Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
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Fretless rock bassist ?
- Thread starter benlauziere
- Start date
Thank you folks ! I listen to almost every bassists you named, amazin' stuff !
But Tony Franklin is really my favourite. He brings the real rock tone the fretless, just like I want. He's my favourite fretless rock bassist !
But Tony Franklin is really my favourite. He brings the real rock tone the fretless, just like I want. He's my favourite fretless rock bassist !
Pino played on the original recording.
Larry Klein played the original.
Check out David Gilmour "About Face" and Pete Townshend "White City: a Novel" for some great instances of Pino playing in a rock setting.
"Radioactive" by The Firm was one of the first songs that made me aware of fretless bass. The sliding harmonics on the intro are awesome. That whole album has great work by Tony on it. In interviews he states "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" as one of his favorite recordings.
Brad Houser w/ Edie Brickell and New Bohemians.
The tone on "What I Am" is what moved me from fretted to fretless.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - What I Am - YouTube
The tone on "What I Am" is what moved me from fretted to fretless.
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - What I Am - YouTube
Unless you have a very specific reason to go fretless on a rock or metal song, I'd recommend against it. It's not going to provide the driving attack that's critical for these genres. That said, it can stand out in a positive way if you have an idea in mind. Keep in mind it can take over the song in a bad way.
what is this some sick joke?
3 pages and no one mentioned steve digiorgio? ffs....
like,THE best fretless bassist in rock (well,death trash to be honest,but still)
+1 on claypool,ofc,outstanding player
3 pages and no one mentioned steve digiorgio? ffs....
like,THE best fretless bassist in rock (well,death trash to be honest,but still)
+1 on claypool,ofc,outstanding player
Sean Malone (Gordian Knot) & Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) have already been mentioned, so I'll throw Bryan Beller's name into the ring. Since "needing" to pick up a fretless for a special "Steve Vai + Orchestra" gig in 2004 he's been using it (a beauty of a Mike Lull Modern 5 w/ Ash body, Caramel Burst Quilted Maple top & lined Ebony fingerboard, Bartolini J-pups and NTMB preamp) consistently since then on recordings and live with Steve Vai and Mike Keneally, on several songs from his second solo album, and with his "Supergroup" Invalid Link Removed (Guthrie Govan on Guitar & Marco Minnemann on Drums). For someone who didn't even play fretless seriously until 2004, to be able to pull off the unison lines in his solo "Love/Terror/Adrenaline" (last 2/3rd only, sorry!) is mind-blowing! 
Although their are many, the reason people don't want fretless is because Fretless doesn't exactly sound dirty (I know, you can get a growl). The frets make it sound twangier, louder, and just better for most forms of rock, besides maybe space rock and rockabilly(more I can't think of). For rock, you want it to be loud, twangy, and punchy. Try to imagine Cliff Burton playing a fretless.
EDIT: Cliff could probably pull it off, but do you get my point?
EDIT: Cliff could probably pull it off, but do you get my point?
Except for that guy who mentions him in the first page....
benlauziere said:
Percy Jones. He played fretless in Brand X. Some crazy lines & distorted solos. There are some intensely heavy tunes going down with those cats.
Surprised Bakithi Kumalo hasn't been mentioned...listen to Paul Simon's Graceland. He even does some pop/slap on it and it sounds magnificent.
I'm sure Juan Alderete played a fretless on the whole of 'frances the mute' and his main bass is his 70's fretless p-bass modded with an old bartolini jazz bridge pickup, so I think the majority of his live stuff is on a fretless. I'm pretty sure most of the other recordings he's done with the mars volta will have been done on that too, and he's insane!
Although their are many, the reason people don't want fretless is because Fretless doesn't exactly sound dirty (I know, you can get a growl). The frets make it sound twangier, louder, and just better for most forms of rock, besides maybe space rock and rockabilly(more I can't think of). For rock, you want it to be loud, twangy, and punchy. Try to imagine Cliff Burton playing a fretless.
EDIT: Cliff could probably pull it off, but do you get my point?
No.
You need to listen to more recordings with fretless bass in them, or play more of it. Go listen to "Alive" by Pearl Jam. Plenty of dirt on that. With proper technique, you can make a fretless sound like a fretted. Frets have nothing to do with loudness, punchyness, etc.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
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- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
+1 on Jeroen Thesseling. A true specialist, who created his own rule book, and is a countryman of mine. Did anyone mention Mick Karn already?
To all those who think fretted is "better": there are no absolute truths in music, just prejudices. Not every fretless bass part is great-but for every half-successful attempt at fretless there are hundreds of lame, boring, failing fretted bass parts-and nobody is (and nobody should) be using those as 'proof' of the inferiority of fretted bass.
To all those who think fretted is "better": there are no absolute truths in music, just prejudices. Not every fretless bass part is great-but for every half-successful attempt at fretless there are hundreds of lame, boring, failing fretted bass parts-and nobody is (and nobody should) be using those as 'proof' of the inferiority of fretted bass.
