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Unlined fretless?

M

malicant

Oct 14, 2011
72
2
#1
I'm sure this has come up before but it's a new issue for me.

Over the last few weeks, I've decided to get a fretless bass to add to my collection. I don't think I'll ever become a full time fretless man but I thin the sound of a fretless is amazing and I really think it would be cool to own one. By chance, there is a second hand warwick corv standard fretless for sale in my area at a great price so naturally, I'm thinking of making an offer.

The only thing that has me thinking is that the said bass in an unlined fretless and I was probably going to buy a lined bass. I don't espouse the belief that lined fretless basses are like training basses because after all, Jaco himself used a lined fretless. However, I'm wondering if a lined fretless would be better for someone with limited knowledge of the fretless bass.

On one hand, I'm tempted just to buy the warwick and learn to play it because it looks amazing and I think the unlined look is a little cooler.
 
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#3
This is a very difficult issue to give advice on.

I'm playing 95% fretless, about 12 years now. Only 4 years ago I got my first unlined bass. This wasn't an issue since after a couple of months after I got my first lined fretless 12 years ago I didn't needed the lines anymore.
I do notice now that when I do play a lined fretless again the lines throw me of (if I dare to look at them).
If I could go back in time I would go back and tell my younger self to not look at the lines, or get an unlined. But, off course I say that now, now that I have experience on the fretless.

It really is up to you, what you feel comfortable doing. The lines can help. But only in the early stages of learning fretless.

And if you gig with it you can't see the lines anyway... but that off course means you have enough experience and wouldn't care about lined or unlined either way.
 
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#6
I find lined fretlesses to be confusing because the lines do not serve the same function as the frets. There are a number of TB threads about this. I also don't like the look of lined fretlesses compare to unlined.

That's just me, though, and your reaction may differ. Also, the side dots are a good idea.
 
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#7
I'm not thinking too seriously about adding a fretless to my collection of basses. I play a 4 string short scale fretted bass. I've played at open mics and just played my first gig with my first band this past Saturday, so you know I have loads of experience here. I am also a volunteer at a local theatre where one act had a bassist had a Renaissance regular scale 5 string fretless. I don't remember whether it had lines or not, but it had the side markers that we all know and love. The bass player let me play this bass. To my surprise, I was finding the notes I wanted just fine without looking at anything on the neck but my fingers (and how beautiful that neck was).

I'm in no hurry to upgrade my Squier SS Jaguar, but if I was, and I had just hit the lotto, I'd be looking into something like that bass. I guess whether or not you need the lines on a fretless would depend on how much you look at the neck when you play.
 
#8
I'm still relatively new to fretless basses, mine is lined.

I do agree that the lines aren't always on pitch. They will be at the octave, but get a bit off from there either way, not much, but it does happen. From day one, I tried very hard to ignore the fingerboard and not look at the lines. My ear has improved and it is easier now.

But, I will say that I still like the lines for doing chords and double-stops. When I do these, my fingers sometimes have to stretch to more difficult positions and the lines help me see where I need to stretch to. Without them, I would probably be lazy and just play how they lie. Also, the lines help when I'm doing really fast passages.
 
#9
Unlike bicycle training wheels, the lines on a lined fretless do not come off...almost all unlined fretless necks have side markers. If not, read threads above about correction fluid. It just takes a little practice to get comfortable with it. If it is not worth your time do not do it at all. It was well worth mine.

edit: I have an unlined fretless German Warwick Corvette Std 5er with TI Jazz flats that I love.
 
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#11
To be a good fretless player, you need to train your ear for intonation as well as your fingers.

Having lines on the board will help train your fingers, but not your ear and even worse can become a visual crutch. Even a distraction for some players (like me). You will notice the pros with lined boards rarely watch their fingers.

I strongly recommend the unlined with side dots. The dots can get your fingers into the right ballpark position easy enough when first picking up the bass and your ear can fine tune your fingering from there.
 
