Fretless players - are you limited to a particular style?

[mrpackerguy]

To those fretless players, are you limited to a particular style playing a fretless? When I think of fretless basses, first thing I think is "Jazz". Do you really need frets to play, for example, classic rock covers?

[colcifer]

Nope.

[rewopnayr]

no. i use my fretless for everything. from death and grind to classical and everything in between. but then again i only have a fretless.

[StonewallValent]

Well, I suppose you wouldn't be able to properly do covers of songs that require the more metallic tone of a fret. Otherwise, you could play anything you feel like. It takes more practice to get your intonation right in some situations, but I'd say you're less limited since you don't have to work around equal temperament.

[gus1894]

Although I am w/o fretless basses at the moment, I spent a big part of the 90's playing anything but jazz (blues, hard rock, grunge, alternative) on a fretless.

[Rickett Customs]

No way, you only limit yourself by how well you play them. I do a ton of rock/metal covers with a fretless.

[JTE]

Nope, the instrument doesn't limit anything. It's the player's perception of what a bass can do, or what is "appropriate" for a specific genre that causes limitations.

I'll use my fretless for just about anything with the possible exception of slap/pop things. Blues, real country, modern country-pop, folky, R'n'B, funk, rock 'n' roll, big band, etc.

John

[Jared Lash]

I always thought Jeff Ament added a bounce or elasticity to Pearl Jam's playing by virtue of using a fretless. And it certainly doesn't sound of place in a rock context.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxKWTzr-k6s

[BigOldHarry]

I've played rock/jazz/blues/funk on a fretless. I've not played much "heavy" rock, but lotsa guys have done it. The only thing I think sounds bad on a fretless, usually, is slapping (And there are exceptions - behold Les Claypool)

[Staccato]

It's mentioned as an instrument for playing jazz music, often. Perhaps this stand-alone comment is perpetuated more by non-fretless players?

My intro. to fretless has been a defretted Millennium BXP...

[Fretless1!]

No limits. Fretless and Free, baby.

[behemecoytl]

if I recall correctly, Garry Tallent of the E-street band plays a fretless... and Rick Danko of The Band also played fretless... both pocket rock players.

[Lester4string]

I just subbed for a death metal band, and always wanted to try that sort of show with fretless, I think it went off great!

[Fretless1!]

Boz Burrell from Bad Company was always in the pocket and fretless.

Steve Digiorgio - many heavy metal bands

Freebo (Bonnie Raitt)

Kevin McCormick (Melissa Ethridge)

Pino Palladino -

Tony Franklin

... the list can go on and on.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by mrpackerguy

Do you really need frets to play, for example, classic rock covers?

Bill Wyman sure didn't to play most of the early Stones hits.

[NateS]

iirc the bassist from unearthly trance uses fretless. there was a death metal band i was into for a while that i found because the bassist used a fretless...but i cant' remember their name now

[Muaguana]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxp0keEJt9M

That was played on a fretless. And I remember seeing a video posted somewhere on here of this heavy-as-hell death metal band playing, and the bassist was using a fretless as well, so I don't think playing fretless is limiting at all so long as you can make it work.

[Epitaph04]

Jeroen Paul Thesseling.

[BassChuck]

I prefer fretless for everything. You can make it work. That said, there are some playing situations that I would NOT take a fretless to. I play in a R+B oldies band and while fretless would work fine (great for some tunes), the drumber is just so d**n loud that I can't trust that I'll be able to hear myself.

[Spraeg]

I've never felt limited. I play a wide variety of styles, the only thing I don't do fretless is Punk, simply because my fretless is a fiver.