2nd question. The side dots. Would I be correct in assuming they will be positioned in line with where the fret lines would be vs center of the fret space. I.e. First dot will be first fretline location? Thanks again, Nate

We've talked about this at a recent meeting. We're going to discontinue any inlays that lie under the strings for this very reason. We're also going to reduce the fretlines to just the bass edge of the fretboard. Side dots are in the traditional fretted bass positions.

I've always thought the fingerboard of my mid 90s Yamaha TRB5F worked well. It uses wood fretline inlays of the same colour (and material?) as the rosewood board. They are subtle enough to be invisible from a distance and haven't worn any differently to the rest of it. [img:13kg7by1]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/xnGKINJiskyXe22g8gPiHvbpmct65GZIqwWCFOCbIJP8yNlr-oAo2yO0SIFdXpbw3-6Q0aQqTGd1_iDnPZanOQ=w1918-h898[/img:13kg7by1] [img:13kg7by1]http://members.optusnet.com.au/callumgibson/images/trb5f.jpg[/img:13kg7by1]

So what your saying is that the fretlines will not be visible looking directly at the face of the fretboard but you would be putting fretlines on the bass (in standing position, the top) of the neck/FB. As no fretwire is used the fretline material would be either a contrasting wood or luminlay or something I then presume that would only then be seen by the player so to speak. If this is the case, I wonder which would be a more useful preference of installation without being to "busy". Luminlay dots OR luminlay line markers? What are your thoughts on this and have i understood you correctly? I guess all of this said the speedos are surely coming off my build sheet then. Thanks Sheldon Nate

[quote="Sheldon Dingwall":3j85yn29]We've talked about this at a recent meeting. We're going to discontinue any inlays that lie under the strings for this very reason. We're also going to reduce the fretlines to just the bass edge of the fretboard. Side dots are in the traditional fretted bass positions.[/quote:3j85yn29] I'll be intrigued to see the look. Almost like having it unlined. I'm wondering how I'll do. Right now I have the lines, but I don't know how much I'm "cheating" by looking at them. Since the invisible frets are fanned, it seems that knowing the pitch or the angle will be that much more important in this scenario. Does the inlay "rule" apply to all new basses or just fretless?

We've just found that with super low action on a fretless - typically what you need to get the most mwah sound - fretlines and inlays eventually rise above or fall below the playing surface enough to be heard. It's not an issue with a higher action but the lower you go the more precise the playing surface needs to be. The new fretlines will be 3 mm into the top and 3 mm into the edge so visible from front and top. Fretted inlays are unaffected by this so will remain fully optional.

Will you just do the fretlines on top for 3mm and not on the face of the FB as a clean FB option? This is what I believe I would prefer.

They will extend 3 mm into the face of the fingerboard and 3 mm into the edge. So visible from above and slightly from the front.

Thanks Sheldon, Have you ever used pale moon ebony, specifically in this case for a fretless? Does it have dissimilar properties from maccasar?

I've actually never used or played a bass with pale moon ebony. If it's gaboon, I would avoid it.

It looks like gaboon isn't the greatest to work with. I've only ever seen basses with pale moon or black and white ebony and every time I do I want to try one just because of the sheer beauty alone. I have yet to play one myself. It looks to have fairly respectable properties. Not sure about for a fretless board though. It may need to be heavily epoxied due to inconsistencies it the wood. That's definitely not my expertise by any means but here is a link about the wood in case you were interested. http://www.wood-database.com/black-and-white-ebony/ If it is something you'd be interested in trying I'd be willing to give it a go on my build. It apps rly does appear on any CITIES lists (yet) either.

Since we're discussing ebony, I would encourage people to look up what Bob Taylor (Taylor Guitars) is doing in the area of conservation and sustainability, particularly with ebony, but also with other tone woods. They have a few videos on their youtube channel and stories in their magazine. Most interesting is that so much perfectly good wood was going to waste because it wasn't perfectly black. Here is a good intro: [url:372xoomr]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anCGvfsBoFY[/url:372xoomr]

What about using dyed maple inlay on an epoxied maple fretless board?