Help!..can someone tell me how to get the most "mwah" out of my fretless G&L L-2000?

thanks

Try a perfectly straight neck and low action first - that's usually a good place to start with fretless. If you're used to fretted, setting a bass up like this will feel wrong, but it really helps with the "mwah" :)

PS: nearly forgot - playing over the end of the neck (where the strings vibrate a little more) can also help.

Try a perfectly straight neck and low action first - that's usually a good place to start with fretless. If you're used to fretted, setting a bass up like this will feel wrong, but it really helps with the "mwah" :)

Thanks! Ive got that straight neck and low action down..any suggestions with the EQ?

I think the EQ will be your own personal taste to be honest.
The "mwah" really comes from the acoustic sound of the bass first - spend some time playing it unplugged and concentrate on your technique - plucking, vibrato, etc. It's getting the notes to swell that takes real effort and concentration.
Let us know how you get on. I've only been playing fretless a few months now, but i've found these tips to be incredibly useful.

In my experience that singing "mwah" comes mainly from the midrange. Try turning down your Bass EQ a bit to see if that helps to bring the mids to the front.

In my experience that singing "mwah" comes mainly from the midrange. Try turning down your Bass EQ a bit to see if that helps to bring the mids to the front.

Wont I lose some "power" if I turn down the bass and up the midrange?..and what about the treble?...also (so many questions), do you mean high-mids, low-mids, mid-mids?

btw, thanks for the help

a lot of it is in the string and your fingers, not the bass...at least in my experience.....

a lot of it is in the string and your fingers, not the bass...at least in my experience.....

I have DR Sunbeams on now

those, plus a little mids, and the left hand vibrato, you should be in "mwahh" city.

My ability to "mwahh" on a fretless is not instrument specific, any fretless can "mwahh" when set up right, and the bass is not totally f'ed...

If I can mwah on my Ibanez SR300, the L2k should be no problem!

If I can mwah on my Ibanez SR300, the L2k should be no problem!

Thanks everyone...so if Im hearing you correctly, set up, fingering technique and strings are more important than eq settings?

It looks that way, don't it :)
If there's such a thing as a 'perfect' fretless bass tone, i bet it's somewhere in that L2000 of yours. What incredible instruments.... now if they only did one in the Tribute range :)

I've played fretless for years, but I have no idea what mwah is.

What is mwah?

My recent purchase of a G&L 2000 fretted has now got me GAS'ing for a G&L 2000 Fretless, but I would like to get the three way series/sc/para switch that I have on my fretted.

I have an old Yamaha p pup fretless, a Fender Jaco Jazz, and a NS4 upright. All of them can "mwaaahh"..esp the NS4...

I cannot fathom a fretless player who does not know what "mwah" is, that causes me major cognitive dissonace, and my brain shuts dow....;)


but the web is your friend about what "mwah" is...

http://forums.musicplayer.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/520485/page/5

"mwah" is a genius concept devised as a bluff for notes that sound slightly 'pitchy'. A condition usually attributable to 'poor bassist who is completely and utterly lost without frets'.
Thats why i made sure mine's at least got lines, thank christ! My guitarist friend says i'm playing microtonally, but i just say "no way dude, that there's the 'mwaaaaaaah'".
Say it with me.... "mwah"
"mwaah"
"mwaaaaaaaaaaah"

there. to say it is to feel it. to feel it is to understand it.
that's all i've got. it's late. you yanks sure keep odd hours :D

"I'm here for an argument." :)

Hey guys
Do you always shoot for the mwah sound when playing fretless?...it seems like sometimes you would just want a "normal" bass tone..I dont know, what do you think?

Both. Last night, practicing, I went from heavy "mwah" inducing vibrato, to playing straight..

Like I have said before, the ultimate compliment for this fretless player was when they didn't realize I was playing a fretless.....

It all depends on the situation. For Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter", Jeff's use of long slides and decay work very well (though I think that was EUB). I wouldn't do that all the time, though. Look at Bikithi Kumalo's work on Paul Simon's Graceland album. At times you hardly know he was playing fretless. That album is a must-have for all bassists, IMO.

It all depends on the situation. For Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter", Jeff's use of long slides and decay work very well (though I think that was EUB). I wouldn't do that all the time, though. Look at Bikithi Kumalo's work on Paul Simon's Graceland album. At times you hardly know he was playing fretless. That album is a must-have for all bassists, IMO.

How about his slapping part on "You can call me Al"?..anyone else slap on a fretless?

How about his slapping part on "You can call me Al"?..anyone else slap on a fretless?

Yeah, i do.... Sounds like crap in my hands to be honest :D
So, you any closer to fretless nirvana yet, Ramrod?

Yeah, i do.... Sounds like crap in my hands to be honest :D
So, you any closer to fretless nirvana yet, Ramrod?

With all the help Im definitely getting closer!

Les Claypool seems to be quite fond of it.

That slap solo was recorded on Bakithi's birthday. The producer knew this & told him just to cut loose with a quick solo lick of his choosing. Then he took the clip, cut it & reversed some of it for the second half of the clip. That's where the phased sound comes from. But you all probably knew that story anyway.

Les Claypool seems to be quite fond of it.

That slap solo was recorded on Bakithi's birthday. The producer knew this & told him just to cut loose with a quick solo lick of his choosing. Then he took the clip, cut it & reversed some of it for the second half of the clip. That's where the phased sound comes from. But you all probably knew that story anyway.

No, I didnt know that and didnt realize that they reversed the second half of it..I hear it, just thought that it was some kind of effect...Im actually in the middle of learning that song..

Whenever they would play it live Paul just had him do his thing, since you can't really duplicate it outside of the studio.