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oposition to fretless basses>

#41
I'm getting my first fretless in a week or so.
Today I actually played an unlined fretless(the one I'm getting is lined though.. :( ).
You know what..
I don't care what people say.
I play fretless because I DAYUM LOVE IT!

If you can't play fretless-don't even ask me stupid question for why I play fretless(Of course I'm talking about the weird guys that said stupid stuff to me).

Fretless basses are a magnificent instrument.
I don't find any bad things about it:
1) You can get notes that you can't get on a fretted bass.
2) If you use a fretless bass,you get to know your instrument better..Start to use your ears and not your eyes!
3) It sounds awesuuummm!
4) Yeah,I can slap that biatch too.
5) You don't have any frets buzzing!!!!!!!!

And of course there are more,maybe I forgot.
But all in all,don't listen to jerks asking weird questions.
Have fun with your fretless,and if people have problems with that,they can stick their fretted basses up their....
:)
 
#42
I guess I am largely opposed to fretless bg. I just can't think of any use of it that I have really liked. When I'm playing something else and working with another bass player, I haven't had the situation come up, but I would probably veto using a fretless, unless it was some really atypical and cool usage of it.

This doesn't have anything to do with my own skills. Upright bass is my first instrument. It's a matter of taste, both in terms of the sound of the instrument and the types of lines that tend to be played on it.
 
#43
teleharmonium said:
I guess I am largely opposed to fretless bg. I just can't think of any use of it that I have really liked. When I'm playing something else and working with another bass player, I haven't had the situation come up, but I would probably veto using a fretless, unless it was some really atypical and cool usage of it.

This doesn't have anything to do with my own skills. Upright bass is my first instrument. It's a matter of taste, both in terms of the sound of the instrument and the types of lines that tend to be played on it.
Click to expand...

I guess I am largely opposed to Fretted bg. I just can't think of any use of it that I have really liked. When I'm playing something else and working with another bass player, I haven't had the situation come up, but I would probably veto using a fretted, unless it was some really atypical and cool usage of it.

This doesn't have anything to do with my own skills. Alto saxophone is my first instrument. It's a matter of taste, both in terms of the sound of the instrument and the types of lines that tend to be played on it.

There you go. Our opinions are not so dissimilar.:ninja:
 
#44
teleharmonium said:
This doesn't have anything to do with my own skills. Upright bass is my first instrument. It's a matter of taste, both in terms of the sound of the instrument and the types of lines that tend to be played on it.
Click to expand...

Playing upright bass has little to do with playing fretless BG. I've played gigs on fretless and had people come up afterwards and remark, "wow, you were playing a fretless?" Evidently the "types of lines" weren't driven by the instrument but rather by the player. Not everyone does non-stop glissando on a fretless :D

Upright, fretless, and fretted are all different instruments. While they can tend to influence particular approaches, imho a good player isn't limited by that and instead explores any and all ways to use the instrument. That doesn't mean they necessarily are the best application for a given situation, but it can surprise you. I've used a Rob Allen fretless in straight-up funk gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing Jaco licks on it. I've used a fretless for rock gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing straightahead jazz licks on it.

I like fretless because it fits the way I often approach a particular song. I have bands I play with where I don't use fretless but that is more because a) I'm trying to cop a very specific feel/vibe, and b) the bandleader prefers a certain "look." In the bands I run, I use what I think works best, looks be damned. Ymmv.
 
#45
nostatic said:
Playing upright bass has little to do with playing fretless BG. I've played gigs on fretless and had people come up afterwards and remark, "wow, you were playing a fretless?" Evidently the "types of lines" weren't driven by the instrument but rather by the player. Not everyone does non-stop glissando on a fretless :D

Upright, fretless, and fretted are all different instruments. While they can tend to influence particular approaches, imho a good player isn't limited by that and instead explores any and all ways to use the instrument. That doesn't mean they necessarily are the best application for a given situation, but it can surprise you. I've used a Rob Allen fretless in straight-up funk gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing Jaco licks on it. I've used a fretless for rock gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing straightahead jazz licks on it.

I like fretless because it fits the way I often approach a particular song. I have bands I play with where I don't use fretless but that is more because a) I'm trying to cop a very specific feel/vibe, and b) the bandleader prefers a certain "look." In the bands I run, I use what I think works best, looks be damned. Ymmv.
Click to expand...

+1
 
#46
nostatic said:
Evidently the "types of lines" weren't driven by the instrument but rather by the player. Not everyone does non-stop glissando on a fretless :D
Click to expand...

Sure, but there are general tendencies among fretless players, and as a member of the music audience, it's fair for me to form an opinion about the instrument based on what I hear from it. I'm not saying that the instrument itself is to blame.

There are exceptional players of any instrument about whom generalizations do not apply. I can't think of any when it comes to fretless, based on my musical tastes, but I'm sure they exist (not that I am particularly concerned about it).
 
