Were they more common in music a while ago? Have players gravitated away from them?
What do you think.
What do you think.
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Is fretless decreasing in popularity?
- Thread starter darwin-bass
- Start date
I think there is more interest in fretless, but it is short-lived.
Players are lured by the challenge of playing fretless, but don’t invest the time necessary to play up to their fretted proficiency , and simply give up.
Some aren’t attracted to fretless at all.
It’s the same with acoustic bass guitars; some love them, some don’t.
Different strokes.
Mike
Players are lured by the challenge of playing fretless, but don’t invest the time necessary to play up to their fretted proficiency , and simply give up.
Some aren’t attracted to fretless at all.
It’s the same with acoustic bass guitars; some love them, some don’t.
Different strokes.
Mike
Previously, I was uninterested in playing fretless, then I became interested and commissioned a bass to do so. I also used to play a 4 string, then became interested in 5 and 6 strings. Now I play a 5 string fretted and a 6 string fretless and have no desire to own or play a 4 string. Perhaps the question is: why are fretted 4 strings becoming so unpopular?
PS - I am usually interested in voting for carrots in a poll as my second vote.
PS - I am usually interested in voting for carrots in a poll as my second vote.
I have no idea.
All I know is that I prefer fretless by a large margin
All I know is that I prefer fretless by a large margin
i too would prefer them by a long margin if my intonation was considerably better
I prefer fretless and I don’t care if you do.
Quite honestly, playing fretless can help improve your ear and help you to know if you’re playing off or not (if you’re paying attention and caring anyway).i too would prefer them by a long margin if my intonation was considerably better
It mostly comes down to requiring a good and consistent fretting technique anyway.
I don’t know. I wish more people would play fretless so there’d be some more stock fretless options out there, especially in the budget to mid-level range.
The cool factor of fretless is exponentially* higher than fretted.
*I never tried fretless. I just like saying exponentially.
*I never tried fretless. I just like saying exponentially.
I have a fretless PJ, a fretless Jazz and my upright. I’m down to one fretted.
My interest is 3-1 in favor of fretless. It’s also the freedom of it. As far as music goes, I listen to a lot of jazz and r&b and it definitely fits there.
My interest is 3-1 in favor of fretless. It’s also the freedom of it. As far as music goes, I listen to a lot of jazz and r&b and it definitely fits there.
Fretless is a very small subset of electric bass. Play it anyway because it’s cool.
I love my fretless. Most of the time people don't even know it's a fretless. But the fretless sound is there when I want it. Not every note has to be an advertisement. I get more raised eyebrows because it's a 5 string, because they can physically see that and then get judgmental. Many famous players play a lined fretless and you don't always realize. So tough to say is it more or less.
Maybe folks do it like me, when faced with the choice of buying a fretless, they go to upright instead? At least that's my impression.
After using fretless on a gig last night it’s a bit less popular with me at the moment.
I'd own lots of them if there where better options available and better pricing
I’m going to be honest…I’ve had a couple and I just don’t think they sound all that great except in small doses. I especially don’t love the bridge pickup excursions where the idea is to cop Jaco tone. I do like old Stones and “Hey You,” though 
I think I may have noticed a reduction of interest in fretless bass playing in this area and we have a surplus of bass players (I guess it would be more like a reversed ratio).
I played viola in elementary school orchestra and I did pretty well. So, a smooth board doesn't scare me.
A few years back, I got an ESP (or LTD) fretless and I used it for about six months. I didn't care for the way it played or the way it sounded. I didn't get the "wow" factor.
Then I realized what they issue was.
Honestly, I don't fret about it.
I played viola in elementary school orchestra and I did pretty well. So, a smooth board doesn't scare me.
A few years back, I got an ESP (or LTD) fretless and I used it for about six months. I didn't care for the way it played or the way it sounded. I didn't get the "wow" factor.
Then I realized what they issue was.
Honestly, I don't fret about it.
