Effect pedal for fretless bass sound?

PlanetariumERB · #1 10-08-2011, 09:07 AM

Hey I'm not a big effect person so I don't really know were to look but i was wondering if a pedal or rack mount fx processor that could make your bass sound like a fretless existed? Something that will recreate that mwah and mellow sound. I know what some might say, if you want a fretless sound get a fretless...Well I don't the want fretless sound all the time just in a few choruses in a song or two. Also i don't have the funds to really front another bass. So for live purposes it would be nice just to be able to click something on and off. Thanks for any and all the help!

4StringAxe · #2 10-08-2011, 09:16 AM

I know a few multi effects pedals have fretless simulators. Maybe a Boss slow gear, if you can find and afford one. Guyatone makes a volume swell pedal that I heard some use to simulte fretless.

PlanetariumERB · #3 10-08-2011, 09:33 AM

So like the guyatone slow volume sv2 pedal? Or is there another one i should be looking at? Yeah i don't think i can afford the boss slow gear. Its pretty much the price of the fretless i was originally thinking of getting haha.

subbasement · #4 10-08-2011, 10:43 AM

Build Your Own Clone makes a kit called the Loose Sprocket or Lazy Sprocket or something like that clones the Boss Slow Gear. If you can't/don't want to build it yourself, you can pay more for a preassembled one.

4StringAxe · #5 10-08-2011, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PlanetariumERB

So like the guyatone slow volume sv2 pedal? Or is there another one i should be looking at? Yeah i don't think i can afford the boss slow gear. Its pretty much the price of the fretless i was originally thinking of getting haha.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was the sv2. I know the Korg / ToneWorks AX5B (Multi effects) has a fretless setting. I can't say I was wowed by it, to me only a fretless sounds like a fretless. But in the context you need it for, this just may work and I think these can be had for cheap. The unit is a little toyish so to speak, but it does have a few cool effects.

arginator · #6 10-09-2011, 07:29 PM

Zoom b2 has a fretless simulator which sounds pretty good.

Bassvox · #7 10-10-2011, 07:44 AM

Boss ME-50B has a pretty decent fretless simulator as well. It's a big hunk of a thing to carry around just for a fretless sim though...

Nev375 · #8 10-10-2011, 07:52 AM

Theres more to a fretless sound than what you can do with a volume swell. I don't know of anything that will give you mwah. If there were, it would probably cost more than a fretless squier and still not sound as good.

bigchiefbc · #9 10-10-2011, 09:31 AM

I've played like 5 different fretlesses, and I still don't know what this elusive "mwah" is that everyone always speaks of. None of the fretlesses I've played ever went "mwah". None of them ever sounded like a volume swell either. What the hell is everyone always talking about?

And when I had a multi, I could never figure out what the fretless mode was supposed to be doing. It didn't sound like anything to me.

To me, the signature sound of a fretless is the smooth portamento-like glide between notes. That's going to be hard to emulate.

MatticusMania · #10 10-10-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigchiefbc

To me, the signature sound of a fretless is the smooth portamento-like glide between notes. That's going to be hard to emulate.

Thats "mwah". Slide up your fingerboard on a fretted bass, and then a fretless. Notice the difference? Im sure you will.

I also agree, fretless tone is hard to emulate on a fretted bass. Ive never heard a fretless simulator that actually captured the sound of a fretless bass.

bigchiefbc · #11 10-10-2011, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Thats "mwah". Slide up your fingerboard on a fretted bass, and then a fretless. Notice the difference? Im sure you will.

I also agree, fretless tone is hard to emulate on a fretted bass. Ive never heard a fretless simulator that actually captured the sound of a fretless bass.

Mwah is supposed to be an onomatopoeia for portamento? I think "mwah" is a bad choice of descriptors then, it made me think that it was some sort of wah/envelope filter sound. Okie dokie then.

bassteban · #12 10-10-2011, 10:00 AM

I disagree re: *mwah*=portamento. I hear what I call *mwah* on a sustained, fingered note on a properly-steup, properly played(for the specific sound we're after, strictly for this debate

)bass. I have a hacked-up, defretted Hohner/Steinie clone that has nearly uncontrollable mwah, & you do not need to slide to get it to do so.

Edit: On topic, some chorus & altered technique might get close to what you're after; w/o actually going fretless, IMO you're going to have to settle for some degree of compromise.

Nev375 · #13 10-10-2011, 10:16 AM

This is not a pedal, but Dominic DiPiazza uses a special custom bridge to give him a fretless sound on his fretted bass. It does produce the "mwah" sound in question quite nicely.

the eyes of jesus christ (dominique di piazza) - YouTube

Of course, that's a permanent unswitchable modification, so for a switchable on/off effect you can use the neuser bridge here. However, it does not sound as good to my ears.

Neuser Fretless System bass solo demonstration - YouTube

Either way, it's an expensive modification. I'd personally opt for a separate inexpensive fretless bass.

bigchiefbc · #14 10-10-2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nev375

This is not a pedal, but Dominic DiPiazza uses a special custom bridge to give him a fretless sound on his fretted bass. It does produce the "mwah" sound in question quite nicely.

the eyes of jesus christ (dominique di piazza) - YouTube

Of course, that's a permanent unswitchable modification, so for a switchable on/off effect you can use the neuser bridge here. However, it does not sound as good to my ears.

Neuser Fretless System bass solo demonstration - YouTube

Either way, it's an expensive modification. I'd personally opt for a separate inexpensive fretless bass.

Ok, that first video definitely does sound like a volume swell. So if that's what you're looking for, the swell pedals could do that.

But honestly, none of the fretless basses I've ever played did that.

JtheJazzMan · #15 10-10-2011, 07:53 PM

Second video sounds like a chorus/phasing effect to me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nev375

Either way, it's an expensive modification. I'd personally opt for a separate inexpensive fretless bass.

Which could be a mistake, you really need a well made bass. If the fingerboard isnt flat you end up with lots of choking buzzes. The "mwah" relies on slight FB buzzing.