why get a fretless

[K.Ross]

I was nervous when I bought my fretless...(because it was also a jump from a 4 to a 5) I would practice like crazy on it,then go to a gig. Every time I'd pull out my fretted 4 and use it. Then my brother had a great idea...He said leave the 4 at home and "force" yourself to use the five. (Him being older and wiser, and also the lead player,I listened to him.) To be sure on the first couple of songs,I was nervous,but then I just sat back and let the hours of practice come through,and I had a GREAT time.Now,my fretless gets more time than my fretted...(because we do Country and Country Rock.) I love the sound of the fretless 5...but sometimes I NEED a good fretted sound with what we play.Nuf said...they both have distinct sounds...it depends on your style.
LOL
Kent

 

[hanx]

First of all, to respond to what you said earlier, you definitely don't want to invent new scales with 18 notes to the octave (unless you're playing middle eastern music or something) You'll just sound like you're playing out of tune, which is always bad. You should stick to playing notes that are in the normal western chromatic scale. Maybe, foray into quarter steps, etc. when you become more experienced and are ready to experiment, but I haven't had any success with that personally.

i've already "invented" my 18 note scale (wanna see my frequency spreadsheet) ... i've just got to test it... i'm not much of a musician, i'm a more of a scientist (ok... genetic engineering technitian, till i find something to do a PhD on) and a visual artist, so no way i can possibly accept 12 notes without at least testing the alternatives.

"ready to experiment".... nah... you have this all wrong first you experiment, then when you find something promissing you perfect it. I don't want to play "middle eastern music or something" OR western music, i want to create post-cultural experimental noise art... don't know if it will work but i'll have fun trying. On the off chance 12 notes is actualy the best answer to the situation (not just a matter of taste), i at least want to prove it to myself from my own experiemnts.

Sorry i'm probably sounding a bit arrogant? I'm just getting enthused on my eccentric mission, i mean no offence to real musicians. I do agree i need to learn to play a bit more first though, but my parrallelle/back-up plan is to learn some computer programming and electronics design and synthesise my new sounds.

...this "accurate chromatic tuner" sounds like something i might be able to use? can you expand on this? is it universal or just set to western notes?

 

[hanx]

thanks for the insights guys

hrmmm... fretless sounds like fun... i want one now! But i have already bought a bass and a guitar this year (with amps), if i get a fretless as well before i learn a third riff... i think my partner will kill me...

you guys call that Gear Aquisition Syndrome don't you?

 

[René_Julien]

i've already "invented" my 18 note scale (wanna see my frequency spreadsheet) ... i've just got to test it... i'm not much of a musician, i'm a more of a scientist (ok... genetic engineering technitian, till i find something to do a PhD on) and a visual artist, so no way i can possibly accept 12 notes without at least testing the alternatives.

"ready to experiment".... nah... you have this all wrong first you experiment, then when you find something promissing you perfect it. I don't want to play "middle eastern music or something" OR western music, i want to create post-cultural experimental noise art... don't know if it will work but i'll have fun trying. On the off chance 12 notes is actualy the best answer to the situation (not just a matter of taste), i at least want to prove it to myself from my own experiemnts.

Sorry i'm probably sounding a bit arrogant? I'm just getting enthused on my eccentric mission, i mean no offence to real musicians. I do agree i need to learn to play a bit more first though, but my parrallelle/back-up plan is to learn some computer programming and electronics design and synthesise my new sounds.

...this "accurate chromatic tuner" sounds like something i might be able to use? can you expand on this? is it universal or just set to western notes?

I don't think you're arrogant.
I support your ideas 100%... but no garuanties it will work out.

Go mad scientist. Those were always my favourite characters.

You got to do what you love.
Life is too short to do stuff you don't want to.

Good luck with all this.

thanks for the insights guys

hrmmm... fretless sounds like fun... i want one now! But i have already bought a bass and a guitar this year (with amps), if i get a fretless as well before i learn a third riff... i think my partner will kill me...

you guys call that Gear Aquisition Syndrome don't you?

Yeah...

Bad case you have there.


And it doesn't go away.

Right now I am gassing for a 3300€ vintage bass... just as a collectors item. :scowl:

 

[SiliconElle]

The first time I tried a fretless bass guitar, I thought something was wrong with it. I couldn't get a decent sound out of it. A few years later, I tried a fretless J-bass with lines and could play it okay. A month or two later I played what would later be my fretless Warwick Corvette Standard and LOVED it! That fretless 'Vette was the exact instrument I played a few years before!

 

[CDuff]

I starting playing bass because of my older brother. He got a second-hand bass (a Westone) and then gave that to me when he bought a nicer bass (a Warwick Dolphin Pro II no less.... the cheap Dolphin, but still a great bass). Then I bought a bass.
So there was the Westone just sitting there unplayed and forgotten. Until, that is, we took the notion to rip the frets out and suddenly we had a fretless bass.

Defretting, when you've never played fretless before, is a great way of breathing new life into an old cheap bass and reinvigorating your own passion for playing. It's frustrating and addictive in equal measure.
Anyway, since then I've bought a new fretless with unlined fingerboard and, while my playing wouldn't blow any minds, I'm comfortable on a fretless.
I would advise any bass player to get their hands on some cheap piece of crap and defret just to give fretless a go and, if it works, it'll open up a whole new level of GAS.
...and you know how much fun GAS is....
:|

 

[bh2]

Why not...?

I'll tell you the old what for... if you don't, you'll regret it.

I left my '61 Fender Jazz in a case for years because it wasn't doing anything for me... got some money and took the frets out... (fitted a J-Retro mind). Now, after all these years, it's the best bass I'll ever come across!

After all these years of neglect... it's payback time!

Link Removed

It's not a '61 (it's a '62) I found out recently... which is good... it means I can keep it!

Inspiration...?