Fretless bass position markers

JohnB

Does anybody know how to calculate the finger positions for a fretless bass? I know they are behind the calculated fret positions and I would like to put subtle markers on a fingerboard as a guide

ecc83

That's cheating!

Heh! I have a Columbus fretless here (can't play it!) so PM me if you want a smudge.

Dave.

ICBM

JohnB said:

Does anybody know how to calculate the finger positions for a fretless bass? I know they are behind the calculated fret positions and I would like to put subtle markers on a fingerboard as a guide

They are in exactly the same positions as the frets would be. You do play slightly behind them since it's the front edge of your fingertip that forms the notes, but if you need that much precision you can't play a fretless anyway since it's never accurate enough - you have to do it by ear. I made that mistake many years ago when I tried to play fretless in a live band for the first time...

Maynehead

Played my friend's fretless westone bass on the wekend... it only had markers on the 3rd, 5th, 7th fret etc like a normal bass, and you just had to guess the ones between. I wouldn't like to play that live on a dark stage!

fretmeister

If you really really really want to put marks on it - use a tuner and mark it up. No calculations needed.

But as the others say - learn to use your ears otherwise you'll be dependent on the marks forever.

If you already have dots on the side of the board then they will almost always be where the fret would be, not the middle of the gap between frets.

Getting the low F right is usually the biggest challenge! 

WezV

fretmeister said:

If you really really really want to put marks on it - use a tuner and mark it up. No calculations needed.

this - it will be totally right for the way you position your fingers.  if doing a permenant mod I would  put fretlines or markers in the correctly calculated positions so the future players can adjust the way they see fit, but if its just for you and non-permenant then using the tuner will be best

 

I once made a fretless for someone with fretlines exactly where the frets woudl be, and since it had fretlines I put the side markers where they would be on a fretted bass.   This confused the owner who was used to a side dotted fretless and kept fretting at the side markers, not the fretlines.

JohnB

Thanks - I am building the neck from scratch now - happy to work by ear (I did learn the cello at school before switching to the guitar - about 40 years ago) but still fancy having a rough guide - perhaps I will side dot it at the fret positions.

fretmeister

My lovely Status-Graphite fretless has dots at the fret positions with a plain board.

Most makers start at fret 3.

Do yourself a MASSIVE favour and put a 1st fret one in for the F.

mart

fretmeister said:

...If you already have dots on the side of the board then they will almost always be where the fret would be, not the middle of the gap between frets.

...

There's always an exception:

http://i.imgur.com/EIzTlp5.jpg?1

God knows why they put the markers (and LEDs) there - no, it wasn't a conversion from a fretted bass - it was built that way in the factory. I eventually had to sell the bass because of it.

fretmeister

That's a war crime.

ICBM

Call me weird ( ) but I prefer *dot* markers there, both on the sides and the front - because that's where they are on a fretted bass and most lined fretlesses, so to keep it consistent they should be in the same place even if there are no lines. Presumably whoever designed that Warwick thought the same...

WezV

or just used the same dot template as the fretted basses

JohnB

Thanks all - I think I will go for side dots at the fret positions 

mart

ICBM said:

Call me weird ( ) but I prefer *dot* markers there, both on the sides and the front - ...

You're wierd. 

Ps do you wanna buy a fretless Warwick?

ICBM

No thanks .

I don't like Warwicks much, and if I get another fretless it will be a semi-acoustic, most likely.

mart

ICBM said:

No thanks .

I don't like Warwicks much, and if I get another fretless it will be a semi-acoustic, most likely.

Good choice. My last (in both senses) was a semi:

http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k455/mart206/Starbass/imagejpg1_zps8c48d836.jpg