Why are lined Fretless even a thing?

[Lagado]

In New York Minute there are a few lines above the 12th for example. Have no time to go through all the songs again.

You'll find it is a very slim percentage.

 

[Les Fret]

You'll find it is a very slim percentage.

At least he did more of that back then than the last 20 years or so...

 

[citizenchris099]

 

[Lagado]

View attachment 3860402

Are you not entertained...?

 

[retslock]

What is "a right note that sounds very wrong" ?

When you’re supposed to play an E for instance (it could be any note really but let’s call it E) but it doesn’t sound like E. It sounds out of tune because the room is resonating overtones that trick your ear. It happens.

 

[JRA]

I learned without lines and without prior familiarity with the marker pattern. Consequently I find a lined fingerboard to be a real distraction.

The distraction is the presence of something to see makes me want to look, and it feels like taking my eyes off the road to rubberneck a car crash. It really is that simple.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

Maybe folks get White Line Fever... LOL...never bothered me.

 

[Papageno]

When you’re supposed to play an E for instance (it could be any note really but let’s call it E) but it doesn’t sound like E. It sounds out of tune because the room is resonating overtones that trick your ear. It happens.

Thanks for clarifying. I get your point.

But if the audience hears it, like you, as a very wrong note due to parasitic overtones (coming from where? band mates not muting correctly? bad room acoustics? incompetent sound tech?), then this E really is a wrong note, no matter what the composer or arranger intended and wrote on the score or chart (IMHO, at least).

 

[Watchootognbout]

Maybe folks get White Line Fever... LOL...never bothered me.

 

[Eddie LeBlanc]

One of my fav guitarist...

 

[-Asdfgh-]

This is a sincere question and I felt it was related to technique hence why I posted here. Apologies if this isn't the correct forum.

So the only possible reason I can see for putting "fret" lines on a fretless is for people who literally stare or look at their fretboard while playing(?)
Do that many people do this while playing?

I'm told I play with my bass fairly high. My strap from button hole to button hole is 42".
I can only see the side of my neck while playing and If I try I can see a semi angled view of the frets from 12 up.
My point being I can't even really see my frets or theoretical lines if I were to play that sort of fretless. Is this abnormal?

I will say that I find playing fretless based on position dot markers (which my wife a Celist says is a bit of cheating lol) effortless. Lines would only distract me.
I find it espeically odd that relatively mainstream Bass personalities such as Scott Devine espouse the virtues of fret lines.

Anyhoo...rant over.

In most instances the lines wrap around the edge of the fingerboard so they provide a good reference with a glance.

But a reason why the exist is that you can make N thousand fretted necks on one jig and simply put inserts in rather than frets as demand requires. Otherwise you need two jigs as for a fretless without lines you need to put the dots in a different place. The other is Jaco.

 

[swarfrat]

Occams Razor v2.0
Ease of manufacturing beats even the simplest of reasons.

 

[J Neck Peabody]

This is a sincere question and I felt it was related to technique hence why I posted here. Apologies if this isn't the correct forum.

So the only possible reason I can see for putting "fret" lines on a fretless is for people who literally stare or look at their fretboard while playing(?)
Do that many people do this while playing?

I'm told I play with my bass fairly high. My strap from button hole to button hole is 42".
I can only see the side of my neck while playing and If I try I can see a semi angled view of the frets from 12 up.
My point being I can't even really see my frets or theoretical lines if I were to play that sort of fretless. Is this abnormal?

I will say that I find playing fretless based on position dot markers (which my wife a Celist says is a bit of cheating lol) effortless. Lines would only distract me.
I find it espeically odd that relatively mainstream Bass personalities such as Scott Devine espouse the virtues of fret lines.

Anyhoo...rant over.

That was a rant? I thought you were just bragging that you no longer have to look at your bass as much as you once did. Bravo, sir!!! Carry on.

 

[Les Fret]

It has been stressed by many contributors that the presence of physical clues on the neck of a DB makes it easier to play in tune without visual reference than a BG.]

That only holds true if the fretless bass didn’t have any physical clues at all. If fretless basses wouldn’t have lines or dots I would agree with you. But they all of have. It’s not easier to play in tune on an upright if you want to play challenging lines. I play both a lot.

 

[Papageno]

That only holds true if the fretless bass didn’t have any physical clues at all. If fretless basses wouldn’t have lines or dots I would agree with you. But they all of have. It’s not easier to play in tune on an upright if you want to play challenging lines. I play both a lot.

I don't see how what you say contradicts my statement. I was comparing the difficulty of playing in tune on DB vs. fretless BG without visual reference (ie with closed eyes). Once you close your eyes, lines and dots are irrelevant. I can easily shift from the nut to the region of the 7th "fret" on DB with closed eyes, because my thumb meets the neck joint. On fretless BG, it is much more difficult (though with lot of practice, the hand and ear can learn to do it); a good hand shape and reliable left hand technique (for me, it's Simandl) is essential here.

That's why I open my eyes when and watch the dots when playing fretless BG. And yes, DB is difficult to play in tune: some shifts are really difficult to nail correctly. So, we seem to agree on all this.

By the way, I have frequently wondered whether some physical marks (eg. a few tiny bumps or grooves on the back of the neck), that the thumb could feel, would help on fretless BG for situations where we do not (or cannot) watch the neck. I never dared "mutilating" my bass to try this, though.

 

[Les Fret]

I don't see how what you say contradicts my statement. I was comparing the difficulty of playing in tune on DB vs. fretless BG without visual reference (ie with closed eyes).

Exactly. I agree with you. I wasn't contradicting your statement. I just don't agree with people (not you) who make a general statement that playing in tune on upright is easier than on fretless bass. I see that statement a lot on forums.

The physical reference on an upright is only there at the heel. For the rest it is blank.
There is no physical reference from the octave until the end of the finger board.

 

[citizenchris099]

That was a rant? I thought you were just bragging that you no longer have to look at your bass as much as you once did. Bravo, sir!!! Carry on.

Touche sir

 

[swarfrat]

I do wonder now if bumps or notches on the neck could be a good thing. Maybe even better than lines

 

[FunkHead]

I do wonder now if bumps or notches on the neck could be a good thing. Maybe even better than lines

Just put a tiny piece of painters tape in a few key spots for reference.
Then just close your eyes and play. You’ll either be able to have good intonation or you won’t but after a week or two at least you’ll know.....

 

[LH MCCURDY BASSES]

In my case, i have a Lined fingerboard due to defretting. I suppose i could have spent a LOT more money to completely replace the board with a new piece of wood.....
While playing, I even look at my fretted fretboards pretty regularly. (Glance, View attachment 3858398 not stare.)
It’s probably a bad habit, but at this point in my life, it’s not a habit that’s going to be changed.

That’s gorgeous!