Should I buy a fretless?

[80jazz]

uninitiated folks seem to look at the fretless as some 'huge leap' while not realizing (because they haven't played one) that they're actually easier to play in so many ways. the issue of intonation without training wheels (frets) is a real one, but working on that issue is part of the fun on the journey to becoming a real musician. a fretless helps the ear develop while being easier on all of the fingers and both of the hands...no fretted ax has action that feels as low as what is standard on almost all fretless pieces. and then: there's that beautiful sound!!! there are plenty of players on TB who only play fretless instruments...they're having way more fun than the others --- even while they're working (gigging)! also: there are 20-24 fewer setup issues (frets) which make things easier from the start...it's a no-brainer!

if you have the 'urge' = get one and don't look back! good luck with your fretless choices!

Amen!

 

[logdrum]

Yes. Don't doubt. Just go.

 

[Acoop]

Who are you favourite fretless players and what type of bass do they play? ...

 

[Danny O Danny]

I'd recommend doing both, but not at the same time (just yet). See if you can pickup a cheap fretless (maybe a MIM or Squier Jazz bass). Or see if you can pickup a cheap 6 string. It's good to explore. Many years ago I bought a cheap fretless P bass copy (unlined, no less) and discovered that I really liked it and as a result I've played a lot of fretless ever since, for many years. On the other hand, many years ago I owned a couple of 6 string basses (an Ibanez, and then a Modulus) but ultimately decided that 6 string isn't my cup of tea. But I'm glad I tried it. It's good to experiment and stretch yourself, even if what you learn from it is that you don't like fretless or 6 string.

 

[EchoEcho]

Well I got a fretless quite recently, am now enjoying it, learning from it, and I'm rubbish.

The most important part in the above is bolded. I've recently locked away my fretted in a cold dark place to force me to play it.

I would advise just buying a really cheap but similar 4 string fretless first because then your bass skill from your 4 string fretted will be the most transferable without you having to learn with an additional string.
Another poster mentioned about having sister(same string spacing, same feel, same weight, etc) fretted/fretless and I think that makes a lot of sense. If you're intending to go 6 string fretless, i would suggest getting a sister 6 string fretted first, adjusting to that, and then getting the fretless version.

I already fret almost on the frets of a fretted so my muscle memory easily transferred, but if you fret in the middle of the fret then that's something that's going to have to change on both fretless and fretted. There shouldn't really be any difference between how you play the fretted and fretless (for a while, avoid the temptation to do all those slides and vibrating fingers and stuff because they will just be a distraction).

If you already know the fretboard well, the side markers will give you everything you need to know about exactly where all the notes are, but on a fretless you should be relying on muscles memory and what your ear tells you as an ideal and an eventuality.

As already mentioned, while you're learning the fretless, it's a good idea to use lots short licks that you know well(most importantly, the sound of them and where they are) on the fretted. It helps to give you an aural map of the otherwise blank fretboard.

 

[toxi_20]

Who are you favourite fretless players and what type of bass do they play? ...

Well, I like Les Claypool and Jean Baudin, who plays an 11-string bass, sooo not a bass like his.

 

[Admiral Akbar]

burninskies:

Agree. I end up practicing both the same way, albeit I do spend 'extra' time in making sure when I do 'slide' I'm being accurate, etc. One thing that really helped me was that I've been playing fretted basses with tiny frets for the past 15 years. Banjo fretwire. You have to really be up on the fret or it sounds horrible. That helped me when I made the transition, then I treated the fretless like a fretted bass with even smaller frets! How do you get really good at playing stuff on a fretted with accuracy? Lots of finger exercises and scales & modes. Lots of the same scales played in different positions and ways until you really can nail 'em across the neck or up and down the neck. I also thought maybe I was the only one who does 'spider exercises' on a fretless...and not just in an easy reach 5-12 fret range but down in the 1st position, etc. too.

One of the best compliments I was paid for that one 'acoustic' aka fretless gig I did back a year and a half ago was "I knew you sounded different but I couldn't quite figure out why...then half way through the set I said to myself "that crazy MuthaF***er is doing this all on fretless and I just realized it."

