Old topic, new thread.... FRETLESS: Lines? No Lines? Compromise? Innovate? VOTE!!

[pablomigraine]

The question has been put to the community a thousand ways and a thousand times.... but markets and preferences change over time, demands differ geographically and TODAY.... for reasons I cannot elaborate on at the moment... I am in search of Contemporary data on what people are looking for these days in a Fretless bass.

Most Boutique companies offer either lined or unlined Fretless. We offer Fretless on both models; Phenolic Graphite Composite boards on the VL, the more affordable SL is rosewood. For whatever reason, as a company we sell more Fretless vs Fretted than many other brands, and 4 years ago when we studied this last, the demand was roughly 30/70 unlined / lined. Suddenly, demand for unlined are through the roof and we shortly may be unable to meet demand within our customary turnaround time for orders.

Is the world ready for 50/50 lined / unlined?

How does Talkbass feel about a company offering Quarter-Lined as their only Fretless option as a compromise between the two.... where the fretlines extend only .75" from the edge of the Fretboard in towards the center, and slightly longer 1.00" lines at 3/5/7/12 etc.

Even better.... if anyone has any fresh or innovative ideas that you'd like to let me steal and pass off as my own, please share!!!

PLEASE VOTE!!

Base your votes on what you own, and or what you would choose to own if purchasing new!




Also.... here's some unrelated sex ......

 

[kkaarrll]

prefer unlined
was kinda scared about it at first
but didn't need em

 

[Gorn]

It's about aesthetic preference. Lines, no lines, partial lines....it doesn't matter if you don't have the ear for it.

 

[kkaarrll]

It's about aesthetic preference. Lines, no lines, partial lines....it doesn't matter if you don't have the ear for it.

and yes
if you do have the ear for it and the lack doesn't bother you
then pick the one you like the best looks wise

for me that is unlined---I just fell right into it pretty easy (well, down until you get around the 13th or 14th frets) I hang out more on the money end though

 

[Watchootognbout]

I prefer unlined.But I have lined.
Because the bass I have wasn't offered as fretless.
So I defretted it and inlayed styrene strips.

 

[pablomigraine]

I prefer unlined.But I have lined.
Because the bass I have wasn't offered as fretless.
So I defretted it and inlayed styrene strips.View attachment 886801

NICE!! What kind of bass is that? Love that top....

 

[Gorn]

I prefer unlined.But I have lined.
Because the bass I have wasn't offered as fretless.
So I defretted it and inlayed styrene strips.View attachment 886801

I like the look of that even though it doesn't look fretless from a distance. I love the look of Juan Alderete's bass which I believe is factory unlined with painted on lines and dots under a coating.

 

[MisterFabulous]

I'm still a beginner and lines are great for me. One solution is to partially line it (great suggestions in archived posts on how to do this without ruining your neck). You just put some short lines starting from the edge of the neck you can see. To most, it would appear as totally unlined.

Of course, it may confuse other musicians you're playing with...

 

[pablomigraine]

I like the look of that even though it doesn't look fretless from a distance. I love the look of Juan Alderete's bass which I believe is factory unlined with painted on lines and dots under a coating.
View attachment 886809

I definitely dig this look on "Classic" style basses (believe it or not, having firmly established myself in the Bass Snob club, I still own a heavily modified Squier Vintage Modified Fretless JACOFAKO)..... but I prefer the clean, unlined look on more modern basses.

 

[seang15]

I voted something else, because I want to see "All of the above!" If it's fretless, it's good. Rest are minor details.

 

[Watchootognbout]

NICE!! What kind of bass is that? Love that top....

A Tune TWB63WN.
The top is walnut.
The body is ovangkol.

That was an older picture.
This is it today.

 

[Woolber]

I prefer innovative. Lined....but only on the back of the neck.

 

[Ubersheist]

prefer unlined
was kinda scared about it at first
but didn't need em

This.

It's about aesthetic preference. Lines, no lines, partial lines....it doesn't matter if you don't have the ear for it.

Also this. I almost bought a fretless semihollow Spector bass once with lines, but then I realized that I loved my beater $200 Rogue fretless.


To the original poster:
It really doesn't matter. Only other bass players care, and they are NOT your audience, and they're probably not the person you're trying to be romantically involved in, and your momma won' care either. So, just get what you think sounds, looks and feels the best for you.

At the same time, I'm one of those bassists with a bit of an ego, so I certainly wanted an unlined fretless. I was very worried about it at first, but the dirty little secret is that it's not really any harder to play unlined than it is lined. They're both more of a pain than fretted, but the fingers have to be way more accurate whether or not it's lined. I do like the look of an unlined fingerboard (not a fretboard since there's not frets). But that's just me and my ego.

 

[Fat Freddy]

I prefer my fretless basses to have frets

 

[Blaargh]

Lined. I find the idea of making my life slightly more difficult just to show off to any other bassists in the audience pretty silly.

 

[sonicnuance]

To me, the ability to play fretless is directly proportional to being able to hear my playing along with a tonal reference (keyboard for example). Because of this I prefer unlined - my thinking being if I cannot use my ears to get the intonation right I shouldn't be playing fretless for that situation.

While having lines would be nice insurance for poor monitoring situations, I also vainly love the look of unlined.

 

[pingvuiini]

I prefer unlined, but lined is no big deal for me. The deal breaker is the side dots which for me HAVE to be right at the fret, not in between. I also like to have a side dot at the first fret.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I prefer unlined unless I really want to convert some fretted bass to a fretless.

I do like having side dots.

 

[hondo4life]

Lines.
The lines can be on the side of the neck rather than the fingerboard, but I need something. I think it looks better without them, but I need them. I frequently switch between fretted and fretless, 4 and 5 string, and different tunings. I could easily get confused without lines.

 

[arbiterusa]

Prefer unlined phenolic, but am playing unlined rosewood and happily surprised at the tone and lack of wear.

Would not buy "quarter lines" under any circumstances.