Neck without fretboard markers?

[mowcheeba]

Just curious, have anyone tried a neck without fretboard markers?
Never tried but I almost never look at them while playing.

Thinking about building a neck without them...just side dots.
I think it looks great.....like this, sorry for the Gibson picture

[Jack Wells]

Seems to me side markers are all you need. Without fretboard face markers it would make it more difficult for others to tell what you're playing. However it wouldn't be a problem recognizing my playing with my three cowboy chords.

[woodman]

i'm with Jack ... for me, the fretboard markers are purely cosmetic -- i rely on the side dots exclusively. even better is when you get "in the zone" and don't even have to look at your fretboard! but i don't count on that happening all the time ... wish i could!

[bender-freak]

i'm sure most people are in agreement with "side markers are enough"...20 years ago they were enough for me also, but since becoming afflicted with glaucoma some years ago my "up close" vision is pretty crappy, and in a dark room with dim lights such as a club, i've gotta have the fretboard markers....i'm with vision just like i am with hearing...get checked often and protect what you have...cause when it's gone....it's gone...i got lucky with my hearing problems and surgery fixed it, but there ain't no fix for my vision, just use meds (eye drops) and hope it doesn't worsen any...

will admit, i do prefer the "look" of fingerboard "dots" on all my Teles, and "blocks" on my jazz boxes....wish i DIDN'T need them, but i do....

[Wardpike]

The last guitar I built, very similar to a Jackson Soloist, I put nothing on the fingerboard except at 12th fret. I did have side marker positions. The guitar is quite sweet!

I would very much like to have an ebony fingerboard tele without any markers on the neck, just side markers.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by bender-freak

will admit, i do prefer the "look" of fingerboard "dots" on all my Teles, and "blocks" on my jazz boxes...

Like most of the posters above, I don't really use the dots that much. The side markers are the ones I use (I have a cheap mandolin that does NOT have side markers, only dots. It's killing me!)

But... even though I don't use them, I have been conditioned to like the look of high-quality or unusual block inlays. My Epiphone acoustic has split-parallelogram mother-of-pearl inlays and I love the look. I like the Les Paul block inlays. I love the Gretsch thumbnail inlays. So, I'm a sucker for fashion.

[blacklinefish]

I learned to play on classical guitars with no markers (not even on the top). I wouldn't miss it at all. My LP Custom has huge block inlays, I would say that easily 1/3 of that fretboard is covered by crustacea rather than ebony.

--gh

[mowcheeba]

Think I'll do the neck without fretboard markers, always
nice with something different. Less work building the neck
as well.

[outbreak]

i have an epiphone studio dot with no markers. i've never had any issues and i think it looks more elegant

[Flat357]

I definitely use the dots , even if possibly subconciously .
Do I need them ?

Not too sure , as all my guitars have them in their various forms , but I certainly look at them occasionally so perhaps I do .

When we are playing in a comfort zone , there is a possibility many of you may feel that you are playing instinctive , and don't require them , but take yourselves out of the comfort zone , and see if the same applies .

[Nick JD]

I have a guitar without any side dots or fretboard dots. A guitar NEEDS side dots! Trust me - I have stuck little white stickers on the top of the fretboard just under the bigE string. At the very least, having a twelfth fret side dot would probably be enough.

[CatfishStudios]

I learned on a classical as well...and did not have markers front or top...never started with them so dont need em now..I can tell where I am by feel mainly...but I do glance down from time to time.

[MulliganChebichev]

If a guitar has a gut cut I need fretboard markers, its because the top of the guitar tends to slant towards me, but if its a slab body like a Tele I don't need fretboard markers, I just don't see'em.

[Dean Gray]

+1 on learning on classical with no side dots.

If it's all you play you get used to it, however these days I play the tele more than anything, so when I pick up the classical with no markers there is a good chance I'll be playing some "off" notes!