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Posted

Was reading some threads about fretless stuff then thought I need to be enlightened to some more fretless players. My usual fretless listening artists are the likes of;
Jaco
Pino Paladino
Percy Jones
Barbara Thompsons bassist (Paraphanalia era)
Miick Khan
Talk talk
Jeff beck's bassist from "wired"
Kate bush ( some of her earlier stuff)
and a few more...
I'm sure there's more great players out there I haven't heard yet so let me know!
.
Hey, maybe we should have a separate fretless area on BC too?

Posted

[quote name='Tlbasss' post='1301763' date='Jul 12 2011, 11:49 PM']Hey, maybe we should have a separate fretless area on BC too?[/quote]

+1 on this ^

I love my fretless :)

I don't have any hero's as such.

If I hear a fretless on a track. I tend to listen harder :)

Posted

Les Claypool is sure to get a shout before too long! (though he is famous fo using a fretless 6 string, his favourite bass was his 4 string fretted!)

Steve DiGiorgio as well,

Juan Alderete has used a fretless jazz bass in and out with the mars volta,

Gary Willis jumps to mind (Tribal tech), as does Jonas Hellborg, Jack Bruce, Bill Wyman from the older Rolling Stones stuff, Tony Levin, Jeroen Paul Thesseling (from Obscura) and Colin Edwin from Porcupine tree

Are all the ones i can think off (which is MANY more than i thought i knew! tempted by a fretless now! haha)

Mostly rocky/heavier people there :)

Posted

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='1301771' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:00 AM']Les Claypool is sure to get a shout before too long! (though he is famous fo using a fretless 6 string, his favourite bass was his 4 string fretted!)

Steve DiGiorgio as well,

Juan Alderete has used a fretless jazz bass in and out with the mars volta,

Gary Willis jumps to mind (Tribal tech), as does Jonas Hellborg, Jack Bruce, Bill Wyman from the older Rolling Stones stuff, Tony Levin, Jeroen Paul Thesseling (from Obscura) and Colin Edwin from Porcupine tree

Are all the ones i can think off (which is MANY more than i thought i knew! tempted by a fretless now! haha)

Mostly rocky/heavier people there :)[/quote]


Thanks for that. Didn't realise Mr Wyman used fretless back then. Some familiar names and some I haven't heard before. Cheers for that!

Posted

[quote name='Tlbasss' post='1301774' date='Jul 13 2011, 12:05 AM']Thanks for that. Didn't realise Mr Wyman used fretless back then. Some familiar names and some I haven't heard before. Cheers for that![/quote]

Yep! I think maybe for only one album but he defo recorded with one :) can't rememember which album though

Posted

Khumalo I think his name is, that bloke what plays really good an' that on that 'Graceland' album.

Stunning lines and lovely playing.
+1 for Kate Bush, Babooshka is awesome and I think David Gilmour plays on it. I know he has played fretless for her before but I'm not 100% sure on that track.



Dan

Posted (edited)

Quite like Tony Franklins' fretless playing - especially on his black Precision Deluxe (has a selector switch to go between Jazz pickup, Precision pickup and I presume, a mix of both), unlined rosewood fretboard...mmmm tasty.

There's a video on YT of him at a jam, with a pair of 8x10's stacked behind him...now that's my type of rig

I'll see if I can get the video posted
EDIT: Here you go -



Ian

Edited by Bottle
Posted

Others?

Mo Foster
Dill Katz
Alphonso Johnson
Richard Bona

and a couple of others that have been missed in the list above

Alain Caron
Michael Manring
Me :)
Steve Bailey

Posted

[quote name='Bottle' post='1302530' date='Jul 13 2011, 04:04 PM']Quite like Tony Franklins' fretless playing - especially on his black Precision Deluxe (has a selector switch to go between Jazz pickup, Precision pickup and I presume, a mix of both), unlined rosewood fretboard...mmmm tasty.[/quote]

Yep, very nice. But very expensive! I bloody wish Fender would re-release (or 're-imagine', as they seem wont to do) the '70s unlined fretless Precision. Or just a cheaper unlined fretless P/J... It would save me having to build one, for a start :)

Posted

I was privileged, yes privileged, to have stood a few feet away from the stage at Cornbury Festival two weeks ago when Jack Bruce guested with a great soul band. He sang and played White Room and Sunshine of Your Love on a fretless. He looked a bit of a shadow of his old self but his voice was great, his playing brilliant and he smiled a lot. Sheer magic.

Posted (edited)

Marcus Miller seems to get overlooked on the Fretless front - but well worth a listen.
Jimmy Haslip is another good Fretless player.



Also an English guy called Dave Harvey who has fantastic six string Fretless chops. [but he is also great at da groove ting]
I have not seen Dave for about 15 years, but it seems he is still lurking about.




Plenty of other stuff with Dave knocking around on Youtube. [Might be under David Harvey]




Garry

Edited by lowdown
Posted

[quote name='lowdown' post='1302824' date='Jul 13 2011, 08:26 PM']Marcus Miller seems to get overlooked on the Fretless front - but well worth a listen.


Also an English guy called Dave Harvey who has fantastic six string Fretless chops. [but he is also great at da groove ting]
I have not seen Dave for about 15 years, but it seems he is still lurking about.




Plenty of other stuff with Dave knocking around on Youtube. [Might be under David Harvey]




Garry[/quote]
Funny, this is EXACTLY what Jeff Berlin is talking about! I'm not disrespecting Dave Harvey, but all the cliches are there within 30 seconds.

Posted (edited)

[quote name='silddx' post='1302836' date='Jul 13 2011, 08:35 PM']Funny, this is EXACTLY what Jeff Berlin is talking about! I'm not disrespecting Dave Harvey, but all the cliches are there within 30 seconds.[/quote]

Along with just about any other Fretless player that uses loops, delay, chorus,harmonics, double stops.
Well in that case Mr Berlin may just have a point - AGAIN.
:)


Garry

Edited by lowdown
Posted

Nah, I just thnk what Berlin has said revolves around certain genres. They tend to not be my cup of tea because they're a bit samey, and I've never been a fan of jazz stuff to be honest :)

Posted

[quote name='Jerry_B' post='1302854' date='Jul 13 2011, 08:58 PM']Nah, I just thnk what Berlin has said revolves around certain genres.[/quote]

Quite possible.


Garry

Posted

These two songs from Peter Murphy are pretty good - the first one was something I heard when first trying the fretless. I'm not sure if the bassist is Eddie Branch or Paul Cover...



Posted

Fernando Saunders with Lou Reed. Check out The Blue Mask & New Sensations albums.

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