Unlined fretless Gecko - are the gecko fret markers easy to use as a guide?

[stubhead]

up until around the 15th fret.  Any higher, and I find that I rely almost entirely on my ears.

As somebody who's gotten paid more to play bass than anything else over the years, I'd have to amend that slightly:

up until around the 7th fret.  Any higher, and I find that I rely almost entirely on food stamps....

:icon_biggrin: :laughing11: :laughing3: :laughing7: :toothy10: :blob7: :toothy10: :laughing7: :laughing3: :laughing11:

The fastest guaranteed way for a bass player to land the gig is to tell 'em Jaco Pastorius played like he had mental problems too, and Stanley Clarke might've been a pretty fair guitarist, too bad about that bass though... you can go years without ever needing a 16th note!

 

[Day-mun]

I find my ear telling me what's the deal everywhere on the neck, -that is why lines sort of mess me up! depending on the angle my eye is from the neck, the line-to-finger orientation can look "off", while my ear tells me it's on pitch... but I'm a very visual person, so the two senses go into conflict and sight usually wins even when it shouldn't.  :tard:

Without lines, all I have is my ear, -that and a rough/off-to-the-side landmark that isn't in close enough proximity to my fingers to give my eyes home-field advantage over my ears... and the result is smoother, more "on" playing.  :guitaristgif:

-Don't get me wrong, I still like my lined fretless, I just make it a point to play it in the dark!  :icon_jokercolor:

 

[Dolando]

As somebody who's gotten paid more to play bass than anything else over the years, I'd have to amend that slightly:

up until around the 7th fret.  Any higher, and I find that I rely almost entirely on food stamps....

That's very! The same thing my old bass teacher used to say.

Really liking the comment sabot experience on an unlined board. Giving me some real food for thought. I have a lined fretless jazz I made and I really enjoy playing it, I fancy a 5 string fretless, and one with the right woods, to get the tone i want.

I think I'm going to get the ebony board unlined with the gecko 'chicklets' and if I really need extra help ill cross that bridge when I get to it, but I think ill be a better player for it.

 

[klangster]

I find the "chicklets" work fine. Set your intonation so the 12th position lines up with the bridge side of the dot and you should be good. They can only be very rough guide anyway you will find that your  finger may or may not look lined up with them depending on the angle you look from, so lots of scales and octave jumping practice helps. On a side note I wish I had thought about using another material for mine (I did not notice all the choices when I was putting together my order), the white plastic is very stark and is the least classy looking part of my bass but it really stands out against the ebony so maybe it is the best option if you will be depending heavily on them in dark situations.

 

[Cagey]

As somebody who's gotten paid more to play bass than anything else over the years, I'd have to amend that slightly:

Funny you should mention that... I've known several guitar players who've done the same thing. Gotta eat, and $100 a night spends easier than $0 a night. Cheap as Ramen noodles are, they still cost money.

 

[Dolando]

I find the "chicklets" work fine. Set your intonation so the 12th position lines up with the bridge side of the dot and you should be good. They can only be very rough guide anyway you will find that your  finger may or may not look lined up with them depending on the angle you look from, so lots of scales and octave jumping practice helps. On a side note I wish I had thought about using another material for mine (I did not notice all the choices when I was putting together my order), the white plastic is very stark and is the least classy looking part of my bass but it really stands out against the ebony so maybe it is the best option if you will be depending heavily on them in dark situations.

Thanks for the feedback on our gecko. I think I'm going to go with the white marker for that very reason, would be much easier to see in low light.

Oh forgot to reply, but thanks for replying about the weight of your bass, its helped, but till hasn't helped me chose. I still keep changing between walnut and mahogany...

 

[Cagey]

Mahogany may or may not be heavy. Depends where it came from. It's kinda like Swamp Ash that way. Walnut is always heavy. I mean, really heavy. But, it's pretty. Gotta like that. Not that Mahogany isn't - it's a beautiful wood - but how often do you see Walnut? It's an eye-catcher.

 

[Dolando]

Yea I can't decide. I reckon I'm going to have a cocobolo top. I always thought mahogony was heavier than walnut for some reason. I've heard walnut is really nice on a fretless...

 

[Cagey]

Cocobolo is gorgeous. Always. I've never seen a piece I didn't like. But, it's tough to find anybody to use it to build something because allergic reactions to the dust are almost always immediate and severe. Many "exotic" woods can be that way, as over time they've developed natural repellents to insects/fungus/bacteria/etc. Somehow, that quality repels humans as well. But, most of them you have to develop a sensitivity to, while Cocobolo spanks you right away.

Given a well-ventilated shop, you can play with it, but it's probably not a good idea to tempt fate. Few things are as terrifying as not being able to breathe. Still, Warmoth puts out a few parts a year made out of the stuff. Wait for it, and strike while the iron's hot.

 

[stubhead]

When I said it's largely a cosmetic choice above, I really do feel that you'd get as "used to" one thing as another. Three days... however, if you order chiclets and plan to spend the rest of your life saying

"WAAH! If I only had lines, I could play in tune!" :sad1:

just go on and order lines already, spare us. You still won't be in tune till you do the dirt work, but you may find something more entertaining to bitch about.

BUT: I do not much care for clacky "bass solo" tone, unless it's written into the arrangements a la Chris Squier of Yes or Geddy Lee of Yes/Light. Bass players are supposed to play bass notes and it only fulfills the needs of the song if it's BASSY.... :icon_scratch: However, for a fretless I think it's a good idea to have a "more treble!" option, FOR PRACTICING ONLY. The reason is, it gets harder and harder to tell intonation as the notes get lower and lower. And if you're going to do the dog work of playing notes and lines against drones and chords and eventually songs, you need to be able to hear what you're doing. Clearly. So a bridge pickup or an amp setting that is much brighter than what the songs need is a good idea. A LOT of times when you hear guitars that are "out of tune" on chords and keyboards that sound "off" it's because the bass player is coming in sharp. Kinda cool that the bass player can make everybody else suck, but you only use that when needed. :icon_thumright:

There are now like seven and nine-string basses with another string even lower than a five-string's B, an F#! It doesn't even matter what you try to tune it to, it's just blob notes anyway. Put one of those things on a tuner and you'll think you need a new tuner...

 

[Dolando]

Cocobolo is gorgeous. Always. I've never seen a piece I didn't like. But, it's tough to find anybody to use it to build something because allergic reactions to the dust are almost always immediate and severe. Many "exotic" woods can be that way, as over time they've developed natural repellents to insects/fungus/bacteria/etc. Somehow, that quality repels humans as well. But, most of them you have to develop a sensitivity to, while Cocobolo spanks you right away.

Given a well-ventilated shop, you can play with it, but it's probably not a good idea to tempt fate. Few things are as terrifying as not being able to breathe. Still, Warmoth puts out a few parts a year made out of the stuff. Wait for it, and strike while the iron's hot.

I didnt know that! I've attached a pic of the cocobolo top I'm thinking about. Would look nice with a walnut or mahogany and a white accent line.

Some interesting points StübHead, I'm not much of a solo player, I'm not a huspge fan of solos at gigs.

It's like the joke, why is a sneeze and a drum solo similar......?

You know they're coming but you can't do anything about it. 

I'd say I was a solid a more of a solid rhythm bass player really. So just want a solid sounding fretless with some mwah and some nice low end as well

That's a point, how is a low B sound on a fretless?