Ancient Mariner Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Just before Christmas I bought a fretless 5 string yamaha from Brian (Blademan) here, as a Christmas present to me. Did a little fettling, popped a set of flatwounds on (well, top 4 strings anyway - need to find a flatwound and practiced a bit. Played it in church yesterday. I had one of those 'why didn't anyone tell me about this' moments. Bass notes were big and fat and smooth, with nice transitions between notes when sliding around. Playing with a pick brought an increase in volume and attack without it getting all horribly clangy, and the sustain was probably better than the previous version of that Ryder P I have (probably helped by a softer attack to the notes). It certainly requires more concentration to make sure the fingers are in the right place compared to a fretted bass, and the 5th string required some mental gymnastics occasionally, but it worked really well. Haven't quite got the hang of mwwaaahhh mwwaaahhh yet, but working on it. Now I have 3 different basses, each of which sound and feel very different - choices to play out are going to become difficult! But I'd certainly encourage anyone considering a lined fretless to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Welcome to the fold. I picked up fretless nearly 20 years ago, and never looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 Thanks Mart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I bought a VMJ fretless when I was playing Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me and loved it so much I had my regular 5 string Cort de-fretted. Use it for everything now - although I do use Rotosound Pressure Wound strings as a halfway house so I can get a bit more grunt when I need it. One thing I found, picking up on year first post, I tried using a pick - long set on New Year's Eve and the calluses weren't standing up to it. I couldn't get anywhere near the volume with a pick that I get from my fingers! Hope you carry on getting loads more enjoyment from it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Fretless has been a godsend to me, every time I find myself faced with someone who tunes to themselves, or cannot put on a capo properly, I can remain in tune with them without having to bend strings, retune, or slap them round the face and call them a twat. Good luck and enjoy (just watch out for dark stages til you get your left hand so you don't need to look). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Me too. I acquired a very cheap Yamaha RBX 270 F/L from evilbay to see if I could get on with it, loved it, upgraded chunks of it and now it features regularly! It is lined though, which I believe is frowned upon in these parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarky Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 [quote name='ead' timestamp='1326111566' post='1492341'] It is lined though, which I believe is frowned upon in these parts. [/quote] Burn him, for he is a witch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326111706' post='1492343'] Burn him, for he is a witch! [/quote] I'm also cruel to animals, but only when strictly necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancient Mariner Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 [quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1326111706' post='1492343'] Burn him, for he is a witch! [/quote] Is that because he can tell which note is which? (ducks and runs). Thanks gents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 I've nearly always had a fretless of one sort or another as I just love the sound (and the fact that Pino's fretless playing with Paul Young is one of the reasons I took up bass in the first place is another), but I've only just recently joined a band where I think I can use it exclusively (my other band seems better suited to fretted having tried the fretless for an entire rehearsal, it was OK but something wasn't quite right) and I'm very happy about it. I replaced the flat wounds I had fitted on it last week for round wounds (I actually just swapped the ones on my Ray34 with my fretless SUB) and I'm really enjoying the upped mwah factor and slightly more cutting tone (FWIW the Ray 34 sounds better with the flat wounds, a result all round) and I'll put up with the potential destruction of the finger board if it occurs. My first fretless was a home defret with plastic wood used to fill the slots, so that was lined. My second was a Fender Jazz fretless which was already lined. My current fretless is a defretted MM SUB (I had this done professionally by The Gallery and a damned fine job they did too) with maple fillets used to fill the empty slots, so lined again (I did have the dots replaced with rosewood which gives it a much cleaner appearance IMO). Some people are very sniffy about the whole lined thing, but I read Gary Willis say once that he's all for anything that helps his intonation, and he's pretty good as far as I can tell and a certain JP had lines too methinks. I don't look that often really but I like the security blanket of the lines and they really help when using double stops. I don't care if others think its cheating, I'm OK with it and as long as I make a good and in tune noise, what of it? Long live the mwah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ras52 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Lined, unlined, who cares? Jaco played lined, did he not? I like lined, it confuses the audience:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emanew Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 What better place than a church to play fretless ? My Fretless is my Holy Bass... Welcome back home and keep on playing exclusivly fretlless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia Bluejay Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) Heh. I got a cheap L/H RB Corvette 5 as a result of a fit of GAS instigated by Mr H and his post on this forum a couple of weeks ago. Forget about the initial hassle (the first one I got was scratched and I had to return it) - the second one is perfect, I've put Daddario Chrome flatwounds on it and absolutely effing LOVE it. I'm hooked. Best £150 I've ever spent. So, indeed, welcome to the club, AM! Edited January 25, 2012 by bluejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
