I want a fretless sound

[Malcspring1]

Hey folks, As a newbie to the forum and also a relatively new bass player I was wondering if there any effects pedals that can mimic a fretless sound? I know that it would be near impossible to do it totally, but I was just curious as I love the fretless sound, but do no have the technical ability to play a fretless bass. Any pointers would be helpful.

[ped]

Here's a fretless effect I made on my Roland VB99

https://soundcloud.com/chris-hiscocks/seismic-mellow-short1

Not too bad in the mix, and great fun

[CliveT]

A fretless with lines really helps and you wouldn't find it that hard to get on with.
In the meantime a chorus pedal would be a good choice.

[lefrash]

My stock answer for pretty much everything on here.... zoom ms60b.

Pick up a 2nd hand one for 50-60 quid. Has a fretless effect which works quite well. Plus you've got the option to pop in a bit of reverb and eq to get it sitting right. All in one boss sized pedal.

[EssentialTension]

Just get a cheap fretless (preferably without lines IMO) and practice.

Anyway, there isn't a fretless sound anymore than there is a fretted sound.

[dannybuoy]

No substitute for the real thing, I've never heard a good fretless effect from a pedal. My first bass was a fretless - it doesn't take long to get used to it!

[DiMarco]

Why not simply play a fretless?

[Japhet]

I wouldn't recommend an unlined fretless to start out with. You have to have a very good ear or have spot on technique to play one. The purists will frown on a lined fretless but to me it's about the sound rather than the look. With a lined neck you'll know exactly where you're supposed to be fretting. With an unlined neck it's likely you'll spend a lot of time wondering why it doesn't sound quite right with no points of reference to help you correct it. Just my opinion.

[CliveT]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1461316417' post='3033559']
I wouldn't recommend an unlined fretless to start out with. You have to have a very good ear or have spot on technique to play one. The purists will frown on a lined fretless but to me it's about the sound rather than the look. With a lined neck you'll know exactly where you're supposed to be fretting. With an unlined neck it's likely you'll spend a lot of time wondering why it doesn't sound quite right with no points of reference to help you correct it. Just my opinion.
[/quote]
Agree !!
Go on then, I'll say it................. Jaco used lines !!
As does Gary Willis, Juan Alderete, Guy Pratt, Mo Fister and may more. And Mick Karn did too I believe
It's the sound that matters.

[Happy Jack]

When people talk about the "fretless sound" they usually mean either the Mwah effect or the swoops & slides that a fretless encourages. Neither of these can truly be achieved with a fretted bass (plus pedal or otherwise) though flatwound strings certainly help.

I agree with those who have suggested just buying a (cheap) fretless. To help with the lined/unlined issue, try looking out for one of these:

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20SOLD/Ibanez%202366%20FLB%201972%20SOLD/CIMG0127.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20SOLD/Ibanez%202366%20FLB%201972%20SOLD/CIMG0127.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

That's an Ibanez 2366 FLB on the right (with a 2369 on the left), from 1972, and no budget-buster.

Why that bass? Look at the fret markers.

[URL=http://s1128.photobucket.com/user/h4ppyjack/media/Basses%20SOLD/Ibanez%202366%20FLB%201972%20SOLD/CIMG0142.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m496/h4ppyjack/Basses%20SOLD/Ibanez%202366%20FLB%201972%20SOLD/CIMG0142.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

The audience and your bandmates can't see them - you're a bass playing God! - but when you glance down at the neck you see something familiar and re-assuring.

[mcnach]

yup... lines I don't care for, but side marks to indicate where the frets would be are very useful for me, as I don't often play fretless.
No pedal sounds remotely close to the real thing. They just have that soft attack characterwhich can be cool but... a cheap fretless is the way to go in my opinion. It's not hard to make it sound acceptable.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1461316417' post='3033559']
I wouldn't recommend an unlined fretless to start out with. You have to have a very good ear or have spot on technique to play one. The purists will frown on a lined fretless but to me it's about the sound rather than the look. With a lined neck you'll know exactly where you're supposed to be fretting. With an unlined neck it's likely you'll spend a lot of time wondering why it doesn't sound quite right with no points of reference to help you correct it. Just my opinion.
[/quote]

I beg to differ.

Lines on the fingerboard can get you in the region of a note but they do not tell you exactly where to put your finger tip. Only your ear can do that, lines or no lines.

Anyway it's common for a unlined fretless to have side dots - hopefully at least roughly at the correct note position and not misleadingly between the notes - and side dots are as good a guide as lines, i.e. imperfect.

When one is standing up playing, then the lines, especially for the D and G strings, will not be seen at all or will be seen at an angle of parallax that really won't help and may be very misleading.

Of course, people can play whatever they like.

[hubrad]

Where in Yorkshire are you, Malcspring1?

[uk_lefty]

[quote name='Malcspring1' timestamp='1461226242' post='3032548']
Hey folks, As a newbie to the forum and also a relatively new bass player I was wondering if there any effects pedals that can mimic a fretless sound? I know that it would be near impossible to do it totally, but I was just curious as I love the fretless sound, but do no have the technical ability to play a fretless bass. Any pointers would be helpful.
[/quote]

Go for a zoom BFX708 cheap as chips second hand. That has a "Jaco p" setting and a fretless emulator.

To be fair though when I was still relatively inexperienced on bass I used these after hearing Pearl Jam 'ten' and they didn't cut the mustard. I bought a lined fretless next birthday opportunity

Edited April 22, 2016 by uk_lefty

[Painy]

At 1 minute in if there's a way to get rid of the drone in the background. Obviously depends how authentic you want it to sound though....

http://youtu.be/nPmF3dBBXZw

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Painy' timestamp='1461359639' post='3034110']
At 1 minute in if there's a way to get rid of the drone in the background. Obviously depends how authentic you want it to sound though....

[media]http://youtu.be/nPmF3dBBXZw[/media]
[/quote]

I want to try that on Bass VI.

[Malcspring1]

For me I always think of Pino Palladino on the Paul Young track Wherever I lay My Hat. Fantastic.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRjiMN2qJHI

[hubrad]

Pino is great!
In answer to your first post, I have a couple of FX with a 'Fretless' setting, and they fall well short of the mark if you have Pino as your inspiration. Usually a bit softer attack with some compression and chorus.

[Dan Bass]

The Boss GT-6B Bass Effects Processor has some awesome fretless Bass effects. I've had my GT-6B since 04' still use it all the time, even with stainless steel round wound Bass strings on my Bass you can totally get that exact Paul Simon famous song he plays in the video with Chevy Chase, the one with that smooth sliding up and down the neck fretless Bass sound. You can get a GT-6B on eBay for around $100 nowadays.