I used to play a fretless Musicman 4 string Stingray. It was the easiest fretless I ever played, still kick myself for getting rid of it. I was with a band from over 6 months before someone realized it was fretless.
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Bring your Fretless...
- Thread starter bassbrad
- Start date
sure:
- the largest group is comprised of those who have never really tried.
- the second largest group is comprised of those who quit trying.
- the third largest group is comprised of those who don't practice it enough (for their own bad selves) so they're not really trying (for their own bad selves) --- which puts them back in the largest group. and so on and so on....
I don't quite understand the producer at the end - did he want you to play out of tune? 
Sounds like the producer wanted it to be out of tune so he could whine about it.I don't quite understand the producer at the end - did he want you to play out of tune?
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
"....Fretless....Straight C&W tune...."
Is the world, (as we know it), ending and nobody told me? (jk)
Nicely Burned 'em.
Sounds like you were the only professional in the room that day.
Hmmm, I guess it's because I'm old, but I never thought fretless electric was so wild and unusual. Maybe because I came up in the 70s and I don't think I knew a bass player that didn't play some fretless along with the fretted bass. That was pretty much standard in those days. Have we reverted since then?
So they asked for fretless, you gave them fretless, they couldn't tell it was fretless by listening, you told them it was fretless, they couldn't tell it was in tune by listening, so they checked it with a tuner? Wow, just...keep doing what you're doing, I guess. Being agreeable even when it seems unreasonable is one of the important life lessons that I didn't learn until well into adulthood.
Always nice to hear how supportive and encouraging musicians can be toward one another in the studio. 
definitely true for me...sure:
- the largest group is comprised of those who have never really tried.
- the second largest group is comprised of those who quit trying.
- the third largest group is comprised of those who don't practice it enough (for their own bad selves) so they're not really trying (for their own bad selves) --- which puts them back in the largest group. and so on and so on....
This has happened to me more than once, which in one way should not a be a surprise since I only play fretless. People who want to hire me, I let them know this up front. If they want a guy playing fretted, get someone else.
But I'll still get sideeye every now and then when I show up with one.
I had a great session - live musical theater, being professionally filmed - once where I showed up with my giant 36" scale scroll bass fretless and the Steinberger. Did the whole session with the Steinberger. Both the engineer and musical director came over to thank me for not playing the fretless afterwards. I held up my Steinberger and just said "look closer".
Hard to miss an unlined fretless but they did. They did the whole tape review and everything. Music director came over and shook my hand afterwards.
I play unlined fretless on about 90% of my BG gigs including recording. On live gigs most people don't even notice I'm playing fretless till they take a good look at it. When I auditioned for my main originals band the BL who was a bassist as well said I could bring the fretless but please bring a fretted as well because tuning and intonation were extremely important to him. I wanted to make a good impression so I played my fretted at first but when he asked me to try out the fretless so he could hear it(and so we could bass geek about it lol) he loved it so much that he told me I am playing the fretless on everything I can. As a bassist his history with fretless players including himself was sketchy so I he was leery of me playing one. I've never met another dedicated fretless player in person; met plenty that own one but don't play it out regularly. When I first started fretless I took the advice (from TB) of making it sound like you aren't playing fretless to heart and it has served me well for 15 years.
Hi Brad 
Good job!
You were lucky that the guitars were in tune!
When you record with a Gibson player it takes the producer five bass overdubs to find out that the problem is
not the fretless bass but the Les Paul.
Even more than many!
They could but they are just too scared.
Fretless is Jazz! Fretless is Mr. Jaco Pastorius! Fretless is played by upright players!
Fretless players are scary folks! If you know what I mean.
I don' t play Jazz (at least not what the average folks consider to be Jazz)
I am not Jaco. (love what he did but that' s not my style and of course I am not as good)
I don' t play anything but bass guitar. (no DB)
But a lot of people just see the "snob factor" when you show up with a fretless.
When I started noodling on fretless basses (loooong before I bought one)
I was not off because I didn' t hear it.
I was off because my fingers were not were they should to be.
I realized that my left hand technic was
.
I think that happens to a lot of guys who play a decent bass guitar but have a horrible technic.
