for exclusively frettless player (must exist some where :-))

[pierreganseman]

Hey guys, was wondering, any of you people playing exclusively frettless?? Ever had trouble with it?? like some people looking at u in a weird way like "hu wanna play that on frettless??"

let me know ur experiences..

cheers

 

[shubball]

hmm, I don't have any choice but to use frettless for everything now because I own one bass and I defretted it myself earlier this week.

Still, I love the sound of it and for some reason I can still slap and pop and it sounds good!

sod everyone else, make your own sound!

 

[René_Julien]

Well, I play exclusively fretless for 6 years.

A month ago I bought a fretted to learn tapping, but I only touched that bass twice.

And the genre I play is metal.

Unless you just occasionally pick up a bass just for "mwah"ing through a softer song, a fretless bass is very versitale and most of the times can replace a fretted bass. If played right.

The cons of exclusively fretless to me: tapping and slapping, I don't like it and I can't.

 

[bh2]

There are loads of threads about this... give this a listen...

 

[spade2you]

Really the only place where I don't think a fretless sounds great is death metal. While you still can play it if you want, I don't see much of a point because the subtleties of fretless don't work well in that sort of mix.

Regardless, the only thing I can't do with my fretless is two handed tapping.

I can get good slap tones out of my Rob Allens and CB, too. Sometimes I can fake fretted tones, too.

After seeing a few of your recent threads, you need to stop worrying about what people will think about your basses of choice. Grab whatever you want and rock it. I don't care what your brother says, a good bassist with good sound, confidence, a good attitude, and nice chops usually gets the gig.

 

[René_Julien]

Really the only place where I don't think a fretless sounds great is death metal. While you still can play it if you want, I don't see much of a point because the subtleties of fretless don't work well in that sort of mix.

I play metal with my fretless, not death metal.
But you are right in a way.
I you play with a lot of distortion, you might go with a fretted.

Although you can play with a lot of distortion on a fretless... if like me your reason for fretless playing is how it feels on your fingers. And can help some (like me) play faster.

I changed my ideas on distortion or overdrive on bass in metal music.
I just keep it clean. I consider distortion is the only reason to keep guitarists around.

... you need to stop worrying about what people will think about your basses of choice. Grab whatever you want and rock it. I don't care what your brother says, a good bassist with good sound, confidence, a good attitude, and nice chops usually gets the gig.

+1

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I play exclusively fretless, and I do it for a living. I play everything from funk to reggae to metal to industrial and beyond. Nobody's ever given me grief about it.

 

[von buck]

I've been playing nothing but fretless the past three years in mainly zydeco band, a genre not know for using a fretless. My Fender is too old to be taken on the road or some of the diives I play with in other bands.

I just got my 5 string (fretted) and starting today (Sat.) planning on using that all the time.
I'm going to miss the fretless.

Andy

 

[Henry D]

I think this is the proof that there it's possible to play fretless without having to go for the mwah thing, it's a REALLY versatile instrument.

 

[kayakbass]

I still consider myself a fretless player first and foremost. It's all I played for about five years in ALL the projects I was doing... original rock, blues, acoustic band, jazz trio.... Never got any negative comments from anyone. Forced to bust out the bass with speed bumps these last few years because I'm doing more slap in the bands I'm in now. Couldn't get a fretless slap tone I was happy with. I still visit fretless baby regularly though!

 

[pierreganseman]

After seeing a few of your recent threads, you need to stop worrying about what people will think about your basses of choice. Grab whatever you want and rock it. I don't care what your brother says, a good bassist with good sound, confidence, a good attitude, and nice chops usually gets the gig.[/QUOTE]


Not that i'm worried.. I'm just in a bad place at the moment. Ever happened that u don't really know where to go with ur playing?? if u see what i mean...


cheers

 

[René_Julien]

Ever happened that u don't really know where to go with ur playing??

Well, I think every musician has that feeling.
99% of the time when they're not playing.
90% of the time when they even are playing there instrument.

It's that 10% of the time when we're playing that we live for.

Wether you are a professional or a beginner.

Wether that 10% of the time is doing a gig, practice with your band, jamming or just private practice.

That's what musicians live for. We are artists and we are our own worst critic by that.

...
If you know what I mean. It's very philosophical.

In a nutshell: even if you are a beginner, you are an artist and only you know how to express yourself.


The problem with us bassists is that we also have low self esteem. ...

... that's why we joined TB and formed a community.

 

[pierreganseman]

Well, I think every musician has that feeling.
99% of the time when they're not playing.
90% of the time when they even are playing there instrument.

It's that 10% of the time when we're playing that we live for.

Wether you are a professional or a beginner.

Wether that 10% of the time is doing a gig, practice with your band, jamming or just private practice.

That's what musicians live for. We are artists and we are our own worst critic by that.

...
If you know what I mean. It's very philosophical.

In a nutshell: even if you are a beginner, you are an artist and only you know how to express yourself.


The problem with us bassists is that we also have low self esteem. ...

... that's why we joined TB and formed a community.

all very true...

 

[Jim Carr]

I played "exclusively fretless" from 1976 to 1999. It was either my upright or a 1971 Fender fretless P-bass.

I still play upright and fretless a lot (just got home from an early evening upright gig), but fretted has it's place, it's advantages, and it's glories. I think to be exclusively a fretless and upright player is fine. I think it is also fine to play only fretted. I like both.