Side dot placement on fretless - make sense to you?

[darwin-bass]

Unlined fretless has the side dots aligned with the note position.

Lined fretless puts the side dots between the note positions which are marked by the lines.

The Ibanez Portamento puts both lines and dots on the side with the dots between the lines. Again, the lines mark the note position, the dots are to help you remember you where you are on the neck.

All of this makes perfect sense to me but I hear that others think differently. What are your thoughs?

 

[Abner]

Personally, I think the side dots on my fretted should be under the frets, but then that's because I've been playing my fretless more than fretted these days.

 

[J_Bass]

For me it makes perfect sense. Side lines on the notes and dots in the middle for reference.

Here is mine:

 

[bucephylus]

Marks are highly subjective. The fretless bass guitar requires them in some format. Use what works for you and don’t belittle someone else’s choice.

 

[Warhawk]

In my opinion the side dots should be where you need to put your finger.

 

[darwin-bass]

In my opinion the side dots should be where you need to put your finger.

If there are both lines and dots along the side, would you want the dots to be in the same place as the lines? Just asking for clarity.

 

[darwin-bass]

For me it makes perfect sense. Side lines on the notes and dots in the middle for reference.

Here is mine:

View attachment 2935636

What bass is that? That is exactly the sort of neck markings I would like. Side lines & dots with ghost lines on the fretboard itself.

 

[darwin-bass]

Marks are highly subjective. The fretless bass guitar requires them in some format. Use what works for you and don’t belittle someone else’s choice.

Fine but what are your thoughts on the position of the dots?

 

[MD]

Unlined fretless has the side dots aligned with the note position.

Lined fretless puts the side dots between the note positions which are marked by the lines.

The Ibanez Portamento puts both lines and dots on the side with the dots between the lines. Again, the lines mark the note position, the dots are to help you remember you where you are on the neck.

All of this makes perfect sense to me but I hear that others think differently. What are your thoughs?

The picture above is of a fretted neck/FB; the fret slots just got filled with veneer rather than metal frets. The dots represent the fingering positions for fretted reference. The dots are in the wrong locations for fretless positioning. Follow those dots, and you'll be
1/4 tone flat. I've defretted a couple basses over the years and have masked out the factory dots and put dots in the proper locations with a black sharpie.

 

[Mushroo]

I switch back and forth between fretted and fretless. So I prefer the dots on my fretless to be the same place as they are on fretted: in between the lines. Hey, it worked for Jaco!

 

[esa372]

+1 ...same position for both fretted and fretless.

 

[Gaolee]

My fretless started life with frets. So the dots are in the fretted neck place. It took some adjustment, but once you figure it out, it doesn't matter.

 

[nostatic]

I have trouble playing a lined board with the dots in between the "fret" position. Both my current fretli are unlined with the side dots at the "fret" position. I use them as a quick visual cue, and on fretless I have trained my eyes/ears to hit just below the dots (emphasis on the ear part). My theory is that lined presents more visual information which my brain then biases relative to the sonic information. But beyond my first fretless (which was a defretted SR800), all my fretli have been unlined. So there is a nature/nuture issue.

Just a theory, ymmv, enter as often as you like, offer void where prohibited, etc...

 

[J_Bass]

What bass is that? That is exactly the sort of neck markings I would like. Side lines & dots with ghost lines on the fretboard itself.

You can see the thread here:

NBD: Maruszczyk Elwood Fretless

 

[Watchootognbout]

My Tune TWB63 started out fretted.
Then in 2010,I defretted it and added fret lines.
It still had the fretted dots in the old place.


I then last year,I had an unlined macassar fingerboard applied.
The side dots now line up with the note points.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Someone said you need dots in some form, ummm NO, my upright doesn't have them. Since I started on upright I am probably less dependent on fret markers.
I prefer the face of the fretboard free of markings. So side dots are fine for me, I use mostly my ears. But, I can play them in either position, I prefer them not where the fret lines would normally be.

Edit, I was going to say you can always add dots where you want them. Use a White Out pen. Add the dot or small line where you want on the side of the neck. This will stick for quite awhile but you can remove easily with a fingernail and leave no damage to the finish. That is of course if you don't want to have a luthier do it more permanently you.

 

[nostatic]

Someone said you need dots in some form, ummm NO, my upright doesn't have them. Since I started on upright I am probably less dependent on fret markers.

Upright has a physical "marker" with the heel (usually Eb), so a lack of visual markers is a bit easier to deal with. A 24 fret fretless electric bass neck has no physical references.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Most of my good basses have a Volute like an upright. See above^^I assume that's what Nostatic means.

 

[nostatic]

Most of my good basses have a Volute like an upright. In assume that's what Nostatic means.

No, I mean the heel of the upright neck is usually around Eb (not talking about the nut - 6th fret equivalent). As you slide your hand up and down the upright neck, you bump into the heel which tells you that you're in that position. The heel of an electric neck is at the end of the fingerboard, so you don't have any physical reference between nut and end of fingerboard other than increasing width.

 

[Kirk Bryant]

Funny thing is I'm so used to it the couple of times I've tried to play a headless bass my hand keep flying off the end of the neck. Hahahaha