Look guys, if you don't have the patience or attention span it takes to play fretless, fine. That is why God made bass players, and the rest of us he made musicians. Just don't give me the cop-out that it's just for soft, jazz, or ballads. I have been playing very agressive progressive heavy music, fretless only, for over ten years. There isn't a sound I can't get out of my bass, as well as sounds you will never get out of a fretted bass.
You don't want a soft sound, don't get a bass with a soft fretboard like rosewood. I have a carbon fiber neck and fretboard on my Bogart 5, no maint. I can make nice soft sounds, or I can crank up the 35hz buzz saw and rip your freaking manhood off. No effects, no boost switch, I just change my attack, maybe my hand position. The right instrument, in the right hands, and years of practice. I don't get lost in the mix, unless "I" decide to let it happen.
Miss a note flat or sharp a little? Vibrato and slide back into the proper note. Don't like the heavy mwaw sound? Fine, loosten your grip on the string a little, it buffers the mwaw quite a bit. Want a more pronounced mwaw? press the string in a little harder and slide to the note.
I know this will get in the way of posing for the girls, and you might have to buy better equipment so that you can hear youself. I know the better equipment, and the time you have to spend to learn fretless will cut down on the available party time/ little groupie hook ups. And actually having some talent and pride in your skills might make you want to leave your current band, in search of others of your skill level and drive.
I know this will mean missing out on a big money recording contract, and world tour. We all know the last thing the public, and record companies want is a band with true talent and skill.
But just give being a musician a try, instead of just a bass player. Try a fretless, learn to express yourself.
KJN
The difference between a fretted player and a fretless player? The fretless players can "hear" that he is out of tune, and correct it with his fingers, not a tuner and tuning peg.
You don't want a soft sound, don't get a bass with a soft fretboard like rosewood. I have a carbon fiber neck and fretboard on my Bogart 5, no maint. I can make nice soft sounds, or I can crank up the 35hz buzz saw and rip your freaking manhood off. No effects, no boost switch, I just change my attack, maybe my hand position. The right instrument, in the right hands, and years of practice. I don't get lost in the mix, unless "I" decide to let it happen.
Miss a note flat or sharp a little? Vibrato and slide back into the proper note. Don't like the heavy mwaw sound? Fine, loosten your grip on the string a little, it buffers the mwaw quite a bit. Want a more pronounced mwaw? press the string in a little harder and slide to the note.
I know this will get in the way of posing for the girls, and you might have to buy better equipment so that you can hear youself. I know the better equipment, and the time you have to spend to learn fretless will cut down on the available party time/ little groupie hook ups. And actually having some talent and pride in your skills might make you want to leave your current band, in search of others of your skill level and drive.
I know this will mean missing out on a big money recording contract, and world tour. We all know the last thing the public, and record companies want is a band with true talent and skill.
But just give being a musician a try, instead of just a bass player. Try a fretless, learn to express yourself.
KJN
The difference between a fretted player and a fretless player? The fretless players can "hear" that he is out of tune, and correct it with his fingers, not a tuner and tuning peg.
As for the sounds you can get out of your bass, clever FX/EQ and playing style can bring a fretless towards the fretted, and a fretted towards the fretless, but it can only do so much. They're two separate worlds.
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