#48
nostatic said:
Playing upright bass has little to do with playing fretless BG. I've played gigs on fretless and had people come up afterwards and remark, "wow, you were playing a fretless?" Evidently the "types of lines" weren't driven by the instrument but rather by the player. Not everyone does non-stop glissando on a fretless :D

Upright, fretless, and fretted are all different instruments. While they can tend to influence particular approaches, imho a good player isn't limited by that and instead explores any and all ways to use the instrument. That doesn't mean they necessarily are the best application for a given situation, but it can surprise you. I've used a Rob Allen fretless in straight-up funk gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing Jaco licks on it. I've used a fretless for rock gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing straightahead jazz licks on it.

I like fretless because it fits the way I often approach a particular song. I have bands I play with where I don't use fretless but that is more because a) I'm trying to cop a very specific feel/vibe, and b) the bandleader prefers a certain "look." In the bands I run, I use what I think works best, looks be damned. Ymmv.
Click to expand...
:cool:
Words to live by.
 
#49
Had a great gig last night with my MusicMan fretless 5. It's a trio with a singer/songwriter who does half her material on piano, half guitar, and throws me a solo in about a third of the songs. I find the fretless much more expressive for soloing, so it works really well in this gig (and I have a high C on this 5-string which is also nice for soloing). I've also played a fretted 4 with her, but I'm liking this much better. Bottom-line: it depends on the gig.
 
#51
onosson said:
Had a great gig last night with my MusicMan fretless 5. It's a trio with a singer/songwriter who does half her material on piano, half guitar, and throws me a solo in about a third of the songs. I find the fretless much more expressive for soloing, so it works really well in this gig (and I have a high C on this 5-string which is also nice for soloing). I've also played a fretted 4 with her, but I'm liking this much better. Bottom-line: it depends on the gig.
Click to expand...

That's a perfect gig for a fretless. As you say, it depends on the gig. One may also be surprised where a fretless "works" and doesn't.
 
#52
nostatic said:
Playing upright bass has little to do with playing fretless BG. I've played gigs on fretless and had people come up afterwards and remark, "wow, you were playing a fretless?" Evidently the "types of lines" weren't driven by the instrument but rather by the player. Not everyone does non-stop glissando on a fretless :D

Upright, fretless, and fretted are all different instruments. While they can tend to influence particular approaches, imho a good player isn't limited by that and instead explores any and all ways to use the instrument. That doesn't mean they necessarily are the best application for a given situation, but it can surprise you. I've used a Rob Allen fretless in straight-up funk gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing Jaco licks on it. I've used a fretless for rock gigs and it worked great. But I wasn't playing straightahead jazz licks on it.

I like fretless because it fits the way I often approach a particular song. I have bands I play with where I don't use fretless but that is more because a) I'm trying to cop a very specific feel/vibe, and b) the bandleader prefers a certain "look." In the bands I run, I use what I think works best, looks be damned. Ymmv.
Click to expand...

+1 For more than thirty years I played only DB and fretless P-bass strung with flats. When I took the P-bass to gigs, few people ever noticed it was fretless, and no one complained about the suitability of my instrument for a particular genre.
 
#53
Not reading all the replies, but not every opinion is valid (your mileage may vary with that comment). There are people who think that having more than 4 strings is bad. Playing with a pick is bad. Not recording with a Precision is bad. Having a solid state amp is bad. Just because it's someone else's opinion doesn't mean you should heed it.

If you're getting bashed for an opinion (that quite honestly I think is moronic) and it's bothering you I think you're letting it get to you. Play the fretless and show them the error of their ways. I can't say it would bother me to try playing blues with my 8 string, or if the mood hit me my Strat through an octaver. It might bother other people, but that discomfort would amuse me more than anything else.

Of course I stink too much to play open mics, but that's a subject for another thread. :(
 
#54
Every time I hear a good fretless, I want to get one. :bassist:

But I am worried how I would handle the "gigs from hell" where you can't hear yourself. Can you play fretless if you can't hear?

But I can understand hosts at an open mic being worried about somebody bringing a fretless. You might know your intonation is good, but they don't. A fretless would be a huge red flag for me if I don't know the bassist. Best to bring a fretted the first couple of times. Once they get to trust you, then bring the fretless.
 
#58
seanm said:
Every time I hear a good fretless, I want to get one. :bassist:

But I am worried how I would handle the "gigs from hell" where you can't hear yourself. Can you play fretless if you can't hear?
Click to expand...

Just as importantly you have to be able to hear the other instruments to insure that you're playing in tune with them.
It's not enough to just hear yourself.

I haven't run into that situation before but if I did I don't think there'd be much choice but to play a fretted bass for the rest of the night.
 
#59
I would love to play a fretless bass. I think they sound great in the right persons hands. My Basses are all fretted but I'm considering buying a fretless just to see what I can do with it. Play what you want to play as long as it's a Bass. lol
 
#60
Mojo-Man said:
:cool:

I bring a fretless to open mic, so no one can play it.:p

I've never had any oposition with it for Blues.

Play what you like.
Click to expand...

+1

Blues Nazis have been seriously on my case for bringing a 6 string, but never a fretless. For blues it's commonly my Carvin AC50 semi-hollow body 5er. It's got fret lines and most people don't even notice it's fretless nor count the number of strings. Generally everybody loves it, especially me because the kind of expression you can pull from a fretless is just what the doctor ordered in blues.
 

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