Anyone here who played fretless in a metal band?

Demon · #1 12-05-2006, 11:02 AM

Hey, i would like to know if any of you guys here have played fretless in a metalband and about your experience with that. How did it work? Any problems? Did the bass cut through well? Please state the subgenre also

Would be helpful. Also, was it hard to get into a metalband with a fretless?

pklima · #2 12-06-2006, 12:40 AM

Does this count?

Demon · #3 12-06-2006, 10:21 AM

Hehe, well i was kind of more interested in electric fretless, since im trying to figure out if its worth getting one as a upgrade from my squier, or if it would be too troublesome within the Metal scene:O

fenderx55 · #4 12-06-2006, 10:37 AM

My band plays some metal and I get too lazy to switch from fretless back to fretted... but it's more in the vein of metallica and I'm not from sweden so you're probably talking 100x more hardcore. I would think it would make you stand out (as a player) as long as the mwah didn't get in the way or muddy up the tone. I have mine setup so that it doesn't get too much mwah unless I really accentuate my left hand, so it's pretty versatile.

Scottgun · #5 12-06-2006, 10:49 AM

There is at least one example of a working/touring metal band with a fretless bass player but I can't remember their name. I'm sure someone here can shout it out.

I can't speak to metal specifically, but I know if I break out a pick, dial-in the neck pup I can't tell much of a difference between a fretted or a fretless unless I start sliding notes.

So I'd say find out who that metal band is that does it and if anyone questions you say, "Well x does it."

davidmurphy · #6 12-06-2006, 01:20 PM

Check out Steve DiGiorgio's playing on 'Individual Thought Patterns' by Death.
Sweet!

**BullHorn** · #7 12-06-2006, 01:40 PM

The thing about bass in Metal is that the weirder the sound, the cooler it is. Regular flat tone is just too common, go for special sound like Death, Atheist, Sadus, etc.

velvetkevorkian · #8 12-06-2006, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottgun

There is at least one example of a working/touring metal band with a fretless bass player but I can't remember their name. I'm sure someone here can shout it out.

I can't speak to metal specifically, but I know if I break out a pick, dial-in the neck pup I can't tell much of a difference between a fretted or a fretless unless I start sliding notes.

So I'd say find out who that metal band is that does it and if anyone questions you say, "Well x does it."

Just say Steve DiGorgio does it. Although I don't like his tone, his playing is impeccable, and the bands he works with are always top notch. I say go for it!

for more fretless death metal madness, check out Aborted, btw.

corrosivemind19 · #9 12-06-2006, 08:27 PM

When I was in a punk/metal band, I used a carvin fretless and it didn't seem to alter the sound too much if your concerned with the "mwah" sound, I wouldn't worry.

Dave M · #10 12-06-2006, 10:05 PM

A good friend of mine did, back in the late 80s/early 90s. He did well with it.
"Subgenre"? I don't think it was as fractured into those "categories" as it is these days.
Reason being is that he didn't give a rat's ass what other people's preconceived attitudes were. He played with his own attitude and conviction, and that's what came through.

steve21 · #11 12-06-2006, 10:36 PM

Pain of Salvation's bass player (Well, they're kinda prog rock/prog metal...) used a fretless 6 on some songs.

Poop-Loops · #12 12-06-2006, 10:57 PM

My fretless sounds a lot like a fretted if I EQ it right (and it's not hard). So it really depends on how much you like the fretless feel. If you don't mind always being on a fretless, then I think you'd be fine.

JPJ · #13 12-07-2006, 06:40 AM

Check out The Firm (Jimmy Page, Paul Rogers). It's not exactly "metal", but it is hard rock. Fretless bass all over those two albums.

Demon · #14 12-07-2006, 07:40 AM

Thanks guy. seems though most people missunderstood my question

I already know about bigger bands who had fretless in. Im very aware of Steve D also^^ What i wanted to know was a some of your personal experience, on how hard it was. Was it hard to find a band that let you in? Was intonation a big challenge? Did you cut through etc^^ No need for band suggestions. Thanks!

Baryonyx · #15 12-07-2006, 07:44 AM

It might be quite a lot easier than your average fretless gig...with a singer gurgling like a blocked bog and distorted guitars going left right and center you'd have to care less about perfect intonation!

Demon · #16 12-07-2006, 10:36 AM

You are indeed right, but i still wanna be more audible than the average metalbassist is:P

tZer · #17 12-07-2006, 11:21 AM

I used to own a really unique Spector Rebop. It was a custom Euro Cherryburst with an American Spector Fretless neck. Great bass, but we just did not "bond".

So I posted in the 'Yahoo Spector Bass Club' that I would be willing to trade it outright for a 5-string fretted bass of comparable value and was contacted within hours by a guy who coinsidentally lived right here in St. Louis.

I brought my bass to his rehearsal space where his band, Scarlet_Whore was getting ready for practice. Nothing but black t-shirts, black jeans, black combat boots, black hair, tats, piercings, swords, dragons, studded belts, spiked writbands, - yep, you guessed it - a typical church praise band! ... no, no, no... they are VERY metal - and at least for a while, their player was slinging my old Rebop. Not sure if he is still using it.

and here is a piccy of the Rebop for your viewing pleasure...

Demon · #18 12-14-2006, 09:29 AM

Cool. Thanks. What im most worried is about cutting through. Is it harder on a fretless? And will i even be able to retain the fretless sound, or would it sound like a normal bass=P? Cos itd kinda not be worth it if its hard to be heard and also retain a fretless sound. I know it might be easier when recording and stuff, but im looking more at the playing live part.
And to the ones who said i should get fretless also cos its more original, id say ur right, but most metalbassists are completely out of the mix, so im sure ican get an original sound even with a fretted.

But maybe i should get one of each basses (one of them gots to wait) and use the fretless on some songs, and mainly use a fretted. Maybe i should get a fretted as my next bass since im still kinda new, and upgrade my defretted squier so it gets a decent sound

Sidequestion: How does fretless sound with picks?

Salicete · #19 12-14-2006, 12:44 PM

I'm going to go against the flow here. I owned a Precision fretless that I made a valiant attempt to use in a metal setting, and it just did not cut it.

Granted, it could have been operator error, bad EQ, any number of things, but it just didn’t have the percussive power of a fretted bass, and quite frankly, I think that sometimes a little fret noise works well in Metal.

The fretless was just too warm and fat for my tastes in a metal setting, but that’s just my experience, I'm not nay-saying those who thought it worked out well.

Demon · #20 12-14-2006, 05:01 PM

Yeah, i guess itd take the right bass, amp and quite alot of tweaking.