Fretless over Fretted

[BassApprentice]

This has probably been asked before...

But for those of you who choose Fretless over Fretted, why? And how often do you play Fretted if at all? Or does it really depend on the style of music you want to play at the time?

And same to those on the other side of the fence, how often do you pick up your fretless?

I wish I could find the motivation to play fretless more as I love the tone but I try for it bit then go back to my comfort blanket of shiny steel frets.

Interested to hear those who might use solely fretless

Edited March 22, 2017 by BassApprentice

[Happy Jack]

Well if you're interested to hear from those who "use solely fretless" there's not much point in asking "how often do you play fretted?".

I play both, almost entirely according to the sort of band it is and the sort of music we're playing. To my ears, there are certain styles that just sound better on a fretless. YMMV.

Almost entirely because there are two extra factors for me.

Firstly, it's a lot easier to sing and play bass if you're playing a fretted bass.

Secondly, much depends on the instrumentation in the band. My main covers band features a lot of slide guitar - that's really not a good pairing with fretless bass unless both musicians have very fine intonation.

[BassApprentice]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1490196047' post='3263134']
Well if you're interested to hear from those who "use solely fretless" there's not much point in asking "how often do you play fretted?". [/quote]

Edited

[franzbassist]

I play fretless in my main band 100% of the time, as when I'm not on a fretless I'm on an upright!

I prefer fretless over fretted for three reasons i) it suits the kind of music my band plays ii) I find it a far more expressive instrument iii) I can make a fretless sound like a fretted bass, but you can't make a fretted sound fretless.

If I pick up a bass at home, it'll be a fretless.

[pmjos]

I find the question a bit odd. Its like saying for those of you who choose double bass or synth bass over fretted. They are just different. different dynamics, different mood, tone, attack. I play fretted, fretless and eub. I'm always surprised when I play fretless people say ooh isn't that really hard without the lines? but when I play upright they don't.

[T-Bay]

Out of interest, what sorts of music do people think particularly suits fretless? (Asking as have absolutely zero experience of fretless).

[RhysP]

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1490205282' post='3263256']
Out of interest, what sorts of music do people think particularly suits fretless? (Asking as have absolutely zero experience of fretless).
[/quote]

Terrible 80s music.

[bartelby]

I borrowed am unlined fretless from a mate mid September last year. A few weeks later I bought one, an Ibanez Portamento, for myself (my mate collected his last weekend).
I played nothing but fretless bass for over 4 months. I play in an originals punk/rock/metal band, I just adapted the basslines a bit and it worked just as well.
But when I picked up a fretted bass after all that time if felt horrible and clumsy. So since then I've started swapped back and forth a lot more so both fretted and fretless feel comfortable.

[Woodinblack]

I played at a practice with a freltess last night and really enjoyed it, until I got to one of the ska songs, found it was hard work on a fretless. This is just general covers. Noone complained and I felt that some songs it did add stuff to (some not as suited).

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='T-Bay' timestamp='1490205282' post='3263256']
Out of interest, what sorts of music do people think particularly suits fretless? (Asking as have absolutely zero experience of fretless).
[/quote]

Almost everything! I love disgusting 80s synthy fretlessy stuff, but also love Pearl Jam for rock fretless too. I played only fretless for years, you don't have to play a Pino impersonation I'm every bar of every tune. I interchange it with my fretted basses just for variety and to approach songs differently, have played fretless only for the last month because: I never play fretless in my current band so wanted to see what it can bring; I need to put my fenders in for set ups; my other basses are packed away and physically unreachable while I am redecorating. I am going to play some shorter gigs on fretless just to keep me interested and change the flavour of some songs.

[radiophonic]

I'm a fretless novice, having played fretted for 30+ years. If my band play an acoustic set or a short set with the right tunes in it, I'll only take one bass and sometimes it's the fretless. I'm already finding that some individual songs diverge very quickly from the original line, once I start playing them on fretless and sound hopelessly compromised and crude once returned to fretted. It's not really a genre thing, although for me, Steve Harris style galloping triplets are easier with frets. It will also depend on the pickup format of the bass of course, whether you string with flats and how much your right hand technique changes between basses. I'm having to force myself to play closer to the bridge on a Jazz than I do on a Stingray for example, just because of the offset of the body and where I like to rest my thumb. The natural position for me on a Jazz is much further forward, giving me a very smooth tone that just doesn't cut it with a saturated guitar sound. Moving my thumb to the back pickup = increased string tension and suddenly I'm trying more staccato things that I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. It's just another bass really, with another set of options.

[ead]

If I'm honest I don't play enough fretless bass, although I had one of mine at practice last night. I really should play more as I much prefer them.

I play blues & classic rock covers in one band and original material in another. The latter can be quiet acoustic material to quite hard driving tunes.

