SlackAlice Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='rOB' post='1286050' date='Jun 29 2011, 08:38 AM']Haven't ever tried. I'd love to give it a go though.[/quote] +1....I plan to buy an 'entry-level' second hand fretless in the coming months to give it a go & see how I get on. Angie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Sam Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I had a fretless Rickenbacker 4001 in the early '70's and used it in a rock covers band for 2 years. Wish I still had it. I've played fretted ever since but would like to revisit fretless some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louisthebass Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I had an old Ibanez defretted by the Bass Centre when they were in Wapping. It took a while to get the hang of it & I actually gigged it in my last originals band back in 1991. I traded it in years ago - part of me wishes I still had it, but I wouldn't have time now (I enjoy playing my fretted basses far too much). Cheers, louisthebass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 It'd be interesting to see which is more popular too - lined or unlined (unlined for me)...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' post='1286999' date='Jun 29 2011, 09:41 PM']It'd be interesting to see which is more popular too - lined or unlined (unlined for me)...?[/quote] Unlined for me too My Rogue 4 string is unlined. My 5 string is lined as its a de-fret job. I don't like it and will get another unlined 4 as backup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Unlined for me also. Prefer to play using my ear rather than relying on lines. I also really believe in learning the fretboard is key to being able to play well and every fretboard is different. My ESP neck has small distances between each notes where as the Stingray has much bigger gaps. Swapping between the two can really throw me sometimes as where I think a note is on one neck, its different on the other neck. So I am prefering to stick with one bass and really working on my muscle memory and it really seems to be paying off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leschirons Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 I sold my fretless Jazz a while ago to fund an expensive fretted five string but wish I hadn't so a few weeks ago I defretted an early OLP 4 string that was hanging on the wall. I was bored and did it in about an hour. Very rushed and stupid I know but it worked out beautifully. I can't put it down. Will certainly buy a fretless Stingray when funds allow or maybe de-fret a SUB. Daft, as I sold one to KermitNT on here a couple of years ago. I love them. Especially as I'm in a band doing some laid back smooth stuff now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tlbasss Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Love playing fretless. I tend to gig with mine a lot. Have found some guitarists dislike me playing it at gigs and found others who moan if I don't bring it to a gig. It does put a smile on my face when you show up at a jam night, nobody asks to play your bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatback Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' post='1286999' date='Jun 29 2011, 09:41 PM']It'd be interesting to see which is more popular too - lined or unlined (unlined for me)...?[/quote] One of each here. Unlined looks best, but I'm grateful for lines when spot-on intonation really matters, like recording or ballads where the bass is very exposed and you only get one shot. The dot markers matter more to me than lines. Anyone starting out really should think of moving them to over the relevant fret positions if they're not there already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficelles Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='Jerry_B' post='1286999' date='Jun 29 2011, 09:41 PM']It'd be interesting to see which is more popular too - lined or unlined (unlined for me)...?[/quote] I have one of each. Nice though the Jazz defret (i.e. lined) is, it's the unlined Warwick Corvette I pick up most at home. The instrument I play out most is the WAV - unlined obviously but with a sometimes irritating array of dots on the fingerboard so not entirely plain either. ficelles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Well I appear to be in a minority here-I owned a fretless (defretted Ibanez), which I kept for a couple of months as an experiment, then sold because I didn't get on with it. Didn't really like the sound, didn't feel I had a use for the sound, have never liked any music that included fretless. Don't miss it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 (edited) Apart from notable exceptions like Pino and Tony Franklin, there seems to be a tendency in rock music to get the fretless out only for ballads. It sounds good, but then I think people get into a bit of a rut and only associate fretless with slower numbers. Many players (IME) who do not play much fretless tend to overdo the slides and mwah. Maybe they think that is what is expected? I personally find it a bit dull and derivative. Also, because there are