Fretless marker recommendations

[Rexel Matador]

Hi all,

I'm sure there are many conflicting opinions on this, but I'm curious what people have to say.

I've decided I want to learn fretless so I'm going to build myself one. I'm going unlined as I think it'll a) look cooler and b) better encourage me to learn to use my ears to intonate.

The two options I'm considering are either:

Only side dots in the usual places - 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, etc - but on the fret position, like Tony Franklin

OR

Thin side markers for every fret position plus the dots in between them, like this:



I'm leaning towards the first option. The second is a bit ugly and potentially confusing? Am I making things unnecessarily difficult for myself or setting myself up to learn properly?

[fretmeister]

I've had fully lined and dots where the frets were.

 

I like dots where the frets were. It's not as accurate to start with for 4,6,8 positions etc but it's much better training, and it doesn't take long.

[Paolo85]

I have basses with both. You'd expect the latter to create less confusion when you switch from fretless to fretted and viceversa. Strangely, I find it's the opposite

[Hellzero]

I also have fretless basses with both, but it doesn't really bother me as I've been playing fretless since the first day, so something like 40+ years.

 

That said the first option is the fretless option and the second is the defretted option.

 

Starting with the first will certainly help your intonation.

[petebassist]

I'd go for one or the other but not both.

My Ibanez has side dots in the usual places - 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, where the fret would be, and dots on the boards just above where your finger should be so that you can still see them when you position your hand, and in the right light you can see very thin lines on the board, in fact I only noticed these the other weekend when it was sunny.

I find the side dots handy to glance at now and again if I'm moving up and down a lot. Never used the dots on the board, or the lines.

Seems to generate a lot of opinion about what's best, but TBH you can always ignore the dots/lines if you don't need them.

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by petebassist

[Rich]

My first fretless (a Jaydee Roadie) was unlined and had 3/5/7/9/etc dots where the frets would have been. 
My current fretless neck - ironically also made by Jaydee - has edge markers a bit like the OP's pic, with the dots where they would have been on a fretted neck. I have painted those dots black and put new dots at the fret markers, because that's what I'm used to on a fretless neck.

[Thump]

I have only one fretless. It has dots on the side where the frets would normally be at 3,5,7,9,12 etc. It took me a minute to figure out the dots were at the fret positions and not between them like I'm used to. As I don't play it often , I sound awful when I do.

If I had a choice I'd probably go for side dots but with fret lines marked on the side as well

[tauzero]

My preference on an unlined board is dots at fret positions 3, 5, etc. I have three two unlined fretlesses like that and one lined fretless that I had the in-between dots removed and markers put in at the fret positions instead. Added: I also have one unlined fretless with little position markers at the fret positions and dots where they'd be on a fretted bass. I prefer it without the little markers and with the dots on fret positions 3, 5, etc.

Edited October 3, 2023 by tauzero

[Rexel Matador]

Thanks all, I feel emboldened in my decision now - just the dots it is!

[Musicman666]

use a semi permanent paint marker that you can just scrape off so that you aren't committed.

[Boodang]

I've used all types from unlined to the mentalness that is the NS Design dots on the EUB. There's a certain freedom to the unlined which I like but my favourite is fully lined with dots in the usual places (bottom pic). I used to be an 'unlined' snob but in all honesty I play better with lines so I've given up worrying about it. However, if you want to encourage your ears to do the work, go fully unlined, no side markers, nothing, the way double bass players do it. That'll be fun for you!

[knirirr]

FWIW I started bass (having first done some guitar, badly) on an unlined fretless with dots on the note at 3, 5, 7... etc. This was in fact fairly easy and so I'd not expect you to have any trouble with that arrangement.

This reminds me that at a recent jam I had a go on someone else's DB. The owner disliked finding Ab on the E string and so had got a big white dot on the side of the fingerboard to mark it - just like the dot you'd expect to find on G on the sort of fretless basses I have always played. This made for an entertaining tune as things tended to drift a bit sharp if I glanced to the left and caught sight of it out of the corner of my eye.

[franzbassist]

I play a lot of fretless and have had both, but would say go for dots in the fret position rather than dots and lines.  It looks cleaner and is less confusing when playing.

 

Here's my view.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rayman]

I agree, dots only on the fretting positions, that's what I have on my unlined fretless, a la Tony Franklin. Nice and clean and simple. I much prefer the look of an unlined neck too..... I've grown to dislike fretlines aesthetically. 

[TheGreek]

I can't remember what I saw it on but I really liked the look of a bass with just lines (fret position) that "flowed over" onto the fretboard about 10mm.

[Rexel Matador]

28 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

I can't remember what I saw it on but I really liked the look of a bass with just lines (fret position) that "flowed over" onto the fretboard about 10mm.

I did think about having something like this, but I'm pretty set on a totally unsullied ebony fingerboard now. I feel a build diary coming on...

[TheLowDown]

I find it easier when the dots are only in the position of the frets(3, 5, 7, 9, 12,...) so I say go for the first option. Less is more because the 2nd option can be too much visual information which can be distracting. If you have minimal but sufficient visual clues, the more you rely on your ears and what you're playing.

Edited October 3, 2023 by TheLowDown

[BlueMoon]

You might want the side marker dots to be reflective (e.g. Luminlay). This will help you on dark stages when eye-balling the markers can get tricky. As you progress your ears will be the only markers that you rely on.

[baldwinbass]

2 hours ago, TheGreek said:

just lines (fret position) that "flowed over" onto the fretboard about 10mm

Like this, on my fretless? I find that even though the lines aren't the full width of the fretboard my brain automatically fills in the gap - I intonate more accurately than with dots alone.

2 hours ago, Rexel Matador said:

I'm pretty set on a totally unsullied ebony fingerboard

The lines are hardly visible from the front but appear to be full width when you're looking down on them.

  

[TheGreek]

Yep, very much like this...a good look.

 

If I ever buy an "unlined" fretless I'd like something like this.

[Beedster]

Neither.

 

I have two DBs, one with dots at 3,5,7,9,12 and one with no dots. I've learned that I'm a far better - more fluid and more musical - player when I'm not looking for pitch but listening for it. Some of this will depend on what style of music you play for sure, but I don't think it's necessarily a question of which of the two but whether you need either.

[PaulThePlug]

ON 3 5 7 seems to be the norm...

Making yourself? I'd do without, maybe a mark of some sort at 12... No need, and less to go wrong lining up drilling, filling etc...

Edited October 3, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[tauzero]

On 03/10/2023 at 14:43, Boodang said:

 

I've used all types from unlined to the mentalness that is the NS Design dots on the EUB.

 

I've got a WAV-4 that doesn't get used much, and I find the profusion of dots confusing. I've had assorted other EUBs (BSX, Palatino, Ergo) and they've all gone with the 3, 5, 7 dots.

[Boodang]

The NS profusion of dots is utterly mental! In a deranged moment I had this dot system put on a 5 string I was having converted to fretted. It’s funny watching people play it for the first.