Convince me why I should consider a fretless

[Stewie]

When I was about 15. I spotted the fretless P Bass in the Fender catalog. I was smitten. Added a fretless neck to my old Jazz Bass in 1976. Just bought a sunburst P with the intention of doing a neck swap. I did it. The bass of my dreams is finally mine. The Jazz is sweet with frets too, but it will probably sit in the closet a lot.

 

[Yaralag]

Don't do it. Attempting to play fretless leads to deep depression, feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy, and early mid-life crisis. But if you want to it's your call.

 

[BobDeRosa]

I see fretless as the "stick shift" of bass guitars -- certainly harder, maybe less practical, but definitely a whole lot more fun.

 

[Eilif]

I love fretless. It's a challenge, a different tone and allows you do things (Like non-intervaled slides) that you can't do on a fretted.

That said, if you have to be convinced of wanting to play fretless (or if messing about with one in a shop doesn't convince you) you probably shouldn't bother. I don't mean that as a pejorative, it's just that there's enough effort required that if you're not already in love with the idea of fretless there's probably not much to be gained by going that way.

 

[hondo4life]

I see fretless as the "stick shift" of bass guitars -- certainly harder, maybe less practical, but definitely a whole lot more fun.

Yeah, and I supposed double bass is the unsynchronized 18 speed.

 

[nostatic]

if you don't play fretless, gawd will kill a kitten.

you don't want a dead kitten on your conscience, do you?!?

 

[Blake Bass]

Why?

Fretted bass is the right sound for those styles..IMO..and only IMO.. it works for me. I like fretless once in awhile for a ballad , but for an entire gig fretless starts to sound like an effect that you can turn off when you need to. again..IMO

 

[nightwulf]

My suggestion: Get yourself a fretless, and see what ya think...I actually find I play better on a fretless than on a fretted...you can add a whole lot more "feel" with a fretless, or you can just be way off on your intonation

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Yeah, and I supposed double bass is the unsynchronized 18 speed.

Don't go getting a big head there, then again, jealous that you don't have to carry an amp, plus the whole bow thing, gets that Jimmy Page vibe........yeah maybe......

 

[Walfretless5]

Hate to sound like an old man, which I am, but what happened to going to a music stored and trying different things out? There are some things that you can't learn over the Internet - how a bass sounds live, how it feels, how it compares to other basses.

Every time I see a thread like this I think they can learn more in an hour at a music store that they can in a month in the Internet.

Actually since I am a stubborn old man also....I WAS going to end it as your little saying suggests but I decided to entertain your question....

I do not agree that an hour in a music store is going to "ENLIGHTEN" the poster.

I don't at all think that fretless players are any better than fretted players so please don't misunderstand what I say or accuse me of being a FRETLESS SNOB. My input is NOT based on what I see on the internet (that advantage wasn't around when I was first learning), it is from being a fretless player for over 25 years.

The discipline and developing of technique on a fretless takes years to perfect and the techniques are different from playing fretted basses. I do not agree that ONE HOUR in a music store is ample time to EXPLORE and make a decision to invest in an instrument you are unsure of. My first fretless endeavor ended AFTER I had purchased an instrument as there weren't any in music stores to just try out, they had to be ordered. I was very discouraged with my intonation as there weren't lined boards in those days. It wasn't until I was a more accomplished player and my musical direction changed that I decided to make another go. I know many a player who ended up the same way by thinking it was fun at first ,playing around with it for "an hour" and then when they actually got down to studying, abandoned it. That is not the worst thing in the world either....but the poster states he "has to be convinced"...which sounds like he is just kicking the thought around. Hence my first statement that you disagreed with.

I am not trying to discourage the original poster or anyone else for that matter. My statement was more so that if he NEEDS to be convinced then he obviously isn't sure and an hour in a music store isn't going to make him decide either way. To try something out just for the sake of trying it can also be a major expense for someone. That is something the poster would have to decide if it is worth dropping the money down on an experiment or maybe spending it on a cool fretted bass that he had his eye on instead. They also aren't always available to try out in every music store although it is true that today they are much more available than they used to be , and at a lot less money.

Yes , of course one would have to play one to see what it is like but they would have to spend much more than an hours time in a music store messing around with one to determine if it is something they would enjoy and if it fits them stylistically. Maybe the poster will be a natural and connect with it immediately which would be GREAT , although pretty rare.

I would love to know what he ultimately decides.

 

[swarfrat]

I love fretless... but I'm a guitar player who dabbles on bass. And drums... and try to bang out block chords on keys... and actually spend more time making stuff to make music than I do making music. Alas, fretless is not for me.

