Help me love frets..

[ole Jason]

It's always worth remembering that the electric bass being "expressive" is not really expected or desired in a ton of musical settings. That isn't to say that fretted basses can't be expressive of course.

 

[Inverstone]

Well...depending on your musical work situation (if you're a pro or even just contributing as a sit in/guest) there are plenty of recording studio producers, engineers and artists that will immediately look in horror at a fretless or "hate" the sound for the song or production (theatrical play, etc.)

I've always brought along a fretted bass in case that was insisted upon (which sadly is almost always is. Especially true for most bar band gigs.

I played a lot of Americana/Folk Fest using a six string fretless but that was on our own original material and the choice wasn't up to an employer or band leader.

So... in addition to stylistic/sound differences and "why should you care? " those situations are very common.

I have never been a flats guy by choice. My fretless had fingerboard coatings and round wounds, but when I choose fretted basses I choose a low profile reasonably flat with some rounding fret so that with practiced technique I can get a close to fretless sound with "some" wmwah or with more aggressive playing an using hammer ons/pull offs get a little clank.

I don't do any slapping but if you wanna....you're gonna get more clank (Primus, fretless, etc. aside) you're going to need frets.

Have a fretted bass in your "arsenal" that you're practiced enough on to sound more than just competent but play your fretless when you're encouraged to so that you don't miss out on any musical adventures you might regret missing out on would be my advice.

 

[MCS4]

As someone who typically has to devote some of my energy and focus to singing, clicking pedals on and off, and generally trying to put on an entertaining show... I've found that playing fretted and not having to worry about intonation takes a lot of stress off.

 

[Hurricane Jimmie]

No one has told me, steered me, or suggested anything. I just like to make sure I don't miss out on stuff, and love to learn. That's all. I have enough experience playing fretless instruments to know why I like them, how to play them well, and what they offer. I do not have the same experience and knowledge of fretted instruments, and am hoping to gain some, especially their advantages over fretless instruments and where those advantages are most helpful. That's all.

So Anyway, you've obviously spent your time and treasure (the 10,000-hour rule) becoming proficient with fretless instruments. The advantage of a fretted bass is the band/playing opportunity it offers to folks like me who don't have that training.

I bought a fretless after playing bass for 30+ years. I quickly decided it would add nothing to any of the bands I work for UNLESS I was willing to put in a lot of time and effort in the woodshed. At my age, I don't have that 10,000 hours! I continue to get gigs because I can lock in with a drummer, and I really don't need a fretless for that. On a fretless, I'd probably just annoy everyone else in the band.

Do I wish I could play a fretless bass? Yes.
Am I willing to put in the effort? No.

Good Luck in your search.

 

[Jefenator]

Maybe listen to more music made with fretted electric bass. There's a pretty enormous catalog of amazing recordings out there. Gaining an appreciation for that sound might give you more motivation to acclimate.
Fretless electric is great, but I don't get a lot of calls for it. (Maybe that's because they know I also play upright.)

 

[bassballs27]

Fretless rules!
There should be more of them available!

 

[Killing Floor]

There’s no best bass. Some styles like pop slap and some harder stuff works better on fretted but you can do any style on any bass.

 

[J-Bass RMR]

I've been playing fretless most of my bass-playing life

I started on upright. I was intimidated by the electric bass. Then I fell into a fretless as my 1st electric bass - turns out it was the frets that intimidated me.
I was 16 at the time. I picked up a fretted Jazz bass a few years later, and admittedly, was seduced by the dark side.
If you've been playing fretless this long, well maybe you're not missing anything at this point, and fretted just isn't for you.

What are the plusses to frets

The "pluses" are (different) Tones and the sound. The attack and decay are different. Fretted will always be brighter.

Just another note; when I started playing (fretless) electric, I didn't know about "mwah" and all that.
I was just playing bass - I wasn't trying to sound "fretless" like everyone now seems to chase after.
All that has its time and place.

 

[chadds]

I began on upright.

The thing is you still purposely make the note with frets. If not and you set up the amp to sound generic then it is a triggered sampler.

Lean into those notes. Find all the notes that are available on the string between and on top of the frets. There are a lot of percussive effects available to you. There’s a life time of goodness there. Play a few different basses and you may find that one speaks uniquely for you.

Also play unplugged in a quiet place and make it work. Gentle touch yields huge tone. I know sounds counter. Also lift fretting finger when you pluck and experience how you can control all the aspects of note production.

Have fun!

