It's taken me 4 years to get into fretless like I am now. How about you?

[Grangur]

It must have been about 2011 or 2012 that I bought my Warwick Streamer LX fretless. It's a cool bass, great "dark-chocolate" tone and a smooth neck. When i first got it I played it a fair bit, but I'd often go back to fretted when I got fed up of the wining, sitar-like sound.

Well, I picked it up yet again last night and at last I feel I'm really getting into the fretless. I might even go find a 5er to expand it with.

I've sold other basses in the interim time, but something kept me from parting with the fretless. Something told me selling would be wrong.

Has anyone else taken this long, or longer to get into a bass or a technique?



That's the one..

I think 5 string could be another long journey for me too.

[TheGreek]

I'm on my 3rd(?) fretless bass - I didn't get on/persist with the previous ones and ended up selling them. I actually listen more to what I play now so that may be why I'm enjoying the fretless more. I prefer the look of a inline bass too (why doesn't anybody make frets that match the board?)

BTW Nice looking Streamer you have there Rich.

Edited April 13, 2017 by TheGreek

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1492090207' post='3277866']
Has anyone else taken this long, or longer to get into a bass or a technique?

<snip>

I think 5 string could be another long journey for me too.
[/quote]

I took much longer to feel happy with my fretless. I bought it with roundwound strings brand new. I now wonder if that was an error on the part of the shop. That was Dublin in 1986 or 7! Last year I decided that I'd restring it with flats as the roundwounds had chewed the black finish off the fingerboard in places. I put black nylon Rotosounds with gold tails on and wished I'd done it sooner. I am going to give it a go on one of the open mic nights this year, such is my confidence with it. It plays like it should now but I didn't cotton on to how different it would feel for 30 years!!!

I thought, like you say, that going from four to five on fretted bass would be difficult but it isn't really that bad. I think I took a month or so to feel at home with the low B. It's a bit like getting a slightly larger desk, more room to work with yet everything within reach. I have said in the past that I'd like a fiver fretless too but I am not so sure now. The Vantage sounds good as it is with its J and P style pups. Maybe one day.

It's a damned good thing that I don't depend on my playing for a living innit.

[IainS]

I sometimes think that the only way I'm going to really learn fretless is if I sell my fretted bass so it becomes a choice of fretless or nothing. The temptation to play something perfectly in tune is just too great sometimes. I can see why it took you years.

[Crawford13]

I was the same with fret less I couldn't get used to flatwounds (even though I love them on my P Bass), I put a set of half rounds on it and started to really enjoy it!

[KingPrawn]

I'm with you all. It's taken me years to master fretless having bought and sold many. Thankfully I'm fully converted and my Zon never leaves my side. It challenged me to control both hands, with finger position for the left hand and pressure for the right. It's a different animal. Very rewarding though.

[Yank]

I mated with the fretless as soon as I picked it up and put down the fretted, never looked back. I love your fretless!

[Pinball]

I love fretless and have been messing around with it for 4 or 5 years, I don't play it much or particularly well and haven't played it live yet.
One of the problems that I was guilty of was that I overplayed it to begin with. Too much mwah is not a good thing and sliding around the strings can make things sound out of tune. I've settled down a bit and really enjoy it.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Yank' timestamp='1492165706' post='3278387']
I mated with the fretless as soon as I picked it up and put down the fretted, never looked back. I love your fretless!
[/quote]

Er...

[gary mac]

At home I'm playing fretless more than fretted and really enjoying it these days.

[fretlessguy]

It took me a couple of practice sessions, but I caught on rather quickly. Enjoy your adventures in fretlessing. Nothing else like it.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='IainS' timestamp='1492099480' post='3277975']
I sometimes think that the only way I'm going to really learn fretless is if I sell my fretted bass so it becomes a choice of fretless or nothing. The temptation to play something perfectly in tune is just too great sometimes. I can see why it took you years.
[/quote]

For me it just felt wrong with roundwounds. For all those years I didn't realise a change of strings would make it feel right. It was as if the scales had fallen from my eyes after thirty long years.

I agree with you. If you had no other choice I don't think there would be so much temptation to rely on frets for good intonation. I also think that you would get your ear in - so to speak - far quicker.

[2elliot]

Blimey. That's a stunner.

Funnily enough. Spent most of last night listening to Japan.