Playing on the lines in a poorly monitored area isn't gonna be much better than playing unlined in a poorly monitored gig. Ears win on a fretless, never eyes.
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Where to buy a lined fretless???
- Thread starter Left Left Goose
- Start date
Playing on the lines in a poorly monitored area isn't gonna be much better than playing unlined in a poorly monitored gig. Ears win on a fretless, never eyes.
i think what he was getting at was there were times where he couldnt hear what he was playing so the lines were still there just as if it had been a fretted instrument to help him play in tune
i still need to find a place to buy a neck
under $100 would be very nice
i picked up a squier VM j fretless (the jaco sunburst i think) in GC today and BOY did it feel good!
maybe it was just that i was a flat string virgin and they were so new to me but whatever it was that board and those strings rattled my soul!
i was put off by a missing volume knob making it hard to get a tone i liked so i think ill steer clear of this model
ill get to my point before i get wood from thinking about it
what is a well built, well sounding, lined fretless for under lets say $450
i prefer used and dont mind modding too severely - i suck at wiring but between me and my bro it should be fairly simple
i play classic rock and punk (i know a FL with flats wont gimme that ROCKER tone but im trying something new)
thanks
some1 didnt read the OP
thanks for your help
i think i need the lines cause im still a noob at fretted bass so throwing me in the deep end might kill me
ill check ebay -any more suggestions?
Trust me, you do not need the lines. Just do it. You can't learn to play fretless by looking at lines.
i think what he was getting at was there were times where he couldnt hear what he was playing so the lines were still there just as if it had been a fretted instrument to help him play in tune
i still need to find a place to buy a neck
under $100 would be very nice
Another thing to remember is that unlined fretless basses have side dots at the 1,3,5,9,12 (repeat) positions. This is often easier to see than the skinny lines. You really need to hunch over or change the positioning of the bass if you want to look at the lines.
Look at the side dots on your fretted bass. Easy, right? Now, play your bass by looking at the treble side of you bass. Not as easy, right?
Exactly my point and reason for bringing it up, initially. New fretless players need not get hung up on the 'necessity' of lines. Fretless is a different animal and even though lines may make it look 'fretted', it is still played very differently. If someone ends up liking lines, then they should stick with lines. I personally find them to be of little use.
OP: Good luck in your quest and let us know what you settle on.
Personally, I think lines make you look like you're not committed to your instrument.
I draw the line at side dots, although those really aren't needed, either. Classical guitars don't have inlays or side dots, and members of the violin family have nothing at all.
Besides which, your intonation doesn't have to be as exact as what frets enforce in order to sound good. In fact, the ability to micro-adjust your intonation on the fly in many cases will make you sound *better*.
The side dots are helpful when you're playing a fast-paced rock gig, especially if you're like me and also responsible for lead vocals and sound engineering. Sometimes I get distracted and just need a little nudge to get back on track. If I was solely an instrumentalist, I wouldn't even need side dots, because all my attention would be on the instrument.
I draw the line at side dots, although those really aren't needed, either. Classical guitars don't have inlays or side dots, and members of the violin family have nothing at all.
Besides which, your intonation doesn't have to be as exact as what frets enforce in order to sound good. In fact, the ability to micro-adjust your intonation on the fly in many cases will make you sound *better*.
The side dots are helpful when you're playing a fast-paced rock gig, especially if you're like me and also responsible for lead vocals and sound engineering. Sometimes I get distracted and just need a little nudge to get back on track. If I was solely an instrumentalist, I wouldn't even need side dots, because all my attention would be on the instrument.
I tend to disagree about side dots not being necessary. Classical guitars are fretted and it's much easier to find the 5th position and shift to the octave. Traditionally, the frets will join the body at the 12th fret.
Upright basses don't need dots. You have neck and body joints to anchor your thumb and find your fingering from muscle memory. Also, due to the low end tone and massive scale length, there is a lot more fudge factor in your fingering that will still sound good. This sort of margin for error does not exist on a fretless bass guitar and the neck feels fairly uniform compared to an upright. If you can tell the difference between the 5th position and 5.5 position just by muscle memory, you're a better bassist, most of us can't.
That's certainly true. There's much less room for error on my 30" scale Warwick then there is on my 34" scale StingRay, and while I don't make a habit of playing longer scale lengths (say, DB), I have definitely experienced the effect.
I'm just saying that the side dots are helpful, but not entirely necessary. I certainly wouldn't do without them unless I was completely focused on my instrument.
I'm just saying that the side dots are helpful, but not entirely necessary. I certainly wouldn't do without them unless I was completely focused on my instrument.
Ultimately, it's the ears that find a note, but even though I play fretless almost exclusively (~95%), I'd never get one without side dots. They offer you a much more reliable starting platform. I also switch between a 35" scale 6 and a 30" scale 4 all the time.
Remember, Jaco pulled the frets out (rumor has it, with his teeth) as fretless basses weren't readily available when he did it. Since the frets were removed, they needed to be filled.
I heard a pliers, then I heard a butterknife.......... gets weirder every time!
He had the choice of any colour filler afterwards, he chose one that could be seen.
He has been quoted as saying that the lines saved his a$$ all the time.
I have a feeling he was kinda dedicated to bass.
*Disclaimer* I play both lined and unlined.
I think a lifetime of music, creativity, strong dedication, amazing technique, and a flawless ear were responsible for Jaco.
$100, is a very small budget and won't give you too many choices I would imagine.
A buddy of mine got the Squier VM Fretless, and I gotta say it is simply stunning for the money he paid!...He got his for $180cdn (new, no case). Look for a used one, or save up a few more bucks.
I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
I play unlined, I figure if I'm gonna play fretless, it might as well look the part.
A buddy of mine got the Squier VM Fretless, and I gotta say it is simply stunning for the money he paid!...He got his for $180cdn (new, no case). Look for a used one, or save up a few more bucks.
I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
I play unlined, I figure if I'm gonna play fretless, it might as well look the part.
do yourself a favor and buy an sx. kurt is a nice guy and if you don't like it, send it back and he will fully refund it. an sx IME is better in quality AND sound than a squire...not to sure about theire vintage series though.
To the OP, I'm not sure where you got the idea that Rondo only has 30" scale fretless basses. They have a fretless P for $109
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