When your left hand thump moves too much => you are
It' s not everybody' s cup of tea to relearn the basics. (after x years of being "great")
That' s why they stop!
It' s a good advice!
I play hard and heavy rock on fretless. I can' t mwah all over the place!
And I don' t know a good fretless player who does that (no matter which style)
Playing bass is making a cake. Fretless is just the cream and the cherry on top.
greetings
Wise(b)ass
Good job!
You were lucky that the guitars were in tune!
When you record with a Gibson player it takes the producer five bass overdubs to find out that the problem is
not the fretless bass but the Les Paul.
Even more than many!
They could but they are just too scared.
Fretless is Jazz! Fretless is Mr. Jaco Pastorius! Fretless is played by upright players!
Fretless players are scary folks!
If you know what I mean.I don' t play Jazz (at least not what the average folks consider to be Jazz)
I am not Jaco. (love what he did but that' s not my style and of course I am not as good)
I don' t play anything but bass guitar. (no DB)
But a lot of people just see the "snob factor" when you show up with a fretless.
When I started noodling on fretless basses (loooong before I bought one)
I was not off because I didn' t hear it.
I was off because my fingers were not were they should to be.
I realized that my left hand technic was
.I think that happens to a lot of guys who play a decent bass guitar but have a horrible technic.
When your left hand thump moves too much => you are
It' s not everybody' s cup of tea to relearn the basics. (after x years of being "great"
)That' s why they stop!
It' s a good advice!
I play hard and heavy rock on fretless. I can' t mwah all over the place!
And I don' t know a good fretless player who does that (no matter which style)
Playing bass is making a cake. Fretless is just the cream and the cherry on top.
greetings
Wise(b)ass
I don't play fretless full time anymore because it does not fit the music I currently play, but I do keep up the left hand chops because it does effect [affect] tone and intonation plus it makes it very quick to polish up the fretless when I get the occasional call. If I had the opportunity I would gladly spend more time on the wilder frontier. I can get the full Jaco growl but prefer a fuller woodier tone just slightly "warm and saturated" like a B15 or my favorite Polytone MBIII.Hi Brad
Good job!
You were lucky that the guitars were in tune!
When you record with a Gibson player it takes the producer five bass overdubs to find out that the problem is
not the fretless bass but the Les Paul.
Even more than many!
They could but they are just too scared.
Fretless is Jazz! Fretless is Mr. Jaco Pastorius! Fretless is played by upright players!
View attachment 3542323
Fretless players are scary folks!
I don' t play Jazz (at least not what the average folks consider to be Jazz)
I am not Jaco. (love what he did but that' s not my style and of course I am not as good)
I don' t play anything but bass guitar. (no DB)
But a lot of people just see the "snob factor" when you show up with a fretless.
When I started noodling on fretless basses (loooong before I bought one)
I was not off because I didn' t hear it.
I was off because my fingers were not were they should to be.
I realized that my left hand technic was
I think that happens to a lot of guys who play a decent bass guitar but have a horrible technic.
When your left hand thump moves too much => you are
It' s not everybody' s cup of tea to relearn the basics. (after x years of being "great"
That' s why they stop!
It' s a good advice!
I play hard and heavy rock on fretless. I can' t mwah all over the place!
And I don' t know a good fretless player who does that (no matter which style)
Playing bass is making a cake. Fretless is just the cream and the cherry on top.
greetings
Wise(b)ass
It' s not everybody' s cup of tea to relearn the basics. (after x years of being "great"
Hi Brad
How can a fretless not fit? which musc?
I play both fretted and fretless.
When I have to slap (next to never, but sometimes it has to be) I will use a fretted bass.
Otherwise I play fretless (okay, I will play my fretted Jazz for Led Zep covers because…)
Wise
How can a fretless not fit?
which musc?I play both fretted and fretless.
When I have to slap (next to never, but sometimes it has to be) I will use a fretted bass.
Otherwise I play fretless (okay,
I will play my fretted Jazz for Led Zep covers because…)Wise
Hi Brad
How can a fretless not fit?
I play both fretted and fretless.
When I have to slap (next to never, but sometimes it has to be) I will use a fretted bass.
Otherwise I play fretless (okay,
Wise
Fretless and metal is goooood
