Transition: 4-string Fretted to 6-string Fretless

[Hustich]

Hello all, I'm relatively new here, and I first want to congratulate all of you for all the quality advice you guys have been giving out, about everything, it's been an eye-opening experience for me, I never thought the bassists community is so large! This is my very first post here.

I have been lurking around for information about fretless basses, and I have found a lot of answers to my questions. I've been looking at some threads regarding the transition between fretted and fretless basses, and I found out that the choice is really up to the player.

However, I would like some advice on a transition between a 4-string fretted to a 6-string fretless. I have been playing a 4-stringer for 1 year, and started the DB 6 months ago, and I'm still learning on both. I would like to ask if it is recommended that I should go 6-string fretless without going through 4-string fretless and/or 6 string fretted. I've briefly tried a 6-string fretted, it was an Ibanez, and the neck was a whole lot wider, and, possibly thinner than my MIA Jazz. It was a weird experience. Are all 6 stringer necks that way? I've also tried a Jaco fretless, and liked it.

I will probably order a custom 6-string fretless, as there are none where I live. My final question, how big will the difficulty curve be on adapting? Is it recommended to jump this far?

Thanks again!

[iplaybassguitar]

It is not recommended because you still have a lot to learn on the 4 string. More strings and no frets may put too much on your plate all at once.

On the other hand, music is your own journey and choose for yourself. If you intend on playing a six string fretted for a while, you may benefit from starting on one sooner rather than later.

There are a number of ways to answer this question but it all boils down to the fact that it will be very awkward and confusing at first, but like anything, with lots of practice, you can make it happen.

[nbw]

Thats a rather big jump, not so much in difficulty to play but mostly the drastic difference in how each one feels compared to one another. You'll be dealing with a most likely heavy(at least heavier..) bass with a wider neck and different string spacing, all of which can really make or break a lot of otherwise great instruments for a lot of players.
I made the jump to fretless this year and the only reason I can think of tell you to reconsider getting one is if your ears are still not developed enough to know how accurate you are on pitch or not because the last thing you want is to practice being sloppy and off key. I'd recommend playing with a tuner that will tell you exactly what key your in as a backup to make sure your in good form..
Other then that I dont see a real big issue except.. I highly suggest holding out on making a big investment on a custom instrument. There are plenty of good and great production 6string fretlesses on the market, I suggest checking talkbass's for sale section. Or if you want to get your feet wet quickly and with out too much invested check out rondo's music for their agile 6string fretless's(just be sure to get it setup when you get it).

Good luck with whatever you decide to do though. Fretlesses are a lot of fun, and so are 6strings.

[kesslari]

Other then that I dont see a real big issue except.. I highly suggest holding out on making a big investment on a custom instrument. There are plenty of good and great production 6string fretlesses on the market, I suggest checking talkbass's for sale section. Or if you want to get your feet wet quickly and with out too much invested check out rondo's music for their agile 6string fretless's(just be sure to get it setup when you get it).

Agreed. There are some good 6 string fretless basses out there without having to drop the money on a custom - and with a custom, "what you thought you want" does not always turn out to be "what you really want" once you get it. This is true for players at all levels, and is even more likely to be true for someone who is a year or so into playing bass.

Good luck and make great music, whatever you decide.

[Hustich]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I'll keep on learning on the fretted 4-string and DB for a while. Thanks for the tuner tip, nbw. Not planning on getting a 6-string or a fretless for now, but, for future reference, should I get the taste of a fretted 6-stringer and a fretless 4-stringer before I leap into the combination of the two?

Oh, and regarding the custom basses, I haven't saw a lot of fretless 6-stringers around. I live in Romania, and there aren't many places you can buy a bass from, so your best bet is to order, if you want something out of the ordinary. The only places I can get a bass is either a local Fender dealer or a few music shops who only have brands like Ibanez, Aria, ESP, Yamaha, etc, and have few basses. Shipping costs would be quite high, if I were to order from USA, UK, etc.

Thanks for the help

[greenboy]

If your mind is not calcified it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I went to fretless almost immediately when I started playing, in five and six strings. Skipped four strings there completely. Seems like people who have too many habits and a generally habitual nature have more trouble than those who approach with some freshness.

[cassanova]

If you really want to try a fretless then don't let anyone talk you out of it.

There is a difference in neck sizes from a 4 to 6 string. There are also companies that realize not everyone likes or can play big fat necks like that so they make smaller necks for their 6. So I'm sure if you look around and play a bunch you'll find one thats comfortable for you.

Try to think of it this way. The 6 string has every single note on it that the 4 string you currently own does. You're basses already have the B and C notes in numerous places on the fretboard, so the B and C strings open up new fingering positions that the 4 string cannot. They also offer you the opportunity to take those same notes lower and higher in pitch. A 6 is also advantageous when it comes to playing chordal type work.

You said you've been playing a DB for about 6 months now. This IMO could be somewhat advantageous to you with your fretting hand should you go the fretless route. You have some familiarity with the feel of playing a fretless instrument. Granted it'll still be different, but in a sense you already have some idea of where your fingers should be placed on the board in regards to fretting the note.

So again, if you really want to give a 6 string fretless a try then go for it and don't let others dissuade you from at least trying it. Go to the music store, pick up a 6 string fretless and just sit there and play it for a good while this will give you some idea of if you think it'll be right for you.

If you do decide to go the 6 string fretless route then I would advise buying something relatively inexpensive ($300 - $500) this way if you find out later down the road its not your thing you can always sell it and not be out as much money.

BTW, I am not a fretless player but I did own a 6 string for many years.

[EADG mx]

Just a question, why the 6?

I believe that it's totally possible to go from a 4 fretted to a 6 fretless. Many players go from 4 fretted to 4 fretless, or 4 fretted to 6 fretted. All you're doing is taking elements of both. It's going to take a lot of work, there's no question about that, but it can be done.

I'm with others though, I would discourage the custom. I would consider going for a cheapie first to see if it's for you.

[JNowiski]

i know alot of the 6 strings in general, fretless or fretted are 35" scale. if you're 4 string is 34" then that'd take a little more time to get used to. i didn't start playing a fretless untill about 8 year after i started fretted (minus DB in high school). just another thing to think about.

[EADG mx]

Originally Posted by JNowiski

i know alot of the 6 strings in general, fretless or fretted are 35" scale. if you're 4 string is 34" then that'd take a little more time to get used to. i didn't start playing a fretless untill about 8 year after i started fretted (minus DB in high school). just another thing to think about.

While most 6-string basses are 35" scale, many exist in 34" scale and various others. If TS goes through with the custom job, they can likely put in a request for a 34" scale.

I would be more worried about the transition from 4 to 6 string than that from 34" to 35" scale.

[Hustich]

Thanks for the replies.

I think I shall pass the fretless stage for now, I tried a Jaco Pastorius bass for a bit longer, and I realized it would be too much on my plate, as a previous poster said. I think it would be more than I could handle. Fretted 4 and DB is enough for now, when I become better I shall reconsider getting one. Most likely I will get a fretted 6, later.

To answer EADG's question, I am aware that there are the same notes on a 4 stringer, but it's not just extra notes I want, it's for different timbre, variety of fingering positions and chordal work, as cassanova said. I want to play Jazz, from traditional to fusion, and a lot of my favorite artists play 5 to 6, and maybe 7 string basses.

Thanks again for your replies

[BassSurfer]

Good luck Hustich, you sound really determined!