New fretless player - need help

bhunt1 · #1 09-24-2009, 06:58 PM

I've played bass for years, and I just started fretless - for the wrong reason (I found a cool fretless on e bay) but now that I have it I really am starting to like it. I made up a little riff and am posting the recording. Critique it please (note: recording may not be very good, could be my digital recorder or could be me!).

change-jug · #2 09-26-2009, 05:04 PM

I liked it! What kind of bass did you buy? I was just thinking how I wanted to add a fretless to my collection as well.

K-ALEMAN · #3 09-26-2009, 05:21 PM

Sounds very nice. Looks like you got yourself a good deal.

**lowendfriend** · #4 09-26-2009, 06:57 PM

As an occasional fretless player (played one exclusively for about 9 months) I can hear in your intonation that you do what I do when I go back to fretless now....little finger notes are a little flat....ya gotta plant that little finger to get 'em right.

bhunt1 · #5 09-27-2009, 10:22 AM

Thanks for the feedback. Lowendfriend, I hear what you mean about the little finger notes - gotta work on that. Change-jug, the bass is a 1981 G & L L1000. Thanks to all for taking the time to listen. Just saw a nice G&L l2k righty fretless (greenburst with matching headstock) on e bay - G&Ls don't seem to go for much used, and they are great basses, imo. Dumb luck that I found it, but I'm a lefty, so I try to snap up whatever looks good (and can afford). Be careful though, G&Ls are addictive. Here's a pic of the bass.

Asher S · #6 09-27-2009, 10:39 AM

Regarding your tone: Given that your bass does not have a bridge pickup, and apparently no built in preamp from the looks of it in the photo, I suggest that you try bumping up the mids a bit on your amp there, and pluck more over the neck if you want more of a classic fretless "mwah" sound.

unclejane · #7 09-27-2009, 10:39 AM

I still have my G&L fretlesses, an L2000 and 2500 (lined). I don't play them anymore after having gone to my carvin bunny, but I'm most likely going to keep them. Sometimes I have a use for their tone and they're otherwise simply wonderful instruments, Leo Fender's finest designs.
The crappy resale and the fact that mine are fretless which makes that even worse is what makes it more worth it to me to keep them.

As for fretless playing I like what Steve Bailey says about it, that it's not about just playing in tune it's about controlling intonation. Thats part of the expressiveness of playing FL.

He also has really good intonation exercises where you practice controlling the intonation of intervals like octaves and fifths, etc. A couple of them are on youtube and I practice this a fair bit too. Really challenging actually and really helps your intonation...

LS

bhunt1 · #8 09-27-2009, 02:40 PM

Thanks Asher S good tip - it only has one pickup (but what a pickup!) and no preamp. Thanks unclejane for the steve bailey tip - I looked at his clips on youtube. Why do fretless basses have so much less resale value - fear? Learning alot on TB.

unclejane · #9 09-27-2009, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhunt1

Thanks Asher S good tip - it only has one pickup (but what a pickup!) and no preamp. Thanks unclejane for the steve bailey tip - I looked at his clips on youtube. Why do fretless basses have so much less resale value - fear? Learning alot on TB.

There's just not as much demand for them. There are just simply more fretted players than us FL guys, so the gear is harder to sell. Especially if it's unlined, you can hardly give those away.....

That's the situation with my L2000, it's an unlined and so it'd go for a pittance on the used market. My bunny 6 is an unlined as well, which is why I'm glad it's my main player. It'd be practically worthless on the used market.....

OTOH, we can get our gear cheaper by the same token if we buy used (and sometimes new - the shop may just want to get rid of the freaking thing because it's been sitting around for so long)

LS