so few mainstream bassists who are known for their fretless playing, anyone who is new to the instrument tends to want to sound like either Pino or Jaco or some bastardised chimaera. I love fretless when played well. I can't play it well, so I tend not too! Gimme John Giblin's tone and ability and I would though! Edited June 30, 2011 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismuzz Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 Never had a fretless in front of me to try. Had a go on an EUB once though. In front of people. That was painful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBassAlpha Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I use a (lined) fretless exclusively in one band - its sort of acoustic rock, 3 piece so there is quite a bit of "space", even more so before we got a drummer, and I feel the sound is more expressive in this scenario than fretted. The vibrato sounds more mellifluous than fretted, it seems to sit with the material nicer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted June 30, 2011 Share Posted June 30, 2011 I made myself a 'DIY' fretless over the previous Xmas holiday and I don't think I've put it down since! It was meant to be a cheap'n'cheerful side project, but I now play my fretless more than any other instrument. It still has 'cheat lines' (fret marks) on it, which obviously help, but overall I much prefer it. Next stop is going to be an upright for me... it's a slippery slope! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ficelles Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='Conan' post='1287284' date='Jun 30 2011, 08:15 AM']Also, because there are so few mainstream bassists who are known for their fretless playing, anyone who is new to the instrument tends to want to sound like either Pino or Jaco or some bastardised chimaera.[/quote] I want to sound like a bastardised chimaera - is there a book/cd? ficelles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panamonte Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='ficelles' post='1288503' date='Jul 1 2011, 01:58 AM']I want to sound like a bastardised chimaera - is there a book/cd? ficelles[/quote] As previously suggested, apparently this will do the trick (with the appropriate vintage chimaera pick). [url="http://www.bassgear.co.uk/products-page/pre-owned/ibanez-ashula-pre-owned/"]http://www.bassgear.co.uk/products-page/pr...hula-pre-owned/[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I love the sound of the fretless and didn't find it as hard as I expected. What I never did find the time for was getting "good enough" (in my case pretty much anything beyond the 7th fret). I think I've given up on that one now..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='ficelles' post='1288503' date='Jul 1 2011, 01:58 AM']I want to sound like a bastardised chimaera - is there a book/cd?ficelles[/quote] I'm sure that if Skank put his mind to it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 I used my fretless live last weekend for the first time in ages with a country band (not much call for mwah in that scenario) and completely fell back in love wit it. I see it being my go to bass for a while now. With regard to the phrase 'cheat lines' I would point out that one the current finest fretless players, Gary Willis, uses a marked fingerboard as of course did Jaco. Now I'm not a particular fan of either, but I wouldn't call them cheats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skol303 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' post='1288565' date='Jul 1 2011, 08:14 AM']With regard to the phrase 'cheat lines' I would point out that one the current finest fretless players, Gary Willis, uses a marked fingerboard as of course did Jaco. Now I'm not a particular fan of either, but I wouldn't call them cheats.[/quote] ^ Nice to know I'm not cheating then...! Although I do intend to start learning on a plain neck very soon, only because I like the idea of learning the fretboard more intuitively, if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linus27 Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' post='1288565' date='Jul 1 2011, 08:14 AM']With regard to the phrase 'cheat lines' I would point out that one the current finest fretless players, Gary Willis, uses a marked fingerboard as of course did Jaco. Now I'm not a particular fan of either, but I wouldn't call them cheats.[/quote] Bloomin amateurs the both of them :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted July 1, 2011 Share Posted July 1, 2011 [quote name='ezbass' post='1288565' date='Jul 1 2011, 08:14 AM']With regard to the phrase 'cheat lines' I would point out that one the current finest fretless players, Gary Willis, uses a marked fingerboard as of course did Jaco. Now I'm not a particular fan of either, but I wouldn't call them cheats.[/quote] Cheat lines make it harder, especially when your intonation is all to sh*t, as they are generally in the wrong places for the right notes. I proclaim myself better for having them on my defretted basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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