed" isn't the point. Side dots are visual position references. If you stop a string on the dot and you're 1/4 tone flat, the dot has been positioned incorrectly. It's wrong. Had the bass in hasbeen's story made it to delivery, I'd bet it would've been on the next truck back to the shop.
To be clear, we're not talking about lined fretless basses here. We all know and understand their issues. This is about a $5,000.00 unlined custom build. The dots were in the wrong place, and I'd also bet, not just in my eyes.
Being "accustomed" isn't the point. Side dots are visual position references. If you stop a string on the dot and you're 1/4 tone flat, the dot has been positioned incorrectly. It's wrong. Had the bass in hasbeen's story made it to delivery, I'd bet it would've been on the next truck back to the shop.
To be clear, we're not talking about lined fretless basses here. We all know and understand their issues. This is about a $5,000.00 unlined custom build. The dots were in the wrong place, and I'd also bet, not just in my eyes.
there are many production basses that leave the side markers where they would be on a fretted instrument - in other words there is no adjustment done for their fretless version
I'll have to go look at my factory '76 fretless but I think that's how Fender traditionally did it
which reminds me, as I put 20 yrs pro in on that bass, I would visualize the 'lines' that are NOT there
I'll have to go look at my factory '76 fretless but I think that's how Fender traditionally did it
which reminds me, as I put 20 yrs pro in on that bass, I would visualize the 'lines' that are NOT there
In my eyes as well – I certainly agree that the $5G custom was "wrong", but if Esa372, for example, uses the "wrong" dot markers as a visual reference, he isn't stopping the string "on the dot", knowing they're wrong, he stops the note on pitch...
MD, Please take my sparring here as good-natured, I'm not trying to rile you up, just merely pointing out that one person's "wrong" is another's guideline, and I tried to do it in a humorous way with the repetition.
If I had zero/nada/none/no lines, but side-dots, I'd want the side-dots placed where the frets would be. If there are to be any sort of lines, whether clear across the board or just truncated mini-lines off to the side, I'd want the side-dots between the lines. If I had a board with zero lines and zero dots - nothing at all - I'd probably get luminlay dots installed on the side where the frets would be.
Okayyyy... time to go practice the BiG fretless with the 42" mensur...
I don't understand why you don't see more 'Half-lined' basses. All the visual goodness of a clean fingerboard with great position markers in the top.
Well, I stated a preference for no lines, but I'm enjoying my new (very old) lined fretless today!
Lines to believe in,
Lines on my bass
I was caught up in believing
I was starting to 'lose' face
Playing that evening
In tune through the night
Never had to fake it 'cause
Every note sounded right.
Lines on the bass face
Surely make your tuning right.
Lines on the bass face....
Lines on my bass
I was caught up in believing
I was starting to 'lose' face
Playing that evening
In tune through the night
Never had to fake it 'cause
Every note sounded right.
Lines on the bass face
Surely make your tuning right.
Lines on the bass face....
I would say that the player's finger position - not to mention his hearing! - is wrong in that case, not the dot.
Yep - as would anyone wanting to play in tune on such a bass.
It's just a preference; my only issue is calling it "wrong". You could just as easily say that such side dots are in the "wrong position" on a fretted bass, given that one shouldn't finger a note directly between two frets, but rather just behind the forward fret... like a fretless.
Nice ^^ drumsnbass!
I'm so freakin' jealous. Would love to haul that to the local blues jam... then when people say "Gee that's a big guitar" I don't have to cringe about hauling my double-bass, I can instead hold my head high and reply, "Why yes, yes, it is, a very big bass guitar".
I'm so freakin' jealous. Would love to haul that to the local blues jam... then when people say "Gee that's a big guitar" I don't have to cringe about hauling my double-bass, I can instead hold my head high and reply, "Why yes, yes, it is, a very big bass guitar".
I would say that the player's finger position - not to mention his hearing! - is wrong in that case, not the dot.
Yep - as would anyone wanting to play in tune on such a bass.
It's just a preference; my only issue is calling it "wrong". You could just as easily say that such side dots are in the "wrong position" on a fretted bass, given that one shouldn't finger a note directly between two frets, but rather just behind the forward fret... like a fretless.
I don't know if I'm agreeing or not... but "road signs" are great when you don't know the road, but when you do (on your own bass), come on, lines or dots or not, they're just signposts to guide the way, you learn them, figure out how they work relative to where you're going, find your place, and move on... No Big Deal.
Sure - in theory.
But when you're doing a 2-8 position shift, it's sure nice to know where that 8 is...
I am not a professional musician and I do not spend 16 hours a day learning my fingerboard.
I like having the side dots.
Cello was 50 years ago and I have no recollection of how I made similar position shifts as a child, but what I do remember is I didn't have to - childrens' orchestra is not that demanding. Yo Yo Ma can do it in his sleep - but I ain't Yo Yo Ma...
