paul_5 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 [quote name='risingson' timestamp='1343686716' post='1753828'] If I didn't play in a rock band or perhaps mostly played on ballad-type tunes then I'd be happy as a fretless player as well. Best of luck to you. [/quote] Jeff Ament? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 [quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1343723295' post='1754036'] Jeff Ament? [/quote] I'm not saying 'don't play rock with a fretless'. I'm saying it will never work for me personally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 [quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1343602241' post='1752688'] Well, this week I sold my Warwick Streamer (it's sitting in it's case now, packed up and ready to be posted), which leaves me with just my Fender Jaco Pastorius fretless jazz bass...[/quote] What happened to your ACG?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Undead Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I can't for the life of me play a fretless. I try but my intonation is... non-existent. Never tried one with lines though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) [quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1343798232' post='1755310'] I can't for the life of me play a fretless. I try but my intonation is... non-existent. Never tried one with lines though... [/quote] how do you get to Carenige hall? ED? Laugh!!? (but not at You!) a lined fretless is a good idea BTW Edited August 1, 2012 by witterth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='Evil Undead' timestamp='1343798232' post='1755310'] I can't for the life of me play a fretless. I try but my intonation is... non-existent. Never tried one with lines though... [/quote] Lines don't make that much difference to be honest. I've been playing a fretless with lines for years & my intonation still stinks. The key with fretless seems to be play it a lot (which I don't) - if you leave it alone for a while your intonation goes to hell again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris2112 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='Conan' timestamp='1343739564' post='1754396'] What happened to your ACG?!?! [/quote] Traded, off in Hungary now! On top, this sounds amazing when you use a fretless to play the main melody: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQoYeMAS5qo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1343822398' post='1755724'] Traded, off in Hungary now! On top, this sounds amazing when you use a fretless to play the main melody: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQoYeMAS5qo[/media] [/quote] good call. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='risingson' timestamp='1343686716' post='1753828'] If I didn't play in a rock band or perhaps mostly played on ballad-type tunes then I'd be happy as a fretless player as well. [/quote] I use fretless exclusively with one of the cover bands - Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters... If it was good enough for Boz Burrell, it's good enough for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
risingson Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1343830275' post='1755922'] I use fretless exclusively with one of the cover bands - Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters... If it was good enough for Boz Burrell, it's good enough for me. [/quote] Fair enough but like I say, my fretless doesn't sit so well with my own band, at least to my ears. I will probably give it another shot soonish though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 [quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1343830275' post='1755922'] If it was good enough for Boz Burrell, it's good enough for me. [/quote] Boz Burrell only used a fretless with Bad Company, and his intonation on their stuff is pretty iffy ( not just my opinion, he's said so himself). When he was with Crimson he used a fretted fender jazz bass, and the last time I saw him (when I was on the same bill as him at a festival in 1989) he was using a fretted Warwick Thumb 6 string. I've also seen pictures of him using Stingrays, and much later on Lakland basses - all of which were fretted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I have been pretty much 'fret free' since 1986 when I got my Wal. I have owned fretted basses but, opposite to everyone else, on the rare occasion that one of them left the house, I only used the fretted for one song per set rather than the other way around. I have played jazz, Latin, rock, blues, small group and big band. Sold my last fretted several year ago now (to someone on here) and have no real intention to look for a replacement. With reference to fretless cliches and the usual tricks/slides etc, with respect, those are a matter for the player. I never really slide in a 'special effect' kind of way and my bass is pretty much a mwah free zone (I rarely hear it that way, anyway). My cliches are my cliches and are not fretboard/instrument specific! To be fair, I don't slap more than the occasional note and don't really play any music where the precision of a pick is essential but, to be blunt, you can easily play a fretless and not have it sound like one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoombung Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 With the fretless there were little things (bad habits, you might say) that I'd got into that were getting on my nerves, for instance, playing something low down on the neck then having to jump up to the high notes very quickly. I'd always end in a lot of vibrato as it's naturally difficult and physically challenging to [i]aim[/i] for the right note when making a large jump. I still write big jumps in to my music but now I'm finding that a bit simpler with the fretted... and I don't have a chunk of vibrato on the end. I [i]do[/i] miss sliding harmonic chords but I've been doing that to death for years so it's time to try new things (like tapping) which feels very different with frets as you are bouncing of metal strips rather than wood. The things that still occupy me are interesting note intervals and harmonic contrasts and these are all very achievable on frets - and like Bilbo, above, I was never one for the big mwah effect either. Perhaps I'm just after a different tactile sensation? It might be something as simple as that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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