How can you guys after playing a fretless....

its alot harder for me to slide on a fretted bass, i only have a fretless, but i think i could grow to play each one equally well. One song might sound better with a fretted, and the other might need a fretless.

 

I've never heard chords on a fretless sound as good as a fretted, same with slapping.

 

I dont know how some go back to fretted, I cant, I still play my fretted a lot, but I dont like it even close to as much as I like my fretless

 

Different worlds, I suppose.
Sometimes frets are useful...tis true about chording, you've got to really concentrate on a fretless.
Now that I've had my Pentabuzz for a while I've got to say slapping is definitely possible on a fretless; I've always smacked them up a bit, but with the coated fongerboad on the Pedulla, it really sounds like it should- tight, bright, and percussive!
It can be done, it just usually sounds a little different.
got to say I feel more at home on fretless, but it's good to have some variety now and then.

 

Is your p-bass the fretted junk? I'll buy it from for 200 USD if that is the case....

 

because some things call for fretted and some call for frettless,thats why silly,you should learn to use whatever tools you need to get the job done,besides being a classic rock/bules player I would look very stupid and or very pompus playing only frettless.

 

What's pompous about playing a fretless? I've only played fretless for years in all kinds of music, and most people don't notice.

 

We pipe smokers love out fretlesses. I like caviar between sets. Pardon me, might you have any Grey Poop on?


Use what works.

 

I say old boy, righto. I prefer to wear the smoking jacket while play the ol' fretless, meself. Nothing like it after a good romp with the hounds.

 

Because I'm not very smart.
What exactly did you want to hear?

 

Well, you obviously are not a slapper.

 

I play fretted fro about 4 months when i started playing and then I got my first fretless and I haven't gone back since.

 

I don't even bring a fretted bass on gigs anymore. Oh, and BW, I'm a slappin' fiend!!! (Although I don't do too much with the band I'm in now).

If it were necessary, I'd use a fretted. I've had people request I play fretted, and always done so on gigs. If I were doing all 70's funk covers or something like that, I'd certainly not be using a fretless, it just wouldn't be the right sound. As Brad of the Ascot said, which ever tool does the job.

 

Maybe you're mistaking bad intonation for "character"?






J/K

 

My Zon worked surprisingly well in a 70's Funk band*. Back in the day you didn't have the super bright snap on top like today and it sat in the mix fine. OTOH my Elrick wouldn't stand a chance... too warm and woody.

All things considered, I probably would use a fretted next time.


*Meaning a present day band playing 70's Funk.

 

I play fretted because I want to sound like FiElDy!!!

But seriously, I think I would miss the bright metallic attack I'd get in my slapping and popping with fretted basses.

Oh darn, now I'm GASing for a fretless.

 

I had a fretless but sold it. It was a really nice bass; a Fender AmDlx Jazz. I was able to work quite well with it and it sounded real nice in the C&W bands that I play in.

However, I ran into a real big snag with it. I sing lead on about 40% of the songs that we do and backup/harmony on a lot of others. On the songs where I just played, no singing, everything went fine. However, on the songs where I was singing, I found that either my bass playing was good and my singing was lousy or my singing was good and my bass playing was lousy.

I realized that something had to give. So, the fretless went. Yeah! I know! There are many that do it just fine. But, I didn't. I just don't have the time to put into it to get myself to the point where I can do both equally well at the same time. I have a full time job, a wife, kids, and a lot of things going on in my life. Yes, music is one of the important things, but not the only thing.

That's why I returned to fretted after playing fretless. Maybe if I can get into a little jazz combo and not have to sing, I might get another one. Maybe. But, you know, I have this absolutely gorgeous playing and sounding Urge II, supplemented by a gorgeous playing and sounding J-Bass, so, maybe not.

Ah!!! Decisions, decisions!!!