What are fretless used for

ejaggers · #1 07-01-2010, 04:07 PM

I have room for one more bass in my rack. Three fenders and one epi tbird so far (2 solid; 1 hollowbody). Thought about Ibanez, but so many models are confusing, and I wouldn't know what to get. So I'm thinking fretless now. But what setting or application are they used for? What do you play fretless instead of your fretted? And Why?

kreider204 · #2 07-01-2010, 04:09 PM

Heck, anything you want. I played fretless in a punk band in high school. There's fretless rock, blues, jazz, country, etc., etc., etc., players.

**zenrad** · #3 07-01-2010, 04:15 PM

Go to google.com
type "fretless bass uses"

M0ses · #4 07-01-2010, 04:17 PM

They're used for the same thing fretted basses are used for. Kicking @$$.

5StringBlues · #5 07-01-2010, 04:18 PM

Herding cattle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_u35sHICjE

ejaggers · #6 07-01-2010, 04:26 PM

5stringblues, now that, I couldn't do on a fretted even if I wanted to.

bass_snake · #7 07-01-2010, 04:40 PM

You can use fretless in any type of music...don' t know what else to tell ya.

Fred

M0ses · #8 07-01-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

Herding cattle.

Shame on you.

5StringBlues · #9 07-01-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M0ses

Shame on you.

Sorry man,if that link isn't posted on TB at least twice a week TB will crumble under it's own weight.

Webtroll · #10 07-01-2010, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5StringBlues

Herding cattle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_u35sHICjE

Now THAT was funny. Seen it before, still racks me up. I hated my first fretless, but fell in love with a Warwick LX5 (I was shopping for a cab and bought the bass). I hardly ever play the thing, but when I'm in the mood for fretless it never fails to deliver. Except now. It needs a setup. What??

KeithAlanK · #11 07-01-2010, 05:37 PM

If you don't know, stay away from fretless.

darkstorm · #12 07-01-2010, 05:55 PM

Main use for fretless today is simply for the unique sound tweak they give from being both fretless and flatwound string strung. If one was going to play music they used different note intervals then western music, the fretless would have use for doing notes inbetween the western ones. But very few play such stuff. At least not on purpose, lol.

SHWAG · #13 07-01-2010, 05:58 PM

I only play fretless and I play everything from classic rock to hard rock to punk.

Fretlessboy · #14 07-01-2010, 07:06 PM

I use one %96 of the time. It's the tone

**nostatic** · #15 07-01-2010, 07:10 PM

It can be used for a hat...or a broach...or a pterodactyl!

For a number of years I rarely played anything with frets - was doing everything from straightahead jazz to alternative soul to rock and blues. Different tone, feel, and expressiveness. Not better or worse, just a different beast.

GianGian · #16 07-01-2010, 07:14 PM

And a plus, you will be the only one in tune on your rock band. If you have a "in tune" left hand that is.

5StringBlues · #17 07-01-2010, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nostatic

It can be used for a hat...or a broach...or a pterodactyl!

Nice reference!

bwest9 · #18 07-01-2010, 10:41 PM

For me, I like using the fretless for most types of music --always on original stuff-- because of the tone. Sure, vibrato can be sweet, sounding almost like a french horn for a solo... or it can be funky as all hell with an octave pedal. But the timbre of a fretless note without vibrato just cuts right through. I've done whole gigs where bandmates or folks in the audience had no idea that I was playing fretless because I was playing the notes straight.

Thunderthumbs73 · #19 07-01-2010, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ejaggers

I have room for one more bass in my rack. Three fenders and one epi tbird so far (2 solid; 1 hollowbody). Thought about Ibanez, but so many models are confusing, and I wouldn't know what to get. So I'm thinking fretless now. But what setting or application are they used for? What do you play fretless instead of your fretted? And Why?

I will play fretless for anything, and for any kind of music. The only time I don't want to play fretless is when I want or need the kind of slap/pop sound which occurs using a fretted bass. I still think a fretless is fine for slap/pop if that's what you want to do with it. But something I need that metal-to-metal kind of sound. And that only happens on a fretted bass- unless you have one of those fretless hybrid basses with a fretless fingerboard, and one or two frets to give you that kind of slap attack.

Thunderthumbs73 · #20 07-01-2010, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwest9

I've done whole gigs where bandmates or folks in the audience had no idea that I was playing fretless because I was playing the notes straight.

This. ^
Another benefit. You can play it slippy/slidey like a drunk trombonist, or make it spot on. Or any variation in between. To me it's almost the highest compliment ever, and I have had it from time to time: "Gee, I didn't know and couldn't tell you were playing a FRETLESS bass...".