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Why are lined Fretless even a thing?

#161
Just to be clear, some people are completely full of crap in this thread.

No, you did pull off a session gig where you completely couldn’t hear yourself by using the lines on your fret less.

Please stop b/sing everyone...

This whole, “I’ve done more gigs than you and I don’t need to hear myself” crap makes me laugh.

okay dude, you’re the one guy on the planet who can play on a lined fret less without hearing yourself.

please: all of you that have done this, post up the recordings where you played just using your lined fretless and couldn’t hear yourself.

you are my hero.

LOFL
 
#162
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.

There is another points that helps a lot in-tune playing on an acoustic instrument such as the DB, as compared to an electric instrument like the BG: sympathetic resonance.
As explained nicely in the video below, when playing in-tune on a DB (or any instrument of the violin family), there is some sympathetic resonance of some harmonics on the other strings, so that you literally feel the in-tuneness with your belly, legs, or any part of your body in contact with the bass.

On the BG, sympathetic resonance is usually to avoid by muting the strings, because it gets amplified by the electronics and leads to muddy, unclear, sound.

 
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#163
This debate has to be one of the absolute silliest on tb EVER. Who the (blank) cares? No one, absolutely no one. Whether or not a bass has inlaid fretlines has nothing to do with how good a player is. It’s the sound of a bass without frets; that’s what’s so attractive about it.
 
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#164
Smooth_bass88 said:
This debate has to be one of the absolute silliest on tb EVER. Who the (blank) cares? No one, absolutely no one. Whether or not a bass has inlaid fretlines has nothing to do with how good a player is. It’s the sound of a bass without frets; that’s what’s so attractive about it.
Click to expand...
+1

I love the imbecilic "cheating" comments. It aint the SATs. ;)
 
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#166
I like fret lines!

When we are looking at a line-less bass neck, we are looking down at a diagonal angle to the neck and it is especially difficult to keep the D and G strings on target to a true note.

Also, a 34" scale bass is not all that long and when playing higher register, it is very obvious if the notes are off.

Jaco, the king of fretless had lines. I'm humble enough to have them too!
 
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#168
FunkHead said:
I wouldn’t work for someone who wouldn’t let me hear myself! Period. I wouldn’t want to be called back either.
My session experience has always been where I could hear everything I needed. I can’t imagine theses places you are describing but please post them up so I can avoid them.
Click to expand...

Maybe that's your situation, but some working musicians might not have that luxury. Especially if that's their sole source of income and they hit periods of time where they basically have to take any offers to make ends meet. Of course, everyone wants to work in an environment and with equipment that is maximized for your own success. That's not the reality 100% of the time, though. Point being - why not have your bases covered the best you can. For guys who like lined fretless to help in bad mix/sound situations, how is that any different from bringing a spare cable, amp, etc? It's great not to need it, and hopefully you won't in 99% of the cases. But that one time you do...

FunkHead said:
Just to be clear, some people are completely full of crap in this thread.

No, you did pull off a session gig where you completely couldn’t hear yourself by using the lines on your fret less.

Please stop b/sing everyone...

This whole, “I’ve done more gigs than you and I don’t need to hear myself” crap makes me laugh.

okay dude, you’re the one guy on the planet who can play on a lined fret less without hearing yourself.

please: all of you that have done this, post up the recordings where you played just using your lined fretless and couldn’t hear yourself.

you are my hero.

LOFL
Click to expand...

To be fair, you came in guns blazing bagging on beginners using tabs, claiming you'd never take a gig with subpar sound, etc. If you have the luxury of playing all sessions, venues, and gigs with pristine sound, great monitor mixes, and no unforeseen issues, more power to you. To think your experience is the only one is naive, though.
 
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#169
Grahams Groove said:
Maybe that's your situation, but some working musicians might not have that luxury. Especially if that's their sole source of income and they hit periods of time where they basically have to take any offers to make ends meet. Of course, everyone wants to work in an environment and with equipment that is maximized for your own success. That's not the reality 100% of the time, though. Point being - why not have your bases covered the best you can. For guys who like lined fretless to help in bad mix/sound situations, how is that any different from bringing a spare cable, amp, etc? It's great not to need it, and hopefully you won't in 99% of the cases. But that one time you do...



