Funkyflash5 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 02, 2022 3:03 pm
As a guide to learning intonation, automotive pinstriping tape can be applied across the fingerboard as a mock fret line. It's thin enough to be relatively accurate and peels off cleanly when no longer needed. It's how I was taught upright bass.
Oh wow, thanks for that tip Funkyflash5

I was determined to end up with an unlined fretboard this time, but your suggestion is very welcome indeed until my muscle memory kicks in. I think I'll go for 2mm pinstriping tape, as that is about the width of a fret. Oh, and Wonks was definitely right about me needing a side dot at fret 1, but I'll see I get on with temporary automotive pinstriping tape first.
On that note (pun intended) I've also this morning come across another fretless intonation decision to be made - do you set up the bridge so that for accurate tuning your finger is placed just behind the imaginary fret (i.e. where your finger would be on a fretted bass - that's the way my bass was set up at the factory), or dead centre over the imaginary fret marking.
I hadn't thought of the latter possibility until viewing this YouTube video this morning, which declares that the latter approach give better intonation right across the fretboard:
https://youtu.be/cEnd3Szjf6c?t=341
As I'm currently finding my eyes want my fingers pointing exactly over the side dots, I think I'm going to move the bridge close towards the tailpiece to achieve this. Any thoughts from other fretless players?
Martin