Recomend me Fretless Players

[KidAmnesia]

I'm looking for bass players that play fretless in band context but in a not-over-the-top way. I love Jaco and all the great virtuosos, but I'm looking for people that are good at keeping a groove and playing those simple basslines that serve the song.

Any ideas?

 

[Killing Floor]

Tony Franklin.

edit that I also live really top end players like Jaco but a guy like TF playing, you don’t always know it’s fretless. I think you’ll dig his work.

 

[Killing Floor]

Sting

 

[Jeff Scott]

Even though he can do far more that keeping it on point, Mark Egan can do just that when needed.

 

[jerry]

Freebo & Hutch Hutchinson with Bonnie Raitt, Mick Karen with Japan, John Giblin With Simple Minds, Pino with Paul Young and Nine Inch Nails.

 

[bobyoung53]

I second Tony Franklin, and he's about the only real rocker playing a fretless nowadays. He gets kind of fancy here but he's really good at setting a groove and sticking with it, he plays both with fingers and with a pick and kills with both.

 

[Passinwind]

I'm looking for bass players that play fretless in band context but in a not-over-the-top way. I love Jaco and all the great virtuosos, but I'm looking for people that are good at keeping a groove and playing those simple basslines that serve the song.

Any ideas?

Bill Wyman

Rick Danko

 

[jerry]

John McVie, especially mid-70's Mac.

 

[ejnachtrab]

Mick Karn (RIP)
Tony Levin
Pino Palladino (esp 1980’s w/Paul Young)
My top three, for sure.

 

[Artman]

Mick Karn (RIP)
Tony Levin
Pino Palladino (esp 1980’s w/Paul Young)
My top three, for sure.

You just beat me to it. My three favorites as well.

 

[foal30]

David John Haskins

 

[bassbrad]

Alphonso Johnson / Weather Report and others
Link Removed/ Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jean Luc Ponty
Percy Jones / Brand X
Boz Burrell / Bad Company

 

[Michedelic]

Yet another vote for Mick Karn, a singular, unconvention player involved with a variety of unconventional music.
Then another for an inspiration of his, Percy Jones, who straddled the worlds of British fusion, and the quirky art rock of Brian Eno.
Lastly, Fernando Saunders, who spent time with Jan Hammer, but provided sympathetic slithery lines for Lou Reed and Marianne Faithful in the 80’s.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Dis guy...



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Plus everybody already mentioned

 

[Alban]

Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam? Not necessarily known for fretless playing but a lot of Pearl Jam stuff was done on fretless, including Even Flow.

Also: Sting? Les Claypool? Steve Di Giorgio?

 

[FullumMusic]

If you dig through Primus albums, Les Claypool plays fretless and 6 string fretless a fair amount. Not always the easiest stuff to cop, but definitely grooves heavy like a rock power trio should.

I think it was Tony Levin playing fretless on Peter Gabriel’s sledgehammer.

I think Pino played fretless on Don Henley’s New York Minute.

 

[mmon77]

Another vote for Tony Franklin. Check out his playing with Blue Murder. One of my favorite fretless players, especially in a rock band context. Also a really nice guy.

 

[skyline_01]

If you dig through Primus albums, Les Claypool plays fretless and 6 string fretless a fair amount. Not always the easiest stuff to cop, but definitely grooves heavy like a rock power trio should.

I think it was Tony Levin playing fretless on Peter Gabriel’s sledgehammer.

I think Pino played fretless on Don Henley’s New York Minute.

Correct on the Levin and Pino tracks - a couple of masterful fretless works.

I'd like to note that Timothy B. Schmidt did a fantastic job on the New York Minute bassline when The Eagles did it live. Such a killer song.

 

[smtp4me]

I'm looking for bass players that play fretless in band context but in a not-over-the-top way. I love Jaco and all the great virtuosos, but I'm looking for people that are good at keeping a groove and playing those simple basslines that serve the song.

Any ideas?

Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam). He plays rock bass on fretless, sometimes with a pick, but he's a solid player.

 

[bass12]

Some great players already mentioned (Mick Karn and Pino in particular). I’ll add Paul Webb from Talk Talk.