I've never played a fretless. Unlined definitely looks cooler but lined would probably be the only way I could play it.
Lined
Unlined
Screw it just rip out the frets!
Do you prefer lined or unlined fretboards on a fretless?
I'll take lined. :
God Wants Spiritual Fruit, Not Religous Nuts!
I've never played a fretless. Unlined definitely looks cooler but lined would probably be the only way I could play it.
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
If you're playing fretless it must be unlined. It doesn't matter how in tune it sounds. If someone complains laugh at them for not recognizing microtonality when they hear it. Follow it up by muttering, "God, this club is full of amatures."
Patrick
Why must it be unlined?Originally Posted by hubberjub
I don't get your point! Or are you just pulling my leg?
God Wants Spiritual Fruit, Not Religous Nuts!
Unlined, looks cool, good bass player makes it sound cool.
Unlined, definitely. That's what side markers are for, anyway.
And lined from out in the audience looks like lined.......not cool.
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
Sorry, I was just kidding. Both basses will play the same. I was refering to the many bass players that I know who would never play a lined fretboard fretless bass because they think it shows a lack of ability. And most of them spend the night playing out of tune. If you're just getting in to playing bass the lines are a great tool to help develop an ear for pitch. I would recomend the lines.Originally Posted by LowEndWonder
Patrick
:Originally Posted by hubberjub
I vote "unlined" just because it looks cool. I just read an interview with Geddy. Apparently Fender sent him a Jaco fretless which he used on one tune on the "Snakes & Arrows" album. He was hoping not to have to add other instruments to the song, just bass and drums so no one could tell him he was out of tune!
I haven't played fretless, but I love the sound.
Trev
Electrics: Hagstrom Ultra Swede (Gold Eagle Burst) Gretsch 5120 Electromatic (Orange) Custom Nashville Blackout Telecaster (Black, Stat mid/neck p'ups; Lil Puncher (Modern Vintage) bridge p'up; Wilkinson Compensated Bridge w/ 3 brass saddles, Warmoth Vintage Modern Birdseye Maple Neck) Fender MIM Stratocaster (Blue Agave, Rosewood Fretboard, Fender Tex-Mex p'ups; GFS Trem/Block Kit) Highland Spitfire (semi-hollow, flame maple top w/ bubinga inlay)Acoustics:Washburn D10CEQSB, Yamaha FG160E
Bass: Westone Spectrum ST, Warwick Rockbass Corvette Basic Active
Amps: Vox NT15H/V112NT Night Train, Peavey Bandit 112, Hartke HyDrive 210C Bass Amp, Vox DA5
Jaco's fretless was lined.Originally Posted by t_ross33
Heck, the unlined does look cool especially an ebony board but why
not take advantage of those fretlines to play in tune?
They sure help me, my fretless sounds as in tune as my fretted basses when
I play.
God Wants Spiritual Fruit, Not Religous Nuts!
Heck, I knew that In fact it was originally a fretted that he ripped the frets out of (a la Number 3 from the list above). From Wikipedia:Originally Posted by LowEndWonder
Pastorius was most identified by his use of two well-worn Fender Jazz Basses from the early 1960s: A 1960 fretted, and a 1962 fretless. The fretless was originally a fretted bass (at the time Fender did not manufacture fretless instruments) from which he removed the frets and used wood filler to fill in the grooves where the frets had been, along with the holes created where chunks of the fretboard had been taken out. Jaco then sanded down the fingerboard, and applied several coats of marine epoxy (Petit's Poly-poxy) to prevent the rough Rotosound RS-66 roundwound bass strings he used from eating into the bare wood.
I believe the fretboard of Fender's Jaco bass is lined and not "filled" as described here.
Electrics: Hagstrom Ultra Swede (Gold Eagle Burst) Gretsch 5120 Electromatic (Orange) Custom Nashville Blackout Telecaster (Black, Stat mid/neck p'ups; Lil Puncher (Modern Vintage) bridge p'up; Wilkinson Compensated Bridge w/ 3 brass saddles, Warmoth Vintage Modern Birdseye Maple Neck) Fender MIM Stratocaster (Blue Agave, Rosewood Fretboard, Fender Tex-Mex p'ups; GFS Trem/Block Kit) Highland Spitfire (semi-hollow, flame maple top w/ bubinga inlay)Acoustics:Washburn D10CEQSB, Yamaha FG160E
Bass: Westone Spectrum ST, Warwick Rockbass Corvette Basic Active
Amps: Vox NT15H/V112NT Night Train, Peavey Bandit 112, Hartke HyDrive 210C Bass Amp, Vox DA5
He pulled out the frets with his teeth, filled the slots with Silly Putty, and coated the board with maple syrup!
All kidding aside, I thought he used Man-O-War spar varnish for the fretboard coating?
God Wants Spiritual Fruit, Not Religous Nuts!
/\ I wishI could say I knew, but unfortunately I don't, I want to hear some jaco, any recommendations?
"the emperor is rich, but he cannot buy another year"
-anonymous chinese person
"the thief is sorry for being hung, not for being a thief"
-anonymous
"We are not nationalities, we are not races, we are not political parties, we are not social classes, we are not cultures, we are not subcultures, and we are not churches, but when all things are said and done, the guns are shot, the riots have died down, one thing is true, and that should preceed all other things, we are, without division: HUMAN BEINGS, is that not good enough an excuse stop shooting people, and letting others starve to death?" -Pie_man_25
I have played both lined and unlined fretless, but I agree that an unlined one looks way cooler
I have one now that I built from Brazilian Guajuvira wood and I have the side mnarkers exaclty where the frets normally are. I find that even though I am used to the normal side markers (in between the fret spot) THis bass is much easier to tell where you are at a glance when it is sometimes hard to hear.
Unlined!
I play an unlined one.
You can quickly tell which guitarists play with their eyes or with their ears that way.
I'm only half-serious. It is a bit funny though when you play a repeating bass line and a guitarist just stares at your fingerboard and wonders what to do.
BTW - I don't think it matters a whole lot what other players use, just do what's best for YOU!
I doubt anyone really knows for sure how the Bass of Doom was created. A lot of conflicting stories on that one.Originally Posted by pie_man_25
To enjoy some Jaco playing, Havona by Weather Report is pretty good.
Search on YouTube for him playing with Joni Mitchell. Pretty awesome bass playing along with her vocals.
A good Friend of mine who has his own fender artist bass let me borrow his Victor Bailey fret less jazz bass it had lines and dots. I really mean really loved that bass hated that I had to return it to him.
Either way works personal preference for me since the 1 I used had lines I would like it to have lines. But i never gave it much thought one way or the other considering before I was loaned that bass I never played fretless for any long period of time.
Damn, that's a beautiful bass. Who makes that?Originally Posted by Carlström
Patrick
I've never played a lined fretless only unlined. I don't really have a problem playing them but I remember my friends uncle had a homemade fretless-while it was really sweet it didn't have lines or fret markers I'd pretty much slide into each note :P
Hey, if the unlined ebony looks cool, then why not just use the side dot markers for position instead of lines? They're actually easier to use than lines anyway.Originally Posted by LowEndWonder