little or no fretboard markers

[scottcald]

Hi All, curious how many of you have a guitar with few or no fretboard markers - maybe only side markers. If you do, is it a pain to get used to that? Or, is it just one of those hour or so to get used to that like a different switch setup? Thanks.

[DaveH]

I love markerless fretboards... No issues for the player, but it can screw with an instructor who is giving lessons.

[Michael_B]

The only time is may be an issue is when jamming with others. I use the fretboard markers of others as a quick reference when figuring out what the chords may be to a given jam I have not played before. Other than that, never been a problem. From the players perspective you really do only need the side dots.

Great point that I hadn't considered.

I prefer the look of little/no markers.

[tomteriffic]

I like the look on some guitars and the only problem I ever encounter with "side dots only" guitars is when somebody else is playing one and I'm trying to get chords on the fly in a jam situation.

[hamerhead]

A great way to screw with your bandmates - have the side dots in the right place, but the fretboard markers up one fret.

[Steve Haynie]

Those stick on fretboard markers would be perfect for that.

[hamerhead]

Where's the commitment, Steve?

[Jeff R]

Returned to normalcy ...

[Steve Haynie]

No third fret inlay?

[Jeff R]

That's the original fingerboard. Seems like I've seen, I think it was a Martin once, that was absent a third fret fingerboard dot, maybe this is an Alvarez copy of whatever I saw, I dunno.

I never saw this guitar's original binding but I've never seen a dot-less third fret side marker on any guitar and in this case it really needed it, so it got one.

[tbonesullivan]

Those stick on fretboard markers would be perfect for that.

Holy crap that is a great idea. Only problem is that I'd more than likely confuse the hell out of myself too, so it wouldn't work.

[django49]

Once upon a time, I spent more time playing in a sitting position......With a tendency to crane my neck to see what/where I was playing. Which creates all sorts of bad habits, including posture.

Nowadays, I mostly play (even practicing) standing up. As I have become more confident, I have less need to keep my head that far down. Which also has the nice side benefit of keeping me more alert to the other folks playing.

I certainly do have some guitars with "fancy" inlays. But such as this one suit me really well:

Somehow it would seem silly to start routing out some of that nice BRW for some mother or pearl or some such inlays.

[sixesandsevens]

I ordered my Shishkov Ultimate with side dots only.

[Tres Aardvarks]

I've got a bass without fretboard markers, but honestly, I don't need them. I never look at the fretboard when I play.

I have had big complaints from guys I was playing with though when they were trying to follow what I was doing. Heck, even the Hamer boomers frustrated them (not sure why they couldn't remember to just look at the leading swoosh).

[burningyen]

No problems here.

[Ting Ho Dung]

No problems here.

Holy Crap, that's a nice Mel. Got any better pics of it?

[burningyen]

Sorry, that's the only one I can find. It was #504 and has been gone since I sold it locally in 2006. It was flawless but a bit stiff on bends. Knowing what I know now I have a hunch I could fix that issue today, but oh well.

[scottcald]

Many thanks for all the info, guys. Helped me make a decision.