Hello, I'm new to this so I am very sorry if I'm posting in the wrong place, but I've been wondering which would be a better choice. I'm planning to save up for either a fairly inexpensive fretless 4 string, or fretted 8 string, but I'm not sure which would be a better choice. Regardless, with whichever I'd get, I'd prefer to use it for Progressive Rock/Metal and Jazz, but I'd also like to be able to use it for different styles of music such as Heavy Metal and the like. Could I get some suggestions?
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Which Choice Would Be Better?
- Thread starter SomethingSomethingLowEnd
- Start date
My choice would be fretless. But that’s for my needs, I don’t know what your needs are. I suggest you play both, and then play them again, and again, and your decision will be made.
Turnaround
Commercial User
Hmm.. Whammy on a fretless. Maybe an entirely new idea. I see some snags in marketing the concept though.
I was going to say schecter untill u said fretless 4 string. Maybe you should find an ibenez. Rither are great even in low cost ranges
I have one of each and the only possibe advice I can think to give you is - fretless 8 string bass. The jangly tone of the 8 combined with the punchy mids and sloppy intonation of the fretless is just a pure dream come true.
All joking aside - I assume you have a fretted 4 now, so I'm happy at least someone in this forum is thinking about buying a genuinely different 2nd instrument & not "well I have a P, should I get a J?"
An 8 can sound sort of sinister (a lot of later John Paul Jones stuff is with an 8), especially in Jazz configuration & takes distortion well - though if you have two guitarists in your band you've basically taken over the role of bass AND rhythm guitar. It's also more difficult to make high speed runs, due to the extra tension the added string makes (though a 32" or 30" scale helps - if you can find one with this scale length).
A fretless requires more finess & accuracy on your part, but it would be a good way to develop your ear. A fretless also draws less attention than an 8, as fretless is just sort of a natural variant of the bass, the 8 is a bit of an odd beast.
All I can say is, thank you for not asking which one is best. 
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I currently have a fretted 5 string, I'd consider myself an intermediate player.
I've heard a fretless requires more accuracy (which makes sense), which is why I'm a bit more reluctant to get something fretless just yet. For the most part, I've learned notes by tabs, and rhythm and such by ear, though I usually can identify each fret by note. If I do get a fretless, at risk of seeming foolish or inexperienced, I'll most likely get one with marked on frets for my first one, if only because I love the tone of a fretless.
Fretless
It implies you have to improve your ear trainin' and overall accuracy, while an' 8 string can be a Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament (Ten's Jeremy) instant goal and a somewhat restrictive one too
I personally own an Ibanez Gary Willis (a 5er I strung with Dogal flats) and it's a joy to play
I initially was afraid of it countin' on a sole bridge soapbar: I soon discovered how loud it is!
If you want somethin' a bit cheaper you could look for a 2010 Soundgear sr505f (they're a limited edition - now discontinued - of an otherwise very common bass, with a fretboard with same ebonol and 16,5mm string spacin' off the Willis signature) you'd get two bartolini mk1 pickups instead of just one and three band active eq in place of two
Unfortunately I have bad memories of:
Yamaha Trb1005f
Warwick rockbass Corvette fretless 5er
Ltd B205f
Last, very good is evergreen Fender MIM std fretless Jazz bass, easy to find, with stock flatwounds and definitely bang for your buck if secondhand!
Cheers,
Wallace
It implies you have to improve your ear trainin' and overall accuracy, while an' 8 string can be a Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament (Ten's Jeremy) instant goal and a somewhat restrictive one too
I personally own an Ibanez Gary Willis (a 5er I strung with Dogal flats) and it's a joy to play
I initially was afraid of it countin' on a sole bridge soapbar: I soon discovered how loud it is!
If you want somethin' a bit cheaper you could look for a 2010 Soundgear sr505f (they're a limited edition - now discontinued - of an otherwise very common bass, with a fretboard with same ebonol and 16,5mm string spacin' off the Willis signature) you'd get two bartolini mk1 pickups instead of just one and three band active eq in place of two
Unfortunately I have bad memories of:
Yamaha Trb1005f
Warwick rockbass Corvette fretless 5er
Ltd B205f
Last, very good is evergreen Fender MIM std fretless Jazz bass, easy to find, with stock flatwounds and definitely bang for your buck if secondhand!
Cheers,
Wallace
I have a doubleneck with each. They are the opposite ends of the spectrum in the type of sound they provide and the way they are played
If you find yourself going with the 8 string, I'd suggest you take it one step further and going to 12 string. the octave-unison strings provide a beautiful natural chorus sound that the 8 string just doesn't have.
If you find yourself going with the 8 string, I'd suggest you take it one step further and going to 12 string. the octave-unison strings provide a beautiful natural chorus sound that the 8 string just doesn't have.
Don't know 'bout that. Maybe. Only thing I'm certain it implies is that he likes the way fretless sounds
. Me, too . And a whole bunch of other fellas.
I just want to disagree with that part right there. After I got my 12 string I spent a year playing on it exclusively to explore it as it's own instrument. Most players use it as a gimmick-alternative tool in their arsenal for a few songs. (ala Jeff Ament) Basically, they play it just like they play their other basses.
What I found is that I can play everything I could play on fretted 4 string by only using upstrokes with a pick and avoiding the octave strings completely. Mind you this is a very difficult technique to master. But once you get the hang of it it feels quite natural. Simply by switching picking directions you choose between a bass-only and bass+guitar type sound. Later on, I studied a bit of basic banjo and incorporated fingerstyle picking. I can assure you, that the 8 and 12 string basses are not limited in any way. The only limitation is in our minds.
Both fretlless and multi-course basses are much more advanced than a standard 4. Fretless requires more precise fingering and ear development and vibrato techniques and 8/12 string has its own challenges and rewards as well.
Sorry if I was mistaken
I just meant to say exactly what average bass player would do
Unless you're a fullyfledged 8er player (like maestro JP Jones) meanin' that you specialized in that field in a way, you'd tend to use an 8 string bass (stickin' to the OP) just like many guitar players do with 12ers: adoptin'em for THOSE kinda sounds in THOSE kinda situations and those ONLY. For instance, I'm no specialized fretless bassplayer, but I use my fretless 5er in church where I play praise and worship hymns
It's not that I cannot use any other fretted bass in my staple
It's just that it fits that peculiarly natural reverb good stayin' defined while at the same time not too punchy so I started to consider it the best there
Again: never meant to bash 8 string (or 12 string) basses... IMHO fretless is a lil' more extensively applyin'.
Cheers,
Wallace
I just meant to say exactly what average bass player would do
Unless you're a fullyfledged 8er player (like maestro JP Jones) meanin' that you specialized in that field in a way, you'd tend to use an 8 string bass (stickin' to the OP) just like many guitar players do with 12ers: adoptin'em for THOSE kinda sounds in THOSE kinda situations and those ONLY. For instance, I'm no specialized fretless bassplayer, but I use my fretless 5er in church where I play praise and worship hymns
It's not that I cannot use any other fretted bass in my staple
It's just that it fits that peculiarly natural reverb good stayin' defined while at the same time not too punchy so I started to consider it the best there
Again: never meant to bash 8 string (or 12 string) basses... IMHO fretless is a lil' more extensively applyin'.
Cheers,
Wallace
