Fretless in rock?

[MatticusMania]

I play a fretless jazz in my original improv rock group.

 

[Hoover]

J. Clifton Mayhugh played killer fretless bass on Adrian Belew's first two solo albums. Really punchy in-yer-face gut-busting/ass-kicking player. Stellar.

 

[Jazzdogg]

Buddy Miles Band, Playboy After Dark, 1971:

THEM CHANGES

 

[jordy_on_bass]

It is a little heavier than rock, but Steve Digiorgio from Death uses a 5 string fretless. He is a bad-ass 3 finger player and knows his way around a fretboard. Definitely worth checking out!! Here is a link:



I love what joey jordison says after he lays down his track
'You have a tendency to be lazy on the fretboard, can you speed it up and do some technical ****?'

 

[kesslari]

Tony Franklin's playing with The Firm was one of the first times I realized that fretless worked in rock. Percy Jones did some amazing things as well.

 

[BNM]

Geddy Lee plays a fretless Jaco Pastorius signature bass. Not sure what tracks it's featured on, however.

Malignant Narcissism off of Snakes & Arrows. Cool little 2 minute instrumental track.

 

[Mesa XI]

Tony Levin.

There's a japanese bassist that goes by "Masaki". He plays fretless on a few songs I've heard with the band Canta.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

Fretless does not work in rock.






If you want verification, just ask Jack Bruce and Tony Franklin!

Dan K.

 

[Dave W]

Fretless does not work in rock.






If you want verification, just ask Jack Bruce and Tony Franklin!

Dan K.

Jeff Ament and Robert Deleo say otherwise...

 

[Mesa XI]

Geddy Lee plays a fretless Jaco Pastorius signature bass. Not sure what tracks it's featured on, however.

It wasn't on any tracks. As the story goes he was fiddling around with the bass, and that's how he wrote "The Main Monkey Business"

 

[Mesa XI]

Fretless does not work in rock.

If you want verification, just ask Jack Bruce and Tony Franklin!

Dan K.

Fretless does work in rock.

If you want verification, just ask Les Claypool and Tony Levin!

Joe Mama.

 

[john_g]

It wasn't on any tracks. As the story goes he was fiddling around with the bass, and that's how he wrote "The Main Monkey Business"

No, he was fiddling around on the Jaco fretless and it turned into Malignant Narcissism. And yes he did play the Jaco fretless on that track. He also used in on tour for S&A's. Unfortunately, it didnt much sound like a fretless (no mwahh) but still was cool though. I agree that we will probably hear it again on another album.

 

[john_g]

Fretless does work in rock.

If you want verification, just ask Les Claypool and Tony Levin!

Joe Mama.

I think Dan K was joking considering Jack Bruce and Tony Franklin both play fretless.

 

[Mesa XI]

No, he was fiddling around on the Jaco fretless and it turned into Malignant Narcissism. And yes he did play the Jaco fretless on that track. He also used in on tour for S&A's. Unfortunately, it didnt much sound like a fretless (no mwahh) but still was cool though. I agree that we will probably hear it again on another album.

Oh yea, I get the instrumentals on that album mixed up.

 

[Mesa XI]

I think Dan K was joking considering Jack Bruce and Tony Franklin both play fretless.

Well, I don't get it.

 

[NWB]

No, he was fiddling around on the Jaco fretless and it turned into Malignant Narcissism. And yes he did play the Jaco fretless on that track. He also used in on tour for S&A's. Unfortunately, it didnt much sound like a fretless (no mwahh) but still was cool though. I agree that we will probably hear it again on another album.

All true. I think, at that point, Geddy wasn't completely comfortable on a fretless and played it to sound like a fretted bass. I doubt if the lack of mwah was the bass itself.

That bass sounded fantastic on the S&A show that I saw.

If we're lucky we'll get some fretless mwah from him on the next album sometime next year.

 

[NWB]

Well, I don't get it.

It was heavily-laden sarcasm on Dan's part.

TF and JB are very prominent fretless rock players.

 

[jerry]

Freebo on all the old Bonnie Raitt albums.

 

[4001]

All true. I think, at that point, Geddy wasn't completely comfortable on a fretless and played it to sound like a fretted bass. I doubt if the lack of mwah was the bass itself.

That bass sounded fantastic on the S&A show that I saw.

If we're lucky we'll get some fretless mwah from him on the next album sometime next year.

Yeah, if we're lucky. I think that would require some quieter music and something with maybe some acoustic guitar and Neil on the temple bells.
With a real nice vocal and some fretless mwah, that would be truly a different sound for Rush.

 

[neurotictim]

Sean Malone from Cynic plays a pretty mean fretless.