To me that was just right, because often fretless gets a really bad name for overplaying, for applying all the vibrato & slide techniques too aggressively. I didn't want to be THAT player. I wanted to play bass but have the ability to apply a wider vocabulary in a meaningful and subtle way but also be able to just 'play bass' in the traditional sense with it.

One thing that really helped me was that I've been playing fretted basses with tiny frets for the past 15 years. Banjo fretwire. You have to really be up on the fret or it sounds horrible. That helped me when I made the transition, then I treated the fretless like a fretted bass with even smaller frets! How do you get really good at playing stuff on a fretted with accuracy? Lots of finger exercises and scales & modes. Lots of the same scales played in different positions and ways until you really can nail 'em across the neck or up and down the neck.

/\/\this.

 

[Sin Nis]

YES !

 

[OogieWaWa]

When you get it (no if!), start with a song you already know and play well first, not a "fretless song". Then you're only changing one variable, and you already know how the notes should sound pitch-wise. The song won't sound exactly the same, but that's the point. Try learning to get it close for when you need to do that. Try other familiar songs. And you'll have accomplished your first goal. Success breeds success.

Edit: my go-to practice song like this is Cream's Crossroads, and try to get in as many of the licks I can when all three guys are solo-ing, essentially. Helps my fretted playing a lot, too.

Then pick a first, simpler "fretless song" and have a go at that. Build on what you already learned. You'll probably be surprised how much the first step helped. And this is when the fun begins!

Finally start to challenge yourself, but don't fret if it takes a long time, you didn't get to where you were before instantly either.! So you're building on successes.

Having said all that, I haven't played much fretless in the last year or so, but we've got a more acoustic gig Saturday, and I want to play at least 5-10 songs on the fretless. We'll see how it turns out!

 

[Dr Zee]

I would plus 1 to the idea of getting a fretless that's like a bass you already play. I found it more work to learn an extended range bass than learning a fretless.

 

[ArtechnikA]

Who are you favourite fretless players and what type of bass do they play? ...

I think this has probably been a thread by itself (or should be), but I've got a couple off the top...

Manring - Zon HyperBass (Custom)
Egan - Pedulla
Jaco - Fender Jazz
Feraud - donno - not associated with anything special AFAIK
Kumalo - saw him doing some stuff with Kala

 

[BobDeRosa]

What's motivating you to want either a fretless or a 6-string? Is there a sound you want that you're not finding on your current bass?

The one piece of advice I'd offer is definitely not to buy a fretless 6-string and try to learn both at the same time. That's a recipe for failure.

 

[dkelley]

"Should I buy..."?

Yes.

 

[dkelley]

FWW, I play fretless (was my main thing most of my career) and currently am all about my 6 string... So I really want a fretless 6 string.

Just to put all yer eggs into 1 basket.... that would be my suggestion!

 

[micguy]

One thing that really helped me was that I've been playing fretted basses with tiny frets for the past 15 years. Banjo fretwire. You have to really be up on the fret or it sounds horrible.

All my basses have stainless frets - that also forces you to be right on or suffer clanky consequences.

 

[P A U L]

I think I'll find a semi-cheap fretless (like MiM Fender) and try it out in a shop if I can find one. Also, I play 5-string. Should I take a 5-string fretless or should I go for a 4-string?
Thanks again to all of you people in this wonderful community.

Back in the '90s, I bought a Warmoth Jazz from a guy who played country, but was getting out of music to raise a family. He sold it to me for $200 & threw in a Warmoth fretless Jazz neck.

That ended up being the 1st thing I did was swap necks.

I transitioned to paying more guitar & singing & hadn't played fretless in decades. The nut was a little worn, & so the string was too low on the D string. I decided to swap the necks back out again & use it as a standard Jazz again.

So, in the last couple years, I've been on the lookout for a fretless. I'm also real interested in getting into cello.

