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Why play a fretless bass?
- Thread starter Jackcrow
- Start date
BTW, if it hasn't been mentioned already, another good reason to play the FL is that fretlesses are much less coveted by thieves. Fretlesses are orders of magnitude harder to sell, pawn, etc. then the fretted counterparts, especially unlined FLs.
I have been robbed twice, and both times the thieves took the fretted basses, but left my G&L L2000 sitting on the stand. Main reason being, it was an unlined FL and the crooks knew it wasn't worth the wood it was made out of. Even after they came back to get the rest of my stuff they missed the first time, they left my L2K.
So an FL especially an unlined one has a much larger chance of surviving a breakin/robbery than a fretted bass will....
L
I have been robbed twice, and both times the thieves took the fretted basses, but left my G&L L2000 sitting on the stand. Main reason being, it was an unlined FL and the crooks knew it wasn't worth the wood it was made out of. Even after they came back to get the rest of my stuff they missed the first time, they left my L2K.
So an FL especially an unlined one has a much larger chance of surviving a breakin/robbery than a fretted bass will....
L
It's worse playing DB for a few hours. Left arm can get really tired! Much better in orchestral setting where you can at least be seated.
I sold a G&L L2000 fretless that I miss greatly now. Be glad the thieves left you with it.
Maybe because starting on URB in high school informs my preference. I have a good ear and play in tune quite well so for the most part I can play without sounding obviously fretless if need be. About the only time I pick up my only fretted bass is for more percussive sounds. Even then, Remco Hendrix has given me permission to slap the fretless occasionally.
Yes, I finally did lose it last summer after 20 years of one-ownership, but it wasn't stolen that time
.I did replace it finally a few months ago with a CLF research L2000 fretted reissue, but eventually I plan to get another FL L2K once the planets are in proper alignment....
L
To make a living. As a session player, I have to have one. There is definitely a call for it, and I find myself using a fretless way more often than you would think. I also work with a Flamenco guitarist who insists on fretless only for gigs and recordings. If you ever need inspiration to start playing fretless just watch this video:
I played fretless the whole time when I had my own band. I loved my Music Man Sabre I learnt so much I loved the sound every gig was fun and even if it was a crap gig I enjoyed it. When my partner had a crisis in his life and quit the band it stayed in its case. Band leaders didn't want it " just bring your P bass " so eventually I made the stupid decision and sold it.
When I was ramping up my playing years ago, I rented a Warmoth fretless; 5-string, active EMG Jazz pickups, ebony fingerboard... Even my teacher at the time said that this is pretty much the warmest tone you're ever going to get out of a bass. I was still in my relative musical infancy, but WOW that thing sounded yummy!!
JazzBass1949
I Did That Ya I played There Ya I Did What a Blast
I always have a Fretless Fender 'most of my playing time in years, I Just Got a New '2020 Fender Player' Jazz Bass, Fretless,. It is the Sound they Produce,. I use on some songs that there is a Fretless Bass on the Cover, or just something we write' and want that Sound they make,.. The Modern "C" Shape Maple Neck, with Pau Ferro* Fingerboard, gives it that Sweet Smooth Sound you just can't get out of most any bass, to get its Smooth Sound . , Another thing , is Strings on them ,. Thomastik-Infeld* JF344 Flatwounds,. Is what I use, you have to brake them in,. as they age' they get better, and they don't mash your fretboard up, as roundwounds do in time , and the TI's give you almost the same sound,. {each to there own} they also last forever, {I use Both Basses I have a old 73 Electra Phoenix P Bass, but it has a Jazz Neck 1.5 came on it} For Other Sounds,.
It's a very expressive instrument where one can bend in and out and mess around a little more with pitch. Just something about the sliding sound going into pitch that is almost haunting. And the tone of growls and muwahs is just more sounds for your sonic pallet.
I had an Ibanez SR375F (?) a year ago. Great bass, lotsa "grunt" and nice fingerboard. But I miss the DB timbre and muahh. After hearing the SRH500F, I wanted to get one... but, since I already had a Glarry fretless (with LaBella tapewounds), and a Fishman BP-100 (piezo pickup for DB) laying around, I thought I'd try mounting the piezos to the Glarry. Ha! Really? Guess what? Great sound! I had to turn the treble waaaay back on the Ampeg B-210, add a bit of mid, crank up the bass, but I get the nasal timbre and muahh of (almost) a DB. Sounded as good as the SRH500F did in the video. Maybe better. I taped the piezos directly onto the wood, just ahead of the bridge plate, with blue masking tape. Now I'm working on a better method of attachment that will put more downward pressure on them and hold them more securely. If I accomplish this, I'll remove the volume control, and add a switch to select either magnetic pickup or piezo. The holidays are messing with my free time to play with the hardware . . . ARGHHH !
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It's a different sound (MWAH)...that's like saying "why use a chorus or distortion or envelope filter?"...just to sound different
My fretless, a Tony Franklin, is just SOOOOOO much fun!
Also, I am a cover bass player and I notice some song files are not in concert pitch/440. I can just figure them out on the fretless which, uhhh, doesn't have frets.
Also, I am a cover bass player and I notice some song files are not in concert pitch/440. I can just figure them out on the fretless which, uhhh, doesn't have frets.
