Malcspring1 Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ped Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveT Posted April 21, 2016 Share Posted April 21, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefrash Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiMarco Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Why not simply play a fretless? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japhet Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliveT Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 Where in Yorkshire are you, Malcspring1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 (edited) [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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Painy Posted April 22, 2016 Share Posted April 22, 2016 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 [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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcspring1 Posted April 24, 2016 Author Share Posted April 24, 2016 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hubrad Posted May 2, 2016 Share Posted May 2, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Bass Posted May 3, 2016 Share Posted May 3, 2016 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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