Srh500f... White fret lines?

[Underitall]

I just purchased a new Ibanez srh500f. Mine has fret lines darker than the fretboard, almost impossible to utilize, but cool. I was expecting the bass to arrive with light colored fret lines, after looking at photos of some srh500f's online. I have to assume these are older models or different models, and would like to ask if someone could enlighten me.

 

[ardgedee]

The SRH500F has always had dark lines. You can see it in photos and videos from this thread that started when Ibanez began selling them.

Ibanez briefly made an SRH500 (no F) with frets, which looks almost identical aside from the frets. Maybe that's where your confusion came from?

 

[crazycloud]

The first 2 digits of the serial number will tell you the year of manufacture.

 

[Underitall]

Oooh brother, my eyes are so bad! I just realized that the srh500 came in a fretted version. I thought those were fret lines. My embarrassment is complete.

 

[Underitall]

I guess I'm going to have to learn to play by feel, after all. That doesn't mean I'm not going to install 2mm side dots at every fret line though... Yeah, I cheat. Ha!

 

[ardgedee]

I guess I'm going to have to learn to play by feel, after all. That doesn't mean I'm not going to install 2mm side dots at every fret line though... Yeah, I cheat. Ha!

Personally I prefer those subtle lines. Give it some time as-is, see if you get used to it.

 

[Underitall]

Personally I prefer those subtle lines. Give it some time as-is, see if you get used to it.

I prefer the look of no lines. But I'm just too new not have some kind of guides at first. I need to get my fingers used to the feel of a song before I can turn the lights out and practice the same song. I have bases all the way down to 23 inch scale, so it's not quite as "normal" to me to play by feel.
I'm still trying to figure out if Ibanez put plastic, wood looking knobs on a $800 bass, or not.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Give yourself some time to get used to not having super visible lines. Focus first on getting comfortable playing in the first three to five fret lines. Play scales and arpeggios. See if you can't do that for awhile, then extend your range to the first 9 fret lines. Once you feel comfortable with intonation there, then up to the octave. It's not as hard as it sounds. Play with a cello drone to keep your intonation on track. CelloDroneFantasy is a good free one on YouTube.

If you put your other basses away and focus on practicing the fretless exclusively, you can get pretty decent within a couple months.

Focusing on the board and lines actually slows you down, IMO.

 

[Underitall]

Give yourself some time to get used to not having super visible lines. Focus first on getting comfortable playing in the first three to five fret lines. Play scales and arpeggios. See if you can't do that for awhile, then extend your range to the first 9 fret lines. Once you feel comfortable with intonation there, then up to the octave. It's not as hard as it sounds. Play with a cello drone to keep your intonation on track. CelloDroneFantasy is a good free one on YouTube.

If you put your other basses away and focus on practicing the fretless exclusively, you can get pretty decent within a couple months.

Focusing on the board and lines actually slows you down, IMO.

Thank you very much. That is wonderful advice and information. I'm going to do exactly that.

 

[Five or Six]

Give yourself some time to get used to not having super visible lines. Focus first on getting comfortable playing in the first three to five fret lines. Play scales and arpeggios. See if you can't do that for awhile, then extend your range to the first 9 fret lines. Once you feel comfortable with intonation there, then up to the octave. It's not as hard as it sounds. Play with a cello drone to keep your intonation on track. CelloDroneFantasy is a good free one on YouTube.

If you put your other basses away and focus on practicing the fretless exclusively, you can get pretty decent within a couple months.

Focusing on the board and lines actually slows you down, IMO.

It's no different than going to a five from a four or, five to a six. You have to spend time with the instrument. None of which is immediate success. Like I always say sometimes. You get out what you put in.

 

[Underitall]

I have a question, but I'm afraid of the answer .
I see Ibanez used to sell the srh500, fretted bass, with a dragon's eye burst finish, that I like way more than the new natural burst.
If I were to purchase a used srh500, could I swap the neck with my srh500f neck?
If I were to purchase an srh500 and do this, does anyone think the brand new natural burst body would even sell used to anyone with the fretted neck attached? Or is that most likely a $600 waste of money?
If I thought my brand new body would sell with the fretted neck, I would probably go ahead and purchase an srh500 to do the swap. I'm really really not wild about the finish on my new srh500f. It's flawless. I just don't think it's nearly as pretty as the old finish on the srh500.

 

[Underitall]

 

[Underitall]

 

[BassicJazzy]

View attachment 7470913

I never noticed before that they put the dots on surface in the wrong place., short of the line. Why would they do that? Better to just leave them off the face, since it has side dots plus fret lines.

 

[Underitall]

I never noticed before that they put the dots on surface in the wrong place., short of the line. Why would they do that? Better to just leave them off the face, since it has side dots plus fret lines.

I agree. If they had to do it, I wish they would have put them centered on the actual fret lines.

 

[ardgedee]

IMO, you shouldn't be using the dots for finger position anyway, fretted or fretless. Ultimately they're just decoration.

This might be my prejudice from having a defretted bass, but I think I picked up fretless more easily than some people because I had gotten into the habit of playing a fretted just on/behind the fret long before then. The dots were convenient interval markers but I never played on them.

 

[Underitall]

IMO, you shouldn't be using the dots for finger position anyway, fretted or fretless. Ultimately they're just decoration.

This might be my prejudice from having a defretted bass, but I think I picked up fretless more easily than some people because I had gotten into the habit of playing a fretted just on/behind the fret long before then. The dots were convenient interval markers but I never played on them.

I will say that I think the prettiest fretless fretboards are plain. But the side markers are small and don't bother me.
I really like this, personally...

 

[BassicJazzy]

IMO, you shouldn't be using the dots for finger position anyway, fretted or fretless. Ultimately they're just decoration.

This might be my prejudice from having a defretted bass, but I think I picked up fretless more easily than some people because I had gotten into the habit of playing a fretted just on/behind the fret long before then. The dots were convenient interval markers but I never played on them.

I swear I never once looked at the side dots on my fretted basses, never paid them any attention. From '72 to '84 my only bass was a Rick 4001 and it only had sharks tooth on fretboard, which narrowed (of course) and served as only reference to where you were on the board. If it had side dots too I never looked at them. Since then, I only looked for the octave position based on the face of the board, double dots there, on my newer fretted and lined fretless. Now, checking side dots is new on unlined board and seems strange to me.

Like you, I've always fretted right behind the fret. Agree it helped me pick up intonation on fretless pretty fast.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I will say that I think the prettiest fretless fretboards are plain. But the side markers are small and don't bother me.
I really like this, personally...

View attachment 7471011

Yeah, but either the dot or the line is off the mark. If I have lines I want them on the line. I would have trouble with that one, but that's just me. Rather just have the dots.