Poll: Fretless - lined or unlined, regrets?

[Lo-E]

Started with lines. Found them more distracting than helpful.
Went unlined sometime around 1989 and have never regretted it.

 

[D.A.R.K.]

Actually have both. No regrets.

 

[1954bassman]

Why?

I am a much better fretted player than fretless. nothing special on either actually. Plus I try to stay at <less than 4> basses, and I have six right now. I just bought two four string Epiphones (Jack Casady & Zenith) and I love both of them, so I plan to keep at least one of them, and no way I am parting with my two EBMM Sterling 5'ers.

Not much demand for fretless work in all the bands I am involved with right now. I am loving the woody tones I get with the Epipy's in my acoustic Gospel band, and at church I really need the five string Music Mans for versatility.

I quit keeping an arsenal of basses years ago. Play 'em or sell 'em is my mantra.

 

[smperry]

Mine are unlined by choice. Now that I play with more double- and triple-stops than I used to, maybe lined would've made more sense...but I think unlined looks cooler, so no regrets. I can use a fretted bass for that stuff.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I tried out a lined one and ended up not liking it a whole lot. The lines actually felt like they made my notes out of tune more often than they helped. That's because I subconsciously felt I had to get my finger "just right" on the line to make my eyes happy. I guess I'm sort of a visual person, you should see how I meticulously arrange my toiletries.

The problem is on a fretless you can barely change what part of your finger tip is on the fretboard or how much pressure you apply and the note changes pitch. So, my preoccupation with the physical position was sort of in vain and made it harder to concentrate on what I was actually hearing and feeling. I sold that bass for the aforementioned reasons and some others.

I took a chance on a fretless again like maybe two or three months ago. That time I went with an unlined board and I ended up loving it. It does have the side dots. The side dots I do actually use to locate approximately where to put my fingers, but the fact that the fretboard is unlined means I am forced to use my ears and muscle memory more without the distraction of trying to get my fingers where my eyes want them.

Without the side dots I'd probably be completely lost. However, for me, just having those side dots has been better than having fret lines.

 

[Jeff K]

I held off a long time before getting a fretless. (I do have an upright though, so never really felt the need.) But I decided that when/if I did get one, it would be unlined. Found this used '94 MIJ Jazz a few years ago and absolutely love it. I did put Nordy NJ-4s in it though, and they really brought it to life. But my reasoning for unlined was just because I like the look better. It really makes no difference at all. Whatever you like...

 

[darwin-bass]

OP here - Wow, 93% of the responses are regret-free!

Very cool.

 

[MD]

Without the side dots I'd probably be completely lost. However, for me, just having those side dots has been better than having fret lines.

When I bought my Takamine B10, I knew it came with a naked slab of striped ebony. What I didn't know was that it had no side dots either, just a whole lot of empty. With a black sharpie, and the aid of an old tuner, I soon had markers at 3,5,7,9,12.... Good to go.

 

[scourgeofgod]

I have both. I'm more accurate with the lined bass up the neck, but I like the clean look of unlined. And a Michael Kelly dragonfly. Not lined but a huge vine I lay down the fingerboard. I don't play that high up the neck on my acoustic so it's not as big of a deal there.

If I only had one, I'd probably have it be a faintly lined one. Just enough to see where the lines are. But Not bright white like most seem to be.

What would be cool is if they had subtle "markers" in the inlay, seems like it would be easy to do without being obvious. Like just a pattern in the vine, or have the "thorns" point in a specific direction when they're over a note, or something along those lines.

 

[duckman]

Unlined has the looks, no doubt about that. The first fretless P I saw provoked one thought...this is the essence of bass guitars. But as a matter of fact, after my first fretless (which was unlined), all the others were lined...and I love them dearly: Wick bubinga corvette, Wal Pro, Pedulla Buzz and now a Wal MK1.

 

[KohanMike]

This is my custom fretless lined bass uke made by Bruce Wei Arts in Vietnam to my specs and mockup drawing I sent him. I've been playing bass for less than a year (guitar for 50, uke for 2) all fretted and thought going fretless would be interesting, but knew it would have to have lines. Because of that, I've found it to not be too difficult to play. It's all solid acacia koa, fretboard extended to be thumbrests, Gotoh tuners, Kala round wound on nylon core strings, and cheap Chinese pickup and preamp/tuner that's works very well.

 

[Glazenn]

My 1990 G&L ASAT Bass Fretless Signature is unlined, but has brass dots that were inserted in a strange pattern by a previous owner.
Ebony fingerboard. Side dots. TI flats JF344.
It's just OK like this for me... No need for (helpless) lines.

 

[miles'tone]

Got my first unlined just under a month ago and I am loving it! Set it up with a pack of D'addario tapewounds and it's now my fave bass.
I've found it a lot easier to get on with than I imagined. Thanks to the side dots, no jedi mind-tricks required!

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Started on upright when I was 10. Made my first fretless electric out of a 60s Jazz, (yea I know don't start) I filed down the frets in wood shop in high school in about 68. So I've never owned a lined one. Not saying I wouldn't like one, I've only tried them briefly in passing. This is a Rumian made in SF by Doug Rummian for me sometime in the late 80s. It's been my main fretless player for about 25 years. Koa body wings Maple center, Brass nut bolt on jazz size Maple neck with thick Ebony board with an almost cello like radius. Old DiMarzios I think. Beautyful tone with lots of Mwah. This bass was started for another client and I fell in love with it the first time I picked it up. When the first guy backed out when close to completion I had him finish it for me. its seen many hundreds of gigs. He also made me an oxblood red "Jazz" bass that was stolen. It was a wonderful bass as well and I've missed it sorely for 25 yrs. both of them are/were one of one.

 

[JMacBass65]

Love the look of an unlined board, and i feel really dialled into my playning as I need to really listen. It doesnt cause me any issues until I get past the 9th fret area or so, and I don't live there much anyway.

 

[ctmullins]

Got lined at first but quickly discovered that all I can see, and all I need, are the side dots. Honestly, I don't understand how some people can (or would) crane their necks around to look at the fingerboard...

 

[Scottkarch]

It actually has fret dots on the fingerboard... as you can...well, can't see in this picture. Since the dots are under the E string. I can't see them when playing either. But it was a nice try . And I love the look and play of the bass.

 

[zontar]

If I ever get a second fretless bass I won't be concerned with lines--but I wanted one for my first fretless, although if I'd found a good deal on an unlined fretless, I would have gone for it.
So now I'm good either way, but for now I am lined & no regrets

 

[Watchootognbout]

Sometimes you don't have an easy choice.

Stores don't carry both lined or unlined fretless versions of every bass.
Short of ordering a custom the bass from the chosen maker.

I would have loved to have an unlined fingerboard on the bass of MY choice.
But practically all of the fretlesses I've had were converted to fretless with lines.
Not bought as fretless.

I didn't even know that having the fingerboard replaced with an unlined fingerboard was possible.
But it is!

 

[kesslari]

Sometimes you don't have an easy choice.

I didn't even know that having the fingerboard replaced with an unlined fingerboard was possible.
But it is!

So would you change the fingerboard on a lined fretless to one of the same material, but unlined?
Essentially changing the look but not the sound?