Can you make a Fretless sound less 'mwah'?

[the_hook]

I've been toying with getting a Fretless 5 string, but most of the ones I hear have (to me) that annoying 'mwah' sound. I know for many that's a trademark of a Fretless, but I was wondering about a couple of things:

Does having Piezo on a Fretless tame or or subdue that sound?

I know people have talked about the Fretless getting them that double bass sound on an electric instrument (that you can put on a strap), but I actually don't hear the similarity between a great sounding double bass and a Fretless bass. To me a double bass has a specific sound and tone that sounds great, a Fretless has it's own specific sound and tone.

Are there pedals Fretless players use that tame or change the mwah sound? I've heard some Fretless players (one I like is Joe Lester of Intronaut) who has excellent tone but I believe he uses a pedal to change his tone.

Has anyone built a bass or changed their jumbo or medium frets to thinner frets to get closer to a Fretless sound but without the mwah sound?

 

[Jazz Ad]

Mwah only happens if you want it. You can play any fretless with zero mwah and it takes neither pedal nor EQ.
People who get a fretless for upright bass tone have it wrong.
They are completely different animals.

 

[mmbongo]

Flatwound strings. Here's my old Zon with flats:
Invalid Link Removed

 

[hdracer]

Raise the nut slots a little
add some relief to the neck
raise the action a little (may not be needed after adding some relief)

 

[FunkHead]

I could not get rid of the Mwah on one of my Fretless basses. I was going to use it for a gig and played every song at home and it sounded great. When I got up on stage I could not control the Wwah at all. I Would have loved it if it sounded like it did at home. Maybe it was the Stage construction(Hollow) or maybe it was me just not having the proper skills.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Flatwound strings.

Maybe, it depends on a lot of factors. I recently replaced the XLs that have been on my fretless Martin Keith Elfin 5 (those strings have been on that bass since Spring '10) with TI Jazz Flats. Now it just has an even better sounding mwah!

But, cutting the treble and playing close to the bridge certainly minimizes it. That bass is even more fantastic sounding now than it was with the roundwound strings on it.

 

[TMARK]

To lose the mwah: Technique: use the tips of your fingers when fretting. Pluck the strings close to teh bridge. Set up: as stated above, raise the action, raise the nut height. Use flats but this may not be necessary after raise the action. Pickups: my experience is that I can get a non-mwah tone with J and P/J basses if both pickups are on at 100%, and I play near the bridge. I roll off some treble as well.

Remeber that mwah is just the string vibrating against the fingerboard. Anything you do to reduce the vibration (raising action, flats etc) or string travel (playing near the bridge) reduces mwah.

I had a fretless with a piezo. It didn't give more or less mwah but added lots of mid bass and body.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Use a pick like Sting did. His fretless tone on early Police albums doesn't have mwah.

 

[jim777]

It's in your technique - you can have it or play without it but it is technique and practice, not a pedal.

 

[west al]

ETB92 Nylon Strings on a Fender Am. Std. Fretless, and an amp with some bottom to it.

 

[SteveCS]

Raise the nut slots a little
add some relief to the neck
raise the action a little (may not be needed after adding some relief)

Action at Bridge : YES
Relief : YES, to some degree but be careful
Nut Slots : Won't make a jot of difference beyond messing up your intonation.

95% of it is in your hands - both of them.

 

[monkeyfinger]

For me, there is a balance between punch and mwah that needs to be balanced with a fretless. Assuming you have decent technique, the key factor is setup. I think fretless need a lot more frequent adjustment than fretted basses.

 

[fishdreams]

I never got it it either, that mwah. A combination of one or more of the below solves it, IME
1. raising the string height/action (especially if you want to keep using roundwounds)
2. use flatwounds
2. "fretting"/intonating hand: use finger tips with curved fingers, rather than the fleshy part of the top finger joint with a relatively straight finger - much cleaner tone

 

[radioface]

I have read lot's of great advice. I have a fretless P with no mwa. If I use two pickups all the way up or, just the neck pickup on my fretless J, I get no mwa.

 

[radioface]

I have read lot's of great advice. I have a fretless P with no mwa. If I use two pickups all the way up or, just the neck pickup on my fretless J, I get no mwa.

 

[radioface]

I have read lot's of great advice. I have a fretless P with no mwa. If I use two pickups all the way up or, just the neck pickup on my fretless J, I get no mwa.

 

[radioface]

I have read lot's of great advice. I have a fretless P with no mwa. If I use two pickups all the way up or, just the neck pickup on my fretless J, I get no mwa.

 

[Shovel]

Turning down the tone control actually helps for me.

 

[Real Soon]

@Radio Face Hey, that's only one piece of advice four times in a row. You can't fool me!!

 

[Jared Lash]

I've been toying with getting a Fretless 5 string, but most of the ones I hear have (to me) that annoying 'mwah' sound. I know for many that's a trademark of a Fretless, but I was wondering about a couple of things:

Does having Piezo on a Fretless tame or or subdue that sound?

I know people have talked about the Fretless getting them that double bass sound on an electric instrument (that you can put on a strap), but I actually don't hear the similarity between a great sounding double bass and a Fretless bass. To me a double bass has a specific sound and tone that sounds great, a Fretless has it's own specific sound and tone.

Are there pedals Fretless players use that tame or change the mwah sound? I've heard some Fretless players (one I like is Joe Lester of Intronaut) who has excellent tone but I believe he uses a pedal to change his tone.

Has anyone built a bass or changed their jumbo or medium frets to thinner frets to get closer to a Fretless sound but without the mwah sound?

A few things. What is it about fretless that you DO like? That's not asked in a snarky way, but if you are looking to reduce the mwah of a fretless why not just use a fretted?

Piezos give you a DIFFERENT sound than magnetic pickups, but I wouldn't say they reduce the mwah. That's more a function of setup. But piezos along with a semi-hollow body and tapewounds can get a much more upright like sound.




If you want to reduce fretless mwah the easiest way is just to raise your action.

I've never heard any bass with frets sound quite like a fretless. My old Guild has the frets worn down about as far as possible while still being playable. Super comfy to play but it didn't sound any less fretted.

Hope that helps.