fretless slapping

[ARCtrooper225]

I don't feel this needs to go in the slap thread above, this more pertaining to slapping on a fretless bass. since the tone comes from the string hitting the frets, would there be any practicality in slapping a fretless, how would the tone change, etc...Recordings/videos are also helpful . Thanks

[mlbarlow]

I've just recently started slapping on my fretless. I use it more for the percussive effect than anything else ... note definition is not as clear as my fretted, but it still has its place.

[cybersnyder]

I've seen a slap bar (maybe that's not what it was called) attached to fretless basses. Basically, it's just a metal bar at the end of the fretboard to give you a string hitting metal sound of a fretless instrument.

[ARCtrooper225]

but would that give regular finger played notes a kinda clanky sound (when i play, I kinda pull the strings down instead of toward me)

[lemur821]

It depends on your bass and EQ. If you've got one of those godawful fretlesses with no highs at all you'll just get thumpy noises. A decent instrument with plenty of high end and round-wounds will sound pretty good. You'll get more of a snap sound than a zing, but it's a good sound too.

[ak50324]

I can get a near-perfect upright slap tone out of this $50 unnamed P bass I got at a yard sale .

I refuse to "upgrade" anything.

[iamlowsound]

Listen to primus' pork soda cd, lots of slapped fretless in that.

lowsound

[Alec W. Conway]

I play fretless for my death metal band, and I use slap here and then. It sounds just fine. I have a 5 string Ibanez SR405 with active pups.

I'm pretty sure active vs passive pups will change the sound you get from fretless slap. Only one way to know that though, does anyone have feedback on this?

[TRIPSTER]

http://www.tripwamsley.com/free/bumpkinmix.mp3

Here's one slapped on an Alembic Orion Fretless.

[Christopher]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Michael Manring yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2hgiVE3KkM

[Mikey D]

Paul Simon's Graceland Album, with Bakithi Khumalo.

Some lovely slap grooves on fretless on that disc.

Everyone knows "You can call me al" right!?

[BloodTypeBlue]

I'm ALMOST certain Squarepusher's "Iambic 5 Poetry" is fretless slapping with reverb and a bit of active EQ messing. It's not something I can get out of the fretted basses I've played. I don't own a fretless, but I was slapping on a fretless Jazz in a store one day and felt that if I had more treble, or roundwounds, I would have been able to get this sound. Plus, check out the few slides he does; they sound smooooth.

Listen to it here.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.