Now you see dots...now you don't!

[Rumblefisher]

Hey guys. I'm always going back and forth regarding minutia of bass guitars (nooooo, really?). My latest fixation is to look up fretted fingerboards that are dotted vs naked. I doctored a Lakland photo for direct comparison

What do you guys think? Is a naked fretted board elegant or does it look unfinished?
(I will add that I like blank fretless boards, but that's not what this thread is about!)

 

[bobcruz]

Naked is way more elegant IMO. I like dots only along the side of the board. But I like a bound and blocked maple board, so my taste is inconsistent.

 

[The Chuck]

My Growler has no dots- I like that on this bass. On a Fender Jazz, I like having dots.

 

[bholder]

Both ways work for me, though I guess I slightly prefer naked over plain white dots. Not big on blocks, but nice smallish inlays, ok. The way I figure it (and the way I play), I'm not generally looking at the front of the neck, so whatever's on it is "for show", not for me.

 

[mark beem]

Naked!

 

[MD]

Naked.

 

[Dave W]

I prefer no inlays.

 

[Rumblefisher]

I did this again with a blueburst Lakland...I think I like the ebony board as naked, and the rosewood with the dots!

 

[Old Blastard]

I have all three, naked, dots and blocks. Doesn't matter as long as there are side cheat dots.

 

[GIBrat51]

It depends.. My Alembic is the only one I have with a blank fretboard; it works for me because; 1) it's a really nice piece of ebony, and 2) it's an Alembic, and they're supposed to look "special". The Rick, on the other hand, would look seriously strange without those iconic shark fin markers (and yes, I know they're on the wrong side for a lefty; talk to John Hall). Even the Ricks with dots don't look "right"; I always wonder if they're fakes at first. So, I suppose I'll have to say that for a blank board to be "elegant", the darker the better.

 

[Baird6869]

Naked is way more elegant IMO. I like dots only along the side of the board. But I like a bound and blocked maple board, so my taste is inconsistent.

Same here.

The last basses I ordered custom were without dots/inlays, but I love the look of my old Fender Jazz as well....

 

[pbass6811]

Normally, I woulda said "it depends on the bass", but I recently ordered a Spector Forte 5, which has a naked board that I love,

and I also bought a Spector NS-2, which has the traditional Crown inlays, which I also love

...I really love them both!

I have been no help, have I?

 

[Baird6869]

I should mention that I really like big abalone inlays too, but I like seeing the panic on my guitarist's face when he forgets a chord and looks at my blank fretboard more.

 

[NecroticImbecil]

Me no like dots.

 

[ggunn]

My Alembic doesn't have dots but my Bongo does. Neither dots nor the absence of them had any influence over either purchasing decision. Side dots are all I use, anyway, and both basses have FretFX installed.

 

[Acoustic356]

No dots or side markers, the upper horn of the bass lines up with the 12th fret. That's all you need!

 

[alexlocurto]

I would agree that no dots does come across as more "elegant." However! If you're playing Green Day songs on a P bass, you can take your elegance and shove it into unmentionable places! Sometimes naked-board elegance works. Like in jazz or some types of metal. Other times, the dots are more relateable, the blocks are kinda cool looking, and even those derpy little shark fins work.

 

[mpdd]

my basses are circle circle, dot dot, now i've got my cootie shot

 

[mongo2]

I use both.

 

[basspraiser]

I think no dots looks really cool.

I have a few basses that way ... Ebony looks especially cool without dots..

I Also REALLY like blocks... Binding depends on the block color and fretboard ...

I am not a huge dot fan but am not going to change out a neck just because it has dots...