Would you buy a bass without side dots?

[Mastermold]

Almost every upright bass made for the last 400 years has no side dots.

Worst case scenario is you pay $100 to have them installed by a competent luthier; $1 option is to use a whiteout pen.

I used a grease pen on a Kay bass guitar that didn't have dots. They rub off easily enough if you want them gone, otherwise they are a cheap and fast fix.

 

[JIO]

I restored a bass w/o side dots, a '67 WEM/Watkins 24fret medium-scale Rapier (project bass)... and added aluminum side dots.

Before; no dots

After; dots

Restored Rapier -

 

[ravlin]

I play better with my eyes closed... I'm pretty sure my brain takes the unused visual cortex resources and reroutes the horsepower over to the musical art algorithms

So I can double my brain cells available for playing music?! Sweet! That brings me to 10. the other 3 are for standing, breathing, and pulse.

 

[lermgalieu]

Non-issue

 

[DaveParker39]

I feel like the answers here aren't in the spirit of the question.
Yes, we can all add side dots.
But would you play a bass without side dots? Could you? How good would you be?
I couldn't do it.

 

[BassDuex]

I've never seen an upright with side dots....

I have seen them with masking tape though!

(I'm sure someone will post an example...)

I have a severely road worn 40’s Kay, with side dots and canvas overlay on the bout edges to protect it when you lay it in it’s side.

 

[factory presets]

Bought a Squier J bass with neck coloured dots that sit half on the fingerboard and half on the neck. Figured if I need to I can always draw them on with a marker pen. Turns out the ones up the neck are easy to see. And frets 3, 5, and 7 fall naturally under the fingers anyway

 

[ectoflanger]

Never thought of it before, but admit I’m thankful that my unlined Fretless basses have them-

 

[factory presets]

I feel like the answers here aren't in the spirit of the question.
Yes, we can all add side dots.
But would you play a bass without side dots? Could you? How good would you be?
I couldn't do it.

That's the question for a gigging musician. For someone like me, who plays the bass because the golden age of television is coming to an end, a more appropriate question is how long would it take you to learn. I suspect my answer would be not as long as I think.

 

[evs]

Long story short, I accidentally discovered the perfect solution -- fishing lure stickers. I get the oval shaped ones, and fold them over the top edge of my fretboard, so they'll reflect light from any angle. They're never not visible (even with neon strings), regardless of how bad the light on stage is -- they're designed to reflect light in low light situations, and the adhesive is designed to stick in harsh environments.

Thanks for the tip! I'm going to do this.

 

[Hawk256]

I have a 1970's hand built bass that is 26 frets and missing the side dots. I literally can't play it. Thinking about having it refinished and adding the side dots. Right now it's just a wall hangar. Looks and sounds very cool but I'm lost trying to move around the neck.

 

[fhm555]

Yes.

 

[Snarf]

Need them. The last thing I need is playing a bad note in a ballad while the lights are down.

 

[ectoflanger]

Keep your eyes open, they do exist.
They can even be installed by a competent luthier.

My cello, loaned to me by the university, had them.

 

[GKon]

I absolutely would. It's easy enough to buy premade dots, or punch my own out of adhesive vinyl, or use a paint pen, etc. I've done it before, and I'll do it again.

 

[ectoflanger]

Long story short, I accidentally discovered the perfect solution -- fishing lure stickers. I get the oval shaped ones, and fold them over the top edge of my fretboard, so they'll reflect light from any angle. They're never not visible (even with neon strings), regardless of how bad the light on stage is -- they're designed to reflect light in low light situations, and the adhesive is designed to stick in harsh environments.
View attachment 5326340 View attachment 5326341View attachment 5326352



I got luminlay side dots on my Maruszczyk. I found that they didn't keep a charge, so to speak, so I'd have to refresh them with flashlights in order for them to be visible at all. I ended up putting the fishing lure stickers on, but not before punching holes so I could see the luminlay dots. (Why? I don't know. It just seemed like having spent the money on them, I should be able to see them even if they weren't terribly helpful.)
View attachment 5326338

I love green!!

 

[ectoflanger]

Give me side dots, face dots, and even polka dots painted on the body and headstock. Gimme all the dots!

And Freddy's got spots from ripping off the stars from his face - David Bowie from "All The Young Dudes"

 

[Julian G]

I'm at work reading this and I do not have a clue if any of my six bassess have side dots or not. Maybe they all do!! Never thought about it but maybe if they are there I'd miss them if they were gone.

 

[Hot Rats]

Yes. I can install side dots if needed.

 

[Slevage]

My cello, loaned to me by the university, had them.

That’s an interesting concept considering the relative position of the instrument to the player.