To be fair, you came in guns blazing bagging on beginners using tabs, claiming you'd never take a gig with subpar sound, etc. If you have the luxury of playing all sessions, venues, and gigs with pristine sound, great monitor mixes, and no unforeseen issues, more power to you. To think your experience is the only one is naive, though.
Click to expand...
Guns blazing??? Lol. I just gave one situation where lines are needed.
You are also bringing live stage into the argument. I am talking studio and how people are b/s ing about being forced to play with no sound using only their fret lines.
believe what you will but I am done with your silly argument.
It may be time to take a reading comprehension class for some people.
 
#170
FunkHead said:
Guns blazing??? Lol. I just gave one situation where lines are needed.
You are also bringing live stage into the argument. I am talking studio and how people are b/s ing about being forced to play with no sound using only their fret lines.
believe what you will but I am done with your silly argument.
It may be time to take a reading comprehension class for some people.
Click to expand...

Says the guy who mentioned gigs in multiple posts. You seem angry - take some time for yourself today and try to de-stress. I would recommend some solo work on a lined fretless...
 
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#171
FunkHead said:
Just to be clear, some people are completely full of crap in this thread.

No, you did pull off a session gig where you completely couldn’t hear yourself by using the lines on your fret less.

Please stop b/sing everyone...

This whole, “I’ve done more gigs than you and I don’t need to hear myself” crap makes me laugh.

okay dude, you’re the one guy on the planet who can play on a lined fret less without hearing yourself.

please: all of you that have done this, post up the recordings where you played just using your lined fretless and couldn’t hear yourself.

you are my hero.

LOFL
Click to expand...
Equipment failures happen. I've never had to play in these circumstances, but when you're on stage and something lets go, you try to make the best of it. On a lined fretless, I might have a hope in hell if the line was simple and I could hear the pulse, but anything else and hilarity would ensue.
 
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#172
Grahams Groove said:
Says the guy who mentioned gigs in multiple posts. You seem angry - take some time for yourself today and try to de-stress. I would recommend some solo work on a lined fretless...
Click to expand...
Not angry at all. I just called b/s when I see it.
I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about studio work either. engineers are very accommodating to bass players.
To say you can’t hear yourself in a studio is just crap. It does not work like that.
Then people keep trying to back up that silly argument with live gig references.
Of course some gigs are tougher to hear than others. And lines would be one more tool in your kit.
Studio is totally different.
Again I am not angry but bs is bs. I won’t accept it here or anywhere.
 
#175
But what about those who play a lined fretless with a pick?!?

Honestly, my fretless Warwick didn't have lines. Didn't capture the sound (or playability) that I wanted. You know what did? My GWB35. Needed a little help in the electronics area, but plays like a dream. Fretlines? Meh. Sometimes I glance at them. Most of the time I use my ears. Sometimes I need a hammer, sometimes I need a wrench. No reason not to have both in the toolbox, especially when vanity is the only real justification for insisting that a hammer can fix anything.

Also, harmonic minor side point - I really, really get a kick out of the occasional random bass players that show up at my gigs and have a weird moment where the *sound* is a fretless bass, but it looks like a fretted bass.
 
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#176
fdeck said:
I play mostly upright, but also fretless electric. My upright has no lines, my electric basses do. Some reasons:

1. I de-fretted both of my basses myself, so I had to fill the slots with something. I used "mahogany" colored Plastic Wood. In one case it has held up great for 30+ years. The contrast between the fret lines and the rosewood fingerboards (or mystery wood, whatever) is subtle, but I can see it well enough on stage when I need to.

2. Obviously I can't play while paying full attention to the fret lines, because there is so much else going on. Reading, interacting with the band, looking out into the audience, checking to see who's coming in the front door, etc. But once in a while there's a note in the middle of the board that I just have to grab, so a quick visual reference when I need it is helpful.

3. The upright bass has a host of tactile references: The curves of the neck, touching your arm against the bout, etc. In contrast, an electric bass neck is almost 2 octaves of no mans land. Sometimes I need the help.

The first thing is serving the music, the band, and the audience, not my own vanity. It would be crazy for me to claim to have impeccable intonation on either upright or electric. And in any event, recording myself would quickly settle that matter.

Very late in his life, Ray Brown told a reporter that he still worked on his intonation, every day.
Click to expand...
+1 Really SOLID post. Well stated, articulate, practical, and informed.
 
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