Oh, I see. If that is the case, I highly suggest buying my MTD 535 that I have for sale and have it defretted. You won't be able to find a better fretless!
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Is a fretless necessary? Poll
- Thread starter Sufenta
- Start date
Oh, I see. If that is the case, I highly suggest buying my MTD 535 that I have for sale and have it defretted. You won't be able to find a better fretless!
i pretty much played only fretless for a good year but since i got my Fodera it is all that gets the play, although i do have a rather nice fretless in the works right now that should be done around february time, so i will be playing a lot more fretless when that bass turns up.
Dave
Dave
I own 2 (jazz & abg) and would be without at least one.
You may not NEED it today, but I'm willing to bet if you had one you could find plenty of uses for it and eventually reecognize the need to own one. Tight on money? Look at the new Squire fretless jazz or look for a used MIM.
You may not NEED it today, but I'm willing to bet if you had one you could find plenty of uses for it and eventually reecognize the need to own one. Tight on money? Look at the new Squire fretless jazz or look for a used MIM.
Now that i have one, i can't see not having one. If you play a really wide range of music with a wide range of people, it's better to have something and not need it, then to get a call about needing a fretless sound on a tune and not have one...nor the familiarity with one to play it properly.
I would find a cheap one to try it out and see (I started with a Yamaha and it was great). Like mentioned above, its harder than it looks. Of course, I went crazy and eventually went DB. But fretless is a "style" that works if it fits with the music you are playing.
Oh, and before the debate starts on lined or lineless: 1 vote for lineless.
Oh, and before the debate starts on lined or lineless: 1 vote for lineless.
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
If you could afford one it definately wouldn't hurt.I love playing fretless it really is a different instrument that can really bring a nice flavor to the right musical setting.I'll be playing all fretless tonight on a gig.
I own a fretless, and I can say IMO, it's not necessary, I only got it to match my fretted and to help my intonation on DB. (The constant practice.....)
JAUQO III-X
Inactive
Since the fingering is different for Electric and DB how did playing the fretless help you with your DB intonation ?
If anything, I think frets are superfluous. I seldom play my fretted bass because I find fretless much more expressive and versatile. I play fretless in rock, prog, jazz, and R&B, and it fits in very well with each genre. Once you get the technique down, you can make a fretless bass sound fretted (more or less), but getting that singing legato fretless tone from a fretted bass is almost impossible.
That's the issue. I play rock in my current band. I can't see playing a fretless in that band, but if a fretless would make me a better player ( or if it made you a better player) then it would be worth the investment. And I think I would have to go lined.
And I'm surprised that the poll #'s are 37 to 12 in favor of owning a fretless. I really thought it would be much less.
ABSOLUTELY
-From someone who currently plays tuba in 2 bands
To the original topic - I have almost no interest in owning or learning fretless. I wouldn't turn one down, and may wake up tomorrow and decide it's exactly what I need. But for now I'm content with my fretted SR400.
It all depends on what you play. I personally don't need a fretless, but it's nice to have and can sound great in the right situation.
Of course, the fact that I can't play fretless very well might have some influence on my opinion!
Of course, the fact that I can't play fretless very well might have some influence on my opinion!
I don't think it's necessary, althought it wouldn't hurt if you have one. It's like, you are having pizza for dinner, do you want ketchup?
I don't think it's any more necessary than a fretted bass. I don't have to have one. But if I only had one, it would be fretless. Currently two out of three of mine are fretless (3/4 if you count the DB) - my fretted Jazz is my most recent acquisition.
The way you (appropriately) phrased the question made me vote for option #1.
The way you (appropriately) phrased the question made me vote for option #1.
+1
Here's a nice place to do that. Works for me:
http://www.rondomusic.net/Bassguitarfretless.html
And sometimes a Rondo one winds up being one you prefer to play live.....
I find it necessary on gigs where I probably should play my upright, but can't for various reasons. It sure is a whole heck of a lot easier to tote.
I think playing a fretless does improve your fretted playing a little, especially if you play by ear a lot or are not super accurate with finger placement on a fretted. My improv skills took a huge jump after i got my fretless for no apparent reason, but it could have been that I'm hearing/listening to notes much more precisely now since i have to hear myself being out of tune all the time lol. You never know when you can use a fretless in a rock song. Look at Tony Franklin, Jack Bruce, and Jeff Ament. All rockers that bust out the fretless.
My only bass is a fretless. I think frets make the bass sound like a generic, keyboardish low-note instrument with no life.
Hmmm....
This guy was in a successful rock band and used fretless:
Here's a 5 string fretless in the show:
