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How is this done then?? Making a fretted sound fretless...


StuartB
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Hi all,
Exactly four mins in on this vid: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlMB9Mxt8M"]https://www.youtube....h?v=pFlMB9Mxt8M[/url]
the bass starts. I've actually only ever listed to this on a CD until today and was shocked to see the guy is actually playing a fretted bass - I was totally convinced it was fretless as it has great swell, no fret noise etc.

Is he using a d-esser or something? Flatwound stings? Magic Fingers? A graphic with the treble rolled right off? Any ideas as I love the sound and would quite like to emulate it.

Mine don't sound like that...

Ta

Stuart

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I do Bridge pickup favoured, roll back the tone, compress, poss chorus, try to play smoothly use similar phrasing to a fretless player and try to think ''fretlessy'. I've an example from about 15+ years ago I recorded that i quite liked, but I don't think it's online anywhere. Ill see if I can find it.

Edited by gafbass02
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We can't see what effects he might be running... but they aren't out front.

I'd expect to get close, with the bridge pickup and presense rolled off and chrous.... and then your left hand will need to do a bit of work
in the lines that you try and play...but I would say his sound is processed more than that. The chorus makes quite a difference tho.

OT.. I think Joe B gets quite a lot of flack..?? don't know why..

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Found it. It's the song 'so long so wrong' I recorded this around 1999 using my blue fretted jazz bass plugged into a zoom 506 and set as above. It's not perfect, I was just going for a 'fretless feel'.
http://www.reverbnation.com/myriadsonix

Tbh I didn't even know there was a reverb nation with that stuff on!! Gonna have a listen through now, I remember really liking the sounds I used on those songs. ;)

The best songs for bass sounds are the ones that start with an 'R' ...odd!! I was channelling Billy Gould in 'Redemption'
Glimmer and sit and stare are ok too.
What a nice find lol. :)
And the singer is the guy that recently shot burglars with his shotgun and was let off thank goodness :)
( he's a better shot than singer tho;)

Edited by gafbass02
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[quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1356292308' post='1908919']
My effects pedal has a fretless setting.... Never used it, I just play my fretless ;)
[/quote]
Yes I've seen 'de-fretter' options on bass multi-fx units. I tried one once and was thoroughly unconvinced.

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[quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1356299162' post='1909028']
This is a handy topic as I am learning Mama I`m coming home by Ozzy for a possible project and the verse sounds as if it`s played on a fretless. Not having a frettless, this topic hits the spot!!

B)
[/quote]


Let's hope we get some answers then!

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Dominique DiPiazza developed a special bridge system that can make a fretted bass sound fretless by using wooden saddles on the bridge:

http://youtu.be/bYPHZlwLP3s

More info here
http://www.neuserbasses.com/nfs.html

Cool thing is there are no electrics involved...

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[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1356289723' post='1908873']
Found it. It's the song 'so long so wrong' I recorded this around 1999 using my blue fretted jazz bass plugged into a zoom 506 and set as above. It's not perfect, I was just going for a 'fretless feel'.
[url="http://www.reverbnation.com/myriadsonix"]http://www.reverbnat...com/myriadsonix[/url]

Tbh I didn't even know there was a reverb nation with that stuff on!! Gonna have a listen through now, I remember really liking the sounds I used on those songs. ;)

The best songs for bass sounds are the ones that start with an 'R' ...odd!! I was channelling Billy Gould in 'Redemption'
Glimmer and sit and stare are ok too.
What a nice find lol. :)
And the singer is the guy that recently shot burglars with his shotgun and was let off thank goodness :)
( he's a better shot than singer tho;)
[/quote]


I would have really thought you played a fretless there if I hadn't read this, very smooth!

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[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1356301565' post='1909066']
Yes I've seen 'de-fretter' options on bass multi-fx units. I tried one once and was thoroughly unconvinced.
[/quote]

Yep not impressed by the one on Roland GT-6B. Doesn't quite pull it off IMO.

Dave

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If you can find an optical compressor with an attack control that has a real late bloom to the sound, you can mimic some of the dynamics of the fretless 'sound'. By softening the attack so much that the bite disappears, you get a slight double bass effect. I'd mix that with favouring the bridge pickup for the nasal mids whilst boosting low mids on my EQ. Finally, think about how a fretless bass sounds and try to mimic that. for example, with plenty of slow half bends up to notes as the compressor releases. Go for the 'Pino' effect with a boss chorus and Octave, you'll be well on the way to disguising your bass tone!

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there is a very subtle technique that is a combination of both left hand fretting and slight vibrato and a subtle slight of hand with the right hand (never got it to work with a pick only fingers) that will give a very slight (ish) sort of fretlessy sound

i think it depends a lot on the guitar too as i used to be able to do it quite well on certain basses but not on others

not that that helps much but i could always demo it at the next bass bash :D

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[quote name='StuartB' timestamp='1356284147' post='1908788']
....shocked to see the guy is actually playing a fretted bass - I was totally convinced it was fretless as it has great swell, no fret noise etc....

Mine don't sound like that...
[/quote]

He's a player know for his "fat" sound, playing an Xotic XB bass through various effects through a GK backline and post processing his sound in the studio prior to the DVD being released.

After that lot he's going to sound "different" to you.

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