Jean-Luc Pickguard Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Reminds me of some bass players who are unable to play an ashbory in tune after trying one for 20mins so dismiss it as a gimmick or toy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassatnight Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I started playing bass in the early eighties and every band I played in demanded a fretless somewhere in the mix. From 1980 to 1984 the fretless seemed to have been on every other record from lightweight pop to more serious stuff, from China Crisis to Japan a more experimental decade the 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xgsjx Posted December 31, 2010 Author Share Posted December 31, 2010 @ Delberthot: I'll give you a clue, it wasn't Revolution. @ Wombatboter: I agree it may not be suitable for depping in cover bands for all songs, but if you play in an originals band & write all the basslines (as is my position) then there's no rules. @ StingrayPete1977: I play with my Freshman Semi very regularly & the mrs usually watches & sings! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 yeah, Mrs_5 caught me playing fretless in the spare room the other week, I tried to lie and tell her I was watching porn, but she knew. I'm so embarrassed. On a real 'bass related' topic I was listening to some early Marillion stuff the other day, and Pete Trewavas' fretless sound seems to be 90% flanger, 10% bass - maybe this is the way to compensate for intonation errors? Maybe [i]this[/i] will make the fretless acceptable again, as it's practically self-tuning! (rant) Another thought has just occurred to me - how many other BCers have been told "there's no demand for that" when you ask for a specialised piece of kit in a music shop? The fact that I've just asked for it means that there is SOME demand for it you halfwit. (/rant) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted December 31, 2010 Share Posted December 31, 2010 My very first bass was a fretless, which I then proceeded to gig the hell out of in a punk/indie/grunge band, Guess I should have left it at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 [quote name='wombatboter' post='1073508' date='Dec 31 2010, 10:15 AM']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".[/quote] I wouldn't want to be playing with those guys anyway, boring old farts! They'll be the type who turn up with a Parker graphite guitar and you'll say "Just bring your Ibanez next time, I know where I am with that". Except they'd be so dull, they'd probably play a Gibson Les Paul. I am quite fortunate I suppose, given that the blokes I regularly play with really enjoyed it when I brought my fretless Alembic to the studio. It would have me playing in a new and fresh way and they enjoyed it. I'd be lying if I said it didn't evoke a sort of "80's sound" when I added a touch of chorus. We all enjoyed it and made some great music. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Fact is that we don't live in those fretless times of the eighties anymore... Heard anyone recently asking you "make sure you bring your fretless along !" ? It still is my favourite instrument (I prefer fretless above fretted if I would have to choose) but I feel that I have to force it a bit more to get it into bands and if I wouldn't have taken the initiative it would be hanging in my living room forever.. I was asked to join this Stones-"cover" band and I decided to take the fretless along to take it to the first rehearsals and told them that I wanted to play it my way and that I wanted to play it really personal. It seemed to fit into the music but already after the first gig I got comments that it was a pity that the bass wasn't Wyman enough. I keep holding on to it but the fretless remains a bit less welcome.. I do realise that it is a long way from Wyman :-) For those interested here's a clip of a rehearsal I filmed (not really basses to be seen but the camera taped the more interesting parts :-)) Warning : it includes the dreaded slapping on fretless.. [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiVnvNPPAG0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiVnvNPPAG0[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 According to wikipedia: He (Wyman) created the first fretless electric bass[4][5] by removing the frets from a bass guitar he was reworking, and played this in a south London band, The Cliftons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Well... justice done, didn't know that, thanks for the info ! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 1, 2011 Share Posted January 1, 2011 I heard him in an interview saying that the bass on paint it black was done by playing keyboard bass pedals with his fists! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megallica Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [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] I've come across this type of salesman before, surely they could offer to order a fretless from their supplier rather than send a potential customer in the direction of cash convertors or ebay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='Dom in Somerset' post='1074217' date='Jan 1 2011, 10:22 AM']I heard him in an interview saying that the bass on paint it black was done by playing Keith Richards with his fists![/quote] Fixed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Wombatboter- Did you choose that camera angle then or what? I think there is other websites for that sort of thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I was so occupied with my intonation that I never could watch the belly-dancer... This seemed to be the solution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 [quote name='wombatboter' post='1075046' date='Jan 2 2011, 09:58 AM']I was so occupied with my intonation that I never could watch the belly-dancer... This seemed to be the solution [/quote] People that havent watched the clip are going to be so confused now mate! lets keep it going- What about that bit when the motorcycle disply team come in with the Jackson 5 balanced on their shoulders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dom in Dorset Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 It does seem a tad unfair to pick on the bass playing as not Wyman like! I don't remember the Stones having a violin player or a belly dancer and your vocalist is about as un-Jagger like as you could get! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wombatboter Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I know, that's why we can't find àny gigs :-) (you should hear my attempt of Mick Karn-approach on Brown Sugar.. makes any Stones-fan shiver) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Try as I might, playing along to Paul Simon's "Graceland" album just isn't the same without a fretless bass! Maybe thats what I need again in 2011! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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