Why play a fretless bass?

[BK Bass]

I would also add that it is for those same reasons I bought a five-string. I might not need that B through D# all that often but I thought it would be a good exercise to re-calibrate my approach to the instrument.

Beforehand, I once found myself playing a fiver for a song at a jam and kept landing on notes a little flat... like, by a whole fourth. "Whaddya mean that's not the E string?"

 

[Jeff Scott]

He played the later model one with the magnetic pickup.

Uh, yeah, small detail in the big picture of his having played a fretless Ampeg, though.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Uh, yeah, small detail in the big picture of his having played a fretless Ampeg, though.

Fretless Ampeg, now I'm thinking KK again. This is not good for my bank balance.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Fretless Ampeg, now I'm thinking KK again. This is not good for my bank balance.

When the balance gets down to £0, then everything balances out. No more worries.

 

[Deleted member 165050]

When the balance gets down to £0, then everything balances out. No more worries.

Ghandi apparently said "Seek not greater wealth, but simpler pleasure; not higher fortune, but deeper felicity.".

I am personally convinced that the use of the word "deeper" shows he meant "spend all your money on basses".

 

[blowinblue]

What's the big deal? Whoa...we play fretless basses. Blue ribbons for everyone. The folks on the Double Bass side of this forum must be chuckling at us right now (assuming they bother to check in over here). Some of us play fretted basses. Some of us play fretless basses. Some of us play both. OK then. Let's throw a party. Or not.

M. M.

 

[Pyrat]

I really loved the "freedom" answer...it really can be that simple. I've been playing bass for over four decades (only bass! I'm not a guitar player that wised up, I've always been hip) and playing fretless gives me a freedom that fretted never can. I "feel" like a bass player when I play fretless and it's a mighty and fine feeling~

 

[Deleted member 165050]

View attachment 4088926
There is also the cool factor

That amp and cab are not lined up. This will create intermolecular misalignment of the warp containment fields, in addition to making me want to line them up properly.

 

[coy garcia]

That amp and cab are not lined up. This will create intermolecular misalignment of the warp containment fields, in addition to making me want to line them up properly.

Huh! Paid way to much for that lame wheeled rack case, drove me nuts. I don't use the boogie anymore I now use a ampeg pf50t

 

[Deleted member 165050]

Huh! Paid way to much for that lame wheeled rack case, drove me nuts. I don't use the boogie anymore I now use a ampeg pf50t

You have good taste in amps

 

[Biggbass]

Hejira man! Hejira!
Playing fretless is just part of the musical journey.

 

[coy garcia]

You have good taste in amps

Sweet Bass!

 

[WillyW]

Huh! Paid way to much for that lame wheeled rack case, drove me nuts. I don't use the boogie anymore I now use a ampeg pf50t

You have good taste in amps

great minds and all that jazz...

 

[BK Bass]

Since we're doing this...

 

[Jackcrow]

Since we're doing this...

View attachment 4089942

I like this a lot. Japan-made?

 

[BK Bass]

I like this a lot. Japan-made?

Thank you. And yes indeed MIJ, mid-90s. I ditched the white pickguard to replace it with a black one but decided instead to keep it bare since it doesn't have the usual Jazz bass routing and I think this looks more sharp anyway!

 

[Jeff Scott]

You have good taste in amps

I almost bought one of those a few years ago, a four-sting model.

It's a Zen thing. You'll get it when you get it.
Or not.

Note that it is a Zon thing!

Here are a couple of the fretless basses I have used more recently.

 

[Pyrat]

For the women

Indeed....the women that love the fretless are the cream~

 

[groovepump]

If I'm playing in a sitting or standing position, I prefer fretless. If I'm rocking, it's a little harder to maintain intonation, so I play a fretted. Fretless is more fun unless I'm drained and the extra energy to maintain precision wanes.

Exactly! Same for me.

 

[groovepump]

I almost bought one of those a few years ago, a four-sting model.

Note that it is a Zon thing!

Here are a couple of the fretless basses I have used more recently.

View attachment 4089963

View attachment 4089962

View attachment 4089965

Beautiful. Pure beauty! No frets!!!!!