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Convince me why I should consider a fretless

#21
fretless is fun ... i usually try one about every decade ...

i had trouble using it live ... i'm deaf in 1 ear ... so hearing enough vocal monitor and hearing the bass was very hard ,.. to keep my fingers and voice both ' in tune ' ... !! i might need a brain processor upgrade !?
 
#22
I traded away an old keyboard and got a Rogue fretless for it. They might be junk but it was still a blast to play. I'm pretty hooked! I upgraded by getting a fretless neck for one of my existing basses and I gave away the Rogue.
Fretted basses are starting to feel weird now . . .
 
#24
As a fretless player, I'm not going to try to convince you of anything. However, you're welcome to tell us why you think you should get one.

There's really no intrinsic advantage or disadvantage to a fretless bass. It's its own instrument, with its own requirements and considerations - as well as its own capabilities. If you want those capabilities, you get a fretless bass and learn to become comfortable playing it. There's no huge mystery or secret, despite what some fretless players may try to tell you. It's just another bass instrument. If you get one, and you're like most players who do, you'll know in less than 6 months if it's going to work for you.

As far as what you could gain or lose trying one, the short answer is nothing, other than a little of your time, and possibly some money if you end up unloading your fretless at a loss should you decide it's not your thing.

One minor consideration…most of us who can play a fretless don't get a lot of calls to do so. I figure I only play fretless about 5% of the time on average. So that's something else to consider because it will take some time and a fairly serious commitment on your part to get up to speed. And it will also require regular practice after that to maintain it. IMO it's a pretty big price to pay unless (a) you have a definite need to play one, or (b) you just love the thing and don't care about the cost in time and effort.

I think they're great and well worth it. But that's me. YMMV.

Luck! :thumbsup::)
 
#25
Darkhorse1962 said:
The title sounds a bit overbearing, but it's an honest question. I've never played a fretless and have no real clue what advantages they may or may not have over a fretted bass.

I play pretty much just classic rock, country, pop and southern rock, but I have seen many bass players in those genres playing fretless.

What is the unique difference in sound or tone between the two fretboards. What would I gain/lose if I explored getting one?
Click to expand...


Don't go fretless........

If you play bass currently and can't think of a good reason to even own one to play with, just back away and go home!

You obviously don't have the necessary curiosity and /or ambition to improve your abilities.

Maybe get a drum set?
 
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#26
Unfortunately this question has a pretty subjective answer based on your personal preferences. If you like the sound of the fretless you *might* like the feel of a fretless. But IMHO if you don't like the feel a fretless you likely won't play it much. I bought a fretless quite a few years ago, loved the tone of it (I like that Jaco tone), but I didn't like how it felt. I'm too used to upright bass to want to acquire muscle memory for a non-fretted electric bass. I gave it a good go, but sold it eventually, I doubt I'll be buying another, despite the fact that I liked the tone.
 
#27
Darkhorse1962 said:
The title sounds a bit overbearing, but it's an honest question. I've never played a fretless and have no real clue what advantages they may or may not have over a fretted bass.

I play pretty much just classic rock, country, pop and southern rock, but I have seen many bass players in those genres playing fretless.

What is the unique difference in sound or tone between the two fretboards. What would I gain/lose if I explored getting one?
Click to expand...
Consider fretless if you want to have a better ear for pitch.
 
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#29
Based on your song repertoire, I really don't see a "benefit"...

However, I will tell you why I like mine:

1) "MWAH" for mellow songs
2) Slides sound better
3) I feel more "free" playing it
4) I like the feel of the fretboard
5) lower action :)

that said, I have many more fretted than fretless basses so I can see the benefits of BOTH for what I play.
 
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#33
I played double bass in school, and found it a relatively easy transition. I played an '83 G&L L2000E fretless as my main
bass for many years (and we played classic rock, blues rock etc), and this thing fit with all of it (so don't listen to the
naysayers, it depends on the bass' tone more than the music style). The main thing I enjoy about fretless (aside from
that distinct tonal quality) is it keeps my ear training/capabilities extra sharp. there's no getting lazy while playing a fretless
it requires a well trained ear and the focus of concentration to be effective. I say if your curious, love the tone, and have the time to dedicate towards learning, its a great way to improve your ear training ability and a great tool to have in your arsenal.
if you need convincing, think your ear is trained well enough, tone doesn't do anything special for you, or don't need any
more tools in your bag, have patience, then don't bother.
 
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#34
Convince you? That would actually be a big waste of time. If you need convincing, fretless is definitely not for you. If you were truly interested, nothing would hold you back from trying or learning fretless. No yearning = no learning.

A person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still.
 
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#35
Darkhorse1962 said:
The title sounds a bit overbearing, but it's an honest question. I've never played a fretless and have no real clue what advantages they may or may not have over a fretted bass.
Click to expand...

You should experiment and find your own reasons for playing. I play fretless in several situations depending on how I want to fit in with the song. It opens up a lot of possibilities. Get one. Commit to it for a period of time and then ask yourself the same question.
 
#39
kkaarrll said:
For me
1. Different
2. Slides sounds
3. Finding the note by ear when learning a new piece is wayyyyy easier
4. Mwah if you want it
5 can play anything else also, try some black sabbath with a little slur and mwah in there....trippy
6. No marking, really has made me better, even on my fretted
7. Easier to play.....not easier to play well, but just physically easier for me for some reason
8. No lined board looks cool
Click to expand...

Ditto!

I can't think of anything else to add to your list.
 
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