The whole fretless thing..

[Tehrin Cole]

I've only been playing fretless about 1 year (with too little practise) and I'd like to learn more about how to use stereo chorus and/or delay with my fretless. Any pointers, links, etc.
Thanks

I especially like to use the stereo chorus when I'm playing ballads.It really opens up my sound.

I like to set the level control all the way up,the speed control at about 1 o'clock,the depth control at about 3 o'clock,and the high eq all the way up.Since I play my instrument with mostly the bridge pick-up,my tone is really articulate.

If you play a "lined"fretless,you play on the "fret lines".
If you play an "unlined"fretless(which is what I play),refer to the dot markers,located on the side of the neck.

Ultimately,you want to learn all of your positions in every key on your fretted bass,then tranfer this knowledge to your fretless.

I hope some of this information that I've given proves to be helpful.Keep exploring!

Peace!

 

[Chad Michael]

my 2 cents..

re: The fretless thing

No one will convince you (not that anyone should ), it comes from within. You have to be intrigued enough to play fretless exclusively for awhile in order to really get the feel and satisfaction from it. If it's an "idle curiosity", that's all it will ever be.

That means you park the fretted and do everything on fretless for awhile - be it finger exercises, scales, practicing songs, playing live, etc. - whatever you do with bass.

If it isn't your thing, no worries - a zillion talented and successful bassists play fretted instruments exclusively, live and in the studio. A great bassist is great, whether his bass is upright, electric, fretted, fretless, has 4 or nine strings.

 

[Baird6869]

I own a fretless P and a fretless J.

The fretless P is unlined rosewood and the sound with flats is waaayyyyy different then the sound I require for rock, funk, metal and blues. Sounds amazing, but I rarely gig it. It is hard for me to intonate properly as well as I am a fretted guy for the last 25+ years.

The fretless Jazz is lined with a ebanol board and I use rounds. I use this a lot and it sounds great with any kind of music. In fact, I played about a dozen gigs with it before my bandmates even realized it was a fretless.

To each their own, but I generally play fretted basses.

 

[Bassmanhopkins]

To be honest, i prefer fretless, the sound is better, and the quality of the instrument is usually better, my problem is that i never can find decent left handed fretless basses which dont cost me an arm and a leg