Fretless what can you tell me about them to persude me to get one.

[wildman2]

Lately for some reason Ive been drawn to fretless basses.No idea why. Ive only held one a cpl of days ago for the first time..So a P a J a Squire(they seem to get some love on sweetwater). My local store has a cpl of fretless there a P and a J The Fender 1970's P is way out of my price range the Fender 1990's J is alot closer.I think the J is a little over priced but it only has two very minor blemishes on it so there's that.
Other than the no fret thing is there a major difference in sound?Since there are no frets I'd imagine a change in fingering would be in order. Intrigued by them lately for some odd reason(gas?)

 

[erigod23]

You don't have to tune them. Every note is at your fingertips.

 

[Old Blastard]

They feel different, they play different and the tonal characteristics are different. They take a while to get used to intonation wise, but I find them wonderfully expressive in ways my fretted are not.

I know there's noting there that actually helps.

 

[fretno]

 

[Gilmourisgod]

It’s that “mwah” sound most people like, the sound “blooms” at each note. It’s not my primary instrument, so I like lined fingerboards. There’s a lot of snobbery and nonsense around that subject. If you want to play in tune right away, get a lined, or at least one with marks on the upper portion of the board. After a few years playing one, you might develop enough muscle memory to get an unlined, but it’s just an aesthetic decision. On most lined fretless, where the lines are right at fret locations, you finger just behind the line, so not much adjustment if you already finger that way. If you don’t, a fretless will force you to clean up your technique quick. The best value out there on a fretless at the moment is the Squire Vintage modified Fretless Jazz, $299 new. It has a lined Ebanol (synthetic ebony) fretboard, decent Duncan Designed pups, all the parts are standard Fender dimension, so it’s easily upgradeable, not that it needs it. If you decide fretless is not for you, resale on these is decent, usually around $175, you might consider buying used.
Invalid Link Removed

 

[Wisebass]

Hi wildman2

Lately for some reason Ive been drawn to fretless basses.No idea why.

It' s a virus! Once you have it...

Other than the no fret thing is there a major difference

There is a big difference between my fretless…

and

a Squire

I think my fretless looks much better!

a major difference in sound?

Yep!



Got it? (this is just one example)


may the bass be with you

Wise(b)ass

 

[wildman2]

Thx for all the replies..May just get the Squier has some pretty good reviews and not too crazy on price.One reviewer mentioned it had an upright bassy sound to it sweet.Love the upright/dbl bass sound but most decent ones are real pricy.Listened to the video and I really like that sound a lot.
Labella golds or Rotosounds jazz 77's be a good fit for that Squier?I use the Roto's on the stingrayhh aand the golds on the axl...I like flat wounds by the way..Not the string section I know.

 

[jblock]

Whatever you do, start with an inexpensive fretless if you’re not 100% sure you want to go down that road. The classifieds and other instrument sites are full of very nice fretless basses from folks who wanted to try a fretless but then lose interest quickly.

As far as flats, Fender’s or Chromes are reasonably priced and both sound great to me.

 

[Funkdified]

I've owned a couple fretless basses and prefer rounds on them. Might want to use nickel instead of SS though.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Jaco.
Michael Manring.
Mark Egan.
Gary Willis.
Alain Caron.
Steve Bailey.
Percy Jones.
Etc.......
Just listen to these players.
They can convince you in ways no one else can.

 

[MordBass]

Theyre amazing and responsive and expressive in ways that you cant get out of a fretted.... they arent the only bass you'd want to own... but once you play one, you'll always want one in your arsenal. They also make you a better player since you need to slow down and nail your intonation. Every time after I spend a few days of rocking the fretless... I notice how much better I am on the fretted.
Theyre wonderful instruments.
I've also noticed that since they require no fret job, you can get a pretty nice fretless for a much lower pricepoint than a fretted.

 

[thewildest]

Why would you need the added persuation of others to pursue getting/playing a fretless bass?

Nobody better than you to know what works for you. My inly recommendation is to try one (i.e., going to a music shop) and see if your experience matches your GAS. If it does, you are all set.

 

[edbass]

I strongly suggest going unlined. You play fretless with your ears, not your eyes.
A couple other reasons; IMO besides the unique tonal characteristics, one of the primary benefits of fretless is it takes away the restrictions of fixed, specific notes. You can slide in and out of scales, passages, ect. smoothly - similar to vocal vibrato techniques, without the restriction of suddenly changing pitch by a half step.
To add to that thought, I think lines on the fretboard can be like training wheels, actually retarding the development of "ears rather than eyes" technique.
Just dive in, the water is fine! It's not as difficult as most people think.

And of course, unlined necks look so much better/cooler/impressive... How will people know you are good enough to not need markers to play your instrument if you have a lined board?

 

[saabfender]

One word: mwah. It makes *that* noise.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

The Ebonol fingerboard on the Squier will be a lot more forgiving of rounds than a real ebony board. I have pressurewounds on my fretless, which is a nice compromise. The ones I’ve played in stores had rounds, seemed fine as is.

 

[rashrader]

They are fun and really good for your soul. My Martin Keith Elfin Plus.

 

[kesslari]

I'm not going to persuade you.
Listen to some of the artists folks have listed.
If you love those sounds, get a fretless.

 

[kesslari]

I strongly suggest going unlined. You play fretless with your ears, not your eyes.
A couple other reasons; IMO besides the unique tonal characteristics, one of the primary benefits of fretless is it takes away the restrictions of fixed, specific notes. You can slide in and out of scales, passages, ect. smoothly - similar to vocal vibrato techniques, without the restriction of suddenly changing pitch by a half step.
To add to that thought, I think lines on the fretboard can be like training wheels, actually retarding the development of "ears rather than eyes" technique.
Just dive in, the water is fine! It's not as difficult as most people think.

And of course, unlined necks look so much better/cooler/impressive... How will people know you are good enough to not need markers to play your instrument if you have a lined board?

Oh, and regarding this - yeah, people who play lined fretless are wannabes.
Listen to some of those slackers too - folks like Jaco and Gary Willis and Mark Egan and Michael Manring, who play lined basses.

 

[NathOBX]

On songs that call for a lot of space (fewer notes) they allow you to add another dimension to your sound without being too busy.

 

[MordBass]

Oh, and regarding this - yeah, people who play lined fretless are wannabes.
Listen to some of those slackers too - folks like Jaco and Gary Willis and Mark Egan and Michael Manring, who play lined basses.

100%... if you play unlined for bragging rights.. and your intonation is off on a single note.. its on you.