originalfunkbrother Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 I recently purchased a TRB5IIF and I have played nothing but it ever since. Getting used to it is a joy, will probably do for another week or 2 then take it for a change of strings setup etc.. I concur with the OP, why didnt anyone tell me about this before?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
originalfunkbrother Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 [quote name='Emanew' timestamp='1327534167' post='1513175'] What better place than a church to play fretless ? [/quote] I am tempted to make mine the only one I use at church. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry_B Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Fretless is all I play nowadays. I've always preferred unlined ones. I've got a MIJ Fender Jazz and a pimped '80s-era Maya Pbass that has a maple neck. I also tend to play with a plectrum, often as not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 In the last five years I've hardly ever played a fretted bass: fretless is so much more expressive. My Veillette Archtop fretless gives me everything I need, although my recently acquired 1970 fretless P bass is giving it a good run for the money at the moment! [url="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6640536477_c723917895_z.jpg"][/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftyhook Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 Walbassist..beeeeeeyooootiful pair of basses! Walbassist = no Wal bass? perhaps your name is Walter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted January 26, 2012 Share Posted January 26, 2012 [quote name='leftyhook' timestamp='1327576832' post='1513522'] Walbassist..beeeeeeyooootiful pair of basses! Walbassist = no Wal bass? perhaps your name is Walter. [/quote] Thanks! Yes, two amazing basses. Indeed, no Wals at the moment, but I am planning something with Paul which should see the light of day in a couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Can I join in - I've just acquired a Westone Thunder III fretless and I've been playing it for over two hours...I love fretless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 [quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1326106970' post='1492248'] Just before Christmas I bought a fretless 5 string yamaha from Brian (Blademan) here, as a Christmas present to me. Did a little fettling, popped a set of flatwounds on (well, top 4 strings anyway - need to find a flatwound and practiced a bit. [/quote] If you're still looking for a flatwound low B, there was an eBay seller selling old stock D'addarios cheaply. I had one off them a couple of weeks ago; [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAddario-Flatwound-CB132-Single-132-Bass-String-/200642847011?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eb73ee123"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DAddario-Flatwound-CB132-Single-132-Bass-String-/200642847011?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2eb73ee123[/url] I thought it was worth a mention, as they're cheaper than many places. Oddly enough, I played mostly fretless for my first 5 years of electric bass as my first fretted bass broke, but I rarely get the urge these days as I'm playing double bass or fretted electric instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaypup Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 [quote name='StraightSix' timestamp='1327630482' post='1514597'] Can I join in - I've just acquired a Westone Thunder III fretless and I've been playing it for over two hours...I love fretless [/quote] Put some piccies up then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hutton Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 (edited) I recently acquired a Warwick Corvette fretless after quite some time of wondering how on earth you play fretless. Anyway, after some great advice from Linus27 (Michael) I have started to get to grips with the beastie. It's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I'm a happy camper. Edited March 14, 2012 by Hutton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightSix Posted March 14, 2012 Share Posted March 14, 2012 [url="http://www.westone.info/thunder3afretlessbass.html"]http://www.westone.info/thunder3afretlessbass.html[/url] My photography is hopeless and won't do it justice. It's exactly like this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregHughes Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 I've just recently got my first fretless, a mexican J bass and absolutely love it. I'm also wondering why I didn't try fretless before. Mine is linned and find it easier to play than a fretted bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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