xgsjx Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I went to a couple of music shops in Falkirk to see what they had in stock & maybe try out a fretless (not expecting anything really). The first one I visited didn't have much in but said he was expecting a lot of new stock in about a month's time including Fender & some other good brand yet to be known (hopefully will have a fretless in then). The chap was pretty pleasant & I'll pop back to see what he has. The second shop is where I got my Freshman semi from (after traipsing round Glasgow trying everything that was @ £500) about 4 years ago. The shop was full of budget gear (£500 is an expensive item to them). The chap was talkative & pleasant enough, but when I asked if they ever stock fretless basses his response was "No. You wont find many music shops will have one as they can't sell em. They're no good for playing in a band with as the notes are hard to get & are really only for home use, just for your own pleasure". He then went on to tell me how they got one in stock many years ago & he couldn't play it (I don't think he plays bass at all mind) & I'd be best to try ebay or Cash convertors as folk who buy them find out they're no good for in a band & sell them again. I thought "well he works in a music shop, so must know best"! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1072617' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:08 PM']I went to a couple of music shops in Falkirk to see what they had in stock & maybe try out a fretless (not expecting anything really). The first one I visited didn't have much in but said he was expecting a lot of new stock in about a month's time including Fender & some other good brand yet to be known (hopefully will have a fretless in then). The chap was pretty pleasant & I'll pop back to see what he has. The second shop is where I got my Freshman semi from (after traipsing round Glasgow trying everything that was @ £500) about 4 years ago. The shop was full of budget gear (£500 is an expensive item to them). The chap was talkative & pleasant enough, but when I asked if they ever stock fretless basses his response was "No. You wont find many music shops will have one as they can't sell em. They're no good for playing in a band with as the notes are hard to get & are really only for home use, just for your own pleasure". He then went on to tell me how they got one in stock many years ago & he couldn't play it (I don't think he plays bass at all mind) & I'd be best to try ebay or Cash convertors as folk who buy them find out they're no good for in a band & sell them again. I thought "well he works in a music shop, so must know best"! [/quote] Obviously speaks the truth. Steve Lawson and Micheal Manring, obviously couldn't cut it in a band either, hence they went solo...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted December 30, 2010 Author Share Posted December 30, 2010 (edited) He did say "Sting can almost pull it off"! Edited December 30, 2010 by xgsjx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1072627' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:28 PM']He did say "Sting can almost pull it off"! [/quote] Ha ha. Sting must have Jaco licked then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Oh No! If only I'd known the truth before I made a fool out of myself by playing fretless in two bands! All those people in the audience were thinking "what is he doing with a fretless in a band? in public too!! what a prat , doesn't he know they're only for home use???" I hang my head in shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Wot a t*t. I have gigged solely with a fretless since 1986. Maybe I'm delusional..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 (edited) [quote name='Bilbo' post='1072635' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:37 PM']Wot a t*t. I have gigged solely with a fretless since 1986. Maybe I'm delusional.....[/quote] I regularly play jazz on a fretless too Bilbo. Except it's not intentional... Edited December 30, 2010 by EBS_freak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I didn't realise The Bass Cellar had a shop in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB1 Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 (edited) MB1. You dont wanna play that! play this! The guy in the shop has played the "we havent got one!, so they must be Ungiggable,but we have got one of these! Ploy!" Ungiggable???? This Breaking News should interest Les Claypool Edited December 30, 2010 by MB1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='Chris2112' post='1072651' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:55 PM']I didn't realise The Bass Cellar had a shop in Scotland.[/quote] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1072617' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:08 PM']They're no good for playing in a band with as the notes are hard to get & are really only for home use, just for your own pleasure".[/quote] I can think of better things to do at home "just for your own pleasure" Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='Bilbo' post='1072635' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:37 PM']I have gigged solely with a fretless since 1986. Maybe I'm delusional.....[/quote] Absolutely. You've [b]not[/b] been playing a fretless since 1986, you've been an interior designer specialising in soft furnishings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1072617' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:08 PM']I thought "well he works in a music shop, so must know best"! [/quote] I think it's more a case of economics. If the shop are stocking sub £500 kit the it makes no sense for them to stock items that will sit around for a while (i.e. a shop will sell more fretted basses than fretless ones and see a ROI far quicker). Shame the guy made an ar*e of himself by talking crap rather than just be honest about it though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delberthot Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Hmm, I wonder which shop it was. My biggest purchase from either of them has been strings when I was in a hurry for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 I think this chap has heard me playing fretless live. Sorry for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubinga5 Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 im always amazed how little people know about instruments in musical instrument shops... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yybass Posted December 30, 2010 Share Posted December 30, 2010 Maybe Jaco, Marcus Miller, Alphonso Johnson, Victor Wooten, Percy Jones got it wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Wow....You learn something new everyday don't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WalMan Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 You need a lined one like my green L2500 I regularly get people wondering why I am changing between two apparently virtually identical basses, even close up until I point out they're lines not frets (mind that was to a guitard ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truckstop Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I got my fretless yesterday and I just want to start a Kate Bush cover band! Truckstop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 In a way he is right.. I never encountered a bass era which is so bass unfriendly as the one we are living in now. I'm a free-lance bass-player and I don't really have my own band. Everytime I took my fretless Wal or Pedulla along to "standard" gigs I would get remarks from the other musicians : "Just bring your normal Fender along" or "it sounds nice but just leave it home next time". I don't think it had anything to do with my playing since my intonation seems to be ok but just think of the last fretless bass you've heard on your radiostation or in the charts ? I can't even remember one.. The days of Palladino and Giblin who were able to smuggle great fretless basslines into popular music are over.. I adore playing fretless a lot and I have owned great basses like my Lefay etc.. but I've sold a couple of them because I only played them at home and felt that they were not welcome in most popular environments.. I have only one left because it would be a weird idea to have two or three fretless basses when you hardly get to take one along every once and a while.. It sounds terrible and I do realise it depends on the style of music you are going to play but which bassplayer are they going to pick next time : the one with the fretted Precision or the one with the fretless ? I took my fretless along to a coverband-gig and played "Purple Rain" fretless.. Afterwards the same comments "Yeah...sounds uhmmmm...... "special"..." or "bit "jazzy"...." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 [quote name='xgsjx' post='1072617' date='Dec 30 2010, 12:08 PM']Freshman semi[/quote] Right let me get this right we got over 20 posts in and nobody pointed out that a "Freshman Semi" sounds like something from one of the American Pie films? You lot are useless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleblob Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 (edited) The salesman has an interesting view point As other's have said, it sounds like he simply doesn't want to stock a fretless due to the lower number of potential customers - which is fair enough, but spouting a load of rubbish about nobody playing fretless except in their bedroom is a little rich Anyway, I'm off to play my fretless, umm, in my bedroom - damn it, he was right ! Edited December 31, 2010 by purpleblob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higgie Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Someone tell Pino he ruined his career with all that fretless stuff in the 80's! He'll be kicking himself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 [quote name='Higgie' post='1073594' date='Dec 31 2010, 11:48 AM']Someone tell Pino he ruined his career with all that fretless stuff in the 80's! He'll be kicking himself![/quote] He obviously took a trip to that shop and saw the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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