Best effect for Fretless

TD3691 · #1 09-25-2009, 04:08 PM

What effects would give a warm deep sound on a fretless bass like Stings Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

CrispyDelicious · #2 09-25-2009, 04:12 PM

I don't know the song, but:

Chorus.

Jazz Ad · #3 09-25-2009, 04:19 PM

He may have used a bit of chorus but it's not really necessary.
This sound is mostly tons of Mwah with a dark, trebleless tone.
It will be easy to obtain on a bass with a thick humbucker tone in the first place. Not really easy with a JJ.

CrispyDelicious · #4 09-25-2009, 04:23 PM

Wah? Im listening to it now, but I don't hear wah at all.

Mild chorus though.

J.Wolf · #5 09-25-2009, 04:28 PM

maybe "mwah"? just guessing..

Chorus is great, a little sub octave can be cool too for fretless IMO

phxlbrmpf · #6 09-25-2009, 04:28 PM

I always thought he might've used an electric upright for that song. But then again a fretless with flats might fit the bill as well.

Jazz Ad · #7 09-25-2009, 04:30 PM

This song was recorded with a fretless Ibanez Musician.
In the clip you will see many instruments, included a bowed UEB and a fretted P.

the low one · #8 09-26-2009, 01:41 AM

I think Sting double tracked a lot of his fretless with upright so I'm sure that would be the case with these 2 songs. As has already been said flats on a fretless P of Jazz with neck pickup should work. Chorus thickens things up too but I don't think Sting used on here.

René_Julien · #9 09-26-2009, 02:02 AM

I can't recall Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic perfectly in my head.

But I don't think there is chorus. Maybe just a little bit added by the recording engineer.

IMO chorus is overkill on a fretless.
Unless you go with either extremes: a subtle chorus that doesn't give a distinctive effect, or a really wet shimmering high-rate chorus that kills your fretless sound (if that's what you're after).

Chorus on a fretted can be an alternative for a fretless sound. I said alternative, not emulation of fretless. It's cool if you don't see the need for learning fretless, than a good chorus can help you out.

Experiment with boosting mids and playing close to the neck until you get the bass sound of that song.

I'm not sure, I'm going to listen to the song later on (I'm at work) but I also think there is a fair amount of compression on the bass sound. There is not much attack in the playing technique... though I have only the intro in my head at the moment.