Playing Fretless - finding the balance?

[BEADGCF]

Basses shouldn't have frets

Just play the instrument you have. As a musician, you should have a feel for what works with your particular style. Fretless feels faster and is easier in many ways for me than fretted. You play around with your instrument and music enough, and you'll know what works. Just like every other effect, what you can do with a fretless should fit the music you're playing, or shouldn't be used.

 

[alexis=bassist]

I dont play a fretless bass(im about to build one though) but i do play cello,which is fretless.

Anyways,
you should find the sound u r happy with.Dont be afraid that ur sound is like a "fretted" bass or to "mwah",if u like it,that is wut u should stick with.Play yourself,not the bass itself.If u sometimes wanna slide a lot or somtimes just wanna play like a "fretted" bass,then go ahead.

I hope I didnt offend anyone by this message in any way.


-peace

 

[kumde]

I think playing fretless is not 100% about the sound; it's also about the fancy of the player and happy bassists tend to sound better.
For me it's satisfying to know I have to work to get each note in tune and it helps me concentrate on the song. And so far I've found a suitable tone for anything that's been thrown at me. Sure it's not identical with the tone some other player and his own instrument would give, but in music there are multiple solutions for an equation.

That said, I wouldn't play fretless in an AC/DC tribute band.

Then again, lets see.. Neck pup (split-coil), playing with a bit heavier touch somewhere between the pickups, maybe raise the strings a bit.. It could work. Not duplicate, but work.