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FRETLESS BASSES

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dontbesobassist

Dec 6, 2005
40
0
36
Nottingham UK
#1
I am currently looking at the rockbass selection of basses from Warwick, basically because I can't afford a proper Warwick. I've been playing bass for a good few years now and I want a fretless bass. I love the sound and ease of play with a fretless. however , due to my lack of experience with them i just want to ask a simple question. Do you get the same good slapping sounds with a fretless bass as you do with a fretted one?
replies are much appreciated
 
#3
Fretless is generally not for slappers. Some people have added metal plates at the end of the fingerboard to help get that metalic sound when slapping with some success.

I should say though, you can slap on a fretless and it can sound great. But it's not the same sound as with frets.
 
#4
Son of Magni said:
Fretless is generally not for slappers. Some people have added metal plates at the end of the fingerboard to help get that metalic sound when slapping with some success.

I should say though, you can slap on a fretless and it can sound great. But it's not the same sound as with frets.
Click to expand...

Les Claypool seems to do pretty well with his 6 string fretless. It has a different sound when slapping sure, but doesn't every bass? A Fender's not going to sound like a Warwick as compared to a Ric and an Alembic. Its all in the player's technique, sure it'll sound different, but your technique can change a great deal of that. I'm pretty sure that Flea and Marcus Miller have slapped on fretless before too.
 
#5
I dont think flea has slapped on a fretless. I just dont see it happening. Hes not the most...creative.. player. Yes i love him, well his playing, i hate his personality, but i dont see him really getting into a fretless.
 
#9
The traditional "slapping" sound is metal strings hitting metal fretts. This topic has been discussed before and there are some folks who slap on a frettless, but they are few and far between and the sound of a slapping frettless will probably never be like the sound that you hear in your head when you think of slapping.
 
#11
I've heard it done on an FNA Jazzman, and it sounded great, but I would imagine that you need just the right setup and strings for it, or it just doesn't come off well. Probably more work than it's worth. Get a fretless for the fretless sound and feel and leave the slapping for the rest of the basses.
 
#12
Son of Magni said:
I'm with you on that. But I bet Victor can do some mean slapping on a fretless too.
Click to expand...

What Vic Does
What Les does
What Flea does
Who cares? We're not any of those people. Yea, they're killer players, who each have their own technique. Every person has a special trait to their playing, that makes it their own. Don't take what Vic does, or what Les Does, do what you do.


Mark
 

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