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#12
Reality of the situation is that if you're going to learn to correctly play a fretless you're going to learn to really use your ears. Listening is the critical skill, not seeing. When you've properly learned to play the instrument you should be able to play blindfolded.

Seeing the neck comes in handy when it comes time to change positions or in situations where you can't hear the other players to make sure you're in tune with them. But for those purposes I've found side dots to be more than enough.


edit: just noticed that the two people above said exactly the same thing I did. Sorry for the redundancy. And etoncrow ain't the fretless corvette a sweet instrument? I have a four that I used for about 5 years that doesn't get any playing time because I'm a confirmed 6er now. Really thinking of getting one in fretless 6 next year.
 
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#13
You'll get a lot of opinions on this and a lot of BS/myths.

The only way to know is to spend a lot of hours on a fretless. I started on unlined and eventually got comfortable with it. I probably would have gotten similar results on a lined fretless.

Much like another poster said, lines are confusing to me, mostly because the line doesn't represent perfect pitch.

Some dude will come back and say, "oh yeah?! what if you can't hear yourself live?" Lined or unlined, you're kinda screwed.
 
#14
I have an unlined fretless and don't have much difficulty with it. The side dots are more than enough for me to have a ballpark of where I need to be, but my ears are ultimately telling me if I'm sharp or flat.

I say for for the unlined...

I had a lined fretless a few years back, and honestly it wasn't significantly easier as you'd expect...it was just different.
 
#15
spade2you said:
Some dude will come back and say, "oh yeah?! what if you can't hear yourself live?" Lined or unlined, you're kinda screwed.
Click to expand...

We hear this argument every time this subject comes up but the truth is that if you put in the time muscle memory will tell you where you are more than lines just like if you played double bass. I can close my eyes and turn off my volume and be right on the note.
 
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#16
etoncrow said:
We hear this argument every time this subject comes up but the truth is that if you put in the time muscle memory will tell you where you are more than lines just like if you played double bass. I can close my eyes and turn off my volume and be right on the note.
Click to expand...

Muscle memory will get you in the ballpark. Unlike a doublebass the neck of a bass guitar is virtually featureless. If I told you to close your eyes, put your hand at your side, then put it on the 6th fret every time within 2 cents, how likely are you and the average user going to be able to do this 10 times?
 
#17
spade2you said:
Muscle memory will get you in the ballpark. Unlike a doublebass the neck of a bass guitar is virtually featureless. If I told you to close your eyes, put your hand at your side, then put it on the 6th fret every time within 2 cents, how likely are you and the average user going to be able to do this 10 times?
Click to expand...

I would never find the 6th fret. I could find A# or Eb. I sing on almost every song so I am playing blind most of the time.
 
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#18
The Corvette fretless sounds fantastic.

Don't let the lack of lines put you off. If you are really desperate to look at your position on the neck, there are position markers on the top of the fingerboard.

malicant said:
I'm sure this has come up before but it's a new issue for me.

Over the last few weeks, I've decided to get a fretless bass to add to my collection. I don't think I'll ever become a full time fretless man but I thin the sound of a fretless is amazing and I really think it would be cool to own one. By chance, there is a second hand warwick corv standard fretless for sale in my area at a great price so naturally, I'm thinking of making an offer.

The only thing that has me thinking is that the said bass in an unlined fretless and I was probably going to buy a lined bass. I don't espouse the belief that lined fretless basses are like training basses because after all, Jaco himself used a lined fretless. However, I'm wondering if a lined fretless would be better for someone with limited knowledge of the fretless bass.

On one hand, I'm tempted just to buy the warwick and learn to play it because it looks amazing and I think the unlined look is a little cooler.
Click to expand...
 
#19
If you can get a good price on the bass you want, go for it. There's never going to be a consensus on the results of the lined versus unlined debate. Either way, you'll have some learning to do, and my view is that a person is more likely to play a bass that they like, which helps them learn faster and better. If that's the bass you want, dive in and have confidence that you can figure it out. Work at it till you do. And if you don't figure it out, you can probably sell it for what you paid since you bought it used.
 

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