A few weeks back, I saw someone selling a 5 string Ibanez for $200. It is a 705 SRF, w/ extended fretboard & piezo. Neck thru design w/ Bart's. I'm realizing how my intonation is off, from back when I was pretty fluent, but, it's coming back.

I'd recommend getting a decent Ibanez 5 stringer. You can get them used for low resale, & their budget models are usually pretty decent. The 705 has a tight growly low B & playability it really nice.

I agree w/ the member @BurningSkies , that says don't overthink it, playing. There are times to concentrate on intonation, but, if you simply go at it using muscle memory, you are ½ way there already. Learn to slide & vibrato into tune, if you're out. Have fun...

I have a 6 string (fretted), but I don't play it too much. I like the higher notes to be played up the neck further because they sound fatter. There's a balance there, but, the C string, to me, sounds like I'm getting into acoustic guitar string tones. YMMV, but, there is a fine balance to play w/ all that for me...

 

[misterCRUSH]

I started playing bass four years ago. I started on a fretless ESP vintage 214 model that was $300 and also unlined. I played a lot of scales and arpeggios to start with and eventually moved to Bach suites and concertos. I never looked back, so i really have only played fretless save for like 5 minutes once in a music store. therefore i don't know what it is like to switch from fretted. I do know however, how much absolute fun i've had training my ear and the ins and outs of fretless. I feel free now on it, and since i had theory on other instruments, once i learned where to put my fingers i jumped quite a bit in my playing. I play several hours a day now and i'm smiling every single second. I have three basses, all fretless, but my favorite is my fretless fender jazz MIM. it was only $674 and i love everything about it. it sounds absolutely marvelous and plays just as well. just a suggestion as an intro to fretless. Have fun!

 

[bobyoung53]

I got my first fretless P bass in 1977, I traded a Humbuckered Fender Telecaster bass for it, I had never even heard of a fretless bass at that point and the only reason I wanted it was because it was a CAR late 60's Fender with an early 70's neck and I had all kinds of confidence back then, so the thought of not being able to play it never entered my mind. I promptly ruined the neck with Rotosound SS roundwounds, I never thought to bring it to a luthier which I should have done as it was a real early Fender fretless neck. Next I bought a maple fretless Fender neck for it (you could buy them like that back then) and started using half rounds which actually sounded better anyway. I was determined to make it sound like a fretted bass so no one could tell I was playing a fretless bass unless I did a slide on it. That is how I got fairly good intonation, the Fender scheme of having a side dot for 3rd, 5th, 7th etc right on the fret made sense to me and I still like that the best. For me if you've got 1500 bucks the Tony Franklin fretless P/J bass is the best bang per buck you can get today, it's got an ebony neck which is hard as nails and the neck is pretty slim for a P bass and it sounds great. So my vote is YES.

 

[johnbee]

Sorry for posting without reading (my stupid job!).

Yes, get a fretless! It is fun, good for your playing, and you have been playing long enough that it is a good idea.

Get a used fretless so you can sell it if you don't like it.

Get a fretless with the same number of strings as your fretted, and a similar neck profile.

Try learning a a song on fretted, then jumping over to your fretless and playing it there.

Lines or no lines -- both are fine! I started with lines, but now I prefer not having them. On an unlined, I expect you will find anything from the 7th 'fret' on down is very easy to intonate, and anything above the 12th is pretty darned tricky to intonate. If you are playing simple rock and blues, low down on the neck, you will find it is easy. I promise!

(Also, I am a pretty mediocre player, and lazy these days about practicing; but fretless is still pretty easy, and not scary. And it is fun!)

 

[BurningSkies]

I never really thought about 'buying a matching fretless' but that's sort of how things ended up for me along the way. When I bought my 96 MIJ Jazz, my main bass was a 92 fretted Jazz.

Now that my main stage players are all Dingwalls with 5 strings, and 34" to 37" scale length, that's what I have for a fretless. I have the same fan, the same scale length, the same spacing at the neck and at the bridge. And the neck profile is identical to the fretted bass I've been playing 99% of the time in the past few years.