 

[WillyW]

meh I tolerate a fretted bass once in a while, but I don't make a habit out of it, and I pull frets once I decide I like tha bass otherwise....

 

[Watchootognbout]

I play both fretted and fretless.
I love both.
There are things that I do on fretted that I don't do on fretless.
Like playing four note chords,slapping and tapping.

I'm not saying that one can't do those things on a fretless.
It's just more difficult.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I'm jealous. I wish I had your expertise on fretless. You don't have to play fretted if it isn't your thing.

 

[J Wilson]

I've been playing fretless most of my bass-playing life, and played string bass first. My formal schooling and degrees are in violin performance, and piano and violin were my first instruments of serious study, beginning at ages 5 and 8, respectively.

Picked up a fretted Peavey Grind5 a month or so ago as my first fretted bass to see what I've been missing, and have been dutifully practicing with it daily, but I confess I don't get it. It's kind of the way I feel when I have to play a sampled grand piano keyboard instead of a real beautiful concert grand piano; yes, it can work, and yes, it's always in tune, but it's just not as ... Flexible? Expressive? Not sure how to say it.. just like somebody took away some valued tools.

What are the plusses to frets, other than making percussive slapping easier and more effective?

Honest question... Not putting down or flaming/trolling fretters...

Obviously, the plus of frets is keeping those of us who aren't schooled in fretless viol family instruments in tune!

But I hear what you're saying: The locked in, 'on/off' half steps as you'd have on a piano or most other instruments is limiting in a way, and certainly eliminates a lot of nuances that fretless allows. Following the idea that violins are closest to the human voice in expression, it would certainly sound funny if the human voice were regulated as fretted instruments or keyboards.

However, I'm a huge viol family, slide guitar, and trombone fan: There are 'notes between the notes' that aren't dead on pitch but still in tune in context, and the ability to slide notes or harmonics around is amazingly powerful done right, and utterly impossible on fretted instruments. I listen to slide greats like the late Duane Allman, or Derek Trucks or Jack Pierson and it's simply a different world, even aside from a straight blues idiom. The great dobro players find their spots.

So, I'd approach as simply a variation of an instrument you already know, as a piano player going to an organ would experience. There's possibility in the difference IF you think you would hear it or use it. It's certainly a harder sound because of the metal frets. If you want to stick with it, I'd suggest a first-class professional setup to minimize the difference in feel from fretless to frets, even though they'll never feel like the same axe, you still don't want to fight the bass and chalk it up to the frets.

It's simply a different flavor; it's up to you whether or not you can find it useful.

 

[MuseChaser]

Some great thoughts from so many folks.. thank you! The thing that resonates the most so far is the point about chords; the frets really make some things possible and almost easy that are downright painful to get in tune and sounded well on a fretless, particularly four note voicings. I'm sure with time my technique will improve enough to make the difference just be a "difference" rather than a drawback, and even an asset in some idioms. Right now, yeah, it's still frustrating. I dig frustration. It keeps me young.

 

[DanAdams]

I wold stop comparing frets vs. fretless, and just consider them to be different instruments with different purposes.

 

[selowitch]

If you prefer fretless, play fretless.

 

[Music Man Dan]

Versatility in tones and techniques is the spice of life and creativity in the music world. Master as many tones and techniques as you can with the different types of basses at your disposal. Have fun!

 

[MuseChaser]

If you prefer fretless, play fretless.

lol... that's not the point. I've driven hundreds of thousands of miles (probably a few million, actually, at this point) with manual andn automatic transmissions, and prefer manual for some things and auto for others. I have ONLY "driven" fretless enough to know what it offers. I haven't played fretted enough to know what it offers, and therefore am not qualified to state what I "prefer" yet. I'm guessing, and slowly learning through this thread and through practice, that it will be akin to my transmission preferences.... depends upon what the mission is at the time, eh?

 

[micguy]

I love my fretless, but it’s a rare gig where it’s more appropriate for me. The ability to bring in just the right amount of clink and clank on a tune or two via technique is a big part of why I sound like me.

My fretless oozes mwah - with an ebonol board and rounds, it mwahs no matter how you play. Folks on here say they can make a fretless sound fretted, but on my fretless that’s impossible, and making a fretless sound like how I play fretted (lots of articulation in addition to the clink and clank) is something that’s simply not gonna happen.

A fretted bass can do things a fretless can’t. And vice versa. They’re different tools for different jobs.

 

[conttador]

It’s just another tool…

If your playing situations call for frets get one otherwise it’s really up to you…