It's a gorgeous sound, but it's a difficult skill to acquire, and what's worse - it's a highly perishable skill that needs constant maintenance. It's not for the guy who jumps around on three or four instruments. It's for the guy who owns ONE bass and plays it 8 hrs a day.

 

[lfmn16]

Actually since I am a stubborn old man also....I WAS going to end it as your little saying suggests but I decided to entertain your question....

I do not agree that an hour in a music store is going to "ENLIGHTEN" the poster.

I don't at all think that fretless players are any better than fretted players so please don't misunderstand what I say or accuse me of being a FRETLESS SNOB. My input is NOT based on what I see on the internet (that advantage wasn't around when I was first learning), it is from being a fretless player for over 25 years.

The discipline and developing of technique on a fretless takes years to perfect and the techniques are different from playing fretted basses. I do not agree that ONE HOUR in a music store is ample time to EXPLORE and make a decision to invest in an instrument you are unsure of. My first fretless endeavor ended AFTER I had purchased an instrument as there weren't any in music stores to just try out, they had to be ordered. I was very discouraged with my intonation as there weren't lined boards in those days. It wasn't until I was a more accomplished player and my musical direction changed that I decided to make another go. I know many a player who ended up the same way by thinking it was fun at first ,playing around with it for "an hour" and then when they actually got down to studying, abandoned it. That is not the worst thing in the world either....but the poster states he "has to be convinced"...which sounds like he is just kicking the thought around. Hence my first statement that you disagreed with.

I am not trying to discourage the original poster or anyone else for that matter. My statement was more so that if he NEEDS to be convinced then he obviously isn't sure and an hour in a music store isn't going to make him decide either way. To try something out just for the sake of trying it can also be a major expense for someone. That is something the poster would have to decide if it is worth dropping the money down on an experiment or maybe spending it on a cool fretted bass that he had his eye on instead. They also aren't always available to try out in every music store although it is true that today they are much more available than they used to be , and at a lot less money.

Yes , of course one would have to play one to see what it is like but they would have to spend much more than an hours time in a music store messing around with one to determine if it is something they would enjoy and if it fits them stylistically. Maybe the poster will be a natural and connect with it immediately which would be GREAT , although pretty rare.

I would love to know what he ultimately decides.

I think you misread my post. I'm not for or against fretless basses. My only point is that you aren't going to learn anything useful about what it's like to play a fretless without actually playing one. The internet is a great tool, but some things you can only learn hands on.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

Actually since I am a stubborn old man also....I WAS going to end it as your little saying suggests but I decided to entertain your question....

I do not agree that an hour in a music store is going to "ENLIGHTEN" the poster.

I don't at all think that fretless players are any better than fretted players so please don't misunderstand what I say or accuse me of being a FRETLESS SNOB. My input is NOT based on what I see on the internet (that advantage wasn't around when I was first learning), it is from being a fretless player for over 25 years.

The discipline and developing of technique on a fretless takes years to perfect and the techniques are different from playing fretted basses. I do not agree that ONE HOUR in a music store is ample time to EXPLORE and make a decision to invest in an instrument you are unsure of. My first fretless endeavor ended AFTER I had purchased an instrument as there weren't any in music stores to just try out, they had to be ordered. I was very discouraged with my intonation as there weren't lined boards in those days. It wasn't until I was a more accomplished player and my musical direction changed that I decided to make another go. I know many a player who ended up the same way by thinking it was fun at first ,playing around with it for "an hour" and then when they actually got down to studying, abandoned it. That is not the worst thing in the world either....but the poster states he "has to be convinced"...which sounds like he is just kicking the thought around. Hence my first statement that you disagreed with.

I am not trying to discourage the original poster or anyone else for that matter. My statement was more so that if he NEEDS to be convinced then he obviously isn't sure and an hour in a music store isn't going to make him decide either way. To try something out just for the sake of trying it can also be a major expense for someone. That is something the poster would have to decide if it is worth dropping the money down on an experiment or maybe spending it on a cool fretted bass that he had his eye on instead. They also aren't always available to try out in every music store although it is true that today they are much more available than they used to be , and at a lot less money.

Yes , of course one would have to play one to see what it is like but they would have to spend much more than an hours time in a music store messing around with one to determine if it is something they would enjoy and if it fits them stylistically. Maybe the poster will be a natural and connect with it immediately which would be GREAT , although pretty rare.

I would love to know what he ultimately decides.

Unfortunately, I liken the question to the equivalent of "should I paint my bass blue, what do you guys think?".

Just for $hit$ and giggles, I'd love to know what his process was when he decided to play bass? Could be enlightening.

 

[ThunderV]

Let's not over think this....if one of your basses has frets....you need a fretless....end of story!!!

 

[japhy4529]

Everyone needs mwah in their life.

 

[Somnambulance]

In response to your title, no.

 

[tfer]

Actually since I am a stubborn old man also....I WAS going to end it as your little saying suggests but I decided to entertain your question....

I do not agree that an hour in a music store is going to "ENLIGHTEN" the poster.

I don't at all think that fretless players are any better than fretted players so please don't misunderstand what I say or accuse me of being a FRETLESS SNOB. My input is NOT based on what I see on the internet (that advantage wasn't around when I was first learning), it is from being a fretless player for over 25 years.

The discipline and developing of technique on a fretless takes years to perfect and the techniques are different from playing fretted basses. I do not agree that ONE HOUR in a music store is ample time to EXPLORE and make a decision to invest in an instrument you are unsure of. My first fretless endeavor ended AFTER I had purchased an instrument as there weren't any in music stores to just try out, they had to be ordered. I was very discouraged with my intonation as there weren't lined boards in those days. It wasn't until I was a more accomplished player and my musical direction changed that I decided to make another go. I know many a player who ended up the same way by thinking it was fun at first ,playing around with it for "an hour" and then when they actually got down to studying, abandoned it. That is not the worst thing in the world either....but the poster states he "has to be convinced"...which sounds like he is just kicking the thought around. Hence my first statement that you disagreed with.

I am not trying to discourage the original poster or anyone else for that matter. My statement was more so that if he NEEDS to be convinced then he obviously isn't sure and an hour in a music store isn't going to make him decide either way. To try something out just for the sake of trying it can also be a major expense for someone. That is something the poster would have to decide if it is worth dropping the money down on an experiment or maybe spending it on a cool fretted bass that he had his eye on instead. They also aren't always available to try out in every music store although it is true that today they are much more available than they used to be , and at a lot less money.

Yes , of course one would have to play one to see what it is like but they would have to spend much more than an hours time in a music store messing around with one to determine if it is something they would enjoy and if it fits them stylistically. Maybe the poster will be a natural and connect with it immediately which would be GREAT , although pretty rare.

I would love to know what he ultimately decides.

I agree with some, but not all of this.

Playing fretted and fretless are the exact same thing, if your technique is good. Fretted covers any number of flaws, because accuracy isn't required. I was fortunate enough to have had my first instructor INSIST on good technique, and it's because of that, that I was able to move to fretless so easily. One of the things, along with left hand fretting and right hand plucking technique that he insisted on was good posture. Being slouched over, staring at frets or lines, instantly puts your hands at an awkward position. If you sit (or stand) upright, with good posture, those lines are invisible. Side dots or marking are always there, ready to help you.

And you don't need a store with a bunch of fretless basses to play. You can do what I did, and buy a set of end nipper pliers, and have a fretless bass in minutes. There's now a thousand places to read how to do it right, but when I did it, I figured that the frets weren't there when the made the neck, so they must be removable. I ended up with some minor chips, and I used a couple of thick coats of lacquer, sanding between each coat. Had a fretless bass 8 hours after I wanted one.

 

[cheechi]

I didn't think I would EVER want or need a fretless. Then I got one. get one.

 

[G On Bass]

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?

There are a few Classic Rock standards out there where a fretless works. Black Velvet, You Oughtta Know and a couple of others. Can be nice accents on ballads, or keep you awake playing really boring lines. Alo: you can challenge yourself to play other, non-fretless songs on it without it sounding like a fretless. I used to do Southbound on mine all the time...

In the Country band, I would blend to the front pickup and roll to tone way off and use it for old-school songs that might have used an upright. More thump. less mwah.

The best reason, of course, is to have an unlined fretless to throw off the guitarist(s) so they can't see where you are. The fun factor is greatly increased if you have a 5 string or 4 with an alternate tuning....

 

[Joebone]

It's more expressive. Greater control over the envelope of each note, although hard to mimic the hard punchy attack one can get from frets. A wider range of vibrato long slides, short slides (portamento), multiple degrees of mwah.

Much of this is lost in pop music, except on ballads. So you simply may not need it except as a two-dimensional mwah and swoop thing. But if you're doing jazz or folk or ethnic, it can open a lot of doors. I've taken a short hiatus given fretted/punch needs in current main band (and overextension at day gig) so I'm not shedding, but in my next period of practice, I hope to get my upper-register intonation dialed in for soloing purposes.