fretless growl on a fretted?

anomalybass · #1 03-15-2008, 08:26 PM

i LOVE the tone you get from fretless basses. the mwah, short sustain, growl tone. ryan martinis tone sounds alot like a fretless bass, but he uses fretted wicks and still gets that tone. does anyone have any suggestions on how to get a fretless tone from a fretted cirrus 5? my bass is pretty growley, but not as tight as id like it. its kind of a dirty growl...with my ampeg pre and all. but when i play my 100 dollar fretless unplugged, i get that awesome "growley for days" tone. would compression get me any closer to the sound im looking for? here....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMpvmxGhNqE THIS is the tone i want. how can i get this growl. im a desperate man!!

onlyclave · #2 03-15-2008, 08:43 PM

If you're talking about the tone that happens during the verse you would have to play clavinet. If you want the actual bass tone, roll your pickups back toward your bridge pickup and pluck closer to the bridge.

Orangeclawhamme · #3 03-16-2008, 06:55 AM

I heard a player using a Pedulla 6 string, Line 6 10 amp, and a pedal board that had a "defretting" feature. Sounded just like the fretless player I heard a few weeks ago.

Marcury · #4 03-16-2008, 07:43 AM

The bass sound in that clip is a synth line being played in unison with the bass.

anomalybass · #5 03-17-2008, 02:30 PM

i think a suttle synth effect would get me closer to where i want to be. also using the bridge pu with some eq helped alot. thanks. -joe p

MarkTAW · #6 03-17-2008, 05:09 PM

There's some gadget out there - the guitar version is called "Raga Master" that's supposed to make your guitar sound like a sitar. It's basically a piece of metal that sits close enough to the string near the bridge that causes it to buzz. It's been out for at least 15 years now, on and off - it's not a very popular item. Google may help you here.

anomalybass · #7 03-18-2008, 06:39 PM

ONLYCLAVE.....i tried what you suggested again today, and oh my god. this tone that i have been looking for for over 4 years popped out of my speakers and almost made me ****. i must have rolled the pan to my neck pu last time or something cause the tone i got this time is EXACTLY what i was looking for. i cant believe i hadnt tried this before. i was about to buy a warwick thumb, now i dont want to. thank you. i love you. -joep

HogieWan · #8 04-03-2008, 09:06 AM

I play a MIM Jazz and the best "bridge tone" is when you have the bridge pu full on and the neck pu about 90-95%. It gets the growl from the bridge, but remains thick.

SteveC · #9 04-03-2008, 10:46 AM

I also use a fretted for everything - jazz standards gigs to rock. as you found out, favoring the bridge pickup and playing a little closer to the bridge will get you a certain fretless quality. You could try just a smidge of chorus as well.

Questor · #10 04-06-2008, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by onlyclave

If you're talking about the tone that happens during the verse you would have to play clavinet. If you want the actual bass tone, roll your pickups back toward your bridge pickup and pluck closer to the bridge.

On a Fender Jazz, use the bridge pickup only and turn the tone knob down all the way. Finally, use a tube pre-amp with 100% saturation.

A big component of the typical fretless sound is the smooth attack of the notes (due to the lack of fret bars) so you have to reduce your dynamics as dictated by your plucking fingers. (Also, if you're using a pick to play the bass, lose it.)

Don't misconstrue: you can play a fretless with a large range of volumes, but the stereotypical sound is that real smooth attack.