I certainly don't feel the need to play a defined genre with mandatory chorus pedal (although I do own one )

[krismpos]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1490207375' post='3263276']

I played nothing but fretless bass for over 4 months.
But when I picked up a fretted bass after all that time if felt horrible and clumsy. So since then I've started swapped back and forth a lot more so both fretted and fretless feel comfortable.
[/quote]

I had the same experience. After several weeks of playing my fretless exclusively (preparing myself for a semi-acoustic project), I just hated it when I picked up my fretted again. But then I decided to study some Latin basslines which are for me impossible to play on the fretless. Now I swap constantly and both feel natural.

[Highfox]

I like the feel, touch and sound you get from a fretless,
I took mine to practice this week for the first time in a while to try it out with some songs with a newish band, definately worked for some tunes but others I think the fretted sat a bit better.
I should play the fretless a lot more as it seems to open up my fretboard a lot more and gives me a feel I don't get with the fretted. Problem is I don't practice enough with it and can that lead to some woeful intonation erros when I listen back

[Yank]

I play fretless exclusively. Sold my fretted 10 years ago. Fretless is so much more expressive. Fretted now feels clunky to me and roundwounds make my fingers sore.

[Phil Adams]

I "play" both. I find fretless less percussive but you can remedy that by using a pick on a song that demands that sound. Though myself I find fretless makes me lazy and prone to sliding around when I should be fingering.
I have an old Yam fretless P style with light roundwonds on it and you can really get a nice fretless buzz out of it without constantly having to worry about scoring the fretboard. I worry about my intonation, but to date nobody else has ever questioned it. Its a different, interesting technique.

[CameronJ]

A little while back I was close to pulling the trigger on one of the ibanez portamento fretlesses. Really loved the sound and was enamoured with the idea of learning a new technique. Picked one up in Wunjo Bass (Denmark Street) and immediately panicked as I sounded awful on it! That was enough to temporarily deter me from parting ways with my hard earned pennies but I'm sure I'll probably bite the bullet and buy a fretless at some point in the future.

[bartelby]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1490269502' post='3263744']
A little while back I was close to pulling the trigger on one of the ibanez portamento fretlesses. Really loved the sound and was enamoured with the idea of learning a new technique. Picked one up in Wunjo Bass (Denmark Street) and immediately panicked as I sounded awful on it! That was enough to temporarily deter me from parting ways with my hard earned pennies but I'm sure I'll probably bite the bullet and buy a fretless at some point in the future.
[/quote]

If you had bought it, you'd have sounded fine by now...
Just sayin'

[ezbass]

I prefer to play fretless, always have and have just spent the last hour or so going over songs in my band's set that I need to remind myself of; I used the fretless for all of them. The only ones where the sound didn't work quite as well as on fretted, was where there was a fast moving root/octave line (disco-like), it was OK, but the fretted would've been better. Also anything that needs slapping is better on fretted, you can slap a fretless (Pino on Come Back And Stay, for instance) but it's not the best IMO.

[neilp]

I play more fretless than fretted, but the truth is that fretless is far more versatile and musically interesting, and if I had to ditch one, it would be the fretted. I might have to move heaven and earth to find a fretless SB1000.....

[gary mac]

I play fretless a lot at home but have yet to do so in public.
Unless I join a different band that's not likely to change

I'm still a relative newbie to fretless, I'm using an unlined f/b and really trying to get a feel for playing without looking at finger placement. It's beginning to pay off, intonation is improving and I'm enjoying it very much.

[CameronJ]

[quote name='bartelby' timestamp='1490271223' post='3263771']


If you had bought it, you'd have sounded fine by now...
Just sayin'
[/quote]

Ha! You are no doubt correct, but "the fear" set in and there was just no way I was gonna walk out of the shop with it. One day in the not too distant future though

[Happy Jack]

Intonation?

As Victor Wooten famously and helpfully put it, on a fretted bass you're never more than a semitone away from a "right" note.

So on fretless, I guess that means that you're [i][b]less [/b][/i]than a semitone away, right?

[Woodinblack]

[quote name='CameronJ' timestamp='1490269502' post='3263744']
A little while back I was close to pulling the trigger on one of the ibanez portamento fretlesses. Really loved the sound and was enamoured with the idea of learning a new technique. Picked one up in Wunjo Bass (Denmark Street) and immediately panicked as I sounded awful on it!
[/quote]

I got one. I am probably not that good on it either but it is hugely fun to plan and gives you a whole set of new options.

[Rothko]

I've long had a love/hate relationship with fretless bass. I can play one happily for a week, then suddenly want to chuck it out of the window, it sounds so whiney, out of tune, and generally hideous.

I dislike most fretless bass playing almost as much as my own - it can sound so lazy and flatulent. The best fretless playing just sounds like a bass - you shouldn't really be able to tell straight away whether it's fretless or not.

But I'd never want to be without one. It's a whole load of fun. It should just be very rarely allowed in public.