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Fretless question (Squier VM)

M

mikeyv123

Nov 20, 2013
14
1
#1
Hey guys,

Today I bought a used Squier VM Fretless bass, and I just started learning some technique today (have never played before)

The bass has a gotoh bridge on it.

I watched some videos and without any vibrato, when the bassist plays the note, there is this natural mwah sound...

Mine doesn't really have that at all, and I find it impossible to get any vibrato out of it. Could this be a setup issue? bridge?

The guy also carved the top of the bass with a design....but I'm not sure that would be the problem.

hope you can help
thanks!
 
#5
Super low action, low tension strings, plucking closer to the neck. If the action is really low and your string tension is low the sound will be more responsive to changes in your left hand technique. When I got my fretless mim Jazz the action was set medium high and the flatwound strings were rather high tension. I switched to low tension Fender Nylon Tapewound 9120's which necessitated a truss rod adjustment and then set the action as low as I could without buzzing, which is very low since there are no frets and it made all the difference in the world. With your bass set up this way you'll probably have to lighten your right hand touch. Before I set my bass this way it thumped. Now it sings with a nice vocal, horn-like quality.
 
#6
jgroh said:
Can you lower your strings any? I have a VM fretless and if I have the stings too low it can have too much mwah.
Click to expand...

Yep, I have the same experience with my VM fretless. Even with a set of high tension LaBella flatwounds with the action raised a touch, there was still plenty of 'mwah' to go around.

Here's a video tutorial on producing 'mwah' with the exact same bass you have (you might have seen this one?):

It's a combination of setup and technique. Flat neck (i.e. basically no concave at all - adjust the truss rod), low strings, play a bit closer to the neck, use some vibrato to help sustain notes.
 
#7
lower action is better on fretless. i had a vm. best single mod: get those round wounds off of there! i put d'addario nylon tapewounds on mine and it sounded very cool in a modern way.
your touch is different (lighter) on fretless compared to fretting notes esp. if you want mwah. think 'fleshy', and keep the finger moving on the sutained notes (vibrato).
have fun!
 
#8
Mine also has a gotoh bridge on it. I also pluck closer to the neck to accentuate the mwah. It could be a technique thing. Use lots of slides with some vibrato to get mwah. As you progress I would recommend learning to play it so that no one knows you are playing fretless until you want them to. I had been playing for 22 years before I got the VM and it took some time for me to get up to speed on it, so just keep at it.
 
#9
I had a VM fretless w/the "ebonol" fretboard w/inlaid lines; with roundwounds and high-ish action and a widdle relief, I got fairly well-controlled Mwah without excessive buzz. Sometimes I think it's a bit mind-over-matter-ish; if you've got the sound you're after in your mind, you'll eventually get it out of your instrument if you keep futzing w/it.
Funny, I tried flatwounds on it, and hated the sound; on the fretted VM "70's Jazz" I had, it was the opposite- put on flats and loved it. Go figure.
 
#10
bswag said:
I had a VM fretless w/the "ebonol" fretboard w/inlaid lines; with roundwounds and high-ish action and a widdle relief, I got fairly well-controlled Mwah without excessive buzz. Sometimes I think it's a bit mind-over-matter-ish; if you've got the sound you're after in your mind, you'll eventually get it out of your instrument if you keep futzing w/it.
Funny, I tried flatwounds on it, and hated the sound; on the fretted VM "70's Jazz" I had, it was the opposite- put on flats and loved it. Go figure.
Click to expand...

This is strangely true. But a good bit of the advice given is helpful.
 
#11
I agree with really all of the advice here (low action, low tension strings, playing near the neck - or even above it, etc.), but I'd also like to add that the bridge pickup should be turned up louder than the neck pickup. Quite often I'd solo the bridge pickup for the most mwah. Also boost the mids on your EQ.
 

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