Re: Eberhard's intonation...

[Tim Nelson <psychle62@yahoo.com>]

--- Jair-Rohm <gtc@chello.se> wrote:
> On the other hand, if the player 
> isn't looking at the fingerboard/lines, what's the
> point in having them?

Well, if someone is playing the same instrument all
the time and is disciplined enough to not ever look at
the fingerboard, I agree, it would be pointless to
take an unmarked instrument to a luthier to have it
lined.

However, many people use several instruments that
often have different scale lengths and/or neck
profiles. Side markers can be very useful; to me, it
boils down to what someone is comfortable with. I
personally find just a few side dots at the three main
harmonic points (1/4, 1/3, 1/2) to be sufficient, or
even fewer depending on where the body connects.

When I build an instrument, often I play out with it
before it's quite 'done'; one of my recent projects
which can be seen at
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EccentricLuthierySupportGroup/?yguid=129742643>
is a doubleneck with a conventional headless 6-string
guitar neck and a two-stringed, long scale fretless
bass neck which in profile is very much like the neck
on a baglama saz. It currently has no markings on it
whatsoever, and due to the scale and profile (there's
about a 14" stretch of the neck that feels about the
same to the hand and offers no 'landmarks') it's very
difficult to play without markers, to me at least.

Also, as has been mentioned, many players have lines
on their fingerboards as residual traces of where
frets once were before being filled. Just as you point
out how it would be pointless for someone who doesn't
look at the markers to have them installed, it would
be equally pointless for that same player to have a
fingerboard replaced just to get rid of the lines.

-t-

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