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setting intonation on fretless bass


willyf87
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[quote name='willyf87' post='942167' date='Sep 1 2010, 02:43 PM']Do I go about this the normal way I would on a fretted (playing the harmonic etc) or is there a better way?[/quote]

Harmonics is the only way I know but there are some subtleties to setting up a fretless. This page from the Gary Willis setup manual may be useful:

[url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/intonation4.html"]http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassm...ntonation4.html[/url]

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[quote name='ikay' post='942187' date='Sep 1 2010, 02:53 PM']Harmonics is the only way I know but there are some subtleties to setting up a fretless. This page from the Gary Willis setup manual may be useful:

[url="http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassmanual/intonation4.html"]http://www.garywillis.com/pages/bass/bassm...ntonation4.html[/url][/quote]
Y'see, I've seen that Gary Willis thing a few times, and I've heard people say that as well, but I've had a few lined fretlesses and not one of them has had me changing my finger position in relation to the lines as I move up or down the neck. They've all been possible to set up so they're bang-on in tune with the middle of my finger on each line (and that's with an accurate strobe tuner). You can, of course, set it up like Gary Willis so your finger's in the same position behind the line as it would be on a fretted bass, but IME/IMO it's just personal preference.

And I don't really use harmonics to set intonation. Just make sure the open string's in tune, and then use your tuner to make sure the 12th fret's in tune.

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[quote name='BottomEndian' post='942205' date='Sep 1 2010, 03:05 PM']Consider me intrigued! What's the process?[/quote]
Well, instead of using my finger to fret at the 12th, I put the capo on which I can make sure is perpendicular to the neck across all the strings and each time I put it back on it goes it goes in the same place. Whenever I just finger the 12th fret I end up with some variation as I work down the strings...

Might just be me though eh

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[quote name='Legion' post='942230' date='Sep 1 2010, 03:26 PM']Well, instead of using my finger to fret at the 12th, I put the capo on which I can make sure is perpendicular to the neck across all the strings and each time I put it back on it goes it goes in the same place. Whenever I just finger the 12th fret I end up with some variation as I work down the strings...

Might just be me though eh[/quote]
Ah, right, I'm with you. I'll have to try that next time I'm having a tweak!

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