Fretted Fretless?

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 2:58 am

This may be a stupid question, but has anyone here on the forum had frets put on a Rick fretless?

Thus creatiing a bound, dot neck 4003/4001 ?

Or I guess a better question would be could it even be done?

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 3:00 am

Or, are the dots on a Rick frettless actually marking the spot where the fret would be?

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:19 am

That would be my guess.

jaymi · Post by **jaymi** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 9:46 am

the dots are different because there are more of them. I have seen a couple of these and the dots are surrounding the notes. They are cool and I want one but have not seen one that I am in place to afford. the extra dots are where the frets would be on the side binding.

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 10:11 am

wouldn't it be easier to sell the fretless and buy a fretted bass???

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 1:40 pm

Oh yeah, probably, but in this world of tasteless modifications I just wondered if anyone's seen one.

Its not something I would do, Im just surprised that a few of them havent surfaced.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 11:08 pm

Scott, here are two pictures to help clarify things:

Even without neasuring the distances, it seems clear to me that the dot fretboard markers are in the "correct" place on the fretless neck when compared to those on the 4002 and 4001S, both fretted basses.

What Jaymi is referring to are the side markers located on the neck binding. There are indeed many more on a fretless neck like Jaymi said, and for a fretted instrument, in the 'wrong' positions. I think that it would make for some confusion. I'll see if I can take a picture of the two neck bindings side-by-side for comparison.

jayfbv · Post by **jayfbv** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 10:50 am

As to the side markers, you'd have to replace the binding anyway...at least it should be done that way - remove binding, cut slots, add frets, do nice fret ends, add binding, add dots.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 9:13 pm

Fretless neck binding (4003FL TUR):

Fretted neck binding (4001 RUBY):

cheyenne · Post by **cheyenne** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 1:48 am

Interesting, I never new that about fretless binding.

Now I guess I'll just have to get one so I can stay in the loop.

(do you think my wife will buy that??)

philipharris · Post by **philipharris** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:26 am

Er, no. But heck, try it anyway!

wints · Post by **wints** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 6:53 am

Way too many dots in my opinion....I wish the fretless had the standard markings.

byu · Post by **byu** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 9:45 am

Dots on the neck of a 4001s/fl.

jps · Post by **jps** » Mon Oct 11, 2004 4:36 pm

That will certainly take some getting used to! When I get mine I just may have to do something about all those dots. I prefer a blank fingerboard on fretless basses and just the usual side markers at positions 3-5-7-9-12, etc.

beatlefan · Post by **beatlefan** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:15 pm

Cool pic, Bill!