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.