Is fretless decreasing in popularity?

[gstaats]

Right, but surely within two decades bassist X would have said that they used their fretless on song Y. I have a fretless that I play on a song or two, but I really can't think of any songs that have fretless. And "maybe they are hiding their technique to sound fretted" is essentially a "no".

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more fretless tracks out there than one realizes. I tend to play exclusively fretless, and have had several folks say they couldn't tell it in live situations.

 

[Avezzano]

Right, but surely within two decades bassist X would have said that they used their fretless on song Y. I have a fretless that I play on a song or two, but I really can't think of any songs that have fretless. And "maybe they are hiding their technique to sound fretted" is essentially a "no".

It is more of a "who knows" to me. But it is evident that there are less fretless basses around, these days.

Edit: I see what is your point, because you use your fretless when you need "that" fretless thing. Others use a fretless just as a bass. (See the entry above)

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are more fretless tracks out there than one realizes. I tend to play exclusively fretless, and have had several folks say they couldn't tell it in live situations.

Probably more keyboard tracks that we think are bass tracks:

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[aprod]

They have always been a niche instrument.

 

[Oscarharboe]

I think the reason by the fade away of fretless has its natural reasons.

Firstly, fretless got popular in the era of fusion and Jaco, then faded away already during the 80s when the jazz scene went back to its more traditional sound with upright bass. Being an upright player or doubler myself I allways get asked to play the upright rather than electric for the jazz sound. In pop music I allways play the fretted bass because thats often the most right sound for that.

In my opinion, the fretless is more sonically midrange oriented with often taking too much space where the guitar or piano usually sits, so I guess its not the best option for the mix. Also the introduction of synth bass in the 70s and 80s still competes strongly in the pop scene, so the question is more of where actually the fretless has its more natural and dominant place today? Its not rock, metal, pop, classical, prog or even jazz (except some fusion guys). Yes, there are pioneers like Gary Willis and on occasion Richard Bona, but none young leading jazz bass players that I know of do it today (only Esperanza Spalding comes to mind plays the fretless on occasion).

I love Jaco myself, and have of a really nice Sire V7 fretless that I use for practicing Jaco or emulating synth bass lines on covers (check out my covers on my Youtube -channel - Oscabass if you want see how that can sound like). You guys that still enforce the fretless are heroes, Im very happy to watch all the great players on fretless on Youtube. Im sure it will be popular again soon, if its not already (relativily speaking).

After using fretless on a gig last night it’s a bit less popular with me at the moment.

They have always been a niche instrument.

Yup, thats the short and possibly the most precise answer!

 

[cheapbasslovin]

I appreciate that, personal choice; yet, if things were like you described, violins, cellos and double basses would have frets on them for 100 years already.

And if everything was as you described nobody would play those instruments because they're too hard...especially men.

 

[BassBrass]

"Based on research compiled from 16 studies, insect populations declined by 45% in the last four decades."
There's an insect population decline, here's how to help — Sustainable Review
If the insects are dying out, frettless bass doesn't have a chance.

 

[gumbynotpokey]

No clue.

I played a passive P style unlined fretless as a commitment to MYSELF 3 gigs plus a practice every week for like 4 years. I climbed the mountain. At one point I realized it had been months since I had realized I had not struggled or had a pitch problem. Hooray. The work is the work.

Not to be narrow but it's almost like a fretted player is a bass guitar player, while a fretless player is a bass player - on a certain level. I can tell you this - it's a whole different thing.

YMMV.

 

[RichterScale]

I'd say they're both bass guitars. Since both are electric and held like a guitar.
And tuned the same.
Frets or not.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Were they more common in music a while ago? Have players gravitated away from them?

What do you think.

No

 

[Auspuff]

Cannot speculate about the popularity of fretless bass, amongst the masses. However, I know it is wildly popular, with me.

 

[Nephilymbass]

Were they more common in music a while ago? Have players gravitated away from them?

What do you think.

I don’t think it’s really gone up or down. You can still find current bands with bass players playing fretless. But interestingly it’s in different genres these days. Modern Pop and modern rock have become very “paint by numbers”. So I doubt there’s many players that can actually play fretless playing those styles. In styles like progressive metal and jazz I still see people playing fretless though. I was surprised a couple years ago when I found metal bands using fretless. bands like Opeth, intronaught, beyond creation, any of the stuff Steve Di Giorgio plays on

 

[Crackle]

I don't know about any change in fretless popularity. I play fretless well, with good intonation. That said, I often get tired of the sound and prefer a more percussive fretted bass.

 

[Slevage]

I dumped my fretless over 20 years ago and got a good EUB (Azola with floating top).
I actually got lots of work that specified Upright only (though not symphonic)-
Jazz, Big Band and show tunes.
They were reading gigs and the folks that hired me loved the sound of the instrument.

 

[Gaolee]

I have a fretless bass guitar. It mostly hangs around. I have a fretless upright bass. It gets played all the time.

 

[SteveCS]

I can't think of any songs in the past twenty years played with fretless. Who can name the most recent recording that has charted?

Who cares? Other than the songs on my set-lists I doubt I could name any top 20 song from the last 20 years, let alone what bass was played.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Who cares? Other than the songs on my set-lists I doubt I could name any top 20 song from the last 20 years, let alone what bass was played.

The topic of the thread is "Is fretless decreasing in popularity?" If you can't name a song made within the past 20 years that was made with fretless, then I'd say "Yes, the popularity of fretless is decreasing".

 

[bassbrad]

Fretless bass is my #2 always has been but it has not always been applicable for my various gigs, even when I try to force it. I love the sounds and have "my own voice" on the instrument so I certainly play mine enough to keep it strong.

 

[darwin-bass]

...Like that relative of yours that isn't anyone's favorite, ...

For a second I thought you were talking about Charles Darwin.

 

[Rib 13]

Fretless hit a pop music crescendo during the mid 80s....after that, it became a flavor punctuated here or there