I know this may sound stupid, but ive never seen or heard a fretless with hands on experience before. What is the difference in sound between the two. thanks
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Fretless sound vs Fretted sound?
- Thread starter shawshank72
- Start date
The fretless has a more vocal quality to it. You are not necessarily hitting the precise notes. I believe that you can evoke more feeling with a fretless, though it is harder.
If you've never heard a fretless, this is an excellent example of the "vocal" quality you can get with one.
The bassist is Timothy B. Schmidt playing Don Henley's "New York Minute". The bassist on the original recording was Pino Paladino but Mr. Schmidt nails it, IMO.
Hmm, never heard fretless...
So, get a copy of Paul Young's greatest hits, because it's got Pino Pallidino's fretless playing all over it. Specifically check out "Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home", "Tear Your Playhouse Down", and "Come Back And Stay". Then dig up some EARLY Bonnie Raitt (from the '70s, well before Don Was became her producer) and listen to Freebo on "Too Long At The Fair", "You've Been In Love Too Long", and "Under The Falling Sky".
Of course there's Jaco's work (get into Joni Mitchell's "Hejira", and "Shadows and Light"), and Weather Report.
There's also Nathan East's fretless playing on Clapton's live recording of "Tears In Heaven" from the 2001 tour recorded on "One More Car, One More Rider), Pino's work with Don Henley and with David Gilmour, and a lot of Bill Wyman's Stones recordings, and Hutch Hutchison on Bonnie Raitt's recording of John Hiatt's "Thing Called Love".
jte
So, get a copy of Paul Young's greatest hits, because it's got Pino Pallidino's fretless playing all over it. Specifically check out "Wherever I Lay My Hat, That's My Home", "Tear Your Playhouse Down", and "Come Back And Stay". Then dig up some EARLY Bonnie Raitt (from the '70s, well before Don Was became her producer) and listen to Freebo on "Too Long At The Fair", "You've Been In Love Too Long", and "Under The Falling Sky".
Of course there's Jaco's work (get into Joni Mitchell's "Hejira", and "Shadows and Light"), and Weather Report.
There's also Nathan East's fretless playing on Clapton's live recording of "Tears In Heaven" from the 2001 tour recorded on "One More Car, One More Rider), Pino's work with Don Henley and with David Gilmour, and a lot of Bill Wyman's Stones recordings, and Hutch Hutchison on Bonnie Raitt's recording of John Hiatt's "Thing Called Love".
jte
I havn't tried a fretless before, however I would assume all fret noise is eliminated, giving a cleaner tone with more vocal quality. Slides would sound smoother and more pronounced, and an overall better sound quality (just tougher to play).
Fretless can do all of the above but it can also not do it if that's what you want. Very important.
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
Actually, David Gilmour is playing a fretless Precision through the whole tune.
There's also a cool fretless solo in the break...
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
yeah, there was some video, I can't recall it off the top of my head (may have been a outside concert or the grey whistle test). It was right before they did their first tour in the states. He had a fretless p, with a maple fb.
Scratch that, I think it was a BBC concert:
Later, sometime in the 90's, Sting was once quoted in Bassplayer as saying, "Fretless is a pain in the arse to play live".
Fretless - softer and better for quieter music where you can hear what you are playing better. Slower attack.
Fretted - attack is fast and hard - better for faster passages and music where the fretless does not have time for the notes to "blossom".
Just my opinion.
Fretted - attack is fast and hard - better for faster passages and music where the fretless does not have time for the notes to "blossom".
Just my opinion.
Well, of course the octave pedal on "... Playhouse..." colors it, but then again, we're talking recordings so it's really debatable what "uncolored" fretless sounds are.
I agree that the chorus and octave tracks from Pino don't really tell the OP what the physical sound of a fretless is, but they're very good examples of how the fretless can be used musically. So, it depends on what you mean by "sound".
John
I agree that the chorus and octave tracks from Pino don't really tell the OP what the physical sound of a fretless is, but they're very good examples of how the fretless can be used musically. So, it depends on what you mean by "sound".
John
Well, my frettless has flats on it, I'd say it has a very "woody" sound, while the fretted with roundwounds has some kind of metallic sound in it (in both cases Fender Am Deluxe Jazz basses). I am just listening to Cozy Powell's "Over the Top" album which has Jack Bruce on it, I love this album. Another good fretless player is Patrick O'Hearn, check out ZAPPA - LIVE IN NY, GROUP 87 or MISSING PERSONS single "GIVE".
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
it probably wont make as much noise that happens when the string hits the fret, that happens to me alot but ill